Devil’s Urn (Urnula craterium) At Stalking Head Creek

March 10th - April 21st, 2012. We returned to the Piedmont NWR to check on plants we saw on March 10th and took the same route as on our last trip. We took Starr Road from GA-83 south on through the Oconee National Forest into the NWR. We drove through Tribble Fields to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then north to Pond 2A. We returned the way we’d come and then took the first road on the right down to the Round Oak – Juliette Rd, drove east and then back into the NWR on the first road on the left. From there we drove north to the intersection with Sugar Hill Road, turned west and forded Stalking Head Creek. We then drove north and took the first road on the right to ford Stalking Head Creek again, east past a small pond and southeast to meet Sugar Hill Road again and then east to GA-11.

On March 10th, as we made our way over to the Mayapple patch, we found a cluster of Devil’s Urn or Black Tulip fungus (Urnaria craterium). These were young fungi and took a little effort to identify because the photographs in our reference books were older and looked different from those we had seen.

Young fungi, looking from above.

From the side.

We arrived at Stalking Head Creek on March 24th . to photograph Mayapple flowers along the ledge above Stalking Head Creek. We made our way back to the truck by walking along the ledge against the hill. As we walked back up the slope to the road, we stumbled on another patch of Devil’s Urn. There included a few young fungi but also older fungi that resembled the photos in identification manuals.

A cluster of young fungi.

A single fungus

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A cluster of older fungi. The cup to the right is the youngest of the cluster

On April 21st, we found them again as we returned to the car after photographing developing Mayapple fruit.

Old fungi. These have almost dried up now.

I’m sure we’ll return in search of these fungi in future years – and look for them in other areas. The only stage we haven’t seen yet is the unopened fungus.
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Identification resources:
- 
Jim Conrad, Backyard Nature: Devil's Urn (Urnula craterium)
- Encyclopedia of Science: Fungi - Ascomycota

Related Posts:
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Late Winter Surprises (Part 5)
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
- Jasper County, Georgia: Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Jasper County, Georgia: New Life – Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) & Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
- Piedmont NWR: Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida)
- Piedmont NWR: Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)
- Piedmont NWR: A Wildflower Miscellany
- Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
- Mushrooms At Stalking Head Creek
- Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) At Stalking Head Creek

Mayapples At Stalking Head Creek

March 24th & April 21st, 2012. We returned to the Piedmont NWR to check on plants we saw on March 10th and took the same route as on our last trip. We took Starr Road from GA-83 south on through the Oconee National Forest into the NWR. We drove through Tribble Fields to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then north to Pond 2A. We returned the way we’d come and then took the first road on the right down to the Round Oak – Juliette Rd, drove east and then back into the NWR on the first road on the left. From there we drove north to the intersection with Sugar Hill Road, turned west and forded Stalking Head Creek. We then drove north and took the first road on the right to ford Stalking Head Creek again, east past a small pond and southeast to meet Sugar Hill Road again and then east to GA-11.


After photographing wildflowers at Allison Creek, we went on over to the ford at Stalking Head Creek to photograph the Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) again. Unfortunately, the patch we had photographed on our previous visit had been destroyed when this section of the NWR was burned. We made our way along the ledge to the patch that we had seen from the road above.

It was late afternoon when we arrived at Stalking Head Creek on March 24th. Although there is a hill to the west of the ledge, the sun was high enough, that the plants were lighted by filtered sunlight that reached the blooms. I didn’t have to use artificial light to photograph these flowers, unlike those I photographed at Rock And Shoals Natural Area near Athens. I used artificial light to enhance the features of the flowers in one of the photographs.

A few of the plants at the edge of the patch on the ledge above Stalking Head Creek

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Closer views of one of the plants in bloom

Moving in to an individual bloom

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Close ups of a bloom in natural sunlight

A close up of the bloom in artificial light

This bloom has lost its leaves. The ovary appears to be swelling. Mayapples require cross-fertilization to produce fruit. Time would tell if a fruit develops.

We returned late yesterday afternoon, April 21st, to see if fruit are developing. It was cloudy and the light level was very low.

A photograph of the Mayapple patch. Developing fruit are visible as light, ovoid shapes under the leaves. Four fruit are visible; only two are obvious.

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A closer view of one of the plants.

A developing fruit

The pattern of the remains of the stigma on the end of the fruit has an interesting pattern.

Interestingly, Podophyllum peltatum hasn’t been documented in either Greene nor Jones counties where we’ve photographed them. No doubt, we’ll be returning here to follow the development of these fruit.
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Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Podophyllum peltatum (May Apple)
- Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Podophyllum peltatum (May-apple, American Mandrake)
- Missouri Plants: Podophyllum peltatum

Distribution:
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Podophyllum peltatum
- USDA Plants Database: Podophyllum peltatum (Mayapple)

Related Posts:
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Late Winter Surprises (Part 4)
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
- Jasper County, Georgia: Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Jasper County, Georgia: New Life – Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) & Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
- Piedmont NWR: Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida)
- Piedmont NWR: Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)
- Piedmont NWR: A Wildflower Miscellany
- Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
- Mushrooms At Stalking Head Creek

Mushrooms At Stalking Head Creek

March 24th, 2012. We returned to the Piedmont NWR to check on plants we saw on March 10th and took the same route as on our last trip. We took Starr Road from GA-83 south on through the Oconee National Forest into the NWR. We drove through Tribble Fields to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then north to Pond 2A. We returned the way we’d come and then took the first road on the right down to the Round Oak – Juliette Rd, drove east and then back into the NWR on the first road on the left. From there we drove north to the intersection with Sugar Hill Road, turned west and forded Stalking Head Creek. We then drove north and took the first road on the right to ford Stalking Head Creek again, east past a small pond and southeast to meet Sugar Hill Road again and then east to GA-11.

