Black Rock Mountain Wildflower Hotspot

September 15th, 2012. We stopped by the spot on the highway through Black Rock Mountain State Park in Rabun County, Georgia, where we had found Parnassia asarifolia, the Kidney-leaved Grass of Parnassus, last year. We found them growing in a shaded seep/ditch on North Germany Mountain Road.

Last year, the road side mowers had left a swath of vegetation beside the seep that made it easy to sit and photograph the flowers. Unfortunately, this year the mowers had cut much closer to the edge of the ditch. The plants were blooming in the ditch itself. It turned out that this is a hotspot for some interesting wildflowers.

Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed)

There were just a few plants. They weren’t thriving, probably because the area was shaded most of the day.

Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset)

Just a couple of plants. Again, they would probably have preferred more sunlight.

Flowers

Leaf

A lone Pennsylvania Soldier Beetle (Chauliognathus pensylvanicus) enjoying a morning snack on the Common Boneset

Rudbeckia lacinata (Blue Ridge Cutleaf Coneflower)

Flower

Leaf

Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead)

Chelone cuthbertii (Cuthbert's Turtlehead)

Originally I thought this might be Chelone lyonii (Pink Turtlehead) but have re-evaluated the photos and believe this is Chelone cuthbertii (Cuthbert's Turtlehead) which is documented to occur in north Georgia counties. 

This plant was growing on the far side of the ditch. I used snake tongs to grab the stem and gently pull it back over to where I was standing to photograph the flowers up close.

This is an interesting one-stop shopping spot for several unusual wildflowers.

Click on an image to view a larger image

Identification resources:

Southestern Flora

- Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed) 

- Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead)

- Chelone lyonii (Pink Turtlehead)

Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia:

- Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset)

- Rudbeckia laciniata (Blue Ridge Cutleaf Coneflower)

Alan Cressler  Chelone cuthbertii

Missouri Plants: Rudbeckia lacinata 

J Pippen, Duke University: Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset)

 

Distribution:

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database:

- Impatiens capensis (Jewelweed)

- Eupatorium perfoliatum (Common Boneset) 

- Rudbeckia lacinata (Cutleaf Coneflower)

- Chelone glabra (White Turtlehead)

- Chelone cuthbertii (Cuthbert’s Turtlehead)

Related posts:

Kidney-leaf Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia)

Kidney-leaf Grass Of Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia)

September 15th, 2012. We stopped by the spot on the highway through Black Rock Mountain State Park in Rabun County, Georgia, where we had found Parnassia asarifolia, the Kidney-leaved Grass of Parnassus, last year. We found them growing in a shaded seep/ditch on North Germany Mountain Road.

Last year, the road side mowers had left a swath of vegetation beside the seep that made it easy to sit and photograph the flowers. Unfortunately, this year the mowers had cut much closer to the edge of the ditch. The plants were blooming in the ditch itself.

A few of the flowers. The light green spots below the open blooms are buds

One of the buds beginning to open

The stamens of these flowers don’t develop at the same time. When the flower opens, the stamen are immature and lying against the ovary. In these photos, only one or two stamen have matured and opened away from the ovary; others are still aligned against the ovary with the immature anthers visible as a cream or light brown ovoid disks in the center of the flower. The circle of golden yellow spots are parts of sterile stamen-like organs (staminoids) that are thought to attract insects to the flower. There are five stamenoids; each has three ‘branches’ topped by the yellow structure.

A recently opened flower. The stamen are still immature and cream; one anther is starting to darken and will soon open out away from the center to release pollen

One of the anthers has matured and opened away from the center of the flower. Another anther is maturing and is just a little distance from the center. The remaining anthers are still immature (cream) or are starting to mature (light brown)

Two anthers have matured and opened away from the center. One anther is maturing, ready to open out, and two anthers are still immature (cream)

See an extensive set of photographs of these flowers here

 

Parnassia asarifolia is one of two species of Parnassia that grow in north Georgia; the other species is Parnassia grandiflora (Bigleaf Grass-of-Parnassus or Limeseep Parnassia). Parnassia asarifolia is known by the common names Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus, Kidney-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus and Brook Parnassia.

