Purslane

Purslane (Portulaca oleracea) is another plant of disturbed areas, it seems to be everywhere. It's only around in the summer, you don't see it later in the year. One of the best wild plants to eat, gardeners spend a lot of effort trying to get rid of purslane when it's a better plant than what they are trying to grow. This purslane is on the sidewalk on State St. in front of the University Book Store, near Grant St, about 6 pm, July 30,2009.


This is the same purslane plant, about 10 pm July 29, 2009. It's getting dark out and the leaves are rolling up for the night.

Link to purslane:

Link to Portulaca oleracea as an ornamental:

Carpetweed

This carpetweed (Mollugo verticillata) is at Purdue Hort Park, July 29, 2009. Carpetweed never gets too far off of the ground. From where it sprouts out of the ground it grows horizontally in any direction there is room for it. Carpetweed is another pioneer species that grows where we have taken away the original vegetation and because of this it is very common.

Link to Mollugo verticillata:

Link to Mollugo verticillata:

Milk purslane

This milk purslane is at Purdue Hort Park, July 29, 2009. The scientific name is Chamaesyce maculata. Once it was classified as one of the Euphorbias but now it is considered a Chamaesyce. This is a very common plant. Look down at your feet as you are walking around and you'll see some. Break off a bit of stem or leaf and the milky latex sap oozing out will identify it.

Link to Chamaesyce maculata:

Link to Chamaesyce maculata:

Link to Chamaesyce maculata:

Mayapple in July

This is at Hort Park Woods, July 29, 2009. I thought that raccoons or squirrels would have gotten the mayapple fruits before now, but a few fruits are still on the old mayapple plants.

Link to mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum):

Link to earlier post on mayapple:

Indian pipe

Monotropa uniflora, or Indian pipe. The lack of chlorophyll gives Indian pipe its ghostly white appearance. It depends on fungi in the soil around it for nutrition. This is in Purdue's Hort Park Woods (Stewart's Woods), July 29, 2009.

Link to Monotropa uniflora:

Link to Monotropa uniflora:

Link to Monotropa uniflora:

Celery Bog Park

Coot Slough at Celery Bog Park, looking north from Lindberg Road. July 24, 2009.

Ironweed

This Vernonia gigantea is just now beginning to flower, you can see most of the flowering buds here are still unopened. Picture taken July 24, 2009.

The common name for Vernonia is ironweed. In the Hoosier way of saying things, that comes out more like "arnweed".

Ironweed adds a familiar bit of purple color to old fields all over Indiana between now and autumn.

This is just north of the Purdue football stadium. The land is marked as a wildflower garden, it seems most of what is here is big bluestem grass (Andropogon gerardii) and rosinweed (Silphium integrifolium).

Link to Vernonia gigantea:

Link to another spot in Lafayette with Silphium integrifolium:

Link to big bluestem:

Sensitive Pea

This sensitive pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) is along the trail on the west side of Celery Bog Park. This is a native plant, but this here was likely introduced to give the park a pretty wildflower appearance. Unfortunately just south of this they mowed everything down. Didn't have that pretty planted flower look.

Link to Chamaecrista fasciculata:

Feather Reed Grass

This is feather reed grass, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster'. Probably. They plant a lot of this ornamental grass. This is downtown Lafayette, July 22, 2009.

Link to Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'Karl Foerster':

Link to Calamagrostis x acutiflora at Purdue Horticulture Gardens:

Bur cucumber vine

This bur cucumber plant (Sicyos angulatus) has spread over the waterside plants and is reaching in vine for further support. Along the trail at north end of Celery Bog (not really a bog), July 24, 2009.

Link to Sicyos angulatus:

Link to Sicyos angulatus:

Hoary mountain mint

This hoary mountain mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) is along a roadside north of West Baden Springs in Orange County. Picture taken July 18, 2009.

Link to Pycnanthemum incanum:

Link to Pycnanthemum incanum:

Rose pink

This rose pink (Sabatia angularis) is along a roadside north of West Baden Springs in Orange County. Picture taken July 18, 2009.

Link to Sabatia angularis:

Link to Sabatia angularis:

Link to Sabatia angularis:

Silk tree

Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) at Crothersville, July 18, 2009.

