Helmet Flowers (Scutellaria elliptica and Scutellaria integrifolia) At The Oconee National Forest - Piedmont National Wildlife Area

May 12th – June 23rd, 2012. So far, we’ve seen three different helmet flowers in Jones County north of the Piedmont National Wildlife Area and in the Piedmont NWR itself.

May 12th. Scutellaria elliptica
We found the first species on the west side of Starr Road in Jones County. The plants stood less that 12 inches high.

The plant

Its leaves, opposite and with obviously crenate margins.

The flower head

A closer view of the flower head

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Close ups of individual flowers

May 12th. Scutellaria integrifolia
We found these plants at the north end of Pond 2A in the Piedmont NWR. The plants stood about 12-15 inches tall.

The top of the flower head

The stem showing long leaves with smooth edges

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Close up views of an individual flower

June 23rd, 2012.
We found these plants on the west facing slope of the dam at Pond 2A. They were hidden in the grass, barely 6-8 inches tall. I’m not sure which species this is but think it might also be Scutellaria elliptica. I'd appreciate any corrections of this identification.

Flowers near the top of the plant

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A close up views of individual flowers

Scutellaria elliptica (Hairy Skullcap) is native to the United States where it grows in most states in the eastern United States. In Georgia, it has been documented mainly in counties in the Piedmont and in some southwestern counties. It blooms from May to July. Based on the photographs referenced below, the markings on the flowers vary quite widely.

Scutellaria integrifolia (Helmet Flower, Helmen Skullcap, Hyssop Skullcap) is native to the United States where it grows in states from Connecticut-New York to Oklahoma-Texas. In Georgia, it has been documented in counties throughout the state. It blooms from May to August.
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Identification resources:
Scutellaria elliptica (Hairy skullcap)
Southeastern Flora
Name that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia

Missouri Plants
Alabama Plants
Alan Cressler
- Madison County, Alabama
- Cahaba NWR, Bibb County, Alabama
- Union County, Georg
- Chattahoochee National Forest, Gilmer County, Georgia
- Chattahoochee National Forest, Union County, Georgia

Scutellaria integrifolia (Helmet Flower)
Southeastern Flora
Name that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia
Alabama Plants

Distribution:
Scutellaria elliptica
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database
University of North Carolina Herbarium

Scutellaria integrifolia

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database

University of North Carolina Herbarium

Oconee River: South to Lake Oconee

May 25th, 2012. After making our way up the Oconee River to Fishing Creek and returning to Dyar Pasture, we decided to see if we could make our way down into Lake Oconee.

The route

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A single Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) tree directly opposite the boat launch. This is a non-native species from east Asia that is cultivated in gardens. This one got loose.

The Oconee River is wide and deep as it flows southwest immediately south of Dyar Pasture.

We saw several Great Blue Herons along this stretch of the river

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We went south as far as we could but couldn’t find a way into Lake Oconee. The river was very shallow and the openings to the lake were blocked by snags. We retraced our route and turned west into another bay at the north end of the lake. The water was shallow. We might have been able to make our way south into the main lake from this side but were running out of time. On our way back to Dyar Pasture, we saw this…

Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) that didn’t seem to be bothered by the heat. It seemed to be enjoying the heat. And look at that intense turquoise eye.

This Great Blue Heron didn’t like the heat at all. It had opened its wings to catch the breeze. Others have also seen this cooling method: here and here. This is the first time I’ve seen a Great Blue Heron using this method to cool itself. I’ve seen one use this method in the Fall to catch the early morning sun in an effort warm itself.

By the time we got back to the boat launch, the Rose of Sharon flowers were starting to close for the evening.

An American Snout (Libytheana carinenta) joined me while I waited at the boat launch to bring the boat in, and a…

Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis) was obelisking to avoid absorbing the full heat of the suns rays.
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Identification resources:
Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon, Althea)
Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds:
- Double-crested Cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus)
- Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)
Michael Beohm, West Central Georgia Butterflies: American Snout (Libytheana carinenta)
Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Georgia: Blue Dasher (Pachydiplax longipennis)

Distribution:
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Hibiscus syriacus
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Hibiscus syriacus (Rose of Sharon)

Related posts:
- Oconee River: North To Fishing Creek
- Running The Oconee River: North from Dyar Pasture

Oconee River: North To Fishing Creek

May 25th, 2012. We launched at the boat ramp at the Dyar Pasture Recreation Area off SM Copeland Road in Greene County. We headed north. Not to see how far we could go up the river but to see if we could go up into Fishing Creek.

Our route.

We saw damselflies before we launched the boat. Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis)

Heading up river from the Dyar Pasture boat launch

Dragonfly. I’m not sure what this is. Its wings were deformed; it couldn’t fly.

Another male Blue-fronted Dancer on a snag.

Nearby, about a foot away on the same log, a damselfly that looks like a female Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula)

Then there were the freeloaders who rode up the river on our boat – including what looks like a pair of Blue-fronted Dancers.

We headed up Fishing Creek. The entrance to the creek was fairly wide but shallow, only about two feet deep in many places.

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The creek narrowed. We had to keep an eye on the river depth. Georgia Power generates hydro power at the dam at the southern end of the lake which means that the lake, river and creek levels can fall a foot or so reasonably suddenly. We could have been stranded literally ‘up the creek’ had the power company started generating power. We were lucky though…

We were treated to an show of Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans) along the way.

