Pollen Project: Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon's Seal)

Last fall, I set up a microscope to photograph spores for identifying fungi. However, with the dry weather we’ve been having, I’ve only seen a few mushrooms. So, in the relative absence of mushrooms, I decided to photograph pollen from wildflowers. The first in the series is… 

Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s Seal)

 

Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s Seal) Pollen

Reference:

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Polygonatum biflorum

Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, September 14th, 2015 (Part 2)

September 14th. (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 This is a rewarding walk for viewing wildflowers and I’ve been walking it every week and documenting the wildflowers that I see.

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

The spring wildflowers have finished blooming; it’s time to watch the developing fruit. Summer wildflowers were still blooming but it was time to turn attention to the fungi in the woods. The fall mushroom season had begun as well.

In the sunny location under the power lines, several Virginia Meadowbeaury (Rhexia virginica) plants were still blooming. These had been blooming for some time.

The Strawberry Bush (Euonymus americanus), whose leaves had turned red, was still dominating the area.

The berries on the Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum), that had been black for a couple of weeks, were still hanging on the plants.

I was surprised to see some ‘Honeycomb’ Coral Slime (Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. porioides) fruiting bodies on a rotting log by the first bridge. I’d seen them here before but didn’t expect to see them again until next year.

Just over the first bridge, I found more Turkey Tails (Trametes versicolor) growing on a log by the lake shore. In contrast to the Turkey Tails on the log in the open woods, which were shades of gray, these were shades of brown.

Their white undersides, with pores, confirmed that they were Turkey Tails.

The seed capsules were still developing on the Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata); these take a long time to ripen.

The fruit on the Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus), completely ripe a couple of weeks previously, was still attached to the bush. 

Nearby, I found a fallen branch with a lichen with fruiting bodies. This lichen was the Perforated Ruffle Lichen (Parmotrema perforatum) because of the holes in the bottom of the fruiting bodies.

The seed capsules and flower buds on the witchhazel (Hamamelis sp.) were still unchanged. 

When I reached the bridge to the Fishing Area, I found another young Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachomys scripta scripta) sunning itself on a floating log – or maybe it was the same slider that I’d seen on several occasions. 

The fruits on the Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) were still unchanged from the previous week. It was easy to see which flowers had been fertilized; their fruits were quite swollen compared with those that hadn’t been fertilized.

To the right of the Buttonbush, a Narrowleaf Silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) plant was blooming. This was the only place that I saw this species on either of the trails I’d been walking.

My final find, before I walked on to the ‘Rock Garden,’ was a patch of Dog Vomit/Scrambled Egg slime mold (Fuligo septica) fruiting body. This patch was orange-brown compared with the light yellow patches that I had seen previously. 

(To be continued…) 

References: 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Rhexia virginica 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Euonymus americanus 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) 

University of Guelph: Ceratiomyxa fruticulosa var. porioides 

Mushroom Expert. Kuo, M. (2005 March). Trametes versicolor. The turkey tail. 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Pipsissewa (Chimaphila maculata) 

Mushroom Expert. Kuo, M. (2008, December). Stereum ostrea 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Eastern Sweetshrub (Calycanthus floridus) 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Rhododendron canescens 

Consortium of North American Lichen Herbaria: Parmotrema perforatum 

Savannah River Ecology Laboratory: Yellow-bellied Slider (Trachemys scripta) 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis) 

Native and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Pityopsis graminifolia 

Messiah College: Fuligo septica 

Related posts: 

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, September 14th, 2015 (Part 1) 

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, September 9th, 2015 (Part 4)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 31st, 2015 (Part 3)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 31st, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, September 9th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 31st, 2015 (Part 3)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 31st, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 31st, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 25th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 25th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 18th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 18th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 10th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 10th, 2015 (Part 2) 

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 10th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 3rd, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, August 3rd, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 27th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 27th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 20th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 20th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 13th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 13th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 6th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, July 6th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort,June 29th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort,June 29th, 2015 (Part 1) 

- Orange Sponge Polypore (Pycnoporellus alboluteus)? 

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 22nd, 2015 (Part 2) 

- Summer At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 22nd, 2015 (Part 1)  

- Black Chanterelle (Craterellus cornucopioides)  

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 15th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 15th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 8th, 2015 (Part 2)

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The OldFort, June 8th, 2015 (Part 1)

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, June 3rd, 2015 

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

- Spring Walk At Fort Yargo State Park: Shelter A To The Old Fort, 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)

Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)

Polygonatum biflorum is known by the Solomon's Seal or Smooth Solomon's Seal. At Fort Yargo State Park, I first saw it blooming along the Rock Garden trail (segment 12) and above the cliff south (segment 13) of the Fishing Area in late April. I’ve since found it fruiting along segment 3. This was the first time I had ever seen Solomon’s Seal. There’s nothing quite like stumbling across a plant legend when it’s the last plant you expect to see.

The first flowering plant I saw. They'd be easy to miss if you didn't look at just the right angle at the right time.

Buds. A closer view. The characteristic striation on the leaves is visible also.

An open bloom.

The bloom from below.

Fruit; about six weeks later, in mid-June.

Polygonatum biflorum (Solomon’s Seal) is native to the eastern United States and Canada and grows in most states east of the Rocky Mountains with the exception of Newfoundland and the Canadian maritime provinces.
Click on an image to view a larger image

Distribution Map:
- United States Department of Agriculture Plants Database: Polygonatum biflorum (Smooth Solomon's Seal)
- University of North Carolina Herbarium: Polygonatum biflorum

Identification resources:
- Southeastern Flora: Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum)
- Natural and Naturalized Plants of the Carolinas and Georgia: Polygonatum biflorum
- Missouri Plants: Polygonatum biflorum

Related posts:
- 2010: Year Of The Wildflower