Wildflowers of 2016 - #219

Yesterday (11 August 2016), a stop at Chipp-A-Waters Park yielded just one new species to add to my Wildflowers of 2016 list. 


Wildflowers of 2016 - #219 Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)

The bright green three-part leaves belong to Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata)

Hog-peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata) is a native member of the Legume or Pea Family (Fabaceae).  It is found in every state east of the Mississippi River and as far west as eastern Wyoming and Montana. In Michigan it has mainly been recorded in the southern half of the Lower Peninsula, with a separate population in the western half of the Upper Peninsula.  This plant is able to grow in a variety of habitats ranging from oak-hickory forest with dry sandy soil to swamps. 

 

Hog-peanut flowers

Hog-peanut is a small vine (up to 5 feet long) that climbs by twining around nearby objects. Hog-peanut plants have alternate leaves with three leaflets.  The leaflets are rounded at the base and pointed at the tips.  The plants small pink or white flowers grow from the leaf axils.  The flowers are 1/2 to 5/8 inches long.  The flowers have a typical pea-flower shape with 5 petals (a banner, two wings, and pair of petals fused into a keel).

Hog-peanut flowers are small (1/2 to 5/8 inch long)

Bobcat Population Tracking

Yesterday I got to ride along in a truck with my friend and colleague Heather Shaw for a few hours.  Heather is the wildlife biologist for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and she is currently working on a survey of Bobcat (Lynx rufus) populations in Isabella County.  A graduate of Central Michigan University, Heather has previously worked as a wildlife technician for the the Wyoming Department of Fish and Game and as a biologist for Ducks Unlimited in both Michigan and North Dakota.  In addition to working for the Saginaw Chippewa Tribe, she is also completing work on her masters thesis at CMU (expected defense coming up this fall).

Heather Shaw, wildlife biologist for the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe, fills out a bobcat survey data sheet

Why monitor bobcat populations?

Bobcats are notoriously secretive and often have widely dispersed territories.  I have seen several road-killed Bobcats, but have never seen a live one in the wild.  Even wildlife biologists rarely see them except by chance.  It is very difficult to know exactly how many bobcat can be found living in a given area.

So how do you monitor a population like that?

Heather is using a series of scent stations situated along roadside transects in likely bobcat habitat.  What this means, is that along a selected path (a transect) she was setting up a bed of sand to record footprints and baiting it with a scent tablet to attract bobcat (and other predators).  When an animal investigated the scent tablet, their footprints would recorded in the sand, enabling Heather to build a picture of the locations where bobcats can be found.
 

This map shows the location of the bobcat survey transects in Isabella County (and penciled in near the corner, the location of an Amish bakery - biologists love baked goods)

The locations of these transects has been chosen by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) based on models that predict possible bobcat habitat.  Each transect is three miles long and has a scent station located every 1/3 mile along the transect.  This is the second year that Heather has been conducting this survey in Isabella County - she also has one transect located in Midland County (the next county to the east).

One of ten scent stations located along Rolland Road

Why is this monitoring effort important?

Heather is not the only person setting up these stations and recording data.  Other biologists around the state are recording the same type of information.  This information is used by the Michigan DNR to set seasons and bag limits for bobcat hunting and trapping.  Bobcat hunting and trapping are currently allowed in the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, with Isabella County included in the the hunting/trapping zone.  Isabella County is one of the most southern Michigan counties where bobcat hunting and trapping are allowed.

What did we find?

We followed two of the transects that Heather had set up earlier in the week.  Both of these transects were located in the southwest corner of Isabella County.  The first transect was located on a gravel road that sees very little traffic.  The second transect was located on a relatively busy paved road.  These transects are set up along roadsides so they are easy to check.  In addition, many animals including bobcats will use roads as travel corridors, to these stations were likely to be found by any bobcat traveling through the vicinity.

This station along Gilmore Road had several tracks, but none belonged to a bobcat

Many of the scent stations that we visited were completely undisturbed, but we did find tracks from domestic dogs, house cats, raccoon, coyote, fox (possible), white-tailed deer, and birds.  At a station established where Rolland Road crosses the Pine River, we found a set of bobcat tracks.

This station along Rolland Road finally yielded a bobcat track

At each station, Heather measured and recorded any bobcat tracks and recorded all of the other tracks that we discovered.  Then, if necessary, she "reset" the station by smoothing out the sand and replacing the scent tablet if needed.

Heather photographing a bobcat track

Heather measures a bobcat track

Heather "resets" a scent station by smoothing the surface

This survey is almost done for the year.  In addition to the scent stations, Heather set up several trail cameras along the transects.  Her next step will be to sort through all of the trail cam photos - she expects a lot of car pictures.  I can't wait to see if any bobcats were "captured".

Morning Bee

Just a photograph today.  I found this bumblebee drone hanging out/grooming itself on a Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota) early this morning.

Wildflowers of 2016 - #211 through #218

Last Thursday (04 August) I stopped at Mill Pond Park and found eight species to add to my  Wildflowers of 2016 list.

