Ohio Plants: EEOB 2210 | Discovering a world of plants

Kinnear Road Plants

September 17, 2014 at 8:42pm by Steven Nagel

All plants found on September 17, 2014 outside of the Ohio State Museum of Biological Diversity

Species name: Cichorium intybus
Common name: Chicory
Family: Asteraceae
Status: Native to Europe, but considered naturalized in the United States
Notes: This plant can produce tall flowers in open, undisturbed habitats, but is also capable of producing short flowers in areas like lawns that are regularly mowed. This plant was growing in an open mulch bed along with some other weeds including Taraxacum spp.

Species name: Echinacea purpurea
Common name: Purple Coneflower
Family: Asteraceae
Status: Native to the Lower 48 United States
Notes: This herbaceous plant only grows naturally in prairies with well drained soil, however it thrives in most conditions when planted. The pink drooping petals are unique to the flowers of this plant. The spiky “hedgehog-like” seed pods for which the genus (Echinacea) is named are also a diagnostic feature.

Species name: Solidago canadensis
Common name: Canada Goldenrod
Family: Asteraceae
Status: Native to most of North America
Notes: This plant is an early successor and is often one of the first plants to colonize scorched ground. However, it’s also one of the first plants to give way to other herbaceous plants and tree saplings during succession. This group of plants was planted in a garden with a bit of mulch.

Prairie Oaks Specimens

September 17, 2014 at 8:38pm by Steven Nagel

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.

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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.

Practice identifying plants

September 17, 2014 at 7:47pm by Steven Nagel

Genus/Species: Dahlia pinnata

Common name: Garden Dahlia

Plant Family: Asteraceae

Introduced from Mexico

Field Notes: Found in the Oletangey Commons apartment complex, it was located in a cultivated garden surrounded by other flowers and weeds. It was planted in rocky soil. This flower can be identified by its brightly colored petals. It also has many petals that surround the center of the flower. The center of the flower also has little flower-like structures sticking out of it. This specimen was found on September 16th 2014.

Genus/Species: Cirsium vulgare

Common Name: Bull thistle

Plant Family: Asteraceae

Introduced plant native to Europe, Asia, and Africa

Field Notes: Located in the Oletangey Commons apartment complex, it was found in a ravine/prairie type of environment. It was surrounded by many other types of weeds and other herbaceous plants. The soil was dust like with some rocks sprawled throughout.This plant was located on September 16th,2014.

Genus/Species: Pinus virginiana

Common Name: Virginia Pine

Plant Family: Pinaceae

Native to Ohio

Field Notes: Also found in the Olentangy Commons apartment complex, It was an isolated tree surrounded by manicured grass. It had it’s own separate plot and was nowhere near other trees. The conifer was planted in soil with litter from the tree spread throughout. It was located on September 17th, 2014

Cichorium intybus, Daucus carota, Prunella vulgaris

September 17, 2014 at 7:12pm by Steven Nagel

Species Name: Cichorium intybus

Common Name: Chicory

Family Name: Asteraceae

Status: non-native, but naturalized

Field Notes: Collected 14 September 2014 in Pickaway County, OH. Growing in a roadside habitat.

Species Name: Daucus carota

Common Name: Queen Anne’s Lace

Family Name: Apiaceae

Status: non-native, but naturalized

Field Notes: Collected 14 September 2014 in Pickaway County, OH. Growing in an uncultivated, dry prairie. This plant was recognized by its hairy stem and white head of flowers atop the stem. The flower heads of older plants curl up and resemble a bird’s nest.

Species Name: Prunella vulgaris

Common Name: Selfheal

Family Name: Lamiaceae

Status: native

Field Notes: Collected 14 September 2014 in Pickaway County, OH. Growing in a lawn with scattered deciduous trees.

Plants around campus

September 17, 2014 at 6:39pm by Steven Nagel

Species name: Potentilla simplex

Common name: Common cinquefoil

Plant family: Rosaceae

Native

Field notes: This plant was found on September 17th on the Knowlton Rooftop Garden, this is a flat garden, with a lot of sunlight. The flower has 5 green sepals, 5 yellow petals, 20 stamen.

Species name: Hesperis matronalis

Common name: Dame’s violet

Plant family: Brassicaceae

Native

Field notes: This plant was found on September 17th behind Knowlton Hall, in a shady plot of soil by the back sidewalk

Species name: Liriope muscari

Common name: Lily Turf

Plant family: Asparagaceae

Not Native – comes from East Asia

Field notes: This plant was found on September 17th behind Knowlton Hall, in a shady plot of soil by the back sidewalk. I picked this plant because it was very out of place, the only one of its kind in the patch, and I did not think it was actually planted there

Wildflowers On Campus

September 17, 2014 at 5:08pm by Steven Nagel

Family: Asteraceae
Genus/species: Coreopsis lanceolata
Common name: Lance-leaved Coreopsis
Native to Ohio
Identified on September 17th 2014. Lance-leaved Coreopsis was located in an enclosed flower bed on west campus on the east side of Howlett Hall. The flower bed was in an urban and cultivated setting. The soil was mainly composed of topsoil with a mixture of commercial fertilizer. The soil was also covered with a half-inch layer of wood-chips.
Identifying characteristics include the presence of two large lobes and a central depression between the two lobes on each of the petals in the flower. In addition, the presence of bright yellow flower petals and lance-shaped leaves also contributed greatly to the identification of Coreopsis lanceolata.

Family: Asteraceae
Genus/species: Helenium autumnale
Common name: Sneezeweed
Native to Ohio
Identified on September 17th 2014. Identified on a shallow bank of the Olentangy River west of the Drake Event Center. Helenium autumnale was found amongst many scattered weeds and grasses. The area also contained many sedimentary rocks and muddy deposits from changes in elevation of the river. The soil was rich with sediment and littered with small rocks. This plant is uniquely three-toothed at the tip of each flower petal.

