Bluet; Rose Bluet

Bluet; Rose Bluet Hustonia rosea (Hedyotis rosea). A tiny, early blooming plant common in lawns, or spaces where vegetation suffers winter die back. The entire plant grows no more than 2” high, each stalk bearing a single, upright, cup-shaped flower with four petals ranging from bright blue to pale lavender to white.  Each flower appears to have a yellow cross in the middle, where the stamen form. The tiny, rounded leaves, born in opposite pairs along thin stems, are slightly succulent, and lacking petioles, clasp the soft stems.  the weakly upright, weakly branching stems loosely grow between stems of dormant grass.  New buds emerge from the crown of the plant as it grows.  Lawns (Not in Book) 2/12/19 – ; 2/18/20 – 3/22/20;

Note; light blue, four petal flowers born singly on very short stems

Puffball; Giant Puffball

Puffball;  Giant Puffball Basidiomycota sp; the large Giant Puffball, three or more inches in diameter, grows in yards, or on the forest floor.  Beginning as a speckled, white globe, the Puffball matures into a brown, mushy, sponge like ball that is full of spores. Spores are spread when animals kick the ball over and it rolls around.

Giant Puffball habit; a large, white speckled globe that matures into a spongy brown ball full of spores

Note; brown spongy ball on the forest floor

Note; spongy interior full of spores

Puffball; Acorn Puffball

Puffball; Acorn Puffball Geastrum fibriatum (Earth Star), begins as a chocolate drop shaped, grey dome no more than ¾” in diameter, that pushes up through the soil.  It then splits into many sections (8-9) which curl back, exposing a thin, soft, grey bubble with a small, central pin-hole.   A curl of ‘smoke’ erupts when the bubble is thumped, or when a raindrop falls on it.  Common in yards, or forest floors, puffballs dry up and disappear with hot, dry weather.

Acorn Puffball habit; beginning as a grey dome that splits into strips that curl back

Note the central grey, thin skinned bubble of spores with a central pin-hole opening

Note; emits a puff of ‘smoke’ when thumped

Violet, Missouri Violet

Missouri Violet (Wood Violet) Viola missouriensis. The only violet native to the ILC, this herbaceous perennial sprouts a cluster of deeply notched, cordate (heart-shaped) to arrow-shaped leaves.  Each flower stem produces a single, short-lived flower composed of two upright, light blue sepals, two lower, deep violet-blue petals, and a central, modified petal called a lip that sports three or four darker purple streaks.  The petal is modified into a small opening leading to a short, rounded nectar tube, just large enough for insects to insert their tongues.  Flowers convert to thin seed capsules full of tiny, dust like seeds.  Blooming season lasts 2-3 weeks.  Locally it is found only in shaded areas along forested trails where there is deeper, moist soil, but occasionally in yards, where it tolerates mowing.  Only found in low areas of MK trace, CC, SWk (378) 3/15/15-4/7/15; 3/10/16-4/1/16; 2/22/17-4/5/17; 3/15/18-4/2/18;

Missouri Violet habit; clumps of lightly toothed, heart-shaped leaves with single blue and white flowers born on short stems.

Note; glossy, smooth, heart shaped leaves with a lightly toothed, rounded margins, born on slender stems 3-4”long

Note; two upright, lavender petals, two darker purple petals that point down, a central, purple lip petal streaked with dark purple

Vervain, Blue Vervain

Blue (Tall) Vervain Verbena hastata.  A tall (1-3’), stringy, perennial with strongly upright, weakly branching, slightly grooved stems off of which leaves with deeply pinnate lobes are arranged in opposite pairs.  Sparse, tiny, blue, tube flowers bud directly off long terminal spikes, deeply enough embedded within shallow bracts so that no peduncle (stem) can be seen. The tube opens into a corolla of 5 petals, each cleft with a small wedge.  Although it tolerates full sun to partial shade, this plant is widely scattered in yards, as well as open fields, since it is tall enough to compete with other leggy plants.  Though tiny, flowers attract many butterflies.  PDU, CC and CA (372) 4/10/15; 4/18/16; 3/21/17- ; 4/22/18; 4/20/19; 3/25/20

Blue (tall) Vervain habit. Note; very leggy, branching plant with tall, erect, grooved stems, lined with very narrow, deeply pinnate leaves in opposite pairs, bearing terminal spikes of tiny blue tube flowers.

Note; tiny, blue tube flowers deeply embedded in smooth, terminal flower spikes.

Note; tube flowers open to a five lobed corolla, each petal with a wedge shaped cleft.

 

Veronica; Birdseye Speedwell

Veronica; Birdseye Speedwell Veronica persica. This branched, creeping, lawn plant is characterized by soft stems with opposite, heart-shaped, fuzzy, clasping leaves, with lobed edges. The blue and white flowers, each with four petals, are 3/16” across, and are born singly from leaf axils.  Three petals are light blue and rounded, with heavy dark blue veining clustered around a white center.  The fourth petal is a light blue and elongated, like a lip.  Two hooked anthers arc over the central, spike-like pistol. Common in lawns and road margins, preferring shade, and intolerant of hotter weather. [Not in book] (354 related) 3/12/15-4/28/15 Rain and cool weather prolonged 5/20/15; 2/14/16-6/1/16; 2/23/17-4/?; 3/5/18; 2/8/19 – ; 2/8/20 – 5/29/20;

Veronica Speedwell habit; cool season, shade loving ground cover and lawn plant with rounded, clasping leaves bearing single, bright blue and white flowers.

