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

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

Thistle, Bull Thistle

Bull Thistle Cirsium vulgare. An invasive pest, this thick stemmed weed has sharp, stiff spines on every part of the plant; stalks, leaf margins, buds and stems included.  The plant begins as a rosette of deeply pinnate, dark green, wavy leaves with sharp, stiff spines on every lobe, which rises from an underground, corm like root.  As the flower stem grows, the thick, pithy stalk is sheathed in ridges that have spines, with leaves arranged in an alternating spiral. “Bull” comments on the stout, thick-stemmed growth habit, vulgare comments on its ubiquity, the “common thistle”.  Each undivided stalk produces a dense cluster of squat, tapering flower-heads that take on a bowl shape as they open, a dense tuft of short, dark red-purple, hair like petals pushing its way out of the bud.  Bull Thistle does not branch, unlike Nodding and Texas Thistles, unless the main stem is cut, in which case the plant will bud several side stalks.  Black honey bees and small black and grey beetles, which can often be found wallowing in the flower heads, pollinate the flowers, which convert to heads of achenes.  Finches each the seeds, tearing the seed apart in the process.  Otherwise, achenes are carried off by the wind.  (332) 4/20/15; 5/10/16; 4/17/17- ; 5/4/18; 19 no obs; 20 no obs

Bull Thistle habit; a squat, thick stemmed plant with grey-green, undulating, thorny leaves, bearing a dense terminal cluster of rose-red, hair like flower heads

Note; dark green, clasping, pinnate leaves, with a sharp thorn on the tip of every projection, arranged in an alternating spiral

Note, every surface of the plant has sharp spines, flower stems included

 

Lettuce, Telegraph Lettuce

Telegraph Lettuce Lactuca floridana. A medium height (2-3’), hollow stalk with alternating, deeply lobed leaves with serrated edges.  Leaves look much like Prickly Lettuce, except they do not clasp the stem, lack thorns, and are much softer, and the plant blooms much later.  A multi-branched, terminal panicle, that becomes slightly tangled, has many small, aster like white flowers which open fully, converting to small blowballs.  Young leaves can be eaten like lettuce, before they turn bitter.  Found in shaded areas, along trails in forested areas or forest margins.  Disturbed areas, roadsides, MK, CC, CA. (106) 9/15/15; 9/18/16- ; 9/10/17- ; 9/15/18; 19 no recrd;

Telegraph Lettuce habit; A medium height to tall plant with hollow stems and deeply cut, alternating leaves, sporting a terminal spike of small white flower.

Note; short lived, small, white, aster like flowers, open from tapering buds

Note; large, soft leaves with deep sinuses arranged in an alternating spiral around the hollow stems

Boneset; Late Boneset

Boneset; Late Boneset Eupatorium serotinum. A tall, slightly hairy looking , with opposite, long, lance shaped leaves that are rough to the touch, born on stems 2” long.  The leaves have 3 prominent, longitudinal veins and a deeply toothed margin.  Common in marshy areas.  The plant is stiff and strongly upright, but rarely branches until the nearly flat topped flower head forms.  Flower sprays bud from the axils of upper leaves and terminus, forming dense panicles of small flower heads, each with 5-7 filamentous flowers. The normal range of E serotinum is Illinois.  The more common Boneset, E perfoliatum, native to North Texas, has clasping leaves that grow together so that the plant stem seems to run through the leaf, leading early homeopathic herbalist to believe it might help in healing broken bones.  In fact, tea made from the leaves and flower heads can cause sweating, thereby reducing fevers, but it does not heal bones.  Marshy areas. (Not in book, 110 related). 9/18/18; 19 no obs; 20 no obs;

Late Boneset habit; a tall, rough or hairy looking plant, with opposite, rough, deeply toothed leaves, bearing panicles of white flower heads

Note; opposite, lanceolate leaves have prominent, longitudinal veins and deeply toothed margins, and are born on stems nearly 2″ long

Note; readily branching flower head, composed of buds from leaf axils and terminal buds, forms a nearly flat topped panicle

Note, panicle is made up of many flower heads, each containing 5-7 filamentous, white flowers

Milkweed, Snow on the Prairie

Snow on the Prairie (Smoke on the Prairie) Euphorbia bicolor. A tall (2’ – 3’), slender, pithy, variegated (green and white) milkweed which branches into 3 stems, and the flower heads into three bunches. The narrow, lance shaped, light grey-green leaves are arranged in a spiral around the stems.  Like all Euphorbia, stems and leaves bleed white irritating sap when cut or bruised.  Long (2” – 3”), narrow, showy, variegated green petal like bracts with white fringes are not part of the flower, just bracts that frame the small (3/8”), round, cream flowers that are composed of 5 white petals arranged around a central yellow pistol. When in bloom, the showy bracts literally make the prairies look white, or hazy.  Flowers convert to hairy, three lobed capsules.  Like other milkweed, this plant serves as food for Monarch Butterfly caterpillars, the bitter sap making them unpalatable to birds and other insectivores. PDU, CC, SWk, PL (74) 8/15/14; 8/20/15-; 16 not recrd; 8/?/17; 18 not recrd; 19 not recrd;

Snow on the Prairie habit; a tall, pithy milk weed that branches into sets of three, with alternating, lance-like grey-green leaves, and showy green and white bracts.

Note; long, showy, variegated green and white flower bracts frame the round, white flowers

Note; small, flat flowers have 5 white petals arranged around a central, yellow pistol and anthers

Note; stems branch into threes, repeatedly, each stem lined with lanceolate, stemless, oblong leaves

Note; light grey-green leaves bleed white sap when cut or broken

Note; three lobed, hairy seed capsules.

