Vernal: A Spring Photo Project (Day 81 through Day 93)

Nearly two weeks into summer and I am finally finishing up my spring photography project.  I began this project on the spring equinox and have photographed something outdoors in the natural world (with one notable exception) every day of the season.  I have selected only one photograph to represent each day.  If you haven't seen the first eight sets of images they can be found at the following links:  Days 1 - 10, 11 - 20, 21 - 30, 31 - 40, 41 - 50, 51 - 60, 61 -70, and 71 - 80.

The final set of images consisted of fourteen photographs photographed between June 8th and June 20th (the last full day of spring)

Day 81 (08 June 2019) - White Campion

This image shows a white campion (Silene latifolia).  This species is native to Europe but has naturalized across much of North America.  Unlike many European imports, this species probably does not have a negative impact on the environment.  In fact it may have a slight positive impact as its white flowers attract a variety of moths that seek it out for nectar.  This photograph was taken at Forest Hill Nature Area.  Forest Hill is located northwest of Alma in Gratiot County and is operated by the Gratiot-Isabella RESD.  Forest Hill is located less than fifteen minutes from my house so it is a convenient site for me to visit and photograph.  Many of the photos from my 2018 summer photography project were taken at Forest Hill.

Day 82 (09 June 2019) - How Blue Can You Get?

My second image was taken at one of the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's farthest flung preserves.  Peterson Natural Area is located in Mecosta County nearly 40 miles west of Mt. Pleasant.  The preserve is significantly closer to Big Rapids (less than 10 road miles away).  Before become a nature preserve, the Peterson Natural Area was farmed for many years.  Much of the property remains clear of trees and shrubs today.  This attracts birds that like open habitats such as this pair of eastern bluebirds (Sialis sialis) who claimed this nesting box along the old farm lane.  A pair of tree swallows was using a nesting box a few posts away.

Day 83 (10 June 2019) - Backroad, Tree and Clouds

Sometimes I take the gravel roads home just in case I find something worth photographing.  I love photographing clouds and on this day the cumulous clouds were perfect.  As I passed this tree I realized I had found something worth taking time to photograph.  This picture was taken from a low angle so the grass along the roadside would block a couple trees in the background.

Day 84 (11 June 2019) - Cirrocumulus Clouds

Another day, another cloud photograph.  This image of cirrocumulus clouds was taken from my driveway in Alma, MI.  Cirrocumulus clouds are often referred to as "mackerel scales" because the pattern of the clouds resemble the scales on a fish.

Day 85 (12 June 2019) - A Snake Called Fluffy

Until 2013 I had never seen a northern water snake (Nerodia sipedon) in Mt. Pleasant, despite working in the city parks from 2002 through 2010.  Now I see them every single year, sometimes several at a time.  I now know that if I want to see this species I can reliably find them at Chipp-A-Waters Park.  There is a small pond located near the southernmost parking area in the park.  This pond was originally dug as part of a wetland mitigation project.  It now is home to fish, tadpoles, and frogs.  In other words it's the perfect hunting ground for the northern water snake.  This particular snake did not appear to be actively hunting; instead it was basking in the sun in the middle of the pond.  The white fluff covering the surface of the water is composed of hundred (more like thousands) of fluffy cottonwood seeds.

Day 86 (13 June 2019) - Hairy Beardtongue

The native pollinator garden at the Saginaw Chippewa Academy was planted way back in 2011.   Other than the occasional weeding and trimming down old stalks each spring, the garden has been largely on its own since it was planted.  One of my favorite flowers in the garden is hairy beardtongue (Penstemon hirsutus).  This species doesn't flower profusely every year, but this was one of those years where it did.  I especially like how it contrasts with the surrounding lance-leaf coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata).

Day 87 (14 June 2019) - Sic semper Tyrannus tyrannus!

This photograph of an eastern kingbird (Tyrannus tyrannus) was taken at the Ziibiwing Center.  Eastern kingbirds are a species of flycatcher.  As that association implies, they feed on flying insects.  This was one a pair of kingbirds I observed feeding in the open field behind the Ziibiwing Center.

