Although we have a number of native violets, this species was introduced from Europe and is commonly found in lawns. It has leaves and flowers arising directly from slender stolons (runners) rather than leafy upright stems. The flowers can be white to purple. A feature that distinguishes it from similar violets is a downward curved hook at the end of the style.

Monarch larva on Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

According to a new study published in the journal Insect Conservation and Diversity (Pleasants & Oberhauser, 2012), overwintering monarch butterfly populations in Mexico have declined by about half since 1999. This is correlated with an estimated 58% decline in milkweed populations in the Midwest and a corresponding decline of 81% in monarch breeding success. These effects are most likely due to the widespread use of Glyphosate on genetically modified crops immune to the herbicide (i.e. Roundup Ready crops).

Speckled Alder

The male flowers are in the larger catkins, while the female flowers are in the short reddish ones. Daphne has more showy blooms, with 4 magenta petal-like sepals and a light fragrance. While the speckled alder is a native wetland shrub, Daphne mezereum is native to Europe and parts of Asia. It can be found in some of our rich woodlands, often along trails. The flowers are followed by bright red fruit in May or June.

Not much else was flowering, however the maples and aspens appear to be flowering on the hillsides a few weeks earlier than I’ve seen in previous years.

This map does not appear to reflect the current distribution of this species. I have observed it at Raquette Lake in Hamilton County and at Three Rivers in Onondaga County. It likely spread to the latter area from Oneida Lake via the Oneida River. This species looks like a tiny water lily with 3 white petals. It might be confused with the native Nymphoides cordata, which has 5 petals.

European Frog-bit

There is an American frog-bit (Limnolobium spongia) that is native further south of New York and is occasionally introduced. It differs from the European frog-bit in having branched (rather than unbranched) roots, petals less than 1.5 times as long as the sepals (rather than more than 1.5 times as long), and one stipule per leaf that is attached below the petiole (rather than 2 free stipules).

The traditional circumscription of the family Orobanchaceae included only holoparasites. It now includes hemiparasites formerly treated as part of the Scrophulariaceae. The following three species are the former.

Squawroot (Conophilis americana) is a parasite of oaks.

Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana) is a parasite of American Beech (Fagus grandifolia)

One-flowered Broomrape (Orobanche uniflora) is an annual that can parasitize a number of different herbaceous plant species

One genus in the family Orchidaceae is parasitic in Central NY. There are three species of Corallorhiza found here and the most common is Early Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida)

The genus Monotropa in the family Ericaceae includes two mycoheterotrophic species that occur in CNY. Pinesap (M. hypopithys) is found in acid woodlands under pines.

Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) is more common and occurs in a variety of forested habitats. It differs from Pinesap in producing one flower per flowering stalk.

One species in the family Santalaceae is found in CNY. Eastern Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum) differs from the other species covered here in that the seeds germinate directly on the host. It is found almost exclusively on Black Spruce (Picea marina) in acid swamps and bogs.

The last group of plants are vines in the Morning Glory Family (Convolvulaceae). Dodders are annual vines that begin life underground but soon lose contact with the soil. The thin twining stems wrap around the stems of other plants, appearing like tangles of orange threads. There are a few species, the most common being Cuscuta gronovii

Flowers are produced beginning in July

The essential oil of the plant consists mostly of the bicyclic monoterpene ascaridole. The name is likely derived from the genus of parasitic nematodes Ascaris. It is reputed to be explosive when heated or treated with organic acids. The chemical structure of ascaridole seems to hint at the hazardous potential of this compound.

source: Wikipedia

Literature Cited

Mosyakin, S.L. and S.E. Clemants. 2002. New nomenclatural combinations in Dysphania R. Br. (Chenopodiaceae): taxa occurring in North America. Ukrayins’k. Bot. Zhurn. (Ukr. Bot. J.) 59:380–385.

The thing that really caught my eye was the thinking at the time regarding the threat this fungal disease posed to our native Chestnut. According to Peck, “It is more likely that the pessimistic views concerning its rapid spread and destructive consequences, entertained by some writers, will scarcely be realized. Unusually destructive outbreaks of parasitic fungi are apt to be dependent on unusual climatic conditions and therefore to be of short duration”. Clearly this was not the case, and it is hard to find a chestnut tree today of any appreciable size if one can find one at all. The species is essentially now ecologically extinct.

But no luck figure this one out…until a few days ago I was out at Kettle Bail State Forest and found what appeared to be the same plant growing along the edge of a truck trail. This one had flowers on it and I was able to key it out - Polygonum napalense, or Napalese Smartweed, is a native of China known only from Sullivan, Delaware, and Otsego counties in NY. Assuming I have the identify correct on this one it is now known from multiple locations in Cortland County, .

It was overcast so a flash was needed to get a closeup of the flowers, which is why the background is so dark.