Amanita muscaria var. guessowii

These mushrooms are Amanita muscaria var. guessowii, growing under pine trees in Martell Forest, Tippecanoe County. Pictures taken Sept. 19, 2010.

Link to Amanita muscaria var. guessowii:

Link to Amanita muscaria var. guessowii:

Link to Amanita muscaria:

Hickory Tussock Moth Caterpillar

Caterpillar of the Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), at Martell Forest, Tippecanoe County, September 19, 2010.

Link to Lophocampa caryae:

Link to Lophocampa caryae:

Link to Lophocampa caryae:

Bur oak at Shamrock Park

This big bur oak (Quercus macrocarpa) at Shamrock Park in Lafayette has got thousands of acorns this year. Pictures taken September 14, 2010.

Link to previous post on Quercus macrocarpa:

Jerusalem artichoke

The Jerusalem artichoke is actually a kind of sunflower, Helianthus tuberosus. This rather large colony of Helianthus tuberosus is along the paved trail along Cumberland Ave. west of U.S. Highway 52 in West Lafayette. Pictures taken September 12, 2010.

Link to Helianthus tuberosus:

Link to Helianthus tuberosus:

Link to Helianthus tuberosus:

Sugarberry tree

This sugarberry tree (Celtis laevigata) is planted on the Purdue campus along Russell St. near Harrison St. A very close relative to the sugarberry tree is the hackberry tree (Celtis occidentalis) which is very common in the wild in the Lafayette area.

Link to Celtis laevigata:

Fruits of the sugarberry tree are indistinguishable from the fruits of the hackberry trees. Most of the fruit is a hard inedible seed, but the thin layer of pulp around the seed has a taste and a texture remarkably like a date. Sugarberry leaves are smaller and smoother than hackberry leaves.

Link to Celtis laevigata:

This is an odd sugarberry tree indeed, here are a few odd branches that have the look of the larger-leaved hackberry tree.

The warty-textured bark of the sugarberry tree is also exactly the same as that of the hackberry tree. Pictures taken September 7, 2010.

Link to previous post on the bark of the hackberry tree:

Garter Snake

This garter snake was along a trail in Southwestway Park in Indianapolis, Marion County. I approached close enough to photograph it and it never moved. Not near any water. Could possibly be a Butler's Garter Snake (Thamnophus butleri). Or maybe not. Picture taken Sept. 6, 2010.

Link to Thamnophus butleri:

Link to Thamnophus sirtalis:

Eupatorium perfoliatum

This boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) is at Southwestway Park in Marion County. It's the Eupatorium with perfoliate leaves. Eupatorium perfoliatum is harder to find than some of the other bonesets like Eupatorium altissimum. This is in a rather unusual place as it is a fairly dry slope under a power line, usually this species is found in wet spots. Picture taken Sept. 6, 2010.

Link to Eupatorium perfoliatum:

Link to Eupatorium perfoliatum:

The sunflower-looking plants in the background are possibly Rudbeckia triloba.

Link to previous post on Rudbeckia triloba:

Link to Southwestway Park: