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.

Johnny-Jump-Up (Wild Pansy) Viola tricolor

Johnny-Jump-Up Violet (Wild Pansy) Viola tricolor. This soft stemmed plant is occasionally perennial, but in most zones is a self-seeding annual. An immigrant from the Mediterranean, this violet ranges in color from solid yellow to dark purple, the most common pattern being painted, purple lip with yellow stripes, the petals split between yellow and lavender. The elongated leaves, which have coarsely toothed margins, alternate along a squared, somewhat trailing stem.  The parent stock of commercial pansies, V tricolor produces viable seeds.  This wild stock bears 3/8” flowers on long stems, one at a time.  An uncommon visitor, this wild pansy escaped cultivation, and no occasionally blooms along forest margins, like Sunset Walk.  Not in books. 3/15/19-3/29/19; 20 no obs;

Note; Johnny Jump Up, or Wild Pansy, single 3/8″ blue flowers with white stripes radiating from a yellow center, born in slow succession on long stems

Note; elongated, coarsely toothed leaves alternating along squared, slightly trailing stems

Note; blue, 5 petal flowers born singly in slow succession.

note; buds forming within deep bracts at leaf nodes

Vervain, Wright’s Vervain

Wright’s Vervain Verbena wrightii. A low growing, sprawling perennial consisting of tough stems radiating outward from a central tap root.  Opposite leaves are divided into three deeply pinnate lobes, which are wider than those of V hasata, Blue Vervain.  Thick, bushy, terminal spikes form a cone-shaped, tight cluster, or head, of light lavender-blue tube flowers.  Many flowers are open at the same time, creating a ring of lavender around the head, with green, unopened buds at the top.  The tubes are completely concealed in bracts, opening up to a corolla of 5 cleft petals, the bottom ‘lip’ petal being longer, and more deeply cleft.  This vervain prefers full sun, so is not found in shaded or forested areas, but is common everywhere else, specifically prairies, mowed areas, and west facing forest margins, where it forms dense clumps of bright blue flowers.  A favorite of butterflies and bees, Wright’s Vervain blooms early, goes dormant during summer heat, and resumes blooming in cooler fall weather.  PDU, CC (372) 4/2/15 – ; 3/10/16; 3/12/17- ; 3/22/18; 3/23/19; 3/25/20

Wrights Vervain habit; dense clumps of sprawling stems radiating out from a central root bearing dense heads of bright lavender blue flowers

Note; deeply pinnate, three lobed, narrow leaves are arranged in opposite pairs along smooth stems

Note; terminal spikes form thick flower heads of bracts from which the lavender blue tube flowers emerge.

Note; tube flowers open to a corolla of 5 petals, the lip petal being longer, and cleft into two lobes

 

Venus’ Looking Glass

Clasping Venus’ Looking Glass Triodanis perfoliata. The lower, alternately spaced, coarsely toothed leaves of this weakly upright, soft-stemmed plant do not have a petiole, or stem, but clasp the slightly grooved stalk, giving the plant its descriptive name.  Stems rarely branch, the plant consisting of increasingly long stems which eventually fall over.  Bright blue flowers are born singly from the cup of each leaf, each consisting of five elliptical petals with 3 linear veins.  Flowers open in slow succession from bottom to top.  Petals surround a green pistol and 5 purple stamen. Common in open to slightly shaded portions of PDU, CA, CC and DORBA (370) 4/22/15-5/20/15; 4/20/16-6/1/16; 4/20/17- ; 5/25/18, 5/4/19; 4/24/20 – 5/25/20;

Venus’ Looking Glass habit; long, soft stems with alternating leaves which clasp the ribbed stems, bearing bright blue, singly born flowers

Note; clasping leaves are arranged in an alternating spiral around the stems

Note; Blue flowers with 5 petals, streaked with darker blue veins, surround a central pistol surrounded by 5 basal stamen, each tipped with white anthers

Note; flowers are born singly on short peduncles from leaf axils

Note; heart shaped, coarsely toothed leaves have no petioles,  but clasping the grooved stem

Threadleaf

Threadleaf (Bishop’s weed) Ptilimnium capillaceum. A short (10-12”), fibrous plant that derives its name from its thread-like, compound pinnate leaves which divide into many threads per petiole, this annual blooms early, before it gets crowded out by taller vegetation.  The leaves clasp the slightly ribbed stems, the petioles wrapping them in a transparent sheath.  The weakly upright stems would sprawl if not supported by surrounding vegetation.  The flowers head are composed of tiny white flowers, born in a compound umbel, much like Hedge Parsley, each flower composed of 5 spatula shaped petals arranged around a yellow center.  Flowers convert to smooth, elongated seeds with slight “winglike” projections.  The plant differs from Hedge Parsley (Torilis arvensis) in the shape of the leaf, the season, and that flowers do not form sticky “velcro” seeds like Hedge Parsley. PDU, DK, PL (60) 4/22/15-6/5/15; 4/14/16-6/25/16; 3/27/17- ; 5/10/18; 4/1/19; 3/18/20

Threadleaf habit; low growing masses of soft, fibrous stems, with thread-like leaves, and bearing umbels of small white flowers

Note; each stem ends in a compound umbel of 5 spatula shaped petals arranged around yellow centers

Note; five, tiny basal stamen bear yellow anthers above the flower head, making them look slightly fuzzy

Note; low growing, soft, feathery, thread like leaf pattern

Note; compound pinnate leaves with thread-like leaflets which clasp the fibrous, ribbed stems,arranged in an alternating spiral

Note; leaf petiole clasps the stem, wrapping it in a sheath

Note; a low growing spread of Threadleaf, (and taller Delphinium)

Thistle, Yellow Star Thistle

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.

