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

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

Treebine

Treebine; Cissus incisa Desmoul;. This soft stemmed, vine like, readily branching, deciduous plant that is a member of the grape family, Vitis, zig-zags between leaf nodes.  Three lobed, crisp, almost succulent leaves, with coarse, pointed teeth and drip tips on each lobe, bud from each node, alternating sides, a climbing tendril grows opposite each leaf.  Umbels of tiny green flowers which, like grapes, lack petals, bud from the ends of new growth, converting to loose bunches of black, juicy berries that look like grapes, but generally are not eaten.  Treebine grows abundantly in well watered areas, though its tuberous root stores water, making it drought tolerant.  It is usually found clamoring over other plants, but is often out of sight, as it readily climbs into the crowns of surrounding trees in search of light. (709) 6/10/17; 5/18/18; 19 no obs; 20 no obs;

Treebine habit; a woody, but soft vine-like plant that zig-zags between nodes, bearing coarsely toothed trifoliate leaves and umbels of tiny flowers that convert to juicy, black berries.

Note; crisp, succulent trifoliate leaves with coarse, pointed teeth on each leaflet, alternating along the soft stems, climbing tendrils growing opposite leaves at each node

Note; umbels of tiny greenish flowers lacking petals bud from the ends of new growth

Note; loose bunches of black, juicy, grape-like drupes, generally inedible, but not poisonous

Mistletoe; Christmas Mistletoe

Mistletoe; Christmas/American Mistletoe Phoradendron flavescens Nutt;. There are dozens of varieties of mistletoe, in some cases one specific mistletoe parasitizing only one specific species of tree, or type of tree.  The most common mistletoe in central Texas, with a number of distinct varieties, P flavescens afflicts a range of plants, especially Cedar Elm and Hackberry.  Mesquite and cedars, and to a lesser degree, oaks are immune from this particular mistletoe, as they have their own.  Green all year long, mistletoe provides green foliage in the winter, producing translucent, white, round berries born in whorls on stems that rise from leaf axils.  The thick, leathery, oblong leaves arranged in opposite pairs, range from dark green to yellowish green, giving it its descriptive Latin species name, flava “yellow”.  Mistletoe are powerful abortatives in cattle, and are generally considered poisonous, though symptoms in humans are mostly stomach upset, nausea, dizziness, etc.  Passing through the digestive tracts of certain song-birds, Mistletoe sprouts from seeds, wrapped in a sticky coating which land on a branch, then drives wedge-like spikes through the bark and into the wood of its host tree. Intercepting plant juices and eventually taking over the branch it is on, it can kill the part further away from the trunk.  Pruning infected branches off is the most effective mechanical way of keeping mistletoe out of trees, for even if the brittle mistletoe twigs are snapped off they will grow back from the infection site.  17 not recrd; 18 no obs; 19 not recrd;

Note; an infestation of mistletoe makes a winter dormant Cedar Elm look green

Note; clumps of evergreen mistletoe.

Christmas Mistletoe habit; clumps of thick, oval leaves hanging from mature branches of trees, mostly Elm, Hackberry and Osage Orange, evergreen, with small white berries

Note; thick, oval leaves born in opposite pairs, each pair rotating 90 degrees, stay green all winter long

Note; small, round, white berries eaten by birds, bud in whorls from leaf axils, the seeds sticking to branches they fall on when expelled from birds that eat them

Woolyleaf, Pringle’s Woolyleaf

Pringle’s Woolyleaf Eriophylum pringlei. This miniaturized, fuzzy, grey-green plant of roadsides or heavily mowed areas rarely looks like a succulent and is rarely more than 3” tall.  Several stems arise from the same rhizome like root system, rarely branching, but retaining a crowded, compact form.  The short, elliptical leaves are densely clustered around the soft stems in a tight spiral, the uppermost leaves surrounding a dense cluster of tiny yellow-white flowers.  Seed capsules are tiny pods with 3-4 holes, like salt shakers, from which the miniscule seeds are shaken out when struck by rain drops or disturbed by passing feet.  (206 Soccer, roads, path edges, PL.) 4/28/15-5/20/15;  4/15/16; 17 not recrd; 4/22/18; 4/7/19; 20 not recrd;

Pringle’s Wooleyleaf habit; very short,  grey-green, fuzzy miniature that tolerates mowing, the alternating spiral of thick leaves supporting a compact head of tiny, yellowish flowers

Note; dense clusters of small, fuzzy, elliptical, grey green leaves which end in terminal bunch of flowers

Note; the thick leaves resemble a succulent

Note; dense bunches of tiny yellow flowers embedded in rosettes of fuzzy leaves

Note; seed capsules are punctuated with 3-4 tiny holes, like salt shakers

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

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

Spiny Sow Thistle

Spiny Sow Thistle Sonchus asper. An early (April) blooming annual, Sow Thistles begin as rosettes of deeply cut, thistle like leaves which look spiny, but are soft and harmless.  Leaves bleed a slightly bitter, but harmless milky sap when cut. The pinnate, clasping leaves, which have deep, rounded sinuses, are arranged in an alternating spiral around smooth, hollow stems.  The rosette of leaves stays low as long as the weather is cold, but quickly grows up when it warms, culminating in a compact clump of small, short lived, green buds, invariably coated with a white powder.  Stems can be trampled down, but continue to grow, arching back up and producing flowers.  Yellow ray flowers emerge from the tapering buds.  If cut back, the hollow stem quickly sends out new stalks.  The ray petals are squared at the ends, surrounding a yellow disk flower fuzzy with yellow anthers.  Flowers transform into coarse blow-balls of wind- blown achenes, and the plants wither soon after the plant goes to seed.  Common along partially shaded paths.  (222) 3/25/15-5/20/15; 3/10/16; 2/25/17- ; 2/8/19 – ; 20 not recrd;

Spiny Sow Thistle; A soft plant with hollow stems and leaves which look spiny but are soft and harmless, bearing compact bunches of tapering buds that open to yellow ray flowers.

Note; pinnate, thistle like leaves with deep, rounded sinuses, look spiny but are soft and harmless

Note; leaves clasp the otherwise smooth, hollow stems

Note; plants end in a tight bunch of tapering buds, invariably coated with a grey powder

Note; flowers convert to blowball achenes

Note; tapering buds

 

Texas Yellow Star

Texas Yellow Star Lindheimera texana. A soft stemmed, fuzzy, if not bristly annual of medium height, the Yellow Star has opposite pairs of soft, clasping, fuzzy, light grey-green lanceolate leaves with smooth margins.  The single stems do not clump, and only weakly branch, going dormant by the time summer turns hot.  The 1” to 1.5” yellow-orange flowers are born in a loose, branching spray, opening one at a time, as a slightly bell-shaped 5 pointed, yellow “star” framed by 5 thick sepals.  Each petal is veined linearly, with a noticeable notch in the end.  Soft seed capsules split, spilling tiny brown-black seeds.  Preferring partial shade, it is found along forest margins of CC, PDU. (202) 4/2/15 – ; 3/15/16; 3/22/17- ; 4/22/18; 3/20/19; 3/25/20

Texas Yellow Star habit; a medium height, fuzzy, weakly branching plant with opposite, clasping leaves and terminal clusters of yellow, 5 petal flowers

Note; clasping, fuzzy, lanceolate leaves with smooth margins arranged in opposite pairs

Note; seed capsules full of tiny black seeds.