Wildflowers of 2016 - #211 Field Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis)

The first species of the day is one of many that have flowers resembling those of dandelions.  Unlike dandelion plants, which are low growing, Field Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis) plants may grow to be 7 feet tall, but are usually 2 1/2 to 3 feet.  This plant is not native to North America but has naturalized across the majority of the United States and Canada.

Field Sow-thistle (Sonchus arvensis)

Field Sow-thistle has yellow flowers that look like those of dandelions.  The flower heads are 1 1/4 to 2 inches across and are composed entirely of  disc flowers with not rays (petals).  Each flower head is composed of between 150 and 300 individual ray flowers.  The flower heads are arranged in a flat panicle.

Field Sow-thistle flowers resemble those of dandelions

Field Sow-thistle - note open flower panicle with flowers in several different stages of bloom

 
The plant's leaves also look like those of dandelions, but have prickles at the tip of each lobe.  The base of each leaf has a pair of rounded lobes that clasp the plant's stem.  The leaves are normally found only on the lower half of the plant.

Field Sow-thistle - note prickles on leaf margins and clasping leaf base

Wildflowers of 2016 - #212 Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis)

The second species of the day, Spotted Touch-me-not (Impatiens capensis) may grow up to five feet tall, but the ones that I photographed were about two feet tall.  This species can be found across the eastern United States, across Canada, and in the Pacific Northwest.  It is typically found in wetlands, along shorelines, and wet forests.  The tube-shaped flowers of this species are 3/4 to 1 1/4 inches long and attract butterflies, bees, and hummingbirds.  The flowers are orange with reddish-brown spots.  A closely related species Pale Touch-me-not (Impatiens pallida) has pale yellow flowers.

Spotted Touch-me-not (side view of the flower)

Spotted Touch-me-not - the flower's pistil and stamen can be seen at the top of the opening

For more information on Spotted Touch-me-not please look at this post from January 2013.


Wildflowers of 2016 - #213 Hedge-parsley (Torilis japonica)

My third species of the day did not appear on my 2014 list.  Hedge-parsley (Torilis japonica) is native of Europe that is quietly naturalizing across North America. Also known as Japanese Hedge-parsley or Erect Hedge-parsley, this species has been found in nineteen states and three Canadian provinces.  In Michigan it has been recorded in twenty-five colonies, but is probably more widespread.  It is normally found in disturbed areas such as trails, roadsides, fields, etc..

Hedge-parsley - note flower umbels

Hedge-parsley is a member of the Carrot family (Apiaceae).  Like other members of the Apiaceae, it has small white flowers that grow on umbels (branching, flat-topped clusters).  The individual flowers of Hedge-parsely are small (1/4 inch), while the umbels may measure up to 2 inches across.  The plant has compound leaves that measure up to 2.5 inches long.  Plants are less than 3 feet tall.

Hedge-parsley - note hairy stems and leaves

Wildflowers of 2016 -#214 Ditch Stonecrop (Penthorum sedoides)

Ditch Stonecrop (Penthorum sedoides) is another wetland species, growing on the borders of streams and ponds, in marshes, and in other muddy habitats. This plant is found across eastern North America with several small, presumably introduced populations in the Pacific Northwest.

Ditch Stonecrop - note small cream-colored flowers

Ditch Stonecrop typically grows to a height of 1 to 2 feet.  It has narrow oval shaped leaves that are 2-4 inches long.  The leaves are arranged alternately on the stem.  The plant's flowers grow on a raceme - this means that individual flowers all grow on short stalks off an elongated stem with flowers growing from the base of the stem blooming before those at the top.  The racemes may be 1-3 inches long, but individual flowers only measure about 1/4 inch across.  The flowers are cream colored, with red fruit growing after pollination.

Wildflowers of 2016 - #215 Mild Water-pepper (Persicaria hydropiperoides)

A colony of Mild Water-pepper

Mild Water-pepper (Persicaria hydropiperoides) is another species that did not appear on my 2014 list. This one of several Water-pepper or Smartweed species that can be found in Michigan.  I determined this was Mild Water-pepper by the short (less than 3 inches), erect flower spikes and individual flowers with 5 white or pink petals.  Leaves on this species are arranged alternately and measure 2 to 4 inches long.  Plants grow up to 3 feet tall.

A wasp feeds on nectar from a Mild Water-pepper - note five petals on flowers

Mild Water-pepper is considered an obligate wetland species (meaning it is found nearly always in wetlands.  This species has been recorded across most of the United States and the lower parts of Canada.  Many sources list this species as Polygonum hydropiperoides.


Wildflowers of 2016 - #216 Southern Water-plantain (Alisma subcordatum)

Southern Water Plantain (Alisma subcordatum) is an emergent wetland species.  It grows in shallow water in streams, ponds, lakes, ditches, marshes, etc.  It can be found throughout the southern half of Michigan.  Overall it has a range that covers most of eastern North America from Manitoba south to Texas.  Additional populations are found in Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, California, and Oregon.

