Anybody Seen My Focus?: 2013

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Four

April 26th, 2013. We had visited Boggs Creek Recreation Area in the Chestatee Wildlife Management in Lumpkin County on March 30^th, April 13^th and April 20^th. This was our fourth visit…

Trillium vaseyi (Sweet Wakerobin, Vasey's Trillium, Sweet Trillium, Sweet Beth)

We stopped to photograph these flowers yet again.

This flower had been blown above the leaves by the windy conditions. Most flowers were still hiding under the leaves out of sight.

Some were still in excellent condition. The lower of these two flowers was on the largest plant in the patch; this flower was 3” to 4” in diameter.

Trillium catesbaei (Bashful Wakerobin, Catesby's Trillium, Rosy Wake-robin, Bashful Trillium, Rose Trillium)
We found many of these along the road, most in excellent condition. Most of the flowers we had seen previously were a very light pink. Here, we spotted a flower that was…

almost pure white.

Many were light pink, to…

Medium pink, and a few were…

a deep pink.

Tiarella cordifolia (Heartleaf Foamflower, Foamflower, Mountain Foamflower, False Miterwort)

Foamflowers were still flourishing.

Cardamine diphylla (Broadleaf Toothwort, Crinkleroot, Pepperroot)
This species has been documented only in counties in far north Georgia. We had found a few plants here on our previous visit but didn’t get photos. This time we were successful.

The plant

Closer views of the leaves

Closer views of the flowers.

Calycanthus floridus var. glaucus (Eastern Sweetshrub, Smooth Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice)
This species has been documented in many counties in the northern half of Georgia.

Flowers and leaves in filtered sunlight

Close views of individual flowers. It will be interesting to see if these flowers develop seedpods.

Under normal conditions, we would have gone over to Dicks Creek again. However, we were travelling in a vehicle that probably would not have handled the rougher road very well, we headed over to Sosebee Cover – our first visit to this site – to see what was blooming…

Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification Resources:
Southeastern Flora

- Trillium vasayi (Sweet Wakerobin)

- Trillium catesbaei (Bashful Wakerobin)
- Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)

- Cardamine diphylla (Crinkleroot)
- Calycanthus floridus (Eastern Sweetshrub)

Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:

- Trillium vaseyi (Vasey's Trillium, Sweet Trillium, Sweet Beth)

- Trillium catesbaei (Catesby's Trillium, Rosy Wake-robin, Bashfull Trillium, Rose Trillium)
- Tiarella cordifolia (Mountain Foamflower, False Miterwort)
- Cardamine diphylla (Broadleaf Toothwort, Crinkleroot, Pepperroot)
- Calycanthus floridus (Smooth Sweetshrub, Carolina Allspice)

Distribution:
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:
- Trillium vaseyi (Sweet Wakerobin)
- Trillium catesbaei (Bashful Wakerobin)
- Tiarella cordifolia (Heartleaf Foamflower)
- Cardamine diphylla (Crinkleroot)
- Calycanthus floridus (Eastern Sweetshrub)

Related post:
- Early Spring Wildflowers At Boggs Creek Recreation Area
- Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Two (Part 1)
- Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Two (Part 2)
- Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Two (Part 3)
- Spring Wildflowers at Dicks Creek (Part 2)
- Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take 3 – Trilliums
- Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Three - Other Wildflowers

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Three - Other Wildflowers

April 20th, 2013. It was clear from our trip to Boggs Creek Recreation Area in the Chestatee Wildlife Management in Lumpkin County on March 30^th that this would be an interesting place to follow through the Spring wildflower season. We visited a second time on April 13^th to look at the mystery trillium and check on wildflowers that were developing on our previous visit. This was our third visit…

Actaea pachypoda (Doll’s-eyes or White baneberry, White Cohosh, Doll’s-eyes)

White Baneberry plants were scattered in the shade under the pine trees. On our previous visit, buds were developing or just starting to open. Now most were open.

Flower and leaves, and...

Flowers at various stages of opening

Tiarella cordifolia (Heartleaf Foamflower, Foamflower, Mountain Foamflower, False Miterwort)

Foamflowers were still flourishing.

Clusters of plants in the woods, and

an individual flower spike that still has unopened buds at the tip.

Waldsteineria fragaroides (Appalachian Barren Strawberry)

There are two species of Waldsteineria in this area: Waldsteinaria fragarioides (Appalachian Barren Strawberry) and Waldsteinaria lobata (Piedmont Barren Strawberry). These are differentiated by the leaves Which are trifoliate in both species. The lobes of W. fragarioides leaves are completely separated whereas those of W. lobata are not. W. fragarioides is distributed throughout many eastern states compared with W. lobata which occurs only in the Carolinas and Georgia. W. fragarioides is found more in north Georgia; W. lobata has been documented in fewer counties but over a wider geographic area.

A plant growing on the floor of the pine woods where the trilliums were growing.

A closer view of the plant showing that that lobes of the leaves were completely separated

A closer view of an individual flower which has lost some petals.

Pedicularis canadensis (Canadian Lousewort, Lousewort, Wood Betony, Eastern Lousewort, Fernleaf)

The ‘native’ form of this species has cream flowers; a form with maroon flowers is a variant of this species.

Most of the flowers we found were deep maroon, whereas some were…

intermediate between the original cream form and the deep maroon form. On this visit, we were able to get better photos of this lighter form.

Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris)

This species is found mostly in the far north Georgia counties. We found a few plants near the lousewort plants; these wouldn’t flower for another couple of weeks. As we drove up the road, we found…

a patch of plants at the edge of the road that had much greater sun exposure. Many of these plants were blooming.

Close up of one of the flowers.

Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue Anemone, Windflower)

We didn’t find many Rue Anemones in this area but there were a few

Close view of an individual flower

Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

We had found Bloodroot plants along the embankments at Dicks Creek but hadn’t seen any previously at Boggs Creek. On this visit, just after turning around at the end of the road and starting back down the road, we spotted…

characteristic Bloodroot leaves near the base of a tree.

Closer views of the plants that are setting seed. Another site to view this wildflower.

Under normal conditions, we would have gone over to Dicks Creek again. However, we were travelling in a vehicle that probably would not have handled the rougher road very well, we headed over to Sosebee Cove – our first visit to this site – to see what was blooming…

Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification Resources:

Southeastern Flora

- Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry, Doll’s Eyes)

- Tiarella cordifolia (Foamflower)

- Waldsteinaria fragarioides (Appalachian Barren Strawberry)

- Pedicularis canadensis (Lousewort)

- Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris)

- Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue Anemone, Windflower)

- Sanguinaria canadensis (Bloodroot)

Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:

- Actaea pachypoda (Doll's-eyes, White Baneberry, White Cohosh)