Friday, September 30, 2011

Zen: Parnassia asarifolia (Grass of Parnassus)

Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)
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Distribution:

- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)

- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus, Brook Parnassia)


Identification resources:

- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:
Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus, Brook Parnassia)

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)

September 17th, 2011. We’re always on the lookout for Clearwing Moths after our encounters with the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) last year.

I was minding my own business taking photos of the Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed) at the swamp on Anderson Mill Creek in Wilkes County, Georgia, when I heard the unmistakable whirring sound of the wingbeat of the moth. It took a few seconds to spot this moth. It was not a Hummingbird Clearwing Moth. It was another clearwing moth that we hadn’t seen before. It took just a little research to identify it as a Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis).

We saw four in all. They were constantly working the ironweed patch. Like the Hummingbird Clearwing Moth, these were constantly on the move. Each would hardly settle on the flower before they fly off to the next flower.

And here they are…


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This photo is interesting because the moths proboscis is curled up as it approaches the flower.

Incidentally, a single Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe) stopped by one of the ironwood flowers for a few seconds.

Click on an image to view a larger image


Identification resources:

- BugGuide: Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)

- Butterflies and Moths of North America: Snowberry Clearwing Moth (Hemaris diffinis)


Related post:

- Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (Hemaris thysbe)

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Anderson Mill Creek Swamp, Wilkes County, Georgia: Wildflowers (Part 2)

Continued from Anderson Mill Creek Swamp, Wilkes County, Georgia: Wildflowers (Part 1)

We were looking at wildflowers at the Anderson Mill Creek Swamp on Enoch Johns Road in Wilkes County, Georgia on September 7th, 2011.


We found some Polygonum hydropiperoides (Swamp Smartweed) plants.

A closer view of individual blooms.

I found a few spikes of Lobelia amoena (Southern lobelia) almost buried in the grass on the south side of the road. I almost missed them.

Agalinis purpurea (Purple Gerardia), I believe. There were several plants on the north and south sides of the road

Desmodium tenuifolium (Slimleaf Tick Trefoil) was growing along the south side of the road.

Small white flowers of Sagittaria latifolia (Common Arrowhead)

Amphicarpa bracteata (Hog Peanut)

Chamaesyce nutans (Spotted Spurge)

Ipomoea lacunosa (White Morning-glory) – with Verbena brasilienses (Brazilian Vervain) and Alternanthera philoxeroides (Alligator Weed) and in the background

And last, but not least, a patch of Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)

In addition to these we saw Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed) that was growing too far from the roadside to photograph. So, in contrast to the lack of wildflowers in dry areas, we were treated to a wonderful collection of wildflowers at the swamp.

Click on an image to view a larger image


Identification resources:

- Southeastern Flora: Polygonum hydropiperoides (Swamp Smartweed)

- Southeastern Flora: Lobelia amoena (Southern Lobelia)

- Jeffrey S. Pippen, North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees: Agalinis purpurea (Purple Gerardia)

- Jeffrey S. Pippen, North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees: Desmodium tenuifolium (Slimleaf Tick Trefoil)

- Southeastern Flora: Sagittaria latifolia (Common Arrowhead)

- Southeastern Flora: Amphicarpa bracteata (Hog Peanut)

- Southeastern Flora: Chamaesyce nutans (Spotted spurge)

- Southeastern Flora: Ipomoea lacunosa (White Morning-glory)

- Jeffrey S. Pippen, North Carolina Wildflowers, Shrubs, & Trees: Vernonia noveboracensis (New York Ironweed)


Related post:
- Anderson Mill Creek Swamp, Wilkes County, Georgia: Wildflowers (Part 1)

Sunday, September 25, 2011

Anderson Mill Creek Swamp, Wilkes County, Georgia: Wildflowers (Part 1)

September 17th, 2011. There are a couple of swamps on Enoch John Road in Wilkes County, Georgia. The eastern swamp is on a tributary to Fishing Creek; the western swamp is on Anderson Mill Creek. Every time we’re in the area, we drive along this road.