Family: Asteraceae
Genus/species: Eupatorium maculatum
Common name: Spotted Joe-pye Weed
Native to Ohio
Identified on September 17th 2014. Identified in an enclosed flower bed in the southeast corner of the Jennings courtyard. The Eupatorium maculatum is the dominant plant in the flower bed. The soil is composed of topsoil and is littered with small herbaceous weeds around two inches high. There are also small stones (1 cm long) scattered on the surface of the soil. The picture on the left depicts the plant during fruiting season, in late summer and autumn. While the picture on the right depicts the plant during flowering season, in late spring and summer. The plant’s height ranges from three feet to six feet.

Gahanna Woods Flower Species

September 17, 2014 at 3:16pm by Steven Nagel

Queen Anne’s Lace

Genus/species: Daucus carota
Common Name: Queen Anne’s Lace
Family: Apiaceae, the Parsley family
Identification notes: Flowers have umbel inflorescence and are white in color, usually with one purple floret in the center. They become concave when in fruit. The plant stands 1-3′ high.
Location: dry grassy plain near a small pond. Found on 09/17/2014.

Black-eyed Susan

Genus/species: Rudbeckia serotina
Common Name: Black-eyed Susan
Family: Asteraceae, the compound family
Identification Notes: Flower has head inflorescence with yellow rays and disk is a dark brown/black. Stem leaves are slightly toothed. Both stalk and leaves are bristly and pubescent. The plant stands 1-3′ high.
Location: Dry grassy plain near a small pond. Found on 09/17/2014.

Canada Goldenrod

Genus/species: Solidago canadensis
Common Name: Canada Goldenrod
Family: Asteraceae, the compound family
Identification Notes: Florets yellow. Main stem is smooth near the base and pubescent above. Leaves narrow and lancelate. Leaves margins are serrate. The plant stands 1-5′ high.
Location: Dry grassy gently sloping plain. Found on 09/17/2014.

Karlan Farms Wildflowers

September 17, 2014 at 12:07am by Steven Nagel

Helianthus tuberosus

Jerusalem Artichoke

Family Asteraceae
Ohio Native
Found on 21st September 2014 near Lockbourne, OH. Growing in an overgrown meadow between mowed grass (in a horse pasture) and a dry creek bed, growing in large clumps with grasses and golden rods. Tall plant- about 4 feet.

Impatiens capensis

Spotted Touch-Me-Nots

Family: Balsaminaceae
Ohio Native
Found on 21st September 2014 near Lockbourne, OH. Growing in an overgrown meadow between mowed grass (in a horse pasture) and a dry creek bed, tucked in below grasses and golden rods. The fruits were fascinating- small, green pods that explode when you squeeze them to distribute the seed.
The orange/red/yellow flower ‘hangs’ from its stem; it is shaped somewhat like a trumpet, with a narrow tube that wraps behind and below the opening of the flower. Pollinators (mainly bees) must crawl almost entirely inside of the flower to reach the pollen and nectar. The leaves are green and soft, egg-shaped with rounded teeth on the edges. The fruit are elongated, about 1 inch long, and are corn-ear-shaped. They explode when squeezed, distributing a few small, disk-shaped seeds.

Erigeron strigosus

Lesser Daisy Fleabane

DSCN1329

Family Asteraceae
Ohio Native
Found on 21st September 2014 near Lockbourne, OH. Growing in an overgrown meadow between mowed grass (in a horse pasture) and a dry creek bed, in a large unorganized clump below grasses and golden rods. Flowers very small (1/2 inch across), with many white petals.

S. byzantina, M. sinensis, and C. Communis

September 16, 2014 at 9:48pm by Steven Nagel

S. byzantina

C. communis

M. sinensis

All plants found on September 16, 2014 in Mount Gilead (northern Morrow county).

Stachys byzantina:

Commonly known as Lamb’s Ear.
Family Lamiaceae
Native to America
Habitat: This plant has grown directly on the south side of my house for as long as I can remember. It’s a slightly shaded area with good drainage and woody shrubs in close vicinity.

Commelina communis:

Commonly known as Asiatic Dayflower
Family Commelinaceae
Native to eastern and southeastern Asia but introduced to eastern North America and is now a noxious weed
Habitat: I found this particular plant growing in the cracks of cement steps that lead to the front porch. It also grows behind my house under the deck and beneath the shade of a coniferous bush near the barn. It seems to like very well shaded areas that are moist.

Micanthus sinensis:

Commonly known as South American Elephant Grass
Family Poaceae
Native to eastern Asia but was introduced to America and is now invasive
Habitat: This plant grows in my front yard. The drainage is good, and the area is very well lit. No other plants grow in the immediate vicinity, possibly due to the invasive nature of this plant.

The C. communis really threw me for a loop because it’s growing next to some ivy, and I confused the leaves of the ivy with the leaves of the Asiatic dayflower. Identifying characteristics include two large blue petals with one very small white petal in the center. This distinguishes it from the Virginia dayflower, which has three blue petals. Furthermore, the Asiatic dayflower has a weak stem and tapering, lance-shaped leaves.

Also here’s a picture of a ladybug. Not sure what the flower is, but I like this picture, so I’m sharing it.

Clematis

September 16, 2014 at 9:02pm by Steven Nagel

This plant is of the species Viorna. Commonly known as Clematis. This plant belongs to the Ranunculaceae family. Its native status is from China and Japan. This Clematis was pictured on 9/14/14 in my backyard in Green, Ohio. This is shown in a nurtured lawn with several different types of planted trees/plants of many different species.

Posts

Helianthus tuberosus

Impatiens capensis

Erigeron strigosus