Wildflowers

[Turtle]

Excellent photos!

Unless my memory is tainted, your photos have increased in quality since you started them. :)

 

you sayin' my early phlower photos sucked!? :eek: :hyper: but yes i think i have done better with practice and thanks for sayin' so and thanks to you & cedars for puttin' me onto what makes for an increase in quality in a wildflower photo. say stamen! :bouquet:

 

Did you ever get an ID for the purple/blue flower in the wildflower group?

I gave it a good lookin at, but I don't even know where to start with that one. My guess is that it's an exotic that somehow found a home on that patch of dirt. :shrug:

 

yes; michaelangelica pegged the genus if i remember, & i verified the species through the ususal sources. checking now with the Burke source for here in washington, i see it is listed as introduced in 1 county that is a couple counties north of moi and originates in eurasia.

 

Nigella damascena - WTU Herbarium Image Collection

additional source: Nigella damascena

 

here's the photo of the specimen i spotted:

 

love-in-a-mist - Nigella damascena

august 2009

suburbia

clark county washington - introduced

 

[Turtle]

some native wildflower seedlings have come up in my window-sill greenhouse. i expected 120 days to germinate as i found a source giving that number, but these have come up in ~45days. :Nurse:

 

first photo seedlings; second photo a mature plant in a pot after flowering; last photo the flowers. following that is a re-write of my blog entry on this native plant. :eek:

Tellima grandiflora - WTU Herbarium Image Collection

 

fringecup - Tellima grandiflora

august 2009

suburbia

clark county washington - native

 

 

 

 

sorry for no scale on the flower shot. :doh: so several years ago i collected my mother plant in my old yard and grew it in a pot for several years without knowing the id. last year i finally id'd it and i put it inthe ground of the new yard in a shady corner as i had since learned they favored part shade. once i knew how to identify them, i realized they were ubiquitous under the understory trees in lechtenberg and i collected seeds from plants there & at home.

i looked up google to see if anyone had seeds for sale & find out what they go for; no seeds that i could find, but 4" potted plants go for about $7 US from the few suppliers marketing them. specializers in native plants they be. :D the plants also reproduce from runners.

 

that's that. :hyper:

[Turtle]

been waiting a couple weeks for this to bloom so i could id it. 2 of the plants came up volunteer alongside the footing of my garage. another native and useful as a dye. :P

 

 

Solidago lepida - WTU Herbarium Image Collection

 

western canada goldenrod - Solidago canadensis

august 2009

suburbia

clark county washington - native

 

 

1/4" grid

[freeztar]

Solidago lepida appears to be short for Solidago canadensis var. lepida.

 

Are you sure you have the right variety?

 

Solidago can be a hard genus to ID. You might want to take a look at the other varieties found in your area.

 

PLANTS Profile for Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod) | USDA PLANTS

 

According to the USDS site, it's more likely that you have Solidago canadensis var. gilvocanescens or Solidago canadensis var. salebrosa.

 

:P

[Turtle]

Solidago lepida appears to be short for Solidago canadensis var. lepida.

 

Are you sure you have the right variety?

 

Solidago can be a hard genus to ID. You might want to take a look at the other varieties found in your area.

 

PLANTS Profile for Solidago canadensis (Canada goldenrod) | USDA PLANTS

 

According to the USDS site, it's more likely that you have Solidago canadensis var. gilvocanescens or Solidago canadensis var. salebrosa.

 

 

hell no i'm not sure. :rant: ;) i spent so long on it that i decided to just throw this id on the wall & see if it sticks. :hihi: i'll re-label as Solidago canadensis. what did you see that makes you think the other varieties? :rolleyes:

[freeztar]

Only the locations indicated by the USDA, which are sketchy at best.

 

For Solidago, I recommend a good botanical key and a scope. Cronquist comes to mind. Powell might have a cheap copy if you can make it over there.

 

Amazon.com: Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual (9780295952734): C. Leo Hitchcock, Arthur Cronquist: Books http://www.amazon.com/Flora-Pacific-Northwest-Illustrated-Manual/dp/0295952733

[Turtle]

Only the locations indicated by the USDA, which are sketchy at best.

