Broadleaf Plantain Plantago major. The broad, (2”) cross-hatched 7 veined leaves are up to 10” long, bearing large bare flower spike (396) The flower spike is short (3-4”), the flower head cylindrical (not cone shaped) and the white anthers barely project beyond the profuse bracts that hide the miniscule, green flowers, giving the bloom head a scaly look. Most common along paths, PDU, PL, roadsides (396) no pix 4/10/15-5/20/15; 4/17/16- ; 17 no obs; 4/?/18; 19 no obs; 20 no obs;
Lantana; Calico Lantana Lantana urticoides/horrida. A native of central and south Texas, this deciduous, invasive plant quickly spreads onto poor, overgrazed, or disturbed soil. A first generation succession plant, it can provide ground cover to reduce erosion, and can help stabilize leaf litter and add humus to the soil. However, its leaves have a pungent smell, it stalks are lined with tiny, stiff, and sharp spines, and its juicy blue-black berries are poisonous to most animals, making it unpalatable to most livestock, hence the alternative species name, horrida. Locally, Lantana is a deciduous perennial, but it cannot withstand severe freezes of northern clines. Mildly fragrant, clustered flower heads begin as yellow, but turn lavender, purple, and red over time, hence the name ‘calico’. Sphinx moths pollinate the flowers in the warm air of summer evenings, and several green orb spiders set up their webs for smaller fair that are attracted to the flowers. Unlike many Texas natives which flower before leafing, Lantana blooms from new shoots that leaf out first. The large, folded leaves, born in opposite pairs, have coarsely toothed margins. DFW is in the extended range of Lantana, so while it will survive if planted and watered, it does not propagate locally, and so is restricted to gardens and flower beds.
Note; dense heads of 5 petal tube flowers begin as yellow, turning lavender with age.
Note; stiff, woody stems lined with ridges of small, stiff, sharp thorns
Note; days old flowers turn lavender with red centers around a nectar tube.
Note; bunches of juicy, blue black berries are strong smelling, and poison to most animals, though some birds eat them
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
Cheat Grass; Bromus tectorum (Drooping Brome); an invasive annual winter grass from Europe and North Africa, with sparse, short blades, jointed stems and drooping panicles of tightly packed seeds, Cheat Grass takes over disturbed or overgrazed range land. Cheat Grass germinates in the Fall or Winter, grows rapidly in the Spring, and dies and sets seed by early summer, creating fire hazards where it covers the ground. It is said to “cheat” by stealing winter moisture, as it has already germinated and grown shallow roots by Spring thaw, and in that it creates the appearance of plentiful, green fodder, only to dry up and turn unpalatable by summer. It is easily crowded out by local plants if range land is managed without overgrazing, and periodically burnt off.
Cheat Grass habit; small clumps of annual, jointed stems rising from a shallow root system that produces short, drooping panicles of densely packed seeds, which mature by Summer.
Note; like Winter Wheat, Cheat Grass germinates in the Fall, grows a shallow, but profuse root system during the Winter, and uses up most of the surface moisture by summer, when it goes to seed.
Note; Cheat Grass creates an illusion of verdant green, which dries up and dies by Summer.
Willow; Sand-Bar Willow Silax interior Rowley;. Untypical of willows, this Silax is a low growing, tough, scraggly bush with narrow, leathery, toothed leaves alternating along straight, brittle stems. This willow reproduces from roots as well as seeds, forming expanding clumps. Although it prefers alluvial sand and gravel along stream beds and road-side ditches, it is often found on bare limestone, even where there is no shallow water table. New shoots can bud from nodes along old stems or trunks, giving it a brushy, bristly appearance. Plants are either male or female. Both produce catkins, but female catkins are much larger (2-3”) and are the only ones to convert, in the fall, to masses of white, fibrous achenes that carry seeds on the wind. (96) 4/22/17- ; 18 no obs (achenes 10/20/18); 19 no obs; 20 no obs;
Sandbar Willow habit; a scraggly, arching bush found along road ditches, alluvial gravel beds or bare limestone, with long, narrow, toothed foliage and tiny catkins, which in female plants, convert to tufted, fibrous achenes.
