Know Your Natives – Evening Rain-Lily

Posted on December 2, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Evening rain-lily (Cooperia drummondii, also known variously by some athorities as Cooperia chlorosolen or Zephyranthes chlorosolen) of the Amaryllis (Amaryllidaceae) family, formerly of the Lily (Liliaceae) family, occurs in the south-central United States from New Mexico to Kansas to Alabama and then thence south to the Gulf Coast and into Mexico.  In Arkansas, it is recorded from five counties scattered in the western portion of the state and is considered of “conservation concern” by the Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission.  It is currently the only species of the Cooperia genus known from the state.  The specific epithet recognizes Thomas Drummond, an 18th century Scottish naturalist that first discovered this species.  Other common names are “cebolleta” (a Spanish word alluding to the plant’s vegetative resemblence to onions [cebollas]) and Drummond’s rain-lily.  This species is found in prairies, glades, savannahs and woodland margins in a wide variety of dry to moist soils and in varying sunlight situations.  Evening rain-lilies are perennial, herbaceous, bulbous plants that germinate with a single seed leaf or cotyledon (placing them in the class of flowering plants familiarly called monocots).  The species has “true bulbs” which have a basal plate (caudex) that produces new roots annually, leaves, flower stems and lateral bublets.*  Its life cycle during the temperate months is responsive to rainfall patterns; especially in late summer, hence the common name “rain-lily.”

Leaves continually grow within the bulb at the center of the basal plate with the most immature leaves at the center of a “leaf core.”  Leaves appear at the surface, somewhat erratically, in response to air temperature and soil moisture.  Leaves are most numerous in spring (without any associated flower stems), absent during hot dry summer months and may appear intermittently during the summer and fall (after flower stems appear in response to rain).  Leaves have long, smooth, narrow, grey-green blades that may be 12 or more inches long and ¼ inch wide, with rounded tips.  Leaves are in-folded along their entire length (more so near their bases) as a result of having been tightly pressed against other leaves during development within the bulb.  Leaves tend to be somewhat twisted and lax, almost floppy.

Each leaf consists of an above-ground blade and an underground conical white base for water and nutrient storage that is concentric around the leaf core of the bulb.  Bases are tightly overlapped and are pushed away from the center of the bulb as new leaves develop.  With leaf bases being thicker at their mid-section, bulbs become rounded in lateral as well as vertical cross-section.  Outermost leaf bases become thinner to a brown, tissue-like tunic before eventually disintegrating.

Evening Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondiiPhoto 1:  The twisted and somewhat floppy leaves of evening rain-lily seen in this early April photo grow in clusters from tips of bulbs and bulblets.  Each leaf has a thick white base that encircles the bulb’s core of immature leaves.

Flowering occurs sporadically in summer into fall months several days after significant rainfall.  A bulb produces one flower stem at a time.  Flower stems originate from the basal plate between two leaf bases close to the leaf core.  The stems follow the curvature of these two confining leaf bases to emerge at the top of bulbs, slightly off-center (leaves being at the center).  Flower stems are pinkish at first, but become mostly green with the approach of anthesis.  Upon emergence, the upper portion of the stem is covered by a bluntly pointed spathe that is the same color as the overall stem.  The lower end of the spathe joins the stem immediately below the ovary, which is located up to 7 inches below the perianth (corolla + calyx) that emerges from within the spathe.  Stems are slender, round to flattened, and hollow.  Stems, which may be 12 or more inches long and weakly erect, are smooth and mostly equidimensional their entire length.  The spathe peels back to below the ovary and quickly dries.

When a larger bulb is cut laterally at mid-bulb, along with prominently displayed concentric leaf bases, small flattened ellipses squeezed between leaf bases can be seen.  These ellipses, lined up along an axis across the bulb, are either stems that have already produced seed (these are flattened brown ellipses) or would have produced stems at a later flowering episode (these are light colored ellipses).  With a bulb producing one flower at a time, the sequence alternates from one side of the leaf core to the other.

Evening Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondiiPhoto 2:  Bulb-section at center of photo is lower half of a bulb while upper half of same bulb is arranged radially from ‘A’ through ‘O.’  ‘A’ is the leaf core composed of a half-dozen variably immature leaves at the bulb’s center (corresponding to the portion indicated with the arrow on the cross-section).  Numbers ‘1’ through ‘5’ indicate stem sites with ‘2’ corresponding to ‘D’ (a wilting flower stem).  ‘O’ represents the outer tunic.

Evening Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondiiPhoto 3:  In this mid-August photo, stems emerge after significant rainfall.  Spathes recede as flowers continue to grow.  Arrows point to ovaries.

Flowers gradually open in the evening several days after rainfall and remain open a day or two.  Flowers, about 2 inches wide, have three mostly white sepals and three almost identical petals (together referred to as tepals) with a somewhat elongated ruffled oval shape.  Tepals are of equal size and shape with a white upper surface along with lighter longitudinal veins.  Sepals have pinkish beaks (remnants from when in bud) at their apices with that pinkish color extending partially down their lower sides.  Flowers have six stamens with elongate, equal-sized anthers on short, down-bent filaments that position anthers close together and vertically so that the lower ends of the anthers are within the flower’s throat.  Filaments are attached (adnate) to the tepals’ base just above the lower ends of the anthers.  Pistils, up to 7 inches long, are free-standing from the inferior ovary, up the exceeding long tubular perianth (envelope surrounding sexual organs) with the stigma hidden immediately below the lower ends of anthers.

Evening Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondiiPhoto 4:  At full bloom, stems remain pinkish near their bases and above the ovaries (arrow).  Note new leaves emerging at base of stems.

Evening Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondiiPhoto 5:  Elongate, upright anthers surround and hide the stigma.  Three petals are positioned between three sepals.  Note beaked sepals of flower and buds.

Flowering stems emerge, flower, and then produce seed over about an 8-day period.  With fertilization, the perianth quickly wilts and dries, but may remain on the ovary until seed capsules mature.  Ovaries enlarge to form a prominently three-chambered (trilocular) stubby capsule.  With bulging chambers, capsule width equals the length.  As the capsule dries, the top shrinks back to expose thin, shiny black, papery seeds in loosely layered stacks.  Seeds readily fall from the opened chambers with slight movement of the capsule.  The plant is a reliable vigorous seed producer due, perhaps, to the close contact of anthers and stigma along with the services of pollen-eating insects.

Evening Rain Lily - Cooperia drummondiiPhoto 6:  Seed capsules are composed of three bulging chambers.  Flat papery seeds are loosely stacked within each chamber.  Note dried perianth remaining attached to green capsule on left.

For a sunny moist to dry garden or natural area, evening rain-lily can surprise a person with the sudden appearance of flowers.  The flowers are eye-catching as are the seed capsules.  Along with multiplying via offset bulblets, many additional seedling plants should be expected.  Seedlings can be controlled by removing capsules prior to maturing.

*  Plants that store water and nutrients in fleshy underground structures to survive cold or dry conditions in a dormant state are called “geophytes.”  In addition to bulbs, other geophytic structures are corms, tubers, tuberous roots and rhizomes.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Know Your Natives – Sweet Everlasting

Posted on November 17, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Sweet everlasting, Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium (formerly Gnaphalium obtusifolium), of the Aster (Asteraceae) family is an herbaceous annual.  In the U.S., it occurs from Texas to Nebraska to Minnesota and thence east and south to the coasts, including most of Arkansas.  Natural habitats are mesic to dry sandy areas in prairies, glades, open woods and open disturbed sites.  The common name “sweet everlasting” relates to a light pleasant scent and the durability of fresh dried cuttings.  Another common name is “rabbit tobacco” (this name is also applied to other species in the genus) based on the plant having been used as tobacco by Native Americans and early American settlers.

Sweet everlasting has a rambling, rough, woody tap root along with smaller, variably-sized, near-horizontal roots from the tap root and caudex.  Seeds germinate in late fall and plants overwinter as low basal rosettes of broadly linear leaves, maturing the following year.  Leaves are widest above mid-blade with an extended taper to a blunt (spatulate) apex.  From mid-leaf to leaf base, margins have a gentler taper.  Basal leaves are tomentose (with dense matted woolly hairs) on both adaxial (upper) and abaxial (lower) surfaces.  Leaves are a muted whitish light green color, due to their tomentose nature, and are smooth as velvet.