Note; opposite pairs of rounded leaves clasp the creeping, soft stalks

Note; blue flowers with white centers are born singly from leaf axils

Note; low growing habit as an early season ground cover, common on lawns and margins

Note; rounded, lobed, opposite leaves with no petiole.

Note; three bright blue petals, one light blue to white petal.

Note; 4 white stamen arc over the central  spike-like pistol

Sorrel, Creeping Wood Sorrel

Creeping Wood Sorrel (Yellow Oxalis) Oxalis corniculata (Oxalis stricta). A compact, early blooming, sun loving perennial with three lobed, clover like leaves on long stems, and bright yellow flowers born singly on long stems.  Each leaf is born singly on a long stem rising from a nut like tuber, each of the three lobes cleft so that they look like a green valentine.  Bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers composed of 5, slightly curled petals, each with an orange dot at the base, are born singly on long stems. Wood sorrel is upright where surrounding vegetation will prop them up, otherwise the stems fall outward.  The long, slightly fuzzy seed capsule grows upright out of five cornered sepal base, splitting along its five seams with age.  Stems and leaves have a sharp taste, due to high levels of ascorbic acid (vitamin C). Wood Sorrel also propagate by division when underground rhizomes (corms) grow out from the “nuts”. PDU, CC (170) 4/1/15 – ; 3/1/16; 3/7/17- ; 3/15/18; 3/21/19; 3/10/20

Creeping Wood Sorrel habit; three lobed, clover like leaves on long stems, bearing single, yellow, cupped flowers

Note; three lobed leaves born on long stems, each lobe cleft into two rounded lobes, like a green valentine

Note; upright fuzzy seed capsules in a cage of stiff bract like sepals

Note; underground rhizomes spread out from “nut” like tubers

Sida, Spreading Fanpetal Sida

Spreading Fanpetal Sida Sida abutifolis (filicaulis).  A tough-stemmed, sprawling weed that invades lawns and heavily mowed areas, with narrow, lance-shaped, deeply veined, leaves with rounded, toothed margins.  Buds and seed capsules are five cornered pyramids.  Light yellow flowers have 5 irregular petals, the left-most lobe being longer than the right, giving the flowers a shape reminiscent of an electric fan blade, earning it the moniker, “Fan-Petal Sida”.  Like the related mallows and hibiscus, the anthers form a bottle brush around the upper end of the pistol, near the stigma.  Flowers are easily confused with Three Lobed False Mallow M coromandelianum, except that plant is strongly upright.  Common on Lawn, mowed roadsides, and short grasses, this Sida cannot compete with taller growing plants. (166) 5/12/15; 6/1/16; 4/22/17- ; 4/22/18; 19 no obs; 20 no obs;

Spreading Fanpetal Sida habit; a sprawling plant with narrow, toothed, lance shaped leaves, and yellow flowers with lopsided petals.

Note; anthers form a brush around the upper end of the pistol.

Note; one lobe of each petal is larger than the others, like a fan blade

Note; pyramidal, five sided bud

Plantain, English Plantain

English Plantain Plantago lanceolata. A annual with long (4-6”), narrow, 6 banded, smooth leaves that have a pleated look.  The tall 15-20”, smooth flower spikes are capped by a short (1-2”), conical, green flower head.  Tiny cream-white flowers are set deep into the flower head, the long stamen, tipped with white blob-like anthers giving the head a fuzzy look.  Tiny seeds are set within the soft, chaff like bracts on the flower heads.  The most common plantain in yards and regularly mowed areas.  Rubbing fresh plantain leaves on stings helps take the burning out, while compresses of boiled leaves help bring infections out.  As the name implies, this is an invasive species brought to the US by settlers for its reputed medicinal properties. (396) 4/16/15-; 3/10/16; 3/20/17-6/5/17; 3/?/18; 4/7/19; 3/28/20

English Plantain habit; a basal rosette of long, smooth, pleated leaves, that produces multiple, very long spikes tipped with a conical flower head

Note; long 15-20” flower spike, tipped with a head of inconspicuous, cream colored flowers set within chaff like bracts

Note; the flowers are nearly invisible, but stamen tipped with white anthers extend beyond the bracts, giving the flower head a fuzzy look

Note; 8 banded, non-fuzzy, pleated leaves with a smooth margin

Note; conical bud on the end of spike

 

Parsley, Knotted Hedge Parsley

Knotted Hedge Parsley Torilis nodosa. A week, trailing plant which zigg-zaggs between prominent knot like nodes, coarsely toothed, palmate leaves, each with three elongated lobes, growing from each node.  The fibrous stems are ribbed, and not pithy, but supple and flexible.  Inconspicuous, greenish flowers are born in miniscule clusters opposite leaves at the nodes, converting to small, green burrs, in sets of 3.  The plant spreads when its seeds cling to fur or clothing, but are much easier to remove than T arvensis.  Common along lawn margins and growing within hedges. (60) 4/20/16; 4/15/17- 5/5/17; no obs 18; 19 not recrd; 20 not recrd