Note; new shoots grow from old trunks, making them look scraggly and rough
Note; the dark grey bark is rough and thin, but lacks corky ridges
Note; long, strap like leaves with coarsely toothed margins are born alternately along new stems
Note; fall flush of achenes turn female plants white with what look like flowers
Note; panicles of tuft like achenes
Sumac; Prairie and Flame-Leaf/Smooth Sumac Rhus copallina L;. As the name implies, the leaves of this woody, deciduous shrub turn bright red in the fall. The trunks have low, rough, corky knobs, but are otherwise smooth and unfurrowed. Long (10-14”) pinnate leaves bear opposite pairs of slightly asymmetric, lance shaped leaflets. Terminal clusters of tiny greenish-white, fragrant flowers bud from the ends of this year’s growth, each with 5 petals arranged around a central disk. Flowers convert to heavy stalks of hard, dark red berries (some varieties are white). Though small and inconspicuous, sumac has many uses. The resin of this Sumac has a copal like property, and can be burned as an incense, earning it the scientific species name copallina. The stems and bark contain high levels of tannin, used for curing hides, and Amerindians crushed the berries to make lime-laced water taste palatable. The berries are a rich source of food for birds migrating through DFW in the early spring. Two nearly identical varieties grow in the area, the Prairie Flame Leaf has toothed edges on the leaves, but lacks wings on leaf stems, while the flower petals are longer, and whiter. The Smooth Flame-Leaf has a smooth, untoothed leaf margins, with flattened wings on leaf stems, while the flowers are more rounded, and have a darker colored disks, but both varieties are considered one species. (632-633) 5/10/15; 5/30/16; 5/15/17 – 5/30/17; 6/2/18; 19 no obs. 5/20/20
Note; flowers convert to dense panicles of dark red (or white), hard berries, readily eaten by migrating birds in the spring
Flame Leaf Sumac habit; a densely branching, deciduous tree with relatively smooth bark, bearing alternating, compound pinnate leaves and panicles of white flowers that convert to dense clusters of dark red berries.
Note; the relatively smooth bark lacks ridges, or scales, but has corky rough protuberances
Note; Smooth Flame Leaf Sumac have compound pinnate leaves with an odd number of asymmetrical leaflets with smooth margins, and flattened ‘wings’ between leaflets
Note; Prairie Flame Leaf Sumac have compound pinnate leaves with an odd number of nearly symmetrical leaflets with coarsely toothed margins, lacking ‘wings’ between leaflets
Note; dense terminal panicles fragrant flowers, each with five white, elongated petals arranged around a dark central disk
Note; Prairie Flame Leaf Sumac flowers have longer, thinner petals with pointed tips
Note; Smooth Flame Leaf Sumac flowers have shorter, rounded petals
Note; leaves turn a bright, dark red in the fall, remaining on the plants for some time, earning this Sumac the nick-name Flame Leaf Sumac.
Privet; Glossy/Japanese Privet Ligustrum lucidum var. macrophyllum Ait;. Much bigger, more upright, and less aggressive than L sinense (Chinese privet), this vigorous, invasive, hardy, evergreen, ornamental from south-eastern Asia is more of an understory tree than bush. The smooth, light grey bark of the trunks, often mottled with lichens, bear large (2-4”), glossy green, pointed leaves that are arranged in opposite pairs along long (6’+) arching stems. More upright, L lucidum is an understory tree with 3-6 trunks, and though the stems might take root if they touched the ground, they rarely do. Terminal panicles of fragrant, white flowers, each with 4 rounded petals, grow out from the axils of new leaves and the ends of last year’s stems. Flowers convert to blue-black, oblong fruit which remain on the bush through the winter, providing spring food for migrating birds. L lucidum is common both in the thin soils of limy high ground and the deep soils of lowland flood plains. (856) 5/28/15- ; 16 not recrd; 17 not recrd; 5/26/18; 19 no obs; 5/10/20;
Glossy Privet habit; an upright, evergreen bush with tree like trunks, often mottled with lichens, which bears large, opposite, glossy, oval leaves, and terminal panicles of showy, white flowers
Note; the trunks are smooth, lacking the knobs of L sinense (Chinese privet)
Note; opposite, glossy, dark green, pointed, egg shaped leaves with a sharp drip-tip stay on the plant for several years
Note; terminal panicles of showy, white flowers with a mild fragrance, each flower composed of four rounded petals, stamen and pistol emerging beyond the flower profile
Note; each shallow tube flower has four rounded petals, two white, filamentous stamen tipped with cream colored anthers extending beyond the flower face
Privet; Chinese Privet Ligustrum sinense Lour;. This leggy, drooping, invasive, evergreen ornamental shrub was imported for its terminal spikes of fragrant white flowers and green foliage. Privet sports multiple, small, trunk like stems which sprout from a central, shallow, bulbous root, sprouting new growth from the base and from branches in March, then developing terminal sprays of flowers which open in April or May. Flowers convert to small, oblong, blue-black fruit that soon ripens, but does not fall until the next spring (March). The mass of showy, fragrant flowers are white, with 4 elongated petals, arranged around a short tube, from which two filamentous stamen protrude, each tipped with a purple anther. Pointed, elliptical leaves are born in opposite pairs along new stems, remaining for several years. The long thin, brittle new shoots are easily snapped, but grow back quickly, gradually bending over if not supported, till they touch the ground. They will take root if they touch, so privet needs to be cut back twice a year to keep it in check. Older trunks develop a knobby surface with sharp, spike like protuberances where opposite leaf ribs once grew. This privet has taken over large areas of moist bottom land, forming interlaced understory thickets that are nearly impenetrable without a machete or hardy nippers. The roots are shallow and the stumps easily removed, but Privet can grow back from roots. Privet does not colonize open grass land, as it does not tolerate full sun. (857) 4/25/15; 5/25/16; 4/18/17- ; 4/18/17; 5/20/18- ; 5/4/19; 5/15/20
Chinese Privet habit; an evergreen shrub with multiple, long, arching trunks radiating out from a central, shallow, bulbous root, stems taking root wherever they touch the ground, bearing attractive elliptical leaves and terminal sprays of fragrant white flowers
Note; evergreen, dark green leaves born in opposite pairs along stems.