Southern Water Plantain - note basal leaves and flower stalks

Southern  Water Plantain plants have a basal cluster of oval shaped leaves on long stalks.  These leaves measure up to six inches long.  A flower stalk grows up from the central cluster.  This single stalk then branches many times forming a structure called a panicle.  The plants flowers grow on the tips of the many small branches of the panicle.  Although the whole flowering panicle may be three feet tall, the individual flowers are small, measuring 1/8 - 1/4 inch across.

Southern Water Plantain - note small (1/8 to 1/4 inch) flowers

The closely related Northern Water Plantain (A. subcordatum) has larger flowers that measure 1/4 - 3/8 inch across and larger leaves measuring up to 14 inches.

Wildflowers of 2016 - #217 Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis) did not appear on my Wildflowers of 2014 list.  I typically find this species in a single location in Mill Pond Park and it did not appear in either 2014 or 2015.  I assumed that the plant had probably died so I was pleasantly surprised to find it growing in the same spot this year.

Cardinal-flower (Lobelia cardinalis)

This wetland species is found throughout the Lower Peninsula and a few locations in the southern part of the Upper Peninsula.  It has been recorded in every state south and east of a line running from Minnesota to southern California (forty-one states total).

Cardinal-flower - red flowers are pollinated almost exclusively by hummingbirds

This routinely reaches a height of 2 to 6 feet.  It has alternate leaves that measure up to about six inches long.  Its most distinguishing feature is its erect flower raceme.  Individual flowers measure 1.25 to 1 3/4 inches and the raceme can be up to 20 inches tall.  The flowers are partly fused into a tube with three petals hanging downward and two spreading to the sides.  These flower are typically bright red (the same color as a cardinal), but are occasionally white.

Wildflowers of 2016 - #218 Common Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

Common Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

The final flower of the day was another that did not appear on my 2014 list - in this case I found numerous plants, but never one in bloom.  Common Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) is an emergent wetland species found throughout most of North America.  The plant is named after its arrowhead-shaped leaves.  This species is also known as Duck Potato.  To learn more, click here.

Way down yonder in the pawpaw patch...

Yesterday I spent a couple of hours walking around Mill Pond Park with the twin goals of collecting leaves to press (for leaf identification/classification with students) and of finding more wildflowers to add to my 2016 list.  After I collected several Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) leaves, I decided on a whim to look around the Pawpaw patch and see if there was any fruit.

In the 10+ years I have been looking at this patch of Pawpaws, only once have I ever found a fruit and that one dropped off without maturing.  The trees flower every year, but never seem to develop fruit, so I held out little hope of finding anything.

Then to my surprise, I found one!  A single fruit, about 1 to 1.5 inches wide and 2.5 to 3 inches long, dangling about a dozen feet up in the air, but there it was in all of its glory. 

Wildflowers of 2016 - #194 through #210

It's been three weeks since I posted anything about my Wildflowers of 2016 list.  The last post on July 8th detailed Species #187 through #193.  It isn't because flowers haven't been blooming; instead I have been away from the Mt. Pleasant area for most of that time.  First I spent almost a week at the Michigan DNR's Academy of Natural Resources.  Then we traveled outside the state for more than a week.  When I finally returned back to the area last week, I spent most of the time catchiing up with work that accumulated while I was away and then spent two afternoons manning our booth at the Isabella County 4H & Youth Fair.

On Monday (01 August), I finally made it back into the woods.  I spent a couple of hours at Mission Creek Woodland Park, both catching up on my wildflower list and collecting leaves to press and preserve.

Wildflowers of 2016- #194 Narrow-leafed  Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia)

The first flower that I found is one of several species of "Goldenrod" that are currently in bloom in Mid-Michigan - Narrow-leafed Goldenrod (Euthamia graminifolia).  This species is also known as Grass-leaved Goldenrod due to its narrow leaves or as Flat-topped Goldenrod due to its flat topped flower panicles (branched clusters).

Narrow-leafed Goldenrod in a non-typical (dry) habitat

Like most species of Goldenrod, Narrow-leafed Goldenrod is a late-Summer/Fall blooming plant with small golden-yellow flowers.  The individual flowers are small, measuring about 1/8th inch across, but the panicles measure several inches across.

Narrow-leafed Goldenrod is also called Flat-topped Goldenrod for its flattened flower panicle

Narrow-leafed Goldenrod prefers moist soils.  It is often found growing intermingled with other Goldenrod species in meadows, along shorelines, in ditches, etc.  It ranges across much of North America.  In Michigan it has been recorded in all but eight counties - interestingly Isabella County is one of those eight counties.

Narrow-leafed Goldenrod's abundant pollen and nectar attract many pollinators like this wasp

Several years ago Narrow-leafed Goldenrod was reclassified.  It was formerly known as Solidago graminifolia, but has now been placed in a separate genus (Euthamia)

Upcoming Event - Native Garden Walk (13 August 2016)

Downy Wood Mint - a native plant

 
Join me on Saturday August 13th as I lead a tour of native pollinator gardens for the Chippewa Valley Audubon Club.  This tour will begin at the Mt. Pleasant Discovery Museum (5093 E. Remus Road, Mt. Pleasant) at 9:00AM and will visit three additional gardens.