Day 88 (15 June 2019) - Bombus ternarius

June 15th was a busy day for me.  I had to be in Tustin, MI at the Kettunen Center for a meeting of the Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) board of directors at 1:00PM.  At 3:00PM I needed to be in Cadillac at William Mitchell State Park to give a presentation on Michigan's logging history.  When the presentation was over I had to return to the Kettunen Center for more MAEOE meetings.  Arriving back at the Kettunen Center I decided to take a few minutes to walk along the edge of the woods before going back into the meeting.  I photographed a few flowers and some fern.  Then I noticed a bumblebee buzzing around a bunch blackberry or raspberry plants.  Right away I could see that this was not the common eastern bumblebee (Bombus impatiens), instead its the orange-belted or tricolored bumblebee (Bombus ternarius).  I rarely see this species as it is not common in the southern half of the lower peninsula.

Day 89 (16 June 2019) - Emerald Spreadwing

This photograph was taken near Laingsburg, MI at my parent's home.  My parents own approximately 15 acres of land of which nearly half is part of the floodplain of the nearby Looking Glass River.  The floodplain has been consistently flooded for much of this year.  That much water should result in a mosquito problem, but the damselflies seem to be keeping populations under control.   I can honestly say that I have never seen so many damselflies in one place - at one point I was standing in a small clearing (maybe 20ft by 20ft) in a planted woodland and was surrounded by several hundred individual.  Most of them appeared to be emerald spreadwings (Lestes dryas) such as this one, but there were several other species mixed in.

Day 90 (17 June 2019) - You Talkin' to Me?

Another day, another damselfly.  This ebony jewelwing (Calopteryx maculata) was photographed at the Chippewa Watershed Conservancy's Audubon Woods Preserve.  When I first started approached this damselfly I began photographing it from the side, but it quickly turned to face me.  It didn't fly away.  It just seemed curious and allowed me to photograph it for several minutes.  This photo was cropped from a horizontal to a vertical format.

Day 91 (18 June 2019) - Hungry Hungry Caterpillar

As summer gets closer and closer more insects appear.  This monarch caterpillar (Danaus plexippus) was feeding on a common milkweed (Asclepia syriaca) at the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum's native pollinator garden.  This photograph was originally in a horizontal format, but has been cropped to a vertical format.

Day 92 (19 June 2019) - Hive Mentality

There are currently a pair of honeybee hives at the Forest Hill Nature Area.  When I visited on June 19th one of the hives had almost no activity while the other was literally abuzz with activity.  I took this photograph from about ten feet away.  The bees were completely unconcerned by my presence, but I would not recommend approaching the hive from the front.  I really like this picture because of the bees I captured in flight on the left of the image.

Day 93 (20 June 2019) - Last Day of Spring

With this photograph we've reached the end of spring.  This image of a pair of flies on a buttercup (Ranunculus sp.) flower was taken at Picken's Field in Mt. Pleasant.  For some reason, I find yellow flowers really difficult to photograph.  They always seem to be over exposed and the highlights completely blow out the details.  Because of this I did adjust the brightness of this image on the computer to tone down the highlights.  I also cropped this to a vertical image from the original horizontal.

I may have reached the end of spring, but the photography hasn't stopped.  As I type this on July 3rd, I'm thirteen days into an as-yet-unnamed summer photography project.  I'll start posting those photographs soon.  Hopefully I will be able to catch up on that project fairly quickly.

Insect Photos

Yesterday I posted a worksheet that I use during a presentation on Michigan's Insects.  Today I am going to share the Powerpoint slides that I use during the same presentation.  I use these photos to show Third Grade students the diversity of insect species that can be found in the local habitats and to illustrate the various adaptations that insects have developed including warning coloration, mimicry, false eyespots, etc.. 

As before, if you can use these images for an academic purpose please feel free to borrow them.  Many of these photos appear elsewhere on this blog.

