Low water on the Wabash River

The Wabash River is as low as it's been all year. This picture was taken at Lafayette on August 26, 2010 and it's still going lower.

Link to Wabash River levels:

Eleagnus umbellata

The fruits of autumn olive (Eleagnus umbellata) are ripening. This autumn olive is along the Jackson Highway roadside in Tippecanoe County, August 24, 2010.

Link to Eleagnus umbellata:

Link to previous post on Eleagnus umbellata:

Satyr comma butterfly on elderberry

Satyr comma butterfly (Polygonia satyrus) on elderberry leaves (Sambucus canadensis). Tippecanoe County, August 24, 2010.

Link to Polygonia satyrus:

Link to Polygonia satyrus:

Link to previous post on elderberry:

Eastern tailed blue butterfly on mountain-mint

This eastern tailed blue butterfly (Cupido comyntas) is on a mountain-mint (Pycnanthemum virginianum). Tippecanoe County, August 24, 2010.

Link to Cupido comyntas:

Link to Cupido comyntas:

Link to previous post on Pycnanthumum virginianum:

Buckeye butterfly on blue lobelia

Buckeye butterfly (Junonia coenia) on blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica). Tippecanoe County, August 24, 2010.

Link to buckeye butterfly:

Link to previous post on buckeye butterfly:

Link to previous post on blue lobelia:

Banded tussock moth caterpillar

This banded tussock moth caterpillar (Halysidota tesellaris) is perched on a tall blue lettuce leaf (possibly Lactuca biennis). Tippecanoe County, August 24, 2010.

Link to Halysidota tesellaris:

Link to Halysidota tesellaris:

Link to tussock moth:

Link to Lactuca biennis:

Wild plums are ripe

Wild plums (Prunus americana), along Jackson Highway, west of West Lafayette. Picture taken August 24, 2010. Prunus americana grows wild on roadsides, fencerows, and edges of woods. Fruits good to eat.

Link to Prunus americana in Celery Bog Park:

Link to Prunus americana:

Link to Prunus americana:

Ganoderma lucidum mushroom

These Ganoderma lucidum mushrooms are in Celery Bog Park. Pictures taken August 24, 2010.

Link to Ganoderma lucidum:

Link to Ganoderma lucidum:

Wood nettle

Wood nettle (Laportea canadensis), at Celery Bog Park, August 24, 2010.

Link to Laportea canadensis:

Link to Laportea canadensis:

Link to Laportea canadensis:

Link to Laportea canadensis:

Eclipta

Eclipta prostrata, at Celery Bog Park, in a low-lying spot along the trail along the west edge of the pond. Picture taken August 24, 2010.

Link to Eclipta prostrata:

Link to Eclipta prostrata:

Arrowhead

Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) at Celery Bog Park, August 24, 2010. Find this at the water's edge near the north observation deck on the west side of the pond.

Link to Sagittaria latifolia:

Link to Sagittaria latifolia:

Orange jewelweed

This orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis) is at Celery Bog Park. You can also find the yellow kind of jewelweed in the park. Picture taken August 24, 2010.

Link to Impatiens capensis:

Link to previous post on jewelweed:

Desmanthus illinoensis

The convoluted balls of seed pods of Illinois bundleflower (Desmanthus illinoensis), planted in front of the nature center at Celery Bog Park. Picture taken August 24, 2010.

Link to Desmodium illinoensis:

Link to Desmodium illinoensis:

Ecological succession in a new forest opening

Scifres-Maier Woods in Celery Bog Park

A massive sugar maple (Acer saccharum) has been blown over in a windstorm, creating an opening in the forest canopy. The normal shade-loving flora of the forest floor has been replaced with a carpet of pokeweed seedlings. Where did the pokeweed seeds come from? They must have been there on the forest floor, accumulating from bird droppings, for years before conditions were right for their growth.

Pictures taken August 24, 2010.

Link to ecological succession:

Link to pokeweed (Phytolacca americana):


Link to pokeweed seedlings:

Link to Acer saccharum:

Link to “The Succession of Forest Trees”

Antlion traps

These antlion traps are in the dirt under the eastbound State Road 26 bridge that goes over the Wabash River, near the Wabash River trail. Picture taken August 20, 2010.

Link to antlions:

Link to antlion video:

Marestail forest

This population of marestail (Conyza canadensis) along the Monon Trail is so unusually robust I'm going to call it a marestail forest. It rivals the marestail of any Indiana farmyard. Pictures taken August 14, 2010, along the Monon Trail, just south of 86th St., Marion County.

