Plant that produces legumes: Honey locust at Prairie Oaks Park. This bean pod is from a honey locust tree. It is a legume because it produces seeds inside of this pod.

Plant that produces flowers in a panicle: Goldenrod at Prairie Oaks Park. A panicle is showcased here in this goldenrod because of the branching characteristics in the inflorescence.

Plant in the Apiaceae family: Queen Anne’s Lace at Prairie Oaks Park. The defining characteristic that puts this plant in the Apiaceae family is the umbel shape of the inflorescence.

Plant in the Rosaceae family: Multiflora rose at Prairie Oaks Park. This plant is in the Rosaceae because of the hip fruit and serrate leaves.

Acer sacccharum: Found at Prairie Oaks Park. This plant is opposite and the leaves are palmately shaped/veined. 

Celtis occidentalis: Found at Prairie Oaks Park. The distinctive warty ridges of the bark give this plant away. The leaves were too high to see any galls, but the leaf shape was correct. The specimen is the tree on the left.

Cichorium intybus
Common Chicory
Asteraceae
Introduced, naturalized species.
This specimen was found on the edge of a wooded area next to a prairie.

Cirsium vulgare
Bull Thistle
Asteraceae
Introduced, naturalized species.
This specimen was found on the edge of a prairie next to a parking lot.

Solidago gigantea
Late Goldenrod
Asteraceae
Native.
This specimen was found on the edge of a prairie next to a parking lot.

To narrow the goldenrod down to species was difficult, and I’m still not sure it’s entirely correct. I based my identification on the reddish main stem that is covered in a white, glaucous coating which can be rubbed off. This specimen also has the three veined trait that some goldenrods possess. This means a prominent mid-vein, and two veins that run parallel to it.