The creek opens out into a wide, shallow bay. The Pink Queen we saw a year ago is to the left as we entered the bay. This is the entrance to the bay. The rods in the water have ropes with crayfish traps attached. We circumnavigated the bay and encountered this…

Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias) high in a tree. It was fanning to cool itself in the hot afternoon.

We returned to Dyar Pasture and then decided to go south to Lake Oconee. Highlights of that trip next…
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Identification resources:
Southeastern Flora: Campsis radicans (Trumpet creeper)

Giff Beaton:
- Blue-fronted Dancer (Argia apicalis) [Male] [Female]
- Blue-ringed Dancer (Argia sedula): [Male] [Female]

Cornell Lab of Ornithology, All About Birds: Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias)

Related posts:
- Running The Oconee River: North from Dyar Pasture
- Pink Queen (Cleome hassleriana)

Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata)

May 19th, 2012. On the same trip along the Saxon-Norman-Road in Oglethorpe County when we saw the Pipsissewa (Chimaphila umbellata) in bloom, we found a small stand of Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata) near a creek.

The plants were 3 – 4 feet tall but were ‘buried’ among many plants so it wasn’t possible to get a good photograph of an individual plant.

Leaves were opposite.

The sepals

The flower, front on. It's about an inch in diameter

The flower, in profile showing the stigma and stamen

Lysimachia ciliata (Fringed Loosestrife) is native to the United States where it’s found in throughout the continental United States except for California, New Mexico, and Nevada and in most provinces in Canada. In Georgia, it’s found in many counties in the northern part of the state.
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Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Lysimachia ciliata (Fringed Loosestrife)
- Name that Plant: Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: 
Lysimachia ciliata (Fringed Loosestrife)
- Missouri Plants: Lysimachia ciliata (Fringed Loosestrife)

Distribution:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Lysimachia ciliata (Fringed Loosestrife)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Lysimachia ciliata

Pipsissewa or Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) ‘In The Wild’

May 19th, 2012. I’ve photographed a few Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata) plants blooming at Fort Yargo State Park but nowhere else. Then, as we were driving along the Saxon-Norman-Broad road, I spotted a cluster of three plants at the edge of the woods. One plant had three flowers, one had two, and the third plant had a single flower. I acquired five ticks while photographing these flowers. W and I thought we should start rating our flower photographs by the number of ticks acquired while photographing them.

The cluster of flowering plants at the edge of the woods. Only two plants are visible in this photo.

Three flowers from the top. It was worthwhile lying on the ground to try to capture photographs of the undersides of the flowers.

Plant with three flowers

The plant with two flowers

The plant with a single flower. This flower was facing to the side, allowing a better view of the underside.

I’ve photographed a series of Pipsissewa flowers ranging from buds to seed pods previously at Fort Yargo State Park.

Chimaphila maculata, native to the eastern United States and Canada, is known by the common names Pipsissewa, Striped Wintergreen, Striped Prince's Pine or Spotted Wintergreen. In Georgia, it’s found mainly in counties in the Piedmont. Chimaphila maculata is one of two Chimaphila species that grows in the southeastern United States. The other species, Chimaphila umbellata (Prince's-pine, Pipsissewa) does not grow in Georgia; it grows south only as far as northern South Carolina. is native to the eastern United States and Ontario and Quebec in Canada.
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Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Pipsissewa or Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Chimaphila maculata

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Chimaphila maculata (Striped Prince's pine)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Chimaphila maculata

Related posts:
- Pipsissewa or Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)

Halloween Pennant: Ride The Wild Wind

June 23rd, 2012. Ride The Wild Wind. Or that’s how it probably seemed to a male Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) we encountered in the Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge in Jones County, Georgia. As always we stopped by Pond 2A to look for wildflowers and dragonflies, mainly dragonflies – although we did pretty well in the wildflower department too. Widow Skimmers (Libellula luctuosa) predominated – patrolling the shore of the pond and the downhill side of the dam. But there were a few Halloween Pennants, the first we’ve seen this year.

It was hot! Probably in the 90s F. There were gusts of wind occasionally and those kept this dragonfly on its toes, so to speak.

He was ‘obelisking’ with his abdomen high in the air, trying to minimize his exposure to the heat of the sun. Then the breeze came up and…

the need to balance began. He dropped his abdomen and flexed his wings to maintain his balance.

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At one point, I disturbed him and he flew to the tip of another grass stem nearby where he continued to…

balance, abdomen down and again flexing his wings in the breeze.

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Then back to obelisking when the breeze dropped again. Only to have to…

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drop his abdomen and begin his balancing act once again.

Most dragonflies perch with front and back wings aligned in the same plane. Pennants, on the other hand, typically perch at the top of stems with the fore- and hindwings in different planes. This always gives the impression that they are off balance.
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Identification resources:
- Dragonflies and Damselflies (Odonata) of Georgia: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina)
- BugGuide: Halloween Pennant (Celithemis eponina) [Male] [Female]
- Bill Horn: Halloween Pennant Dragonfly

Related posts:
- Halloween Pennants In A Storm
- First Halloween Pennant Of The Season
- Dragonfly: Halloween Pennant