Parnassia asarifolia is native to the United States and may be found in seeps from Virginia to Texas with the exception of Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In Georgia, it has been reported from several counties in the Piedmont.

Click on an image to view a larger image

 

Identification resources:

Wildflowers of the Southeastern U. S.: Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia) 

North Carolina Native Plant Society: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidney-leavedGrass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus, Brook Parnassia)

North Carolina State University: Parnassia asarifolia (Grass-of-parnassus,Kidney-leaf grass-of-parnassus)

Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus, BrookParnassia)

  

Distribution:

United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)

University of North Carolina Herbarium: Parnassia asarifolia

Related post:

- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)

Parnassia asarifolia And Friend

It isn’t surprising to find crab spiders lurking on flower petals in wait of a meal. So I shouldn’t have been surprised at finding one on a Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf of Parnassus) petal. But I was – a little. Instead of one of the Goldenrod Crab Spiders (Misumena vatia) or Whitebanded Crab Spiders (Misumenoides formosipes), it was a small brown crab spider.

Here it is. On the top petal.

A little closer. It didn’t scamper to the underside of the petal as most do, but turned to face me.

An even closer view. Looks like it’s had some luck – and left the remains on the petal. Quite a messy eater.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Related posts:
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia: Wildflowers
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)

Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)

Continued from here...

September 30 – October 1, 2011. We went up to Black Rock Mountain State Park in Rabun County, Georgia, to look for Parnassia asarifolia, the Kidney-leaved Grass of Parnassus, one of the many, many flowers on my bucket list. Parnassia asarifolia is one of two species of Parnassia that grow in north Georgia; the other species is Parnassia grandiflora (Bigleaf Grass-of-Parnassus or Limeseep Parnassia). Parnassia asarifolia is known by the common names Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus, Kidney-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus and Brook Parnassia. One reference to this species on the web indicated that it might be found in wet areas in Black Rock Mountain State Park including along the West Fork of the James Edmonds Trail. When we saw the terrain in the park, it was obvious that we wouldn’t be able to hike the trail to find it.

But then, as we drove along North Germany Road, we rounded a corner and found them growing in the shade on the south side of the road. We drove further west along the road and found…

… a few plants in a ditch on the north side of the road where they caught the late afternoon sun. The ditch was too deep to be able to climb down to take more photographs so we returned to the first location to photograph. The following photos were taken late afternoon on September 30th or the morning of October 1st, 2011; most were taken using artificial light since the flowers were growing in full shade.

Plants were flowering along the ditch which had water running through it.

A closer view of the plants growing along the ditch.

Some of the flowers along this ditch

We couldn’t see the leaves at the base of the plant. This clasping leaf grew near the base of the flowering stem.

The sepals

We found these plants late in the blooming season. Most flowers were past their best and we didn’t find any buds. I had to study several photos before I figured out what I was seeing…

*****

Two views of the same flower. The stamens don’t develop at the same time. When the flower opens, the stamen are lying against the ovary. In these photos, only one stamen has developed and is still aligned against the ovary with the immature anther visible as a light brown structure to the center of the flower. The ovoid disks are immature anthers. The circle of golden yellow spots are parts of sterile stamen-like organs (staminoids) that are thought to attract insects to the flower. There are five stamenoids; each has three ‘branches’ topped by a yellow structure.

*****

Two views of the same flower. In this photo, two stamen have matured. One stamen has opened away from the ovary, a second has matured but is still aligned against the ovary, and three immature disks are still visible.

*****

Two views of the same flower. In this photo, all stamen have matured; four have opened away from the ovary and the fifth is still aligned by the ovary. In the upper photo, the stamenoids are clearly visible and show the branching from a single base to the three gold structures.

In this photo, four stamen have lost their anthers; only one remains intact. The glossy texture of the gold structures on the stamenoids is apparent. The stigma is just visible at the tip of the ovary. A developing seedpod is visible in the background.

In this photo, three stamen have lost their anthers; two remain intact. The stigma is visible at the tip of the ovary. This flower has been fertilized that the ovary has enlarged and is turning green as it develops into a seed pod.