Sundrop, Narrow-leaf Sundrop

Narrow-leaf Sundrop Oenothera fruticose.  A pithy, erect, if straggling plant with very narrow, toothed, strap-like leaves arranged around the tough, reddish stems in a spiral.  The leaves lack petioles but do not clasp the stems.  Leaves of the similar Drummond’s Sundrop, Calyophus drummondianus, are nearly twice as wide. The elongated buds unfurl as they open into a showy flower with four somewhat narrow, crape like petals surrounding a prominent nectar tube that leads to the ovary.  The 1” bright yellow flowers have a prominent three lobed stigma on an elongated pistol, and 8 shorter, light yellow anthers.  The 3/4 ” seed capsules are dowel-like. Chalk flats along roads (158) 5/8/15-6/1/15; 5/10/16; 4/14/17- ; 4/25/18; 19 no obs; 5/5/20

Narrowleaf Sundrop habit; clumps of pithy, reddish stems with very narrow, sharply toothed, strap-like leaves, bearing bright yellow flowers

Note; bright yellow flowers with four, narrow petals arranged around a nectar tube.

Note; elongated pistols and stamen from the rim of the nectar tube

Note; clumps of pithy, reddish stems lined with very narrow, toothed, strap like leaves

Note; reddish, dowel like seed capsules

 

Sundrop, Drummond’s Sundrop

Drummond’s Sundrop (Square-bud) Calyophus drummondianus. A weak, straggling plant with toothed, strap-like leaves that radiate around the stem, lack petioles but which do not clasp the stem.  Though narrow, the leaves are nearly twice as wide as Narrow Leaf Sundrop, Oenothera fruticose. The light green buds, also without peduncles, have 4 prominent edges (making them look ‘square’), which are lined with light purple.  The 1” bright yellow, four petal flowers have a prominent three lobed stigma on an elongated pistol, and 8 shorter, light yellow anthers set within a cup of 4 petals.  The 1” seed pods are stick-like. Chalk flats along roads (158) 5/8/15-6/1/15; 5/10/16; 4/14/17- ; 5/12/18; 4/22/19; 5/1/20

Drummond’s Sundrop habit; weak sprawling stems with straplike, toothed leaves arranged in a radial pattern around the stem, bearing square buds which open to bright yellow flowers

Note; bright yellow, cup-shaped flowers, up to 1” in diameter, each with four petals, emerge from buds with four ridges.

Note; beetle in the flower throat

Note; square buds with pronounced ridges, rimmed with purple.

Note; narrow leaves are lined with sharp looking, spine like teeth, which are harmless

Spurge, Petty Spurge

Petty Spurge Euphorbia peplus.  A short (10-15”), soft stemmed plant with opposite pairs of spatula shaped, clasping leaves, this sun-loving spurge is most common on overgrazed, or bare soil.  The upper part of plant is loosely branching, producing thin flower stems from leaf axils and terminal buds. The final pair of leaves are joined so as to produce an elliptical “boat” which cradles pairs of fleshy, yellow-green flower, each with prominent “horns” and yellow anthers.  Flowers convert to round, fleshy fruit capsules.  Like other Euphorbia, all parts of the plant produce a milky sap when cut, and have a bitter taste, making infested pastures inedible to livestock.  PDU CC (398) 4/7/15-5/20/15; 3/28/16-?; 17 not recrd; 4/22/18; 4/7/19; 4/5/20

Petty Spurge habit; short, compact, readily branching plant, with opposite pairs of spatula shaped leaves that bleed white sap, and tight clumps of yellowish green flowers

Note; horn like projections, and yellow stamen on flowers

Note; alternating spiral of spatula shaped leaves

Note; final pair of leaves are fused, producing a boat that cradles fleshy green flowers.

Note; all parts of the plant produce a bitter, milky sap when cut

Snake Herb, Oblong Leaf Snake-Herb

Snake Herb (Oblong Leaf Snake-Herb) Dyschoriste linearis. A low-growing (10”) perennial with slightly hairy stems, and oblong (1-2”) leaves that are slightly hairy on the underside and have a very finely toothed edge.  The relatively large (1” long) lavender tube flowers, with light purple veining and spots in the throat, open to a corolla of five lobes, two nearly fused petals pointing upward and three widely separated petals pointing down.  The middle lobe is a lip, marked by a roughened, light area flecked with dark blue spots, giving it the nickname “poka-dots”.  Tightly furled flower buds are set in a cage of sepal bracts, the flowers, born directly from these bracts at leaf axils and plant tips, lack notable pedicles.  Tendril-like stamen and pistol are visible in the mouth of the flower, coiled against the roof of the tube.  Slight ribbing on the lip floor forces insects up against the anthers, leading to pollination.  No information on the illusion to snakes. Prevalent In isolated colonies along PL, PDU, MK.  (Not in book, see 372) 5/12/15; 5/2/16- ?; 5/2/18; 5/17/19; 19 no obs; 5/28/20

Snake Herb habit; Low growing clumps of tough stems with narrow, spatulate, opposite leaves and lavender tube flowers

Note; the stamen protrude beyond the mouth of the tube

Note; single flowers are set deep in bracts, opening in slow succession,

Note; tube opens to a corolla of 5 lobes, two pointing up, three pointing down.

Note; the lip has roughened calluses, forcing insects to brush the stamen