Enoch John Road is a graveled dirt road and often covered with water at the western approach to the bridge over the Anderson Mill Creek swamp. It’s been so dry this summer that there are few wildflowers blooming in our area so we didn’t expect much when we drove through a week ago but we were in for a surprise…

Looking south from the bridge over the swamp

Looking north from the bridge over the swamp.

Looking east from the north side of the bridge over the swamp.

The bridge over the swamp. There’s little traffic on this road so, often, we can park on the bridge. There is an area to park at the east end of the road over the swamp. W is photographing dragonflies. There were quite a few Blue Dashers (Pachydiplax longipennis) around the bridge.

Mikania scandens (Climbing Hempvine) was growing in several places by the swamp and was covering several shrubs on the north side of the road

A close up of Mikania scandens (Climbing Hempvine) flowers

Murdannia keisak (Wartremoving Herb) was growing along the south side of the road. When it’s not blooming, Murdannia keisak looks like a broad-leaved grass so it can be a surprise to see these delicate flowers in late summer.

I think this is Ludwigia grandiflora ssp. hexapetala (Common Water-primrose). A few small bushes were growing on the north side of the road.

Verbena brasiliensis (Brazilian vervain) was growing in the south side of the road to the west of the bridge.


Continued at: Anderson Mill Creek Swamp, Wilkes County, Georgia: Wildflowers (Part 2)
Click on an image to view a larger image


Identification resources:

- Southeastern Flora: Mikania scandens (Climbing Hempvine)

- Alabama Plants: Murdannia keisak (Wartremoving Herb)

- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Ludwigia grandiflora ssp. hexapetala (Common Water-primrose)

- Southeastern Flora: Verbena brasiliensis (Brazilian vervain)


Related post:

- 2010: Year of the Wildflower
- Anderson Mill Creek Swamp, Wilkes County, Georgia: Wildflowers (Part 2)

Friday, September 23, 2011

A Thief in the Orchard

August 27, 2011. It’s that time of year. The time of year when there are apples and pears in the orchard. The deer – Whitetail Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) - like them and they’ll even stand on their hind legs to pick fruit from the trees. And we have a bumper crop this year. On a couple of occasions recently we’ve arrived home near dusk and caught them in the act.

Who, me?
The tree is tall and, even on her hind legs, she couldn’t reach fruit on the tree.


I’m just scrounging around on the ground for pears that have fallen from the tree. They’re fair game.

But they’re hard. I can’t just chew them.

I have to roll them around in my mouth to try and break them up.

It’s a lot of work to eat these. If there weren’t so many of them and they weren’t worth it, and if winter wasn’t coming, I’d just go somewhere else. (You can see the pear in her mouth in this photo).
Click on an image to view a larger image

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Sleepy Orange Swarms At Whitetail Lake

September 9, 2011. We drove down to Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center and stopped by Whitetail Lake. The temperatures had dropped into the 70s F. It was sunny but quite windy; the wind was blowing from the southwest. There weren’t too many dragonflies; some Eastern Amberwings (Perithemis tenera) and a few Eastern Pondhawks (Erythemis simplicicollis), male and female.

But there were butterflies. Several swarms of Sleepy Oranges, mostly braving the wind to drink at the lakes edge by the boat launch. A lot of Sleepy Oranges (Abaeis nicippe) and…


a few Cloudless Sulphurs (Phoebis sennae) and…

a lone Red Admiral (Vanessa atalanta)

One swarm, however, had found a spot in the lee of a hump of clay and vegetation and were enjoying the sun.