Link to Conyza canadensis:

Link to Conyza canadensis:

Conyza canadensis is high in the essential oil limonene:

Link to limonene:

Link to Conyza canadensis:

The tiny daisylike flowers of Conyza canadensis put this plant in the family Asteraceae.

Yellow nutsedge

This is Cyperus esculentus, yellow nutsedge, on the Monon Trail, at I-465, Hamilton County.

Pictures taken August 14, 2010.

Link to Cyperus esculentus:

Link to Cyperus esculentus:

Link to Cyperus esculentus:

Vernonia gigantea

This purple flowered plant is ironweed, Vernonia gigantea. It's located in Central Park in Carmel, Hamilton County.

Here is a longer shot of the same Vernonia plant. The tall grass to the right of the Vernonia is Indiangrass, Sorghastrum nutans. The other tall grass surrounding the Vernonia is big bluestem grass, Andropogon gerardii. Both are prairie grasses. The willows on the right of the scene are probably Salix interior.

Link to Andropogon gerardii:

Link to Sorghastrum nutans:

Link to Salix interior:

This ironweed grows along the Monon Trail, just north of I-465, Hamilton County. All pictures taken August 14, 2010.

Link to Vernonia gigantea:

Link to previous post on Vernonia gigantea:

Kousa Dogwood

This Kousa dogwood tree (Cornus kousa) is next to the bell tower on campus. Picture taken August 13, 2010.

Link to another post on Cornus kousa:

Barnyard grass

Barnyard grass (Echinochloa crus-galli), Central Park, Carmel, Hamilton County.

Habit of barnyard grass. This is the same plant as pictured above. Pictures taken August 14, 2010.

Link to Echinochloa crus-galli:

Link to Echinochloa crus-galli:

Link to Echinochloa crus-galli:

Elderberries are ripening

Elderberries are ripening here in Lafayette. This group of elderberry bushes (Sambucus canadensis) are along the Wabash River trail on the Lafayette side between the Harrison Bridge and Lyboult Park. Picture taken August 17, 2010.

Link to previous post on elderberry:

Link to previous post on elderberry:

Link to previous post on elderberry:

Link to previous post on elderberry:

Link to elderberry:

Caladium

This Caladium is on South Meridian Street in Indianapolis. Caladium, Colocasia, Xanthosoma and Alocasia are collectively known as the elephant ear plants. Picture taken August 15, 2010.

Link to Caladium:

Link to Colocasia and Xanthosoma:

Link to Alocasia and Colocasia:

Colocasia and Xanthosoma

You can find Colocasia at several places on the Purdue campus. Colocasia has the big elephant ear leaves. The Colocasia above is just west of Stewart Center.

Link to Colocasia:

This elephant ear plant is probably Xanthosoma rather than Colocasia as the leaves aren't peltate. It's just west of the Chemistry Building.

Link to Xanthosoma:


This Colocasia is just west of University Hall. Pictures taken August 13, 2010.

Link to Colocasia and Alocasia at Purdue Horticulture Gardens:

Wild sweet potato vine

Whenever you see these white morning glory flowers with the purple centers, it is the wild sweet potato vine, Ipomoea pandurata. This wild sweet potato vine is along Tapawingo Drive in West Lafayette. Picture taken August 12, 2010.

Link to previous post on Ipomoea pandurata:

The dried plants next to the Ipomoea are the "bird's nests" which remain after the Queen Anne's lace flower goes to seed.

Link to the "bird's nest" of Daucus carota:

Evening Primrose

This evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) grows along Tapawingo Drive in the Levee area of West Lafayette. Very common. Picture taken August 12, 2010.

Link to Oenothera biennis:

Link to Oenothera biennis:

Link to Oenothera biennis:

There is another kind of Oenothera planted in the park nearby. Here is a link. They buy it, pay to plant it, pay to weed it. Oenothera biennis grows on its own, it costs nothing. Then they pay someone to mow it down.

Coprinopsis atramentaria mushrooms

These inky cap mushrooms (Coprinopsis atramentaria) are in mulch outside the Biochemistry building on Purdue campus. Pictures taken August 11, 2010.

Link to Coprinopsis atramentaria:

Tree full of wood ear mushrooms

This tree has burst out with fresh wood ear mushrooms in a huge way. You can find this tree on the Wabash trail on the west side of the river, from the pedestrian bridge take the trail under the railroad bridge and there it is. The wood ear mushroom is Auricularia auricula-judae. Pictures taken August 1, 2010.

Link to previous post on Auricularia aruicularia-judae:

Link to Auricularia auricula-judae:

Link to cooking with wood ear fungus: