Scavenger Hunt

 

  • A plant with obovate leaves: Asimina tribola or pawpaw tree. Found in Jennings courtyard. Leaves are obovate when the leaf is wider at the apex end than it is at the base end.
Pawpaw tree
Pawpaw tree
Obovate leaves
Obovate leaves
  • A plant that produces achenes: Eastern Joe-Pye weed or Eupatorium dubium. Found in Jennings courtyard. Achenes are small, dry, one-seeded fruits that do not split open.
Eastern Joe-pye weed
Eastern Joe-pye weed
Achenes
Achenes
  • A member of the Fabaceae family is Cercis canadensis or redbud. Found in Jennings courtyard. Defining characteristic is legume fruits.

 

Redbud
Redbud

 

Legumes
Legumes
  • I was unable to find a member of the Apiaceae family, but I was looking for plants with an umbel inflorescence.
  • Sorghastrum nutans or yellow indiangrass. Found in Jennings courtyard. Characters I used to recognize this plant were the long blades of leaves and golden brown plumes.
Yellow indiangrass
Yellow indiangrass
  • Celtis occidentalis or common hackberry. I was unable to find this species, but while searching I looked for winged bark and ovate, serrate leaves that were not symmetrical at the base, and small dark drupes.

Flowers On Campus

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  •  Species name: Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus
  • Common name: Yellow Day Lily
  • Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae

Field notes: Plant is an introduced species identified 9/17/14 in front of the Kuhn Honors and Scholars House building on 12th Avenue in the soil on a cultivated lawn with planted urban trees and shrubs.

The yellow day lily is recognizable from its long narrow leaves stemming from the base of the plant. Its six distinct yellow petals that are pointed at the ends also help to identify it. Also, the height makes them recognizable, as day lilies are about two to three feet tall.

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  • Species name: Rosa rugosa
  • Common name: Rugosa rose
  • Family: Rosaceae

Field notes: Plant identified 9/17/14 outside of Pfahl Hall on 19th Avenue. Overall habitat included scattered planted urban shrubs. Plant found growing in dry soil or mulch. The rugosa rose is an introduced species.

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  • Family: Geraniaceae
  • Common name: Geranium

Field notes: Plant identified 9/17/14 in a planted flower patch outside the Moritz Law Building on 12th Avenue. Plants growing out of dry wood chips surrounded by a cultivated lawn with scattered urban trees. This particular species is cultivated and introduced. Red and white varieties are typically seen around campus.