 There are 57 more slides below the break...

Wildflowers of 2014 - #225 through #233

It's time to catch up on my 2014 Wildflower list.  I found the first six species (#225 - #229) at Mission Creek Woodland Park on Monday 08 September 2014.  

Wildflowers of 2014 - #225 Arrow-leaved Aster (Symphiotrichum urophyllum)

The first flower of the day was one of four Aster species that I found - Arrow-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum urophyllum).  This species was formerly known as Aster sagittifolius.

Arrow-leafed Aster plants grow from 1 to 3 feet in height.  This plant is considered an "upland" species.  It grows in dry soils in meadows, savannas, open woodlands and along woodland edges.  It is found across the eastern half of the United States and into Ontario.  In Michigan, it is found in ost of the counties in the Lower Peninsula and in scattered locations in the Upper Peninsula.

Arrow-leaved Aster (Sympyhotrichus urophyllum)

As the plant's name suggests, its leaves are commonly shaped like arrowheads with a shallowly notched.  The leaves may also be lanceolate (shaped like a lance head) or oval in shape.  The margins of the leaves are lined with shallow serrations.  The leaf petioles (stems) feature prominent wings.

Arrow-leaved Aster - a closer view of the leaves

The flowers of the Arrow-leaved Aster are typical of Asters, with a yellow (turning purple with age) central disc surrounded by short 8 to 15 short rays.  The rays are typically white, but may on rare occasions be pale blue or lavender.  The flowers are arranged in a narrow pyramid (or diamond) shaped panicle with branched that grow upward from the central stalk.

Arrow-leaved Aster - note the small number of rays on each flower (8 to 15) and the diamond shape of the flower panicle

Wildflowers of 2014 - #226 Common Heart-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

The second wildflower of the day was Common Heart-leaved Aster (Syphyotrichum cordifolium).  Like Arrow-leaved Aster, this species is found in dry upland habitats throughout the eastern United States, but has a slightly wider distribution.

Common Heart-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

This species may be confused with Arrow-leaved Aster, but can be identified by its leaves and flowers.  The leaves of Common Heart-leaved Aster are more typically heart-shaped than those of Arrow-leaved Aster with a deeper notch (sinus) at the base of the leaf.  The margins of the leaves are more coarsely toothed than those of the above species.  Finally the leaf petiole (stem) either lacks wings or has narrow wings.

Common Heart-leaved Aster - note the deeply notched leaf bases, sharply toothed leaf margins, and wide flower panicle

The flower panicles of Common Heart-leaved Aster are typically more widely branching than those of Arrow-leaved Aster.  The flowers are also more likely to be blue than those of S. urophyllum - they may also be white.  Common Heart-leaved Aster is also sometimes known as Blue Wood Aster.

Common Heart-leaved Aster - acloser view of the flowers

Both the Arrow-leaved Aster and Common Heart-leaved Aster were found at Mission Creek Park along the trail that lead north from the parking lot.

Wildflowers of 2014 - #227 Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium)

The third flower of the day was found growing next to several Common Heart-leaved Asters.  Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium) is a common weed found throughout the United States and the lower half of Canada.  This species is native to Europe, but has naturalized across many areas of the world.

Storksbill (Erodium cicutarium)

This species is in the Geranium Family (Geraniaceae).  While Michigan's other representatives from this family have leaves that have palmate lobes (meaning the lobes radiate from a central point like the fingers of a hand), the leaves of Storksbill pinnately compound (fern-like).

The flowers of Storksbill are small, measuring 3/8 to 1/2 inch across.  The flowers have five petals and may be colored purple, pink, or white.  After the pollination, the ovary of each flower elongates until it resembles the long bill of a bird - other members of the Geranium Family are known as Cranesbills.

Wildflowers of 2014 - #228 Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum)

The next flower of the day was another Aster - Calico Aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum).  This species is more adaptive than the previous two Aster species.  It can be found in both wet and dry soils throughout the eastern half of North America.  It typically grows in shaded habitats rather than open places.  Calico Aster plants can reach a height of 1 to 4 feet.