 

i did look there as it's a link from the Burke museum site i have been using as a local source. here is their listing of all reported Solidago species in the state. the best match there for my specimen is the Western Canada Goldenrod, S. canadensis which they listed as only S. lepida so that's why i pasted it in my captions. sketchy is as sketchy does! :hihi:

 

WTU Herbarium Image Collection

 

For Solidago, I recommend a good botanical key and a scope. Cronquist comes to mind. Powell might have a cheap copy if you can make it over there.

 

Amazon.com: Flora of the Pacific Northwest: An Illustrated Manual (9780295952734): C. Leo Hitchcock, Arthur Cronquist: Books

 

oish! tryin' to minimalize possessions. already pissed at myself for gettin' those fuller books. :rant: scope? like microscope? :rolleyes: . . . . . . ;)

[freeztar]

i did look there as it's a link from the Burke museum site i have been using as a local source. here is their listing of all reported Solidago species in the state. the best match there for my specimen is the Western Canada Goldenrod, S. canadensis which they listed as only S. lepida so that's why i pasted it in my captions. sketchy is as sketchy does! :hihi:

 

I'm not saying it's wrong, but Solidago usually requires some discreet observations.

 

oish! tryin' to minimalize possessions. already pissed at myself for gettin' those fuller books. :rant: scope? like microscope? :rolleyes: . . . . . . ;)

 

Yeah, a microscope or even just a handheld 10x lens would work. I got my loupe on ebay for around $4 and it has proved invaluable. Stick it on a lanyard and put it around your neck and all of a sudden, the world becomes more interesting. ;)

 

I know it's pushin' it for a minimalist, but I think you'd find it useful for many endeavours. :)

 

Heck, you could probably make a good trade with Bucky's book...

[Turtle]

...

Yeah, a microscope or even just a handheld 10x lens would work. I got my loupe on ebay for around $4 and it has proved invaluable. Stick it on a lanyard and put it around your neck and all of a sudden, the world becomes more interesting.

 

I know it's pushin' it for a minimalist, but I think you'd find it useful for many endeavours. :rant:

 

Heck, you could probably make a good trade with Bucky's book...

 

roger. i have a loupe & a pocket hand-lens. ;) well, my "loupe" is an old eye-piece from ... erhm... well, some kind of optical instrument, but it is at least 10x. :) if you ever saw how much i have to tie to myself already when i go afield, i would have to call paramedics to keep you from croakin' from your unstoppable convulsive laughter. :rolleyes: :hihi:

[Turtle]

this came up volunteer in the veggie garden. i thought it was a mint, but now not so sure. :) it is only starting to bloom and i won't rip 'er up 'til, or if, i know it's not native.

 

[Turtle]

a while back i took some of the kids to the meadows around lechtneberg forest and one of the girls gave me some photos yesterday that she took on the outing. first shot is looking west with moi in the midst and the purple swath in back is all lupine. second shot is a close-up of the lupine blooms. as i was more caught up in tour-guiding than id'ing, i don't know what species this is. :doh: :) could be the same as those i gathered seed from on green mountain, which is just a little over a mile nne from this meadow. then again, could be not the same. :hyper: will try & check next season. . . . . . . . :)

 

 

[freeztar]

this came up volunteer in the veggie garden. i thought it was a mint, but now not so sure. :) it is only starting to bloom and i won't rip 'er up 'til, or if, i know it's not native. :hyper: :)

 

 

Has it bloomed out yet? Also, can you get a shot of the leaves and maybe one of the whole plant?

 

Btw, nice hat! :doh:

[Turtle]

Has it [the suspected mint] bloomed out yet? Also, can you get a shot of the leaves and maybe one of the whole plant?

 

Btw, nice hat! :)

 

i didn't specify, but it's field mint - Mentha arvensis that i suspect(ed). here's a leaf shot i made the other day...in anticipation of your request. ;)

 

Mentha arvensis - WTU Herbarium Image Collection ??

will check bloom stage in un momento.

