Giant Polypore

Black-stainingPolypore Black-stainingPolypore2Sometimes there’s a non-wildflower item that demands notice! In our woods, there were several of these big ruffly fungi all growing around an old tree stump (my hand added for scale). I took these July 21; now they’ve pretty much withered, darkened and disappeared. I’m finding fungus identification difficult — there are many that look similar to me, and there can apparently be lots of variation within a species. That said, I think this is a Giant Polypore — can get to be 30 inches in diameter.

Giant Polypore, Black-staining Polypore (Meripilus giganteus)

Indian Pipe in pink

Peace Pipe trio

Peace Pipe pink closeup

I thought I had discovered a new kind of Indian Pipe; instead of ghostly white and nodding, they have upright heads and are pink and black — kind of a zombie form of normal Indian Pipe. But it turns out this is just regular Indian Pipe as it matures–they sometimes turn pink after fertilization. Then each flower turns into a big seed capsule that eventually splits open and releases seeds. Then the whole plant turns black. Indian Pipe family. Native.

Indian Pipe, Ghost Plant, Corpse Plant (Monotropa uniflora)

Wild Columbine

Wild ColumbineGood fact from illinoiswildflowers.info: “Because the foliage is toxic, it is little bothered by mammalian herbivores.” A beautiful form to appreciate up close. The round ends of the spurs contain nectar which attracts butterflies and hummingbirds. Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae). Native. Flowers April to July.

Wild Red Columbine, Rock Bells (Aquilegia canadensis)

Green Dragon

Green Dragon

This is a dramatic, rare wildflower I admired in the garden of Dr. Wesley Whiteside, and he gave me some! Can grow to 2.5 feet tall. The flowering stalk is leafless and has a single flower, which is a sort of green hood (spathe) and a long spadix extending out like a dragon’s tongue. (In this photo, you can see 3 of the “blossoms.”) Will have berries later in the summer. Closely related to Jack-in-the-Pulpit, but more rare. The foliage is very toxic, so deer leave it alone, but many birds like the berries. (Although something ate all the leaves off the tops of two of mine!)

Also, many wildflowers are noted as preferring disturbed areas —this is the only one about which I’ve read “the presence of this species is an indication that the original woodland flora is still intact.” (illinoiswildflowers.com) Native perennial. (Photo taken June 5.)

Green Dragon (Arisaema dracontium)

Celandine Poppy, Wood Poppy

Celandine poppies Celandine foliageThey are wild and native to eastern and midwest North America. Poppies produce latex, and in Celandine Poppies, it’s a bright yellow sap that was used as a dye by Native Americans.

Wood Poppy, Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum)

Bird’s-eye Speedwell

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There are several similar-looking kinds of Speedwell. This kind has flowers on long stalks instead of stalkless in the axils. In Italian it’s known as “gli occhi della Madonna,” which means “the eyes of the Virgin Mary.” Native to Europe. Photo: May 8, 2013.

Bird’s-eye Speedwell, Persian Speedwell (Veronica persica)

Violet varieties

Freckles violetYellow violetRed-eye violet

Varieties of violet originally from Dr. Whiteside’s garden in Charleston, Illinois, now growing in my yard. Freckles, Common Yellow Violet, and Red-eye. Little masterpieces.

Freckles Violet (Viola sororia)

Common Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens eriocarpa)

Cedar-Apple Rust

Orange fungusI’m including this parasitic fungus (which looks like a beached sea creature) because its life cycle is entwined with the wild crab apple trees. This fungus grows on eastern red cedars… but only if there is an apple tree nearby. To live, it requires two hosts: it has to alternate between an apple tree and a cedar. The fungal spores blow from the galls on the cedar onto the leaves of apple trees. They infect the apple tree and eventually the fungal spores from the apple tree blow back to the cedar and create new infections. Yuck.

Cedar-Apple Rust (Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae)

Snake’s Head (Checkered Lily)

FritillariaI love these — they’re so amazing looking. Wild but not local–they’re native to the west. Lily family. Last year I had the wrong latin name on this. Fritillaria comes from the latin fritillus which means dice-box (were they checkered?) and the name meleagris means “spotted like a guineafowl.” Vita Sackville-West: “a sinister little flower, in the mournful colour of decay.” Hm. That’s really not how I feel about them at all…

Snake’s Head Fritillary, Snake’s Head, Chess Flower, Frog-cup, leper lily, Lazarus bell, Checkered Lily, Fritillary (Fritillaria meleagris)

Red-eared Slider

Turtle

There are stone steps leading from our driveway up to the yard, and one day, a turtle was positioned vertically against the bottom step, with one arm mightily extended onto the top of the step, ready to hoist itself up. I went in to get a camera, had to answer the phone, and by the time I got back, she had gone to plan B. (This is how slow I need wildlife to move for me to be able to take their picture.) Anyway, I think this is a red-eared slider, which is the kind of turtle that people have as little pets, and so many have been released, they are an invasive species in the Northeast. They have green skin and yellow stripes, and a red stripe on each side of the head. They are omnivores, and must be submerged to eat. This one was about 10″ in diameter and was coming from the pond, and still had pond vegetation on its shell. Where was it going?

Red-eared Slider (Pseudemys elegans)