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

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

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.

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.

Sunflower, Kansas Sunflower

Kansas Sunflower Helianthus annuus. A very tall (4-7’), pithy-stemmed, branching annual with coarse bristles on all parts of the plant.  Sunflowers, unlike daisies, have only one stalk per plant.  The large (4-10”) heart-shaped leaves are dull green, born alternately along the stalk in an open spiral, droop slightly.  Unlike commercial sunflowers, Kansas Sunflowers produce a loose, branching terminal and axillary flower sprays.  The large (4-6”) flower-heads (larger on the terminal sprays) sport flat, yellow, pointed ray flowers nearly 2” long arranged around a disk comprised of tiny reddish flowers.  The larger, terminal flowers emerge first, then those budding from leaf axils.  The seeds are embedded in the disk, appearing as a composite spiral.  Common in disturbed soils (198) 5/20/15; 6/1/16- ; 5/20/17- ; 5/28/18; 19 not recrd; 5/20/20;

Kansas Sunflower habit; tall, thick stemmed plant with heart shaped, alternate leaves, and loose terminal and axillary sprays of large, showy, bright yellow ray flowers.

Note; all parts of the plant covered in bristle like hairs.

Note; large, heart shaped leaves are arranged around the stem in a loose, alternating spiral

Note; flowers comprise a ring of large, pointed ray flowers around a disk of tiny reddish flowers

Note; ray petals, with 4 or 5 linear veins, end in pointed tips

Note; seeds are embedded in the brown disk in a spiral pattern

Note; flowers born singly on a loose spray,

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

 

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

Stickleaf, Chickthief Stickleaf

Chickthief Stickleaf Mentzelia oligosperma. This small, readily branching, pithy perennial has very jagged leaves with no petioles arranged alternately in a spiral around bristly stems.  The leaves and stems stick to clothing like Velcro, giving the plant the moniker “stick-leaf”.  Medium sized (3/4”) yellow-orange, short lived, almost translucent flowers, have 5 elliptical petals with pointed tips.  A brush of stamen, tipped with white anthers spray out from the base of the pistol, which has a stigma divided into 5 white blobs.  The narrow sepal buds form an offsetting base for the flowers, and close in around the seed capsule.  One of the first phase in plant succession, Stickleaf colonizes disturbed soil, but is crowded out by grasses.  Whole twigs will break of when the leaves catch on clothing or hair, dragging seed capsules along with them.  No info on the name “Chick-Thief” SWk (not in book, see 168) 5/14/15; 6/5/16-7/1/16; 5/15/17- ; 5/12/18; 5/18/19; 5/24/20

Chick-Thief Stick-Leaf habit; a branching perennial with ragged leaves that stick to clothes, and small, bright orange-yellow flowers.

Note; stemless leaves with a ragged outline and no petiole,

Note; Velcro surface on leaves and stems that stick to clothing or hair.

Note; yellow orange, 5 petal flowers with pointed tips, and a dome-like spray of anthers