Link to Albizia julibrissin:

At Crothersville the bright star Vega transits the zenith. Vega is the only major star that transits zenith anywhere in Indiana.

Link to Vega:

Link to zenith:

Vega will transit zenith at any point at latitude 37.7837 degrees north once every sidereal day. From the place of the silk tree this will be a little bit down the road past the middle of Crothersville.

Link to sidereal day:

Tonight, July 22, 2009, Vega transits zenith at Crothersville at 8:21 pm local time.

Link to Vega transit calculator:

Wood nettle

Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis). A common sight in the deep Indiana woods. This nettle will sting like Urtica dioica, if you brush by it it's best you're wearing long pants. This wood nettle is at Pioneer Mothers' Memorial Forest in Orange County, July 18, 2009.

Link to Pioneer Mothers' Memorial Forest:

Link to Laportea canadensis:

Link to Laportea canadensis:

Chanterelle

Chanterelle mushrooms (Cantharellus), Tippecanoe County, July 19, 2009. These are coming up in different places around here, better get into the woods right now to find them before they are gone.





Link to chanterelle:

Link to chanterelle:

Link to chanterelle:

The green leaves at the top right of the first picture are wild ginger.

Link to wild ginger:

The leaf at the bottom left of the first picture is wild geranium.

Link to wild geranium:

Every place where I found chanterelles they were under wood nettle.

Link to wood nettle:

Goldenrod

This picture was taken yesterday, July 18, 2009. The yellow flowers of goldenrod (Solidago) is a common sight in late summer and this is the first day I've noticed goldenrod flowering this year. This is along State Highway 160 in Scott County near the Washington County line.

Could possibly be Solidago juncea:

Link to Solidago juncea:

Link to goldenrod:

Mountain mint

This is one kind of the mountain mints, Pycnanthemum virginianum, in wet ground in a vacant area near Wabash Avenue. The tall grass behind the mountain mint is Phragmites australis, a common sight in ditches. The dark blue-green bugs on the flowers could be sphecid wasps, possibly Sphex or Chlorion.

Picture taken July 16, 2009.

Link to Pycnanthemum virginianum:

Link to Phragmites:

Link to Sphex:

Wild bergamot

Wild bergamot (Monarda fistulosa), along the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane. Monarda is a common sight along roadsides and vacant land in the summer. The Monarda along the trail could be of an introduced genotype like the other prairie introductions here. Or it could have been growing here in the Lafayette area all along. The grass amongst the bergamot in the right side of the picture is little bluestem grass (Schizachyrium scoparium), another prairie introduction. Picture taken July 16, 2009.

The bug visiting the flower is a bumblebee.

Link to bumblebee:

This Monarda fistulosa is growing on unattended land near Wabash Avenue. Certainly this Monarda got here on its own. Picture taken July 16, 2009.

Link to Monarda fistulosa:

Link to Monarda fistulosa:

Smooth sumac

This fruiting head of smooth sumac (Rhus glabra) is along the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane, July 16, 2009. Sumac turns a glowing brilliant red in the fall. Patches of sumac are the first to turn color and stand out amongst the green trees as a beautiful red.

Link to Rhus glabra:

Royas en Álamo

This cottonwood leaf (Populus deltoides) is along the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane in Lafayette. The little rust colored spots on the leaves is a Melampsora rust fungus. This fungus is a very common inhabitant of cottonwood leaves, it adds a bit of color for those who take the time to look closely. Picture taken July 16, 2009.

Link to cottonwood rust:

Link to previous post on cottonwood:

Link to Populus:

Purple coneflower

This purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is part of the prairie planting along the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane on the south side of Lafayette. Echinacea purpurea is a native plant. It is very popular as a garden plant and you are more likely to encounter it where it has been placed rather than in its natural habitat. Picture taken July 16, 2009.

Link to Echinacea purpurea:

Link to Echinacea purpurea:

Link to Echinacea purpurea:

Link to Echinacea purpurea:

Russian sage

This purple stuff that is planted everywhere is Russian sage, or Perovskia atriplicifolia. This Russian sage is at Brown St. in the Levee area of West Lafayette. Pictures taken July 15, 2009.

Link to Perovskia atriplicifolia:

Link to Perovskia atriplicifolia:


Link to Russian sage at Purdue Horticulture Gardens:

Leadplant

This is leadplant (Amorpha canescens). This is growing along the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane. Picture taken July 12, 2009. This is another of the prairie plants that were introduced to this area.