Calico Aster - a closer view of the horizontally-branching panicle

This flower is also known as the Side-flowering Aster - lateriflorum means "side-flowering".  The plant's flowers grow on short stems on widely branching panicles.  The panicle's branches are roughly perpendicular to the plant's main stalk.  Individual flowers of the Calico Aster are small, measuring about 1/3 inch across.  They consist of a central disc that starts out yellow and fades to shades of purple as it ages.  The disc is surrounded by 9 to 14 short white rays.  The small number of rays on each flowerhead is what distinguishes this species from similar species with small flowers such as Frost Aster (S. pilosum) and Heath Aster (S. ericoides).

Calico Aster - a closer view of the small flowers

Wildflowers of 2014 - #229 Swamp Aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum)

The fifth flower of the day was another Aster - Swamp Aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum).  This species, also known as Bristly Aster, is a more northern species than those already described.  While it can be found as far south as central Georgia it is also found as far north as Nunavut.  In Michigan, it has been recorded in counties throughout the state.  Swamp Aster is considered an obligate wetland species - meaning it is found almost entirely in wet habitats such as swamps, wet meadows, floodplains, and shorelines.  It rarely is found in dry upland locations.

Swamp Aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum) in the cedar swamp at Mission Creek

Swamp Aster plants reach heights of 1 to 8 feet tall.  The plant's leaves are arranged alternately along the stem.  The leaves are oval or elliptical, with shallowly tooted or smooth margins, and measure up to 6 inches long.  The main stalk of Swamp Aster plants is thick, usually reddish colored, and covered with bristly hairs.  A similar species lacks these hairs and is known as Smooth Swamp Aster (S. firmum).

Swamp Aster - note the bristly hairs along the plant's stalk

The flowers of Swamp Aster are arranged in a panicle (branched cluster) at the top of the plant.  Individual flowers are 1/2 to 1 inch across.  The flowers are composed of a central yellow disc surrounded by 30 to 60 rays (petals).  The rays are normally blue or purple, but may occasionally be white.

Bristly Aster - a closer view of the flowerheads

Wildflowers of 2014 - #230 Beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana)

The final flower of the day is something of an oddity.  It is one of a small group of plants that lacks chlorophyll - these means that it cannot use sunlight to manufacture its own food.  Instead, Beech-drops (Epifagus virginiana) is a parasite, stealing sugars from the roots of American Beech trees. If you find American Beech trees in a forest there are likely to be Beech-drops present also.  Conversely, if there are no Beech trees you not find any Beech-drops.  The plant has no other hosts.

Beech-drops - note the many branches, lack of leaves, and small flowers

Beech-drops plants lack leaves.  It's stalks grow up to 20 inches tall.  The stalks often branch near the base.  The plant's flowers are arranged in a raceme or unbranched spike at the end of each branch.   The flowers are 1/4 to 3/8 inches long and shaped like an elongated tube.  The flowers can be found in late summer and fall and vary in color from cream or ivory to brown or purplish-red.  The flowers are often striped.

Beech-drops - the small tubular flower is being visited by a bee-mimicing fly

The following three plants (#231 through #233) were found on Thursday 11 September 2014 along the banks of the Chippewa River in Mill Pond Park. 

Wildflowers of 2014 - #231 Purplestem Beggar-ticks (Bidens connata)

The next two flowers are closely related and share the same types of wetland habitats - shorelines, swamps, wet meadows, marshes, etc..  Purplestem Beggar-ticks (Bidens connata) can be found throughout much of the eastern United States and Canada as far south as Alabama and Georgia and as far west as central Nebraska.  It has been recorded in all but nine of Michigan's counties.

Purplestem Beggar-ticks(Bidens connata)

Purplestem Beggar-ticks can grow to heights of greater than 3 feet.  Their stems can be either purple (as the name suggests) or green.  Leaves are arranged  in opposite pairs along the stem.  The leaves are sharply pointed, have toothed margins, and can be as long as 8 inches.