There they are in the center near the bottom of the photo. While the swarms in the open scattered at the slightest movement in their direction, the members in the sheltered swam were very calm and allowed me to approach…

closer, and...

closer, and still…

closer.
Click on the image to view a larger image


Identification resources:

- Butterflies and Moths of North America: Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)

- Bug Guide: Sleepy Orange (Abaeis nicippe)

Monday, September 19, 2011

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus): Intermediate

September 4, 2011. When we drove up to the White Crownbeard (Verbesina virginica) plants, several butterflies were feeding on the flowers. In addition to a yellow Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus) and a Monarch (Danaus plexippus), there was a dark swallowtail. I assumed it was a black female. When I got close enough to take the photo, it was clear that this butterfly was different. I could see…

the black rib pattern of the yellow form showing through the dark colored wings.

I’d never seen a butterfly like this before but a little research revealed that the female could exist in several forms including this rare ‘intermediate’ form. A lucky find.


See other photos of the intermediate form here and here.

Click on the image to view a larger image

Identification resources:
- Micheal Beohm, West Central Georgia Butterflies: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

- Butterflies and Moths of North America: Eastern Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio glaucus)

Sunday, September 18, 2011

White Crownbeard (Verbesina virginica)

September 4, 2011. We saw a ‘new’ white wildflower as we drove from McDuffie County into Wilkes County. At first there were only small plants with buds but then we encountered a large stand by the roadside. This is Verbesina virginica - known by the common names White Crownbeard, Common Frostweed, Tickweed, Iceplant, Iceweed, Virginia Crownbeard, Indian Tobacco, Richweed, Squawweed. During our trip, we saw it only in the Clarks Hill WMA in Wilkes Country, Georgia.

Part of the stand of plants

The leaves

Developing flower buds

A flower head

Close up of the flowers

Verbesina virginica
has two subspecies, virginica and laciniata. The subspecies virginica is distributed more widely – from Pennsylvania west to Iowa and south to Texas - than laciniata which is only found in North and South Carolina, Georgia and Florida. In Georgia, this species is found mainly in the Piedmont and southwest counties as well as a couple of coastal counties. I don’t know which subspecies this plant is.


An interesting note: Verbesina virginica is known as frostweed because after it is exposed to freezing temperatures and still air, liquid water inside the stem freezes and splits the stem open, which then causes water and water vapor inside the stem to emit directly into the air. The water molecules then freeze upon exposure and form delicate ribbons of ice coming from the stem – see a photograph here.
- USA Nature Phenology Network
Click on an image to view a larger image


Distribution:

- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard)

- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Verbesina virginica


Identification resources:

- Southeastern Flora: White Crownbeard (Verbesina virginica)

- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Verbesina virginica (Common Frostweed, Tickweed)

- Missouri Plants: Verbesina virginica

- University of Texas at Austin, Native Plant Database: Verbesina virginica (Frostweed, White Crownbeard, Iceplant, Iceweed, Virginia Crownbeard, Indian Tobacco, Richweed, Squawweed)


Related posts:

- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower – Wildflower Index

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Cutleaf Groundcherry (Physalis angulata)

When I saw this groundcherry plant, I thought I was going to be able to complete a set of photographs of Physalis virginiana (Virginia groundcherry) that I had started taking at Charlie Elliott Wildlife Center in Jasper County, Georgia. When I looked more closely at the plant, however, I found that this was Physalis angulata (Smooth Ground-cherry, Cutleaf Groundcherry, Wild Tomato, Camapu and Winter Cherry).

I found this plant in a bear clearing by the road

A closer view of the leaves showing the cut-leaf margin

A bud just starting to open

The sepals

An open bloom

The fruit is contained in a calyx that resembles a green Chinese lantern. This fruit is edible.

Physalis angulata is native to the United States. It’s found in states roughly south of a line from Virginia to California. In Georgia, it’s found in counties throughout the state.

Click on an image to view a larger image


Distribution:

- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry)

- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Physalis angulata


Identification resources:

- Southeastern Flora: Physalis angulata (Cutleaf Groundcherry)

- Missouri Plants: Physalis angulata

- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Physalis angulata (Smooth Ground-cherry, Cutleaf Groundcherry)


Related posts:

- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower – Wildflower Index