Branching Broomrape Orobanche ramosa

Branching Broomrape Orobanche ramosa. A leafless, parasitic plant whose stems tap into the roots of other plants, like Tobacco, Potatoes, or Mint, which sends up branching clumps of dark colored stems which bear light lavender tube flowers with a white mark on the lip.  Under the ground the plant forms a bulb like nodule around the roots of some plant, then sends up a short, stout stalk that branches at the surface.  Not able to produce chlorophyll, Broomrape has no leaves, parasitizing other plants. Locally uncommon, this pest can form colonies which are not noticed, since they are very short, and get quickly overgrown after they bloom.  In Europe this species is harvested and prepared like asparagus. SWk, Not in Book, 3/25/19 – 5/4/19; 3/28/20 – 5/?/20;

Branching Broomrape habit; a leafless parasitic plant producing clumps of light blue tube flowers.

Note; Broomrape does not produce any leaves, tapping into the roots of other plants

Note; branching clumps of leafless stalks, each bearing slightly arched, blue flowers with a white spot on the lip and into the throat.

Sage; Texas Sage

Sage; Texas Sage, Leucophyllum frutescens.  This hardy, evergreen shrub from the Chihuahua desert sports light grey, rounded leaves, and bright purple tube flowers which are intensely fragrant.  A popular flowering hedge, Texas Sage tolerates trimming, is drought resistant, prefers full sun, and blooms when nothing else will.  The light grey, slightly fuzzy, oval leaves are attractive in their own right, and smell only slightly of sage.  The grey color and hairs give the shrub protection from both the hot sun, and cold desert nights.  The plant blooms irregularly, breaking out into full blooms several days after a rain, all the sage plants in an area blooming so vigorously that the shrub is covered with light purple tube flowers that open to a 5 petal corolla.  Flowers bud singly from the node of each leaf, covering new growths with blossoms.  Honey bees swarm to the heavily pungent flowers for the few days they are open.  This shrub will reach 10 – 15 feet in height if watered, but is usually shorter, preferring to spread out in a dense, compact, naturally rounded shape that needs little maintenance.  It does not propagate naturally in the DFW region, but does well when planted.  Most plants are found in yards, hedges around shopping centers, or boulevard medians.

Texas Sage; a compact shrub with light grey, fuzzy leaves which blooms periodically with masses of purple tube flowers.

Note; oval, slightly pointed, light grey leaves are densely arranged in an alternating whorl.

Note; all Texas Sage shrubs in an area will burst into flower at the same time, covering the plant with pungent, lavender blooms.

Note; lavender tube flowers, the throats speckled with orange or red, open up to a corolla of 5 lobes, two pointing up, three pointing down.

Bermuda Grass

Bermuda Grass; Cynodon dactylon; going by any number of names, some of them repeatable, Bermuda Grass is an invasive that is as difficult to grow as it is to eradicate.  It is marked by a sprawling, low growing mass of tough rhizomes with densely spaced thin, short leaves, and short flower spikes with a single joint, that divides into 4 sprigs of tiny flowers.  Originally from somewhere in Africa, it is drought resistant, has a deep, dense root system, and wears well, taking over many places, such as Bermuda, from whence it was brought to the USA.  Favored for ball fields, it provides a dense sod if watered consistently, but goes dormant in the winter, turning brown and quickly wearing down to the rhizomes.  It transplants as easily from rhizomes, so must be disposed of properly if it is unwanted.  It does not tolerate shade, so is not a good choice for lawns with trees.

Bermuda Grass habit; a low growing grass marked by spreading rhizomes lined with thin, short, pointed leaves, nodes that take root where they touch the ground, and short flower spikes that branch into four flower bearing sprigs.

Note; the four identical sprigs on each flower spike, lined with tiny flowers

Note; the creeping radial pattern, rhizomes taking root wherever they touch soil, quickly growing over exposed soil

Buffalo Grass

Buffalo Grass; Buchloe dactyloides; growing by tough stolons which take root at every node, and by seeds that are born at ground level, Buffalo Grass can form thick, dense mats of smooth grass where the surrounding vegetation is kept cut down.  Locally it only grows 4-6″ tall, the short, narrow blades curling under when the weather is dry, it is able to withstand prolonged drought, even though it only has fine, fibrous, wiry roots.  Root mats of Buffalo Grass were so dense sod houses were once made from prairie turf.  It endures fire, intense grazing, and drought, but cannot stay inundated for long.  It turns a dun or tan color with the first killing frost, so some do not find it appealing for lawns, but it is hardy, rarely needs mowed, and forms a smooth, even mat if given full sun and watered occasionally.  Male flowers are born on short, filamentous shafts, all the tiny white flowers pointing the same direction, making the dense spikes look feathered, or lopsided.  Female flowers are carried at nearly ground level in sparse, but dense clusters, protecting the burr like seeds from being burnt or eaten by grazers like cattle or Buffalo.  Buffalo Grass is common on mowed surfaces that are not watered heavily, and abundant on the paths across open land, where the taller vegetation is mowed down, but it does not spread quickly, making propagation slow if mowed land is not seeded.

