Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata)

April 11^th.  Some years ago, I found a couple of Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata) plants nestled between a large boulder and a tree.

Each year, I look forward to seeing them bloom. Last year, one flower produced a seed capsule. This year I noted that there were five plants, all of which were blooming.

Reference: 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Uvularia perfoliata

Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 26th, 2015 (Part 2)

May 26th. (Continued from…). I started to walk again at Fort Yargo State Park in Winder, Georgia. One of my favorite walks is from the Group Shelter A to the Old Fort and back.This is a rewarding walk for viewing wildflowers and I’ve been trying to walk it weekly and document the wildflowers I see.

The route, which I described here, here, and here. 

  

I walked around the Fishing Area towards the ‘Rock Garden’ and got a very pleasant surprise.

A fallen log lying just above the shore was covered with Jelly Ear (Auricularia auricula) fungus. The only other place I had seen these was on one of the equestrian trails in Hard Labor State Park in Morgan County, Georgia, early this spring. (Unfortunately, the log was thrown into the lake before my next walk and I didn’t have the means to pull it out. On the walk after than, I managed to get the log out of the water and dragged it down towards the Rock Garden and put it in a patch of poison ivy. Hopefully, the Jelly Ears will survive; time will tell.)

At the ‘entrance’ to the Rock Garden, the only sign of the Scrambled Egg/Dog Vomit slime mold (Fuligo septica) that I saw on my previous walk was a stain on the log.

The recent rain had brought the Resurrection Ferns (Pleopeltis polypodioides) back to life. 

One of the lichens on a nearby boulder had dried and lifted off the boulder like a crust. Now…

it looked as fresh as it had earlier in the spring.

  

The developing seed capsule on the Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata) looked healthy.

  

Throughout the woods I could see…

  

Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata) plants were in bloom. It was as if someone had flipped a switch and all the flower buds had opened. At a couple of points, I could see as many as a dozen plants blooming.

I continued along the Rock Garden trail and then rejoined the…

  

main trail to the Old Fort.

A non-breeding pair of Canada Geese (Branta canadensis) were feeding on the lawn below the fort.

  

I retraced my steps along the trail to its junction with the main trail and then…

  

continued south along the main trail.

  

Just north of the Fishing Area, I found this cluster of Pipsissewa plants in bloom.

It was gloomy, but the trail was quite scenic, at the…

  

cliff,..

  

south towards…

  

the first bridge, and the…

bent tree just to the south, and finally to the…

root steps before reaching the pine woods at the parking lot. 

I wasn’t anticipating an interesting walk, but this day had its highlights – the Pipsissewas in bloom and a wonderful display of Jelly Ear fungus.

Related posts: 

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The OldFort, May 26th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Redring Milkweed (Asclepias variegata)

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 18th, 2015 (Part 2)
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 18th, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 11th, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 11th, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 6th, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, May 6th, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 30th April, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 30th April, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 22nd April, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 22nd April, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 16th April, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 16th April, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 10th April, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 10th April, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 4th April, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 4th April, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 26th March, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 26th March, 2015 (Part 1) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 20th March, 2015 (Part 2) 
- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 20th March, 2015 (Part 1)

Uvularia sp.: Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata)?

Five Uvularia species grow in the Carolinas and Georgia. Based on the leaf shape and the stalked flower arrangement, this plant appears to be either Uvularia grandiflora (Largeflower Bellwort) or Uvularia perfoliata (Perfoliate Bellwort). I didn’t see the flower. However, based on the known geographic disribution of U. grandiflora and U. perfoliata, this species is probably U. perfoliata. So far, I’ve only seen it at Fort Yargo State Park where I saw one plant along the trail on segment 12.

Another plant I almost missed. For a long time I thought the flowers hadn’t developed. I’m inclined to think now that I may have photographed the developing fruit. Can anyone throw any light on this? I’ll have to stalk this plant next Spring and see if I can photograph the bloom.

The plant. It stood about 2 feet high in the woods along the Rock Garden trail.

A closer view of the stem showing the leaf arrangement.

A little closer still.

A close up, May 2nd.

Close up, May 16th.

Rebecca in the Woods sent me this link to her photos of the U. perfoliata fruit. Thanks Rebecca! This seems to confirm that 'my' fruit didn't develop. A challenge for next year.

The Uvularia species, U. grandiflora and U. perfoliata, are native to the United States and Canada. U. grandiflora has a wider range than U. perfoliata.
U. grandiflora grows in the eastern United States and Canada. In the United States, it grows in states including, and east of North and South Dakota, Iowa, Kansas, Oklahoma and Louisiana; it doesn’t grow in Maine or Florida. In Canada, it grows in Mannitoba, Ontario and Quebec. In Georgia it has only been reported from three counties – Chatooga, Walker, and Floyd - in the far northwest of the state.
U. perfoliata has a more limited range. In the United States, it grows in states including and east of Indiana, Kentucky, Oklahoma and Texas; it does grow in Maine and Florida. In Canada, it grows only in Ontario. In Georgia it has been reported from many counties.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution Map:
United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:
- Uvularia perfoliata (Perfoliate Bellwort)
- Uvularia grandiflora (Largeflower Bellwort)
University of North Carolina Herbarium:
- Uvularia perfoliata
- Uvularia grandiflora

Identification resources:
Southeastern Flora:
- Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata)
- Largeflower Bellwort (Uvularia grandiflora)
Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:
- Uvularia perfoliata
- Uvularia grandiflora

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower - Wildflower Index