Purplestem Beggar-ticks - note the purple stems, opposite pirs off lobed leaves, and ray-less flowers

The plant's flowers are arranged in groups of 1 to 3 at the ends of the stems.  The flowers are yellow-green and composed of a central disc that usually lacks rayss (petals).  If rays are present they are small and few in number.  These ray-less flower are 1/4 to 3/4 inches across.  After these flowers are pollinated, they will develop seeds with four spikes growing off of one end.  These spikes stick the fur or feathers of animals that come in contact with them, pulling the seeds free from the flowerhead and dispersing them away from the parent plant.

Purplestem Beggar-ticks - the flowerhead is composed simply of a circle of disc flowers, rays (petals) are usually absent

Wildflowers of 2014 - #232 Nodding Beggar-ticks (Bidens cernua)

The second plant in the Bidens genus is the Nodding Beggar-tick (Bidens cernua).  This plant is also known as Bur-marigold.  Nodding Beggar-ticks is found in the same habitats as Purplestem Beggar-ticks, but Nodding Beggar-ticks has a much wider distribution.  It is found in every state except Hawaii, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Florida.  I expect that the plant can be found in Mississippi and South Carolina, but so far has avoided collection.

Nodding Beggar-ticks (Bidens cernua) along the Chippewa River

The plant is very similar to the previous species.  It's leaves are also toothed and reach lengths of 8 inches.  Nodding Beggar-ticks can reach a height of seven feet, several feet taller than B. connata.  Another difference between the two plants can be seen in the flowerheads.  Nodding Beggar-tick flowers usually have 8 yellow rays (petals) surrounding a yellow central disc.  Occasionally these rays are absent.  Whether or not the rays are present, the flowerheads of this species nod or droop slightly.

Nodding Beggar-ticks - note the individual flower heads with their central disc surrounded by 8 rays (petals).   The flowerheads nod or droop.

Wildflowers of 2014 - #233 Pale-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus strumosus)

The final new species of the day was the Pale-leaved Sunflower (Helianthus strumosus), also known as the Rough-leaved Sunflower.  This species grows to a height of 3 to 8 feet.  It can be found in a variety of dry and wet habitats including forests, prairies, roadsides, and riverbanks.  Many Sunflower species closely resemble each other and can be difficult to identify.  There have been 15 species of Sunflowers recorded in Michigan, eleven native and four introduced.  After eliminating the species that most clearly did not fit, I was able to identify this species based on all of its characteristics.

Pale-leaved or Rough-leaved Sunflower and Spotted Joe-pye Weed

Pale-leaved Sunflower has leaves that are arranged in opposite pairs along the plant's stem.  The leaves may be up to 10 inches long, are oval or lance-head shaped, and have either smooth or shallowly toothed margins.  The leaves either lack stalks or have short (up to 1 1/2 inch long) stalks.  The upper surface of the leaves is rough to the touch.  The shape of the leaves can be quite variable from plant to plant.

Pale-leaved Sunflower - note the opposite pairs of rough-textured leaves

Pale-leaved Sunflower plants can have many flowers on each plant.  The flowers are 1 1/2 to 4 inches wide with a yellow-green central disc surrounded by 8 to 15 yellow rays (petals).

Pale-leaved Sunflower - a closer view of its multiple flowerheads

Pale-leaved Sunfower can be found across the eastern United States and Canada.

Wildflowers of 2014 - #132 through #139

On Monday (16 June 2014) I took a walk around portions of Mill Pond Park that I had not visited this Spring.  I generally followed the paved trails with a couple of exceptions and was able to add eight species to my 2014 list.  Of those eight species, four are native plants and the remaining four are non-native

Wildflowers of 2014 - #132 Wild Garlic (Allium canadense)

The first species that I found was Wild Garlic (Allium canadense).  I had identified this species two weeks ago, but the plants were not in bloom.  While crouching down to photograph Oriental Poppy plants (Papaver orientale) on June 3rd I smelled garlic.  Looking down, I noticed that I was crouched in the middle of a small colony of Wild Garlic plants. The plants were topped with a cluster of bulblets encased in a papery husk.

