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

Lantana, Calico Lantana

Lantana; Calico Lantana Lantana urticoides/horrida. A native of central and south Texas, this deciduous, invasive plant quickly spreads onto poor, overgrazed, or disturbed soil.  A first generation succession plant, it can provide ground cover to reduce erosion, and can help stabilize leaf litter and add humus to the soil.  However, its leaves have a pungent smell, it stalks are lined with tiny, stiff, and sharp spines, and its juicy blue-black berries are poisonous to most animals, making it unpalatable to most livestock, hence the alternative species name, horrida.  Locally, Lantana is a deciduous perennial, but it cannot withstand severe freezes of northern clines.  Mildly fragrant, clustered flower heads begin as yellow, but turn lavender, purple, and red over time, hence the name ‘calico’.  Sphinx moths pollinate the flowers in the warm air of summer evenings, and several green orb spiders set up their webs for smaller fair that are attracted to the flowers.  Unlike many Texas natives which flower before leafing, Lantana blooms from new shoots that leaf out first.  The large, folded leaves, born in opposite pairs, have coarsely toothed margins.  DFW is in the extended range of Lantana, so while it will survive if planted and watered, it does not propagate locally, and so is restricted to gardens and flower beds.

Note; dense heads of 5 petal tube flowers begin as yellow, turning lavender with age.

Note; stiff, woody stems lined with ridges of small, stiff, sharp thorns

Note; days old flowers turn lavender with red centers around a nectar tube.

Note; bunches of juicy, blue black berries are strong smelling, and poison to most animals, though some birds eat them

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

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

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.

Sunflower, Engelmann’s Sunflower

Engelmann’s Sunflower/Daisy Engelmannia pinnatifida. A perennial that looks like a small sunflower, this daisy, which begins as a rosette of hairy, deeply pinnate leaves, produces multiple, branching stalks, the leaves alternating up the stems. Slender, branching flower sprays produce bright yellow ray flowers 1”-1 1/4” across, surrounding a central, green disk.  From the disk bud 20 or so yellow disk flowers, each with projecting anthers.  The 8 ray petals have linear veins, ending with three teeth, which curve back in the heat, or as they age throughout the long blooming season. Disks produce a seed capsule with a central spike, not an open head, like sunflowers. The loose panicles of flowers become bushy as the plant ages.  An invasive of disturbed soils, this flower is crowded out by perennial vegetation, unless the area is mowed down.  Most common along road sides, trail margins, and lawns.  (202) 4/6/15-; 3/27/16; 3/13/17- ; 3/26/18 – 6/15/18; 3/25/19; 3/25/20

Engelmann’s Sunflower habit; long deeply pinnate leaves on a clump of hairy, branching stems, with an open panicle of bright yellow ray flowers

Note; basal rosette of large, deeply pinnate, fuzzy leaves, arranged on stalks in an alternating spiral

Note; loose sprays of 8 petal ray flowers, each petal ending in a toothed tip, surrounding a yellow disk

Note; 8 ray petals, each with several deep veins, surrounding a green disk with embedded yellow disk flowers.

Note; petals curve back in the heat, or with age

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