Skullcap, Egg-leaf Skullcap

Egg-leaf Skullcap Scuttelaria ovata. A shade loving, slightly fuzzy plant up to 3’ tall with large, egg shaped leaves, the margin marked by rounded teeth.  Leaves and flowers are arranged in opposite pairs set at 90 degrees to the next set.  Terminal spikes bear opposite pairs of  soft, green bracts, from which emerge ¾” long lavender-blue flowers. The tube-like flowers are smooth except for the hooded “cap”, which is only slightly fuzzy.  The S shaped tube faces straight out of leafy bracts, bends sharply upward, then turns forward, broadening and opening to a lip with two pronounced, lighter colored calluses. The bottom of the throat is white, speckled with lavender-blue.  The seed capsules are shaped like skull-cap. Forested road sides, SWk, PDU, DORBA (376?) 6/3/15-; 5/16/16-7/1/16; 5/9/17- ; 5/15/18-; 19 no obs; 20 no obs

Egg Leaf Skullcap habit; tall pithy plants with opposite, egg shaped leaves, ending in terminal spikes of blue flowers

Note; opposite pairs of egg shaped leaves with rounded teeth

Note; S shaped profile of blue, smooth, tube flowers, sporting two calluses on an abruptly down turned lip

Note; soft, fuzzy green bracts in opposite pairs along the flower spikes

Note; upturned “skullcap” shaped seed capsules

Sage, Scarlet Sage (Blood/Cedar Sage)

Scarlet (Blood/Cedar Sage) Sage Salvia coccinea/roemeriana. A late blooming perennial that sends up multiple, tall (up to 30”), square stems from a central clump.  Pairs of fuzzy, triangular (cordate), slightly drooping leaves with rounded teeth (crenate), are arranged opposite each other on hairy, round stems.  Leaves emit a pungent, though not unpleasant smell when brushed or crushed.  Bright scarlet tube flowers emerge from soft green bracts arranged in whorls at each node along a terminal spike, and later from spikes budding from upper leaf nodes.  The tube opens to a upper cap and a lower corolla of a 4 lobes, partially fused into a downturned lip.  White stamen protrude beyond the flower cap.  Papery seed capsules produce two round, black seeds each.  S coccinea prefers shade, often growing in juniper forests, thus earning the alternate name “Cedar Sage”.  SWk (318 7/3/15 -9/4/15; 6/1/16; 5/10/17; 18 not recrd; 19 not recrd; 5/10/20

Scarlet/Cedar Sage habit;  long, hairy, round stems lined with opposite; egg shaped leaves with rounded serrations, and terminal spikes of bright red flowers

Note; scarlet tube flowers in whorls from each node along the terminal spike

Note; paired, opposite, egg shaped leaves with rounded teeth along the margins

Note; leaves and stems emit a pleasant, but pungent smell when brushed or disturbed

Note; red tipped stamen protrude well beyond the flared lip, turned down at 90 degrees

Queen Anne’s Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace Daucus carota. A very tall (3’), pithy annual of the carrot family, this plant produces a thick, fibrous, white tap root which only remotely looks like a carrot, but is inedible.  A flower spike rises out of a basal rosette of deeply pinnate, fine, fern-like leaves, producing a cup shaped compound flower head nested on a dense mat of fine bract like leaflets.  The bud unfolds into an umbrella like, white, umbel flower head that looks like a lace coaster, earning the plant its moniker.  Flower heads, made up of individual flowers with four small petals, can reach up to 4” in diameter, the outermost flowers producing larger petals.  Although it looks like a very large version of Hedge Parsley, the seeds do not stick to clothing or hair.  A wide-spread invasive, it is commonly found on disturbed soil, but gets crowded out in established prairies or lawns.  (60) 5/1/15; 3/27/16; 3/15/17- ; 4/15/18; 4/28/19; 4/25/20

Queen Ann’s Lace habit; tall, pithy spikes bearing a single umbel of white flowers rise from rosettes of deeply pinnate, fern-like leaves.

Note; fern like compound pinnate leaves alternating along slightly fuzzy, pithy stems

Note; cup like head, nested in a cushion of fine bracts open up into a dome of fine, white flowers

Note; a single, compound umbel of tiny white flowers look like a lace coaster

Lettuce, Prickly Lettuce

Prickly Lettuce Lactuca serriola. A tall (3-4’), pithy stalk with alternating, deeply lobed, clasping, pinnate leaves with serrated edges.  The main stalk and leaf veins are covered in white to transparent spines up to ¼” long. Upward pointing leaves appear to turn sideways.  A multi-branched, terminal panicle, that becomes tangled over time, bears many small, aster like yellow flowers which do not open fully.  A variety exists which has reddish stems and purple-red flowers.  Young leaves can be eaten like lettuce, before they grow thorns or turn bitter, although they have a milky substance when cut.  Blooming season lasts as long as the temperature is not extreme, and as long as there is sufficient moisture.  Flowers convert to blowballs.  Disturbed areas, roadsides, MK, CC, CA. (222) 5/18/15; 5/15/16- ; 5/10/17- ; 5/20/18-6/15/18; 5/15/19; 5/27/20;

Prickly Lettuce habit; large, clasping leaves with a prominent midrib and deep sinuses on leaf margins, bearing sharp spines on veins and otherwise smooth, reddish stems, eventually producing a terminal panicle of small, yellow ray flowers that convert to blowballs

Note; white to transparent spines on stems and the undersides of leaf veins

Note; the ragged, toothed margin of deeply cut pinnate leaves

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

Note; branching, disorganized flower panicle with dense clusters of small, yellow, aster-like ray flowers

Note; squared ray petals around a central disk of yellow anthers

Note; dense terminal clusters of flowers on the branching panicle

Note; a red variety, with purple stems and red flowers exists