Wild Garlic (Allium canadense) flowers and bulblets

After two weeks passed, the bulblets had swollen and the papery husks have opened up revealing both the bulblets and several small flowers encased inside.  The small flowers have six petals and are usually pink (sometimes white).


Wild Garlic can be found in most states east of the Rocky Mountains.  In Michigan, it is found mainly in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula.  Wild Garlic grows in a variety of habitats such as woodlands, meadows, and floodplains, in both sun and shade.


Wildflowers of 2014 - #133 Moonseed (Menispermum canadense)

Moonseed (Menispermum canadense)

The next plant is another species that is typically found in floodplains and other moist wooded areas.  Moonseed (Menispermum canadense) is a native vine with lobed leaves that bears a resemblance to Wild Cucumber (Echinocystis lobata), but while Wild Cucumber climbs with the aid of tendrils that wrap around objects for support, Canada Moonseed uses its main stem to twine around supports.  Moonseed vines may grow to a height of 6-20 feet.  The small white flowers of Moonseed have six petals and are borne in hanging panicles.  After pollination small (1/4-1/3) round berries will develop.  These berries are purple-blue to purple-black and are covered with a white waxy bloom.  Unfortunately these berries look a lot like wild grapes.  I say unfortunately because Moonseed berries are toxic and can be mistaken for edible grapes. 

A closer view of the Moonseed flowers

Wildflowers of 2014 - #134 Narrow-leafed Cattail (Typha angustifolia)

Mill Pond Park is named because much of the park fits within the former boundaries of the city's mill pond.  Water from this pond was once used to power a flour mill and a sawmill.  While the dams that formed this pond are now gone, the water that they held protected portions of the Chippewa River's floodplain from being developed.  Part of this floodplain is now occupied by a large emergent marsh.  The primary plants found growing in this marsh are cattails.  There are two species of cattails found growing in this marsh (and possibly hybrids of the two species).  On Monday I only found one of the two species in bloom - Narrow-leafed Cattail (Typha angustifolia).

A colony of Narrow-leafed Cattail (Typha angustifolia)

Narrow-leafed Cattail is native to North America, but is probably not native to Michigan.  It can be aggressive and will often out-compete Common Cattail (T. latifolia) when the two species are found together.  Some states list Narrow-leafed Cattail as an invasive species.

Narrow-leafed Cattail

Both species have narrow ribbon-like leaves.  The width of these leaves is not a reliable way to distinguish between the two species.  While Narrow-leafed Cattail generally has narrower leaves than Common Cattail, there is overlap in size.

The most reliable way to decide between the species in the field is to look at their flowers - the "cat tails".  The flowers of both species are divided into two parts with the male (staminate) flowers being located near the end of the stalk and the female (pistillate) flowers located further down on the same stalk.  On the Common Cattail, the two halves of the flower touch with no gap between them.  The male and female flowers of Narrow-leafed Cattail are separated by a gap.  Hybrids of the two species probably have a narrower gap, but there is not reliable way to identify hybrids outside the lab.

Narrow-leafed cattail - note the separation between the male (upper) and female (lower) parts of the flower

Wildflowers of 2014 - #135 Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum)

The next plant is one that I wrote about earlier this Spring - Cow Parsnip (Heracleum maximum).  This member of the Carrot Family (Apiaceae) is easy to identify due to its size.  Cow Parsnip plants may reach a height between four and nine feet!  Like other plants in this family, Cow Parsnip plants are topped with a wide flat cluster of flowers known as an umbel.  Individual flowers are small, but the umbels may be up to 8 inches across.

Cow Parsnip rising above the surrounding vegetation

Cow Parsnip - a closer view of the flowering umbel

Cow Parsnip can be found growing in any low wet area including floodplains, swamps, shorelines, roadside ditches , etc..

