This annual plant goes by many names, but jewelweed or spotted touch-me-not seem most appropriate. Dew often gathers in glistening drops on the flowers, and it produces long seed capsules that split and propel the seeds when touched. Jewelweed likes it moist and is at home in woods and on streambanks. The flowers are frequently […]
Archive for the ‘Plant bio’ Category
Impatiens capensis (jewelweed)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on July 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Phytolacca americana (pokeweed)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Interesting, Plant bio, Recipe, Tips on July 7, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Phytolacca americana is a tall fast-growing perennial, native to the eastern US. Currently pokeweed is starting to show greenish-white flowers, and in late summer and fall the plant will produce dark red berries that grow even darker over time. The juice of the berries was once used as an ink substitute, and to add color […]
Lathyrus palustris (marsh pea)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on July 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This native member of the pea family is fairly abundant in wet thickets and low lying areas of the bay side on Cape Cod. If you take a bike ride through the coastal areas of Yarmouth and Barnstable you will see the pink and blue hues of Lathyrus palustris. The seeds are edible – you […]
From the invasives dossier: Solanum dulcamara (climbing nightshade)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Invasive, Plant bio on July 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
For some reason I always associated this plant with poisons brewed back in medieval times, but that would have been deadly nightshade (Atropa belladonna). This plant from Eurasia is to be found all over the cape in moist and semi-shaded thickets and brush. It is all over my yard as well. Although it may not […]
Rhus typhina (staghorn sumac)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Interesting, Plant bio, Recipe on July 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
There are some 250 different flowering plants in the genus Rhus (currently, as new research may lead to breaking up this group into smaller segments), but unfortunately we only seem to remember the infamous ones: Poison ivy (Rhus toxicodendron), poison oak (Rhus diversiloba) and poison sumac (Rhus vernix) can be quite memorable. They all contain […]
from the non-native dossier: Dianthus armeria (deptford pink)
Posted in Flora, Invasive, Plant bio on July 5, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
The common name of this pretty little annual or biennial flower comes from the town of Deptford in England where the plant grew abundantly. Deptford has long since been incorporated into larger London, and any pasture or woodland has been paved over or covered in concrete. This plant is native to most of Europe and […]
From the non-native dossier: Hieracium aurantiacum (orange hawkweed)
Posted in Flora, Invasive, Plant bio on July 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Orange hawkweed was first introduced from Europe into New England because of its attractive flame-colored flowers – it is a beautiful plant: Orange hawkweed has matted hairy leaves and handsome flowers, each about an inch in diameter and usually red on the margin, merging into an orange-colored center. The flowering branches, or shoots, grow from […]
From the non-native dossier: Hypericum perforatum (common st. johnswort)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Invasive, Plant bio on July 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
While there are quite a few native Hypericum species (other types of st. Johnswort), the common yellow roadside flower we can currently observe, is not. Hypericum perforatum was introduced to North America in the 1700s. Its origins are in Eurasia. It has “perforatum” in its name because it seems the leaves have perforations when you […]
From the invasives dossier: Tanacetum vulgare (tansy)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Invasive, Plant bio on July 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This perennial herb from the sunflower family is native to Europe and Eurasia. The plant has distinct finely divided, alternating compound leaves and yellow, button-like flowers. It is a tall plant that branches near the top. Tansy gives off a scent similar to camphor with hints of rosemary. The leaves and flowers are toxic if […]
Oenothera fruticosa (southern sundrop)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Plant bio on July 4, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This tough perennial finds its home in prairies, roadsides and among rocky hillsides from Manitoba to Florida and many states inbetween. The sunshine-yellow flowers are 1-2 inches in diameter and appear in early summer. These pictures were taken in the garden of the Brewster Natural History Museum. There is not a whole lot of sunlight, […]