Link to Amorpha canescens:

Silphium integrifolium

You can also find Silphium integrifolium along the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane in south Lafayette. Pictures taken July 18, 2009.

Link to Silphium integrifolium:

Link to Silphium integrifolium:

Silphium laciniatum

This big Silphium laciniatum is on the trail between South 9th St. and Beck Lane. No doubt this Silphium was introduced here along with the other typical prairie plants when they created the public trail. Pictures taken July 16, 2009.

Link to Silphium laciniatum:

Link to Silphium laciniatum:

As you can see much of the land along the trail is wasted by senseless mowing. Some people just gotta mow stuff down somewhere. The paved trail is plenty wide for access and having it unmowed to the edge of the pavement would be an improvement and save money too.

Cup plant

This is cup plant, Silphium perfoliatum. The leaves surrounding the stem merge to form a cup that holds rainwater. This is alongside the trail that passes by Williamsport Pond in West Lafayette. Picture taken July 15, 2009.

Link to Silphium perfoliatum:

Here is a link to a view of this same spot in April:

This is a closer look at the same cup plant in the first picture. Picture taken July 15, 2009. Notice the water collected at the base of the leaves.

Link to cup plant:

This is another cup plant along the trail at Williamsport Pond. A remarkable number of bees and other insects are buzzing around these flowers. Picture taken July 15, 2009.

Link to Silphium perfoliatum:


This cup plant is in a vacant lot near Teal Road in Lafayette. Due to the local mania for mowing it might not survive long enough to show its flowers. If it doesn't get mowed down it will be one of the first true prairie plants to recolonize the land. This picture was taken July 12, 2009.

The small pink flowers on the left are crown vetch (Securigera varia) and the white flowers at the top are Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota).

Black walnut fruits

This is a black walnut tree (Juglans nigra) overhanging Williams St. in West Lafayette, near South River Road. The nut will form inside the green fruits. Picture taken July 12, 2009.

Link to black walnut tree (Juglans nigra):

Monarch caterpillar on milkweed

This monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) is on milkweed (Asclepias syriaca). Lafayette, July 12, 2009.

Link to Danaus plexippus:

Link to milkweed:

Hoary vervain

The blue flowered plant is hoary vervain (Verbena stricta). The dry-looking plant behind it is sweetclover (Melilotus). Teal Road, Lafayette, July 12, 2009.

Link to hoary vervain:

Link to hoary vervain:

Link to sweetclover:

Ornamental pepper

These are Capsicum annuum pepper plants, grown here as an ornamental. It's on the west side of Stewart Center nearby the castor bean plants shown in the previous post.

Link to previous post of castor bean plants:

Link to Capsicum annuum:

Pictues taken July 10, 2009.


Ornamental peppers are also growing in the Hort Gardens, here is a link:

Wild sweet potato vine

This wild sweet potato vine (Ipomoea pandurata) is at South River Road near Williams St. Picture taken July 12, 2009.

Link to Ipomoea pandurata:

Link to Ipomoea pandurata:

Link to Ipomoea pandurata:

Chicory

Chicory (Cichorium intybus), South River Road, July 12, 2009. The blue chicory flower is a common sight in the morning. The flowers close up by afternoon.


Nice bunch of chicory (Cichorium intybus), Williams Street, July 12, 2009.

Link to chicory:

Link to chicory:

Wabash River, Saturday evening, July 11, 2009.

Wabash river, looking upstream from pedestrian bridge at Lafayette, Saturday evening, July 11, 2009.

Link to river gage at Lafayette:

Cocklebur on the bank of the Wabash

Cocklebur (Xanthium strumarium) on the bank of the Wabash River, Tapawingo Park, July 10, 2009.

Link to cocklebur:

Castor bean plant

These four castor bean plants (Ricinus communis) are next to the west entrance of Stewart Center on the Purdue campus. Pictures taken July 10, 2009.

Link to Ricinus communis:

Link to Ricinus communis:

Link to Ricinus communis:


The yellow flowered plants surrounding the Ricinus are sneezeweed, Helenium amarum.

Link to sneezeweed at Purdue Hort Gardens: