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

Nutsedge

Nutsedge; Cyperus sp (Nut Grass); a pithy, thick stemmed grass like sedge with knot like seed heads that look like burrs, but which are mildly soft and not prickly.  This grass like plant, which grows from a small bulb like tuber, elsewhere called “grass-nuts”, prefers well watered, partially shaded areas, is probably an ornamental that escaped cultivation, as it does not occur in native prairies.  The thick, somewhat triangular stems are light and pithy, dividing into sets of three at prominent nodes, but otherwise there are no joints in the stems.  The long, narrow leaves are thickened and arch away from the plant center.

Burr Grass habit; clumps of thick, smooth, unjointed stems that are nearly triangular in cross-section, which rise from dense clumps of fibrous roots, which produces dense clumps of soft, burr like seed heads

Note; dense clumps of burr like heads

Pepper, Bush Pepper

Bush Pepper; Capsicum frutescens. The genus Capsicum has been divided into four species, each with multiple varieties. The best known species is C annum, which includes Bell Peppers and Jalapenio, is the most mild, ranging from 0-10,000 in terms of hotness.  Capsicum frutescens is a small, hot pepper hardy to North Texas, and one of the few pepper plants which is indigenous to the southern USA.  A medium height (less than 2’), pithy stemmed member of the tomato family that branches regularly in a rigid angular pattern from each node, with lance shaped leaves, somewhat clammy to the touch, so broad they are almost heart shaped.  Tiny white, forward pointing flowers, blooming in late summer, are born singly on stems that point upward, looking somewhat like White Nightshade flowers, except that they do not nod, and lack the prominent, yellow, fused anthers.  The fruit are tiny (3/8”) peppers which turn yellow, then red-orange when ripe. It has been rated at 30,000-70,000 in terms of Scoville hotness, (2,500,000 is the max).  Forested areas, or forest margins on SWk.  (907-908 Vines) 8/28/18; 19 not recrd;

Bush Pepper habit; a medium height, regionally perennial pepper with broadly lanceolate leaves on long, alternating stems, bearing solitary, white flowers that convert to small, oval peppers that are mildly hot

Note; leaves are mildly clammy, the smooth stems zig-zag, and the leaves are held in an alternating pattern within a single plain

Note; the small, white flowers are born singly from leaf axils, the peduncles pointing up, the five petals only slightly nodding.

Note; the 5 stamen are fused to the pistol, not held on free stamen

Note; oval, cherry like peppers are held aloft on short, upright stems

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

Watervine

Watervine (identification unknown).  

This vine has only been observed blooming along stream beds, marshy areas, or lake shores, but so far has eluded identification. The Medium sized (2-3”) leaves are strongly triangular with angular protuberances that curl around the stem, giving them a heart shaped profile, otherwise the leaf margins are smooth and untoothed.  Leaves are arranged alternately along the thin, fibrous vine, which twine up into the branches of low vegetation along streams.  Otherwise, the vine lacks any climbing mechanism.  Dense compound umbels of very fragrant, white flowers bloom in late August to September, most intensely fragrant in the afternoons and evening. Big Tree Circuit (Not in Books) 9/1/18; 19 not recrd;

Watervine habit; a vining plant with long fibrous stems, that lacking climbing tendrils, twines itself through surrounding vegetation, the strongly triangular, heart-shaped leaves born alternately

Note; dense compound umbels of fragrant, white flowers are born on peduncles 3-4″ long

Note; strongly triangular, heart shaped leaves with a prominent drip tip, are arranged along the fibrous, twining stems in an alternating pattern

Note; dense compound umbels of white flowers are born on stems 3-4″ long from the axils of leaves

 

Winecups

Winecups (Purple Poppymallow) Callirhoe involucrate. A low, pithy perennial with deeply cleft, narrow, palmate leaves arranged along the creeping stems in an alternating spiral.  The plant freezes back every winter, but buds anew from a deeply rooted tap-root, growing out in a multi-branched radial pattern.  The plant is inconspicuous until the flowers open, the bright red catching the eyes, even from a distance.  Chalice-like, deep burgundy-red flowers up to 1.5” across are born singly on long (4”) upright stems arising from leaf axils, the petals becoming white toward the center. Curly stamens sprout from the sides of a central pistol, with curled, filament like stigma, like other mallows.  Seed capsules are a round, wheel-like structure framed by the stiff bud sepals. Intolerant of shade, Winecups are found scattered widely in open country, even lawns, where their stems grow out over surrounding vegetation. (238) 4/10/15-; 3/20/16-6/6/16; 3/21/17- ; 4/22/18; 4/3/19; 4/11/20;

Winecups habit; stiff sprawling plant of open grassy areas, with palmate leaves and deep burgundy flowers born on long, slender stems

Note; five fingered, palmate leaves with narrow, deeply cut lobes held aloft on long, smooth stems bud off the main stem in an alternating spiral

Note; open, loose spikes of flowers bud off of leaf axils, each flower born aloft on long, smooth stems

Note; the five stiff sepals crack open, allowing the burgundy petals to unfurl.

Note; single born, chalice like 5 petal, rose-purple flowers, fading to white in the center

Note; curly stamens tipped with orange to yellow anthers bud directly off the central pistol, like other mallows

Note; hard, round wheel like seed capsule framed by the 5 stiff sepals

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