Wednesday, June 29, 2011

baby snapper and a handful of new wildflowers

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Why did the baby snapping turtle cross the road? Apparently not to get to the other side, because he kept changing his mind. Last I saw him, he was resolutely headed toward the big bay doors – closed – of the fire substation at the entrance to our private drive. What is it with turtles and garage doors? You can see how tiny he (she?) is, as those are half-inch long spruce needles on its back.
I ventured slightly farther afield today, in search of new species. Oh yeah, baby, lots of new stuff to show you. First up: I’ve been tracking a plant along the shared driveway that I thought might be red baneberry. I also thought at one point it might be ginseng, but to hedge my bets, I’ve tagged it in my files with a question mark. Well, today I am happy to report it is NOT red baneberry.
This is red baneberry:
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Not all of them are ripe.
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I found what looked like a dogbane – opposite leaves, flowers at the ends in a loose cluster – but I haven’t been able to identify it in Newcomb’s. Anyone out there have an idea of what this might be?
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five petals, in a tube.P1100609
sorry for blurriness. Flowers seem to be stalked.
There was so much false solomon’s seal, it made me contemplate weeping.
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One lone brown-eyed susan. I know, I know, it’s black-eyed susan; I just like brown-eyed better. Reminds me of the Van Morrison song.
New Species!!
Probably Bird's Foot Trefoil (Lotus corniculatus) [edited later after perusing another blog and rechecking my guide...]
Yellow false indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)
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This stuff is growing wild all over the place at our county dump, for what it’s worth. But I didn’t get a chance to photograph it til today, just around the corner from here.
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A cinquefoil (Potentilla recta). It has these awesome pot leaves.
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See?
Another indigo – this time, white false indigo (Baptisia leucantha). This stuff is on stalks taller than I am, which isn’t saying much, but still. That’s tall, for a flower, innit?
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But wait! There’s more! You also get the slicer dicer attachment at no extra charge!
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Or, in this case, hop clover (Trifolium agrarium).
Next up, how’s about some Spotted Common St. Johnswort (Hypericum punctatum perforatum)? [Her Royal Highness the editor (me) realized the next day I was wrong.]
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AND, last but not least, Herb Robert.
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Really, that’s its name. Geranium robertianum

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