A developing seed pod. The aged stigma is clearly visible at the tip of the ovary. The filaments of the stamen and the stamenoid structures are still attached. A couple of petals hang from the stem.

Although we didn’t see all the phases of this plants blooming, it did yield a lot of its secrets. Obviously we’ll have to return earlier next year to see the complete cycle.

Parnassia asarifolia is native to the United States and may be found in seeps from Virginia to Texas with the exception of Florida, Mississippi, and Louisiana. In Georgia, it has been reported from several counties in the Piedmont.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Parnassia asarifolia

Identification resources:
- Wildflowers of the Southeastern U. S.: Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia asarifolia)
- North Carolina Native Plant Society: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidney-leaved Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus, Brook Parnassia)
- North Carolina State University: Parnassia asarifolia (Grass-of-parnassus, Kidney-leaf grass-of-parnassus)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Parnassia asarifolia (Kidneyleaf Grass-of-Parnassus, Appalachian Grass-of-Parnassus, Brook Parnassia)

Related posts:
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia: Wildflowers

Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia: Wildflowers

Continued from...

September 30 – October 1, 2011. We went up to Black Rock Mountain State Park in Rabun County, Georgia, to look for Parnassia asarifolia, the Kidney-leaved Grass of Parnassus, one of the many, many flowers on my bucket list. While we were looking for ‘The Grass.’ We found a lot of wildflowers. Since many of these are new to me, I’m making by best guess at their identities. Any corrections will be gratefully received.

Our best wildflower viewing was along North Germany Road. Many were growing along the verge of the road – where the mowers had missed spots; others were growing on the north-facing embankments along the road.

Ageratina altissima

Close up of the flowers

The first lobelia we saw. I think it’s Lobelia puberula (Downy Lobelia). It was a short plant compared with…

...the second lobelia we saw which was much taller and striking in that the flowers were in a cluster at the top of the stem. I’m not sure which species this is.

*****

This is a Polygala species – Polygala curtissii (Curtiss' Milkwort) or Polygala sanguinea (Purple Milkwort). I believe it’s Polygala curtissii.

Asters were growing everywhere. This is one of the larger Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) plants we saw.

*****

This isn’t a flower. It’s Lycopodium digitatum (Fan Cluboss) also known as Ground Pine or Running Cedar. We found individual plants in several locations and a couple of large. This was the larger of two areas where we found the moss starting to fruit.

One of the most unusual finds. I’ve never seen a gentian before. I believe this is Gentiana austromontana, the Appalachian Gentian. We found a small patch on a north-facing embankment along the road.

A Phlox species; I'm not sure which species this is. Almost finished blooming for the year.

Another Aster. Symphyotrichum cordifolium (Common Blue Wood Aster).

Oxypolis rigidior (Stiff Cowbane) almost went unnoticed.

*****

Prenanthes altimissa (Tall Rattlesnake-root)

Prenanthes altissima (Tall Rattlesnake-root) seemed to grow everywhere and was an unexpected find. It’s more delicate than…

Preanthes serpentaria (Cankerweed)

… its lowland sibling, Prenanthes serpentaria (Cankerweed)

Polygonum caespitosum (Bristled Knotweed)

Could this be Bidens pilosa (Hairy Beggarticks)? Just a few very small flowers growing with the Bristled Knotweed.

Trifolium pratense (Red Clover). We found just a few plants. This is one of my favorite Trifolium species with its delicate pink color and deeper pink veining.

We saw the occasional Leucanthemum vulgare (Ox-eye Daisy) flowers making their last stand for the year and some Chelone lyonii (Pink Turtlehead) too inaccessible to photograph. All in all, a great haul for an area that didn’t seem to promise too much at first glance.

And next, to the main reason for our visit: Parnassia asarifolia, the Kidneyleaf Grass of Parnassus…
Click on an image to view a larger image

Information:
- Black Rock Mountain State Park: download a park map here

Related posts:
- Black Rock Mountain State Park, Rabun County, Georgia