Botany Blog Plants of the Northeastern U.S.

May 11, 2011

Spring Flowers

Filed under: North American Native Plants — admin @ 23:34

Plants are emerging a bit later than they have in recent years but there are many spring flowers to be seen now in central NY. Here are a few that I photographed today

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Stinking Benjamin (Trillium erectum)

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Wood Horsetail (Equisetum sylvaticum)

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Marsh Marigold (Caltha palustris)

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American Fly Honeysuckle (Lonicera canadensis)

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Rose Twisted-stalk (Streptopus lanceolatus)

May 5, 2011

American Golden Saxifrage

Filed under: North American Native Plants — admin @ 22:49

American Golden Saxifrage (Chrysosplenium americanum) is a small member of the Saxifrage family with creeping stems that root at the nodes. It grows in muddy or springy soil in shaded areas. The leaves are rounded and entire or obscurely toothed, typically opposite lower on the stem and becoming alternate higher up.

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The flowers lack petals and have four ovate sepals that range from greenish-yellow to greenish brown-purple. The disk of the flower can be green, reddish, or brown-purple. The most colorful aspect of the flowers are the 8 red stamens.

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Branching stems each ending in a single flower

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Closeup of flower

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