 

 

i was just out getting shots of my lupine seedlings from the seeds i collected with racoon on green mountain. i planted them inside july 14,2009: can't remember exactly when i transferred them outside and don't remember if i recorded it somewhere. :doh: :hyper:

 

 

as to my hatt, takk. :) not particularly noticeable is that it has a chin strap in place effectively tying it to myself. :doh: a bit easier seen, the sunglasses hanging on my chest from another neck strap. :eek2: not seen, half-a-dozen other things tied to me either on my belt or to strings from pockets to belt loops. off to check bloomage . . . . :)

[freeztar]

i didn't specify, but it's field mint - Mentha arvensis that i suspect(ed). here's a leaf shot i made the other day...in anticipation of your request. ;)

 

Am I that predictable? :lol:

 

Field mint, eh? Which variety? :D

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mentha_arvensis

 

as to my hatt, takk. not particularly noticeable is that it has a chin strap in place effectively tying it to myself. :hyper: a bit easier seen, the sunglasses hanging on my chest from another neck strap. :eek2: not seen, half-a-dozen other things tied to me either on my belt or to strings from pockets to belt loops. off to check bloomage . . . .

 

Yeah, I was looking for all the things you say you tie to you, but I didn't see any in the photo.

 

Let me try a guess here: a loupe, a hand lens, a compass, a whistle, a first aid kit, and err...what else? Did I at least get 60% of that right?

 

The baby lupines are looking good.

[Turtle]

Am I that predictable? ;)

 

Field mint, eh? Which variety? :D

 

Mentha arvensis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

i'm stumped now because my plant neither smells or tastes minty and i think all in genus Mentha have that quality. oui/no?. my flowers don't have protruding pistils/stamens either, as do the mint phlower photos. :( i don't know what to think now except for "i hope it's not poison". :D :doh:

 

 

 

Yeah, I was looking for all the things you say you tie to you, but I didn't see any in the photo.

 

Let me try a guess here: a loupe, a hand lens, a compass, a whistle, a first aid kit, and err...what else? Did I at least get 60% of that right?

 

The baby lupines are looking good.

 

you never see my shuriken 'til i take off my pack, open the pack pocket, take the shuriken out, untie the shuriken & throw it at you. :eek2:

 

your bindings list is good, though i don't generally take the loupe. first aid kit & compass go in the pack but didn't bring pack on the short trip to the meadow. whistle, yes; car remote, check; car keys; tied up sir; reading glasses; reading glasses!?? forgot to tie again sir & lost another pair. :hyper: hand lens; check :lol: gps; roger tiage; cell phone; knotted tightly sir. waterproofed? :doh: rats!! no sir. camera; cases & shoulder strapped chief. 6" rule; stringified & camera cased boss. waterproof match canister. 3 tied in 3 different places & ready sir. please somebody stop me!!

[jab2]

"Car keys, tied. Cellphone tied. GPS ties. Glass, lost another pair. Wallet tied in zipped pocket."

 

Looks like we went to the same school. The school of life.

 

I have learned a long time ago that if it is not fixed to your person, it will loose in the field.

 

(Sorry for the slight off-topic)

[Turtle]

"Car keys, tied. Cellphone tied. GPS ties. Glass, lost another pair. Wallet tied in zipped pocket."

 

Looks like we went to the same school. The school of life. :D

 

I have learned a long time ago that if it is not fixed to your person, it will loose in the field.

 

(Sorry for the slight off-topic);)

 

no worries; looks on topic enough to me. :)

 

so thens; fall is looming and late flowers blooming. :eek:

 

just a couple notes to add. :hyper:

 

i went to green mountain a couple days back to get some rock samples (fascinating topic all on its own. ;) ) and on the way back spotted some purple daisy-like flowers. i pulled one up that had a bloom but by the time i got home with it the bloom was done for. :( i'm guessing it's an aster but i may not be able to pin it down from my sample as the leaves have died back and no good bloom. :cry: fortunately many of the flower heads have gone to seed and i am assiduously separating & collecting them for to grow some next year.

 

this brings us to my second topic, the electrostatic properties of seeds. i have been doing my separating & cleaning of the wildflower seeds in plastic trays and/or on paper and using metal tweezers, and i have noticed that some of the seeds exhibit electrostatic properties. the smaller seeds in particular cling in groups, jump to or away from the tweezers and one another, and they cling to the plastic trays or paper even when inclined. i did some searching for "electrostatic properties of seeds" and found plenty, but it is all related to using electrostatic machines to clean and separate seeds. :D

 

what came to my mind however is that the electrostatic properties might be a plant strategy for spreading the seeds as they are likely to cling to the hair of passing mammals or the feathers of birds or the exoskeletons of bugs or the carapices of turtles or yada yada yada varied life forms of the motive & electrostic charge carrying kinds. :) that is all. . . . . . . :cup: