Wildflowers at Boggs Creek Recreation Area: Take Two (Part 1)

April 13th, 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. Particularly, a couple of developing wildflowers – a trillium and a plant with fern-like leaves – had piqued our interest and we wanted to identify them.

 

Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy)

We started in the area where we had found Little Sweet Betsy trilliums (Trillium cuneatum) on our previous visit. These flowers were still present.

Unidentified trillium

At first glance, we couldn’t see any buds on these plants,

Still none visible. We were a little disappointed since we’d seen buds on several plants, but then…

looking closer, evidence of a flower stalk.

Up close. The flowers on this one hang below the leaves.

We did find one plant with the bud still above the leaves, but

Most buds had dropped below the leaves. Now the question would be… ‘What color is the flower’. A white flower would be the Illscented Wakerobin (Trillium rugelii) and a maroon flower would be the Sweet Wakerobin (Trillium vaseyi). Which would it be?

  

As we wandered further around this area, we found yet a third trillium…

Trillium catesbaei (Catesby's Trillium, Rosy Wake-robin, Bashful Trillium, Rose Trillium)

These plants were scattered a little further away from the Little Sweet Betsy and the unidentified trillium plants. A few had set buds and some were beginning to open.

A couple of plants…

with buds, and…

and beginning to open.

Violas

The area was carpeted with violas… purple and white violas

A purple viola, probably Viola soraria (Dooryard Violet, Common Wild Violet,Common Blue Violet, Confederate Violet), and   

A white viola, probably the Sweet White Violet (Viola blanda) 

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

White Baneberry plants were scattered in the shade under the pine trees. Buds were developing or…

Just beginning to open.

Ophioglossum vulgatum (Southern Adderstongue, SouthernAdder’s-tongue)

This was a most unexpected find and I was fortunate to see them since they were in a very shady area.

 

A convocation of three ferns in a semicircle in front of a rock.

A closer view, and a

Close up of an individual plant.

Then we crossed to the other side of the road where we had seen the Viola hastata plants in bloom during our initial visit…

Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification Resources:

Southeastern Flora

- Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy)

- Trillium catesbaei (Bashful Wakerobin)

- Viola soraria (Common Blue Violet)

- Viola blanda (Sweet White Violet)

- Actaea pachypoda (Baneberry)

Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:

- Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy, Purple Toadshade, Whippoorwill Flower)

- Trillium catesbaei (Catesby's Trillium, Rosy Wake-robin, Bashful Trillium, Rose Trillium)

- Viola soraria (Dooryard Violet, Common Wild Violet, Common Blue Violet,Confederate Violet)

- Viola blanda (Sweet White Violet)

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

- Ophioglossum vulgatum (Southern Adder’s-tongue)

Distribution:

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:

- Trillium cuneatum (Little Sweet Betsy)

- Trillium catesbaei (Bashful Wakerobin)

- Viola soraria (Common Blue Violet)

- Viola blanda (Sweet White Violet)

- Actaea pachypoda (White Baneberry) 

- Ophioglossum vulgatum (Southern Adderstongue)

  

Related post:

- Early Spring WildflowersAt Boggs Creek Recreation Area