After photographing wildflowers at Allison Creek, we went on over to the ford at Stalking Head Creek to photograph the Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) again. Unfortunately, the patch we had photographed on our previous visit had been destroyed when this section of the NWR was burned. We decided to see if we could make our way over to a large patch of plants we had seen on the ledge above the creek. On our way over, we encountered some mushrooms.

A cluster of mushrooms on a rotting stump covered with moss.

And then, the Mayapples…
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Related Posts:
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
- Jasper County, Georgia: Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Jasper County, Georgia: New Life – Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) & Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
- Piedmont NWR: Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida)
- Piedmont NWR: Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)
- Piedmont NWR: A Wildflower Miscellany
- Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)
- Spring Wildflowers At Stalking Head Creek

Spring Wildflowers At Stalking Head Creek

March 24th, 2012. We returned to the Piedmont NWR to check on plants we saw on March 10th and took the same route as on our last trip. We took Starr Road from GA-83 south on through the Oconee National Forest into the NWR. We drove through Tribble Fields to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then north to Pond 2A. We returned the way we’d come and then took the first road on the right down to the Round Oak – Juliette Rd, drove east and then back into the NWR on the first road on the left. From there we drove north to the intersection with Sugar Hill Road, turned west and forded Stalking Head Creek. We then drove north and took the first road on the right to ford Stalking Head Creek again, east past a small pond and southeast to meet Sugar Hill Road again and then east to GA-11.


After photographing wildflowers at Allison Creek, we went on over to the ford at Stalking Head Creek to photograph the Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) again. Unfortunately, the plants we had photographed on our previous visit had been destroyed when this section of the NWR was burned. We decided to see if we could make our way over to a large patch of plants we had seen on the ledge above the creek. On our way over, we encountered a number of interesting plants – some old friends and a new one.

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Sanicula smallii (Small's Blacksnakeroot). It would have been easy to miss this plant. The blooms are small and unimposing. This is the first time I’ve seen Small’s Blackroot although I’ve seen Canada Blacksnakeroot (Sanicula canadensis) at Fort Yargo State Park.

Sanicula smalli is one of four Sanicula species that have been documented in Georgia. This species is native to the United States where it grows from the Great Lakes states to Texas. In Georgia, it has been documented in several counties but not in Jones County.

Trillium cuneatum (Little sweet Betsy). We found plants distributed throughout the ledge above the creek.
Some were blooming.

A closer view

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Another plant, and

one with its petals open to show the anthers and stigma inside.

A four-leaf trillium. I found this plant while I was lying on the ground photographing Mayapple blooms. It’ll be fun to come back in the future to see if this plant survives and blooms. Will the bloom be different from those on the three-leaved plants

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Thalictrum thalictroides (Rue Anemone). We found a few plants in the shade near the Mayapple patch.

And then the Mayapples…
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Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Sanicula smallii (Small's Blacksnakeroot)
- Name that plant: Sanicula smallii (Snakeroot, Small's Sanicle, Southern Sanicle)
- Missouri Plants: Sanicula smallii

Distribution:
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Sanicula smallii
- USDA Plants Database: Sanicula smallii (Small's Blacksnakeroot)

Related Posts
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Late Winter Surprises (Part 4)
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
- Jasper County, Georgia: Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Jasper County, Georgia: New Life – Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) & Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
- Piedmont NWR: Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida)
- Piedmont NWR: Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)
- Piedmont NWR: A Wildflower Miscellany
- Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

Fowler’s Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

March 24th, 2012. We returned to the Piedmont NWR to check on plants we saw on March 10th and took the same route as on our last trip. We took Starr Road from GA-83 south on through the Oconee National Forest into the NWR. We drove through Tribble Fields to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then north to Pond 2A. We returned the way we’d come and then took the first road on the right down to the Round Oak – Juliette Rd, drove east and then back into the NWR on the first road on the left. From there we drove north to the intersection with Sugar Hill Road, turned west and forded Stalking Head Creek. We then drove north and took the first road on the right to ford Stalking Head Creek again, east past a small pond and southeast to meet Sugar Hill Road again and then east to GA-11.

While I was wandering around photographing wildflowers, W wandered across the road. After a few minutes he called, ‘You might want to see this.’ I went over to where he was staring into the plants looking for something. ‘It’s either a mouse or a frog.’ We both started searching. It was a frog, or rather, a toad. It had taken cover in the shadows under the plants so we started herding it out into the open. Now, herding frogs/toads is like herding cats. They don’t cooperate but we were lucky.