Buffalo Grass habit; a low growing, spreading grass of open areas that forms dense mats of closely spaced clumps sprouting from tough rhizomes or stolons, and bears short spikes of tiny white flowers

Note; all the male flowers, carried above the leaf blades point the same direction, the seed forming female flowers budding at ground level

Note; Buffalo Grass can form wide, dense mats of short, hardy turf where taller vegetation is kept cut back

Lichens; Rock Lichens or Ring Lichens

Lichens; Rock Lichens or Ring Lichens; this life form, that is actually a symbiotic arrangement between a fungus, which provides the structure, and a bacteria or algae which lives within the tissue, paying the rent by manufacturing food, defies simple classification.  Usually it is a green or orange algae, or a blue-green bacteria (cyanobacteria) living within a fungus, producing food via photosynthesis, in exchange for a protected space within the tissues of the fungus.  Although they take many forms, the most common forms of lichens locally are those that grow on hard rock, cement, or tree trunks, and those which grow on tree branches.  Rock lichens are less common, for they do not grow on soft chalk-rock, the dominant rock in the area.  Lichens which grow on rocks, the heartwood of dead trees standing in full sun, or tree trunks, usually form a flat, circular pattern with very little rise.  These Rock, or Ring Lichens range in color, from white, to black, to grey, and occasionally yellow, or orange.  They need full sun, and often are what is sold as “moss-rock”.  They are often placed in the shade, ore even used as decorative rock inside houses, where they promptly die due to lack of light and water.

Note; Rock Lichen habit; flat, or nearly flat, roundish, low profile growth on hard rock, cement or tree trunks, often in a ring-like pattern

Note; ring lichen colors range from white to black to grey or green, to yellow or orange

 

Lichens; Leafy Lichens

Lichens; Leafy Lichens; this life form is actually a symbiotic arrangement between a fungus, which provides the plant structure, and a bacteria or algae, which lives within the tissue, paying the rent by manufacturing food.  Lichens vary widely in color, shape, and life-span, but can be divided into two broad categories, leafy Lichens and ring-like, or rock lichens.  Leafy Lichens are usually comprised of a green or orange algae, or a blue-green bacteria (cyanobacteria) living within a fungus, producing food via photosynthesis in exchange for a protected space within the tissues of the fungus.

Lichens which grown on tree branches are often out of sight, growing high in the canopies of trees, becoming visible only when a branch falls.  They are ‘leafy’ in shape, sometimes even stringy, like hair, usually are grey in color, and have a leathery, almost spongy texture.  Tree lichens tolerate winter freezes, and summer drought, but absorb water quickly when it rains.

Incidentally, these are the lichens that reindeer eat in the northern forests and on the tundra.

Leafy Lichen habit; grey, leaf like growths on tree branches, usually from the upper story, in full to partial sun, that have a leathery, spongy texture

Note; the orange spots on the dead wood are the flatter “rock” lichens

Note; leaf like, white to grey growth, with a leathery to almost spongy texture

 

 

Yucca, Torrey Yucca

Torrey Yucca Yucca torreyi.  Rising from a fibrous corm, which divides both under the ground and above, this member of the Amaryllis family first forms a flattened, untidy rosette of narrow, fibrous, lance-like leaves, up to 12” long.  The pithy flower stem can grow very tall, branching to form a complex spray, unlike Y pallida, which remains as an unbranched spike, bearing flowers 2-4” across that, unusual for yucca, open fully and face outward, rather than drooping.  Each flower has 6 identical, elliptical petals arranged around a fleshy pistol, and 6 narrow stamen with a conspicuous, outward crook.  The narrow pods are more bean like than the peanut shaped pods of Y pallida.  Y torreyi is more common in drier parts of West Texas, but a few are attested in the ILC area.  Amerinds once used the fibrous leaves for cordage, after scraping the thin layer of pulp off, ate the corms and young flower stalks, and used to saponin laced corm to create a sudsing soap to bathe, or wash their hair in.  (55)  5/10/15-5/25/15; 5/1/18-5/20/18; 5/5/19; 5/1/20 – 5/15/20;

Torrey Yucca habit; growing from a thick, fibrous corm, from which sprout multiple trunk like stems, this yucca forms an untidy rosette of narrow, fibrous, lance like leaves which produce a thin, branching flower panicle bearing large, cream flowers that open fully

Note; Torrey’s Yucca is more slender and taller than Pale Yucca, and the fibrous leaves less tidy looking