Note; showy, terminal panicles of fragrant white flowers, each with four elliptical petals, and two white stamen tipped with purple anthers.
Note; each flower has four elongated, slightly curled, white petals arranged around a short, central tube from which two stamen, tipped with an anther, protrude
Note; flowers convert to black/dark blue, oval to round berries, eaten by many migrating birds
China-berry; China-Berry/ Neem/Umbrella Tree Melia azedarch L;. It is illegal to intentionally plant this invasive, soft, fast growing, deciduous tree, which germinates easily from ½” pulpy, yellow seeds, for it crowds out local vegetation. The dark blueish-green trunk is smooth with light furrowing when young, becoming somewhat rough when older, but never deeply furrowed. China-berry loses its leaves in the fall, growing new clusters of long, compound serrate leaflets on the ends of long branches every spring. Clusters of pleasantly fragrant, lavender and purple flowers, each with 5 narrow petals surrounding a purple central tube, bud from the axils of new leaves in March, making a nice centerpiece while they last. The leaves have a strong odor, and when crushed and immersed in water are used as insecticide elsewhere. In some places the fruit is pulped in water to make medicine for round worms, but the fermented fruit itself can be poisonous. Medicinal uses refer to the tree as Neem, or Arobaini (40 in Arbic), for the reputed 40 applications, while those who plant it for shade refer to is Umbrella Tree for its rounded canopy. Common in disturbed forests, especially where there is ample moisture. (602) 4/16/15-5/10/15; 4/10/16; 3/20/17-4/15/17; 4/15/18-5/10/18; 4/21/19; 4/9/20 – 5/9/20;
China-berry habit; a fast growing, invasive tree with soft wood, relatively smooth, greenish bark, and a rounded, open canopy, bearing fragrant, lavender flowers which convert to oval, yellow berries.
Note; clumps of coarsely toothed, compound pinnate leaves, each leaflet deeply toothed, are arranged in an alternating spiral, budding from the ends of long stems each spring,
Note; panicles of attractive, if small, heavily fragrant, lavender and purple flowers bud from this the axillary nodes of this year’s leaves
Note; five narrow, lavender petals surrounding a frilled, purple central tube that houses pistol and stamen, tipped with cream anthers
Note; round, green fruit surrounding a single seed, which turns yellow when ripe, falling in the spring
Note; fall colors yellow, with yellow berries
Yellow Star Thistle Centaurea solstitialis. More like a cactus than a thistle, this sprawling, lanky, readily branching plant has pithy, flattened, winged stems which branch in asymmetric patterns, forming a messy looking mass of spines. The long, stiff, very narrow, dusty green leaves are arranged alternately at irregularly spaced nodes, each leaf tipped with cactus like spines. Stems potentially branch at each node, creating a tumbling habit. The flower heads are bright yellow globes that sprout from fleshy, fruit-like pedicles 3-4” long which are covered in thorns. Common on disturbed soils, roadsides, otherwise the plant is soon crowded out by grasses and taller plants. (Pl Rn X Old Clark) (218) 6/25/15; 6/15/16- ; 6/10/17- ; 6/7/18 ; 19 not recrd;
Yellow Star Thistle habit; an irregular mass of sprawling, pithy, flattened, winged stems armed with cactus like spines, bearing yellow, globe like flowers on fleshy pedicles
Note; flattened, ‘winged stems’ and grey-green color
Note; tumbling, readily branching growth habit produces mounds of weakly upright stems, thorns and leaves
Note; bright yellow globe flower on a fleshy, fruit-like pedicle, with inch long cactus like thorns.
Trail Trotter's Flower Guide 