For more information please see my post about Cow Parsnip from March 25th.


Wildflowers of 2014 - #136 Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)

I found Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius) growing in an open dry area along the Chippewa River.  This non-native vine is also known as Perennial Pea.  It was originally introduced to North America as a decorative plant, being grown for its large (up to 1 1/4 inches), showy, pink flowers.  It is now found in every state except Alaska, North Dakota, and Florida.

Everlasting Pea (Lathyrus latifolius)

Each Everlasting Pea vine can grow up to 6 feet.  The vines either trail along the ground or climb nearby objects with the aid of grasping tendrils which coil around and support the plant's weight.  The compound leaves of Everlasting Pea are arranged alternately along the vine, with each leaf having a single pair of leaflets.

Everlasting Pea - note the typical pea flower shape with banner (petals that looks like a basketball backboard), wings (the two petals beneath the banner) , and keel (hidden under the wings)

Wildflowers of 2014 - #137 Cursed Crowfoot (Ranunculus scleratus)

The sixth wildflower find of the day was  member of the Butercup Family - Cursed Crowfoot (Ranunculus scleratus).  Also knows as Cursed Buttercup or Celery-leafed Buttercup, this is the fourth Ranunculus species on my 2014 list.  Like many of the other Buttercup species, Cursed Crowfoot prefers wet soils; I found this plant growing in a low muddy area within the river's floodplain.  This species is found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and some plants found in North America may have been introduced from Europe. 

Cursed Crowfoot in typical wet habitat

Cursed Crowfoot is fairly easy to identify.  It's leaves are oval or kidney shaped with three deep lobes.  The stems of the plant branch repeatedly.The leaves and the stems are more succulent than other Ranunculus species - this means that that the are very juicy. This juice is considered toxic and may cause blisters.  Use caution if handling.

Cursed Crowfoot - note the lobed leaves

The flowers are small measuring only 1/4 to 3/8 inch across.  Each flower has 5 yellow petals surrounding a tightly-packed cylinder of pistils.  This cylindrical center is distinctive of this species. 

Cursed Crowfoot (Ranunculus scleratus) - note the distinctive cylindrical flower

Wildflowers of 2014 - #138 Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)

The next flower that I found is another introduced species - Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta).  Also known as Sulphur Cinquefoil, this native of Eurasia is now found across most of North America with the exceptions of the Desert Southwest and Canadian Arctic.  It grows on roadsides, in fields and meadows, and other weedy places.

Rough-fruited Cinquefoil (Potentilla recta)

Of the fifteen Potentilla species that are found in Michigan, Rough-fruited Cinquefoil is one of the easier species to identify.  It has pale yellow flowers with five heart-shaped petals.  The compound leaves are the most distinguishing characteristic of this species.  Each leaf has 5-7 leaflets arranged palmately (radiating outward from a central point) with coarsely toothed margins.

Rough-fruited Cinquefoil - note the Hover Fly nectaring at the pale yellow flower

Rough-fruited Cinquefoil - note the distinctive leaf shape

Wildflowers of 2014 - #139 Crown-vetch (Securigera varia)

The final flower of the day was another non-native species.  Crown-vetch (Securigera varia) is commonly planted for erosion control and has naturalized across much of the United States and Canada.

Crown-vetch (Securigera varia)

Crown-vetch is a member of the Legume family and has flowers with the typical pea shape.  The pink and white flowers are arranged in a round dense cluster that resembles a crown.

Crown-vetch - a closer view of the "crown" of flowers

Crown-vetch vines can grow to a height of 1-3 feet.  While the plants may use other vegetation for support, the vines lack climbing tendrils.  The leaves of Crown-vetch are arranged alternately along the stem, with each compound leaf being composed of an odd number (11-25) of leaflets.  The plant can reproduce both by seed and by underground rhizomes.  Because of these dual methods of reproduction, Crown-vetch often forms dense colonies that crowd out other plant species.