Note; the large, cream flowers open fully, the 6 petals broader than the sepals, all surrounding a fleshy pistol and 6 slender stamen

Note; Torrey’s flowers are more slender, more upright, and open wider than Pale Yucca flowers

Yucca, Pale Yucca

Pale Yucca (Shiners Yucca, Soap Weed) Yucca pallida/arkansana/louisianensis/freemanii. Born from a thick, fibrous root or corm, this trunkless rosette of spine-like, grey-green leaves, 1’ or more long, often forms branching clumps.  A flower spike with prominent nodes, growing up to 5’ tall bears large, waxy, nodding, cream colored flowers, which rarely open completely.  6 identical, linear veined petals enfold a fleshy pistol with 6 thick, bent stamen.  Flowers are pollinated by sphinx moths, which lay their eggs on the pistol.  The infant larva eat most of the seeds, exiting the pods in their first molt.  Intolerant of shade, Yucca are found on open grassy or rocky areas, like power-lines or pastures.  The fibrous leaves were used as a source of cordage by Amerinds.  The thick roots contain saponins, which suds like soap, so Yucca are sometimes called ‘soap weed’.  The flower spikes can be eaten like asparagus when first growing. (57-66) 4/28/15-5/28/15; 4/25/16; 4/7/17-5/28/17; 5/1/18-5/26/18; 4/28/19; 5/5/20

Pale Yucca habit; rising from a corm like stem, a rosette of long, flat, grey-green, spike like leaves grows a flower spike with prominent nodes at regular intervals, bearing large, nodding, cream colored flowers

Note; nodding, waxy, cream colored flowers, each with 6 sepals and petals, that do not open fully, are arranged in an alternating spiral around the flower spike

Note; new seed capsules, which turn woody with age, have a figure 8 shape

Note; old seed capsules are dark grey, splitting along three sutures to release flattened seeds

Yarrow, Common Yarrow

Common Yarrow (Milfoil) Achillea millefolium. This tall stemmed, somewhat pithy plant with slightly grooved, fuzzy stalks rises from a rosette of compound pinnate, fern-like leaves that are rounded, rather than pointed on the ends.  Leaf petioles clasp the stalk, a filamentous sheath wrapping around the entire node.  The stalk is divided at conspicuous nodes, stems arranged in an alternating spiral at each node.  Pithy stems terminate in a compound umbel of small, white flowers, nestled in a rosette of pinnate, bract like leaflets.  Each flower is composed of 5 white petals and 5 stamen tip with white anthers, all centered around a bare yellow disk with a towering, smooth pistol.  Each petal is divided in two.  Flowers convert to a mass of sticky (Velcro) seed capsules that cling to hair or clothing, but which are much larger than Hedge Parsley.  Lawns, PDU, PL (108) 4/20/15-5/20/15; 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 no obs;

Common Yarrow habit; beginning as a rosette of fine, compound pinnate leaves with rounded tips, stem leaves arranged in an alternating spiral around the grooved, hairy stalk, terminating in a compound umbel of small white flowers

Note; compound umbels of small, white flowers and stamen tipped with white anthers, arranged around a bare yellow center

Note; each petal is split in two

Note; fine compound pinnate leaves clasp the grooved stems, a filamentous sheath wrapped around the leaf nodes

Note; dense cluster of stick-tight seed capsules, nestled in a rosette of fine, pinnate leaflets

Woolywhite

Woolywhite (Old Plainsman) Hymenopappus artemisiifolius. A pithy stemmed flower over 2” tall, which begins as a rosette of coarse, narrow, compound pinnate leaves in which the pointed end leaflet is longer and more lance-like than side leaflets.  Leaves have no stem but do not clasp the stiff stalk.  As the smooth stalk grows, the leaves are arranged in an alternating spiral around it, becoming less complex toward the top.  The loose inflorescence branches frequently from leaf nodes in a spiral pattern, dividing into sprays of small flower heads.  Each head is composed of tiny, white, papery flowers with yellow centers,  so tightly clustered they look like one large, complex flower.  Pistols and stamen protrude beyond the flowers.  PL, PDU (100) 4/17/16-6/15/16; 4/7/17- ; 4/22/18; 4/28/19; 4/11/20

Wooleywhite habit; a rosette of deeply pinnate leaves that produces a tall, pithy stalk with alternate, pinnate leaves, turning into a branching flower spike composed of clusters of small, papery, white flowers

Note; the inflorescence branches readily at leaf axils, each side spike bearing dense heads of  tiny, white flowers

Note; narrow, deeply pinnate leaves in which the center lobe much longer than the side lobes, arranged in an alternating spiral around smooth, pithy stems

Note; sprays divide into stems tipped with tight flower head, which look like a complex flower, but which are composed of papery, white flowers with yellow centers

Note; pistol and stamen protrude beyond the ends of the tiny flowers