Anaxyrus fowleri (Fowler’s Toad). It moved out into the open although it still blended into the leafy background.

A closer view.

It didn’t really care for all the attention and hopped off. We corralled it a few feet away. It thought it was escaping by backing down into an opening. Unfortunately for it, the opening was a shallow hole.

Here it’s sitting in the hole.

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W picked it up and we were able to take some close ups. It was very patient with us although it does appear to have a slightly disinterested, if not disgruntled, look. After W held it for me to photograph, I held it for him and then we released it back into the weeds. (Since toads may release bufotoxin from the parotid glands, we did make sure to wash our hands after handling it.)

W identified it as a Fowler’s Toad – as opposed to the American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) or the Southern Toad (Anaxyrus terrestris) - based on the location of the parotid glands against the postorbital ridge and the fact that there were three or more warts in the larger dark-pigmented spots. A forth toad, the Oak Toad (Anaxyrus quercicus) occurs in Georgia but is much smaller.

According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), the North American toads have been moved from the genus Bufo to the genus Anaxyrus.
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Identification resources:
- WW Knapp, Frogs and Toads of Georgia: Fowler’s Toad (Bufo fowleri)
- Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS): Fowler's Toad (Anaxyrus fowleri)

Related Posts
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
- Jasper County, Georgia: Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Jasper County, Georgia: New Life – Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) & Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
- Piedmont NWR: Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida)
- Piedmont NWR: Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)
- Piedmont NWR: A Wildflower Miscellany

Piedmont NWR: A Wildflower Miscellany

March 24th, 2012. We returned to the Piedmont NWR to check on plants we saw on March 10th and took the same route as on our last trip. We took Starr Road from GA-83 south on through the Oconee National Forest into the NWR. We drove through Tribble Fields to the bridge over Little Falling Creek and then north to Pond 2A. We returned the way we’d come and then took the first road on the right down to the Round Oak – Juliette Rd, drove east and then back into the NWR on the first road on the left. From there we drove north to the intersection with Sugar Hill Road, turned west and forded Stalking Head Creek. We then drove north and took the first road on the right to ford Stalking Head Creek again, east past a small pond and southeast to meet Sugar Hill Road again and then east to GA-11.


We made our way from the bridge at Little Falling Creek down to the Round Oak – Juliette Road and back up to Allison Creek.

Rhododendron canescens (Mountain Azalea, Piedmont Azalea, Southern Pinxterbloom Azalea). On the way down to the Round Oak – Juliette Road, we spotted a rhododendron bush setting back from the road but it was the only one we’d seen here. I walked over to take a closer look.

A bloom up close. This was the only bloom that was still intact; most had fallen apart. In spite of the fact that most blooms had fallen apart, the fragrance was almost overwhelming.

At Allison Creek, we found a number of wildflowers blooming.

Sisyrinchium mucronatum (Needle-tip blue-eyed-grass). This is one of my favorite wildflowers. Just a few were blooming.

Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy, Purple Toadshade). We’d seen a number of plants in the woods here on our previous visit and hoped that many would bloom. However, only a few had blooms.

A close-up view.

In the woods, we were surprised to find a tell-tale leaves and vine of a Matelea species. So far we’ve only seen Matelea gonocarpa blooming in the Piedmont NWR. It will be interesting to see if this is M. gonocarpa or another species.

Oxalis rubra (Purple Woodsorrel). One of the prettier woodsorrels.

Oxalis violacea (Violet woodsorrel). At least, I think it is. I’ve never seen it bloom.

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Myosotis macrosperma (Largeseeded Forget-me-not). The flowers and leaves. This is the first time I’ve seen this wildflower. This wildflower is native to North America and grows from Ontario, Canada to Texas. In Georgia, it’s been documented in several counties, not including Jones County.

Chaerophyllum procumbens (Spreading chervil) was growing along the grass verge.

Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium). As we drove away from Allison Creek, we found wild geraniums blooming along the edge of the woods above the creek.

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Close up views of the leaves and bloom

The area around this Allison Creek ford continues to be an interesting area for wildflowers. I’m sure we’ll be back.
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Identification resources:
Southeastern Flora:
- Rhododendron canescens (Mountain Azalea)
- Sisyrinchium mucronatum (Needle-tip blue-eyed-grass)
- Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy)
- Myosotis macrosperma (Largeseeded Forget-me-not)
- Oxalis rubra (Purple woodsorrel)
- Oxalis violacea (Violet Wood-sorrel)
- Geranium maculatum (Wild Geranium)
Missouri Plants:
- Chaerophyllum procumbens (Spreading chervil)

Related Posts:
- Piedmont National Wildlife Refuge: Atamasco Lily (Zephyranthes atamasco)
- Jasper County, Georgia: Red-banded Hairstreak (Calycopis cecrops)
- Jasper County, Georgia: New Life – Bracken Fern (Pteridium aquilinum) & Green-and-gold (Chrysogonum virginianum)
- Piedmont NWR: Flowering Dogwoods (Cornus florida)
- Piedmont NWR: Bulbous Bittercress (Cardamine bulbosa)