Black-eyed Susan

Flowers that aren't planted are better than flowers that are.  This black-eyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta) has escaped from a garden and has found its place in an alley near Wall St.  Picture taken May 25, 2011.

Link to previous post on Rudbeckia hirta:

Soldier beetles on Chestnut tree

These soldier beetles are swarming over the pistillate catkins of this chestnut tree (Castanea sp.)

 View of the catkins and bark of the chestnut tree.  Not an American chestnut tree, possibly a hybrid of European chestnut (Castanea sativa)

This chestnut tree is on the Purdue campus near Jischke Drive south of State St.  Pictures taken June 23, 2011.


Link to previous post on Cantharid beetles:

Link to Castanea:

Bouncing Bet

Bouncing Bet (Saponaria officinalis), on a sand island in Tapawingo Park, West Lafayette.  Wabash River and Lafayette in the background.  Picture taken June 26, 2011.

Link to Saponaria officinalis:

Link to Saponaria officinalis:

Link to Saponaria officinalis:

Polygonia butterfly

This butterfly rests on a leaf near the bank of the Wabash River.  View from the pedestrian bridge at Lafayette.  Possibly a Question Mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis).  Picture taken June 19, 2011.


Link to Polygonia interrogationis:

Link to Polygonia interrogationis:

Link to Polygonia interrogationis:

Soldier beetles on Conium maculatum

Soldier beetles swarm over a Conium maculatum plant.  In southern Tippecanoe County, June 18, 2011.  Conium maculatum, also called poison hemlock, is a very common plant in this area. 

Link to previous post on Conium maculatum:

Link to Soldier beetles:

Gray dogwood

 This gray dogwood (Cornus racemosa) is at Weiler-Leopold Nature Reserve in Warren County.  The advantage of going here to see this is that there is a label that identifies it.  So if you want to know what a gray dogwood looks like, come here to see this example.  Gray dogwood is one of the most common dogwood shrubs around here but the different dogwood shrubs can be difficult to tell apart.

View showing the panicle of white flowers and the olive brown color of the new twigs and the gray color of the old bark. After the flowers fade the gray dogwood has white berries.

Pictures taken June 18, 2011.

Link to Cornus racemosa:

Link to Cornus racemosa:

Link to Cornus racemosa:

Link to Weiler-Leopold Reserve:

Hop-hornbeam

Fruits of the hop-hornbeam tree (Ostrya virginiana) resemble hops.  Hop-hornbeam trees are native to Indiana forests, typically a small understory tree like redbuds and flowering dogwood.  This hop-hornbeam tree has been planted though, on the west side of Lilly Hall on the Purdue campus.  Picture taken June 13, 2011.

Link to Ostrya virginiana:

Link to Ostrya virginiana:

Link to Ostrya virginiana:

Ripe juneberries

Ripe juneberries (Amelanchier) at the dog park on Wabash Ave.  Picture taken June 19, 2011.

Link to previous post on juneberries:

The tree in the background is an bur oak, here is a link to a previous post:

Link to dog park:

Rattlesnake Fern

This rattlesnake fern (Botrychium virginianum) is in the woods just south of Soldier's Home, Tippecanoe County.  Picture taken June 4, 2011.

Link to Botrychium virginianum:

Link to Botrychium virginianum:

Link to Botrychium virginianum:

Link to Botrychium virginianum:

Blue Flag Iris

 Blue Flag Iris (Iris virginica var. shrevei), at the bottom of the ditch.  The prairie remnant between the railroad and US Highway 52, between Otterbein and Fowler, in Benton County.  Picture taken June 2, 2011.

Link to Blue Flag Iris: 

Prairie hyacinth

This prairie hyacinth (Camassia angusta) is starting to flower.  Camassia angusta flowers later than the Camassia scilloides of the woodlands.  The flat-topped yellow flower clusters are wild parsnip (Pastinaca sativa).  A prairie remnant in Benton County, west of Otterbein. This narrow strip of land between the railroad and US Hwy. 52 is all that is left here of the Great Prairie.  Picture taken June 2, 2011.

Link to Camassia angusta:

Link to Camassia angusta: 

Link to previous post on Camassia scilloides:

Link to prairie:

Turtles laying eggs

This painted turtle (Chrysemys picta) decided to lay her eggs near the bicycle trail near Cumberland Ave. west of US Hwy. 52.  She had crawled up to higher drier ground from a nearby pond.

Link to previous post on painted turtle:

A half hour later the painted turtle had covered the eggs with mud and was gone.  Painted turtle pictures taken May 30, 2011.

This snapping turtle (Chelydra serpentina) crawled up from the ditch alongside Cherry Lane and crossed the bicycle trail to lay her eggs in this spot.

A half hour later the turtle had left the eggs here under this pile of dirt.  Snapping turtle pictures taken May 31, 2011.

Link to previous post on snapping turtle:

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

This Jack-in-the-Pulpit is a big one.  At Celery Bog Park, May 31, 2011.  Jack-in-the-Pulpit is Arisaema triphyllum.  The other kind of Arisaema in this park is Green Dragon, or Arisaema dracontium, it's a little harder to find.

Link to Arisaema triphyllum:

Link to previous post on Arisaema triphyllum:

Link to previous post on Arisaema dracontium:

Nostoc and Black Medic

Nostoc and Black Medic (Medicago lupulina), near Soldiers' Home Road, May 28, 2011.

Link to Nostoc:

Link to Medicago lupulina:

Link to Medicago lupulina:

The Nostoc under magnification, filaments of blue-green algae in a gelatinous matrix.  Each scale division is two microns.