Wildflower Trip Part One

Here is a story that I have not yet had time to tell.  In May I went to visit a wonderful road for viewing wildflowers with my friend, Kitty and our husbands.  

Rough avens (Geum Lacintatum Murr.)

Some of the plants I am familiar with but others I have seen but have never learned the names.  I've worked pretty hard to identify them for you but if you disagree, please let me know and I'll check again.  While not a fun, pretty book, the best book for plant identification in my area is Flora of West Virginia by P.D. Strausbaugh and Earl L. Core. It is very scholarly, full of latin and scientific words, only line drawings and very precise in its description of plants with all the variations. Flora of West Virginia is 1079 pages, counting the index and large glossary so this definitely is not a pocket field guide.  It is one you should have in the trunk to make sure of your identification if there is any question. (By-the-way, it's available at my Amazon Store at the top of the page.  I try to put any books I talk about up there. Some are just books I like.)
Below is a probably a Jacob's ladder (Polemonium vanbruniae) Though its sighting almost always produces an argument of Jacob's ladder vs Greek valerian.   Both are in the Phlox family and are very similar. Greek valerian (Polemonium reptans) may have fewer leaflets  but the numbers overlap a lot.  In Jacob's Ladder the stamens protrude below the flower as can be seen in the flower at the top right of the photo below.  Other marks made me think it might be a Greek valerian since it doesn't have as many leaflets as some plants.  I really don't know for sure but I am going with Jacob's ladder for now.  One year I went with a group of experienced wildflower people who all had field guides and Flora of West Virginia.  We never reached a consensus after spending 1/2 hour with this one plant alone.  Feel free to add your own identification theory. 

Polemonium - either vanbruniae or reptans 

This white one below is Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa)

Right beside it was this Large-flowered trillium. (Trillium grandiflorum) While the petals are bright white when it first blooms,

they fade to a lavender-gray or pink as the bloom matures

Mixed in with them all were Painted trilliums (Trillium undulatum) in the photo below.  Notice the Jacob's ladder or Greek valerian around it. Trilliums are in the Lily family.  All have 3 leaves on the plant and 3 showy petals on the flower.  Though they usually bloom early, before the overhead canopy is too thick, the flowers petals take a long time to fall off and the leaves persist well into summer storing valuable energy for next spring's show.

All these plants were within a 20-25 foot area along the road. Kitty and I didn't even have to get our shoes dirty to find them though John's shoe did get pretty muddy when he sacrificed it to a wet ditch in order to check out a plant a little more closely.

I'll have several more days to show you this fruitful wildflower trip so come back tomorrow. 

Many of the flowers we found during this spring's wildflower trip needed work to identify. That is when we turned to our group expert, Susan.  

Cutleaf toothwart (Dentaria laciniata)

Besides her experience, Susan also carried with her a couple great identification books. As soon as a debate started over identification such as Sweet william vs Wild phlox, we called for Susan. If she didn't know she opened her excellent guide book, Newcomb's Wildflower Guide  It was then that the serious questions were asked:

• How many petals?
• What color?
• Were the leaves arranged opposite or alternate along the stem?
• Were the leaves cut or smooth?

If her regular guide books didn't work she could pull out her Flora of West Virginia by P.D. Strausbaugh and E.L. Core.  While we weren't in WV, the expansive book included any plant which might be found on the Ohio side of the river.  Flora of West Virginia

We learned that there is a difference between the phlox and sweet william,  I don't remember what that was, but the plant shown above was agreed to be a phlox.  (Okay, I didn't learn which phlox or how to tell the differences - only one step at a time.)

This is one view you were likely to see had you driven past us.

Though we were just as likely to be hovered around Susan as she check out basil leaves.  

Last year she taught me to recognize Pussy toes Pussy Toes & Cat's Feet.  I actually remembered this year when they appeared along a bank.

Like other members of the group, Susan patiently shared her experience and knowledge with this slow-witted novice and I thank her.

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