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 1:  Basal rosettes of sweet everlasting grow overwinter.  In this early March photo, tomentose leaves are evident.

A mature plant in mid- to late-summer may have one to a half-dozen erect stems that may reach 2½ feet tall.  The terete (round), somewhat hardened stems are not branched except along their upper portion where many secondary, ascending branches occur.  These branches, in turn, have tertiary branches toward their tips.  Stems and branches, too, are tomentose, thus stems are light green to white.

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 2:  In late May, stems remain unbranched and adaxial leaf surfaces are glabrous.

Stem leaves are entire, linear, sessile and clasping.  Largest leaves may be 3 inches long and 1/3 inch wide with a slightly pointed tip.   Leaf size gradually decreases up main stems and along branches.  Stem leaves are jade green on the adaxial side which is glabrous, or nearly so, while the abaxial side is uniformly tomentose so that they have a whitish cast.  Leaf arrangement is varied from closely spaced and whorled around the stem as well as alternate or opposite.  Leaves fold inward along the midrib and margins are somewhat undulated.  Venation, although pinnate, is indistinct except for the midvein which is slightly recessed adaxially and expressed abaxially.  With anthesis (flowers open and functioning), and especially with drying soils, stem leaves dry from the ground up, but remain on the stem and become twisted.  With killing frost, dry leaves throughout the plant become brown above and silvery below and remain into winter months.

Inflorescences develop from late summer into early fall.  Inflorescences occur at the ends of branches with a number of branched peduncles, each terminating with up to five closely spaced flower heads on separate pedicels.  Although flower heads of common peduncles are arranged in a corymb (lower heads have longer pedicels), with branches growing from different levels of main stems, the overall inflorescence at the apex of a stem is domed.

Flower head buds have elongated cone shapes with a pointed apex and rounded base.  The exterior of buds is formed by thin, oblong-lanceolate phyllaries (bracts) that are covered with dense, matted hairs (the longest hairs on the plant).  The dense hairs mask details of the phyllaries which are appressed and overlapped in five or so series.

The composite flower heads are composed of only disk flowers which stay well hidden within the tight involucres (phyllaries, collectively).  At anthesis, only the tips of corollas and stamens are seen as a flat yellow surface, with individual florets being indistinct.

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 3:  In late August, yellow-topped flower heads are at anthesis (this inflorescence covered in morning dew).

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 4:  In late September, some flower heads remain in bud while others have developed seed.

Florets mature to produce achenes (1-seeded nutlets) with long whitish to straw-colored pappus (tufts of hairs at the top of the achenes).  At seed maturity, the involucres spread wide and the achenes tend to disengage from the receptacle in clusters.  The tiny, elongate, narrow achenes are then dispersed by wind via the pappus.  With the seeds gone and the loss of tomentose hairs, the structure of the involucre is more obvious and four or five series of phyllaries are easily seen.  Phyllaries, almost translucent at this time, have a light green lower central stripe.  Phyllaries in the lower series are shorter and broader than the lanceolate ones in the upper series.

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 5:  In early October, with dry summer months, many lower stem leaves have dried.

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 6:  Display of maturing corymbs in mid-October, when achenes are dispersing.  Note achene with pappus in left corymb (arrow) and empty flared involucres and exposed receptacles in right corymb.

At least two other species of the same genus as sweet everlasting are found in Arkansas; namely, red-tip rabbit tobacco (Pseudognaphalium luteoalbum) which is found in over a half dozen scattered counties in south Arkansas and rabbit tobacco (Pseudognaphalium helleri) which is found throughout the southern half of the state.  The non-native red-tip rabbit tobacco (P. luteoalbum) has 1) tap or fibrous roots, 2) similarly tomentose stems and leaves, 3) stem leaves that are more narrow and elongate with decurrent margins (extending down stem below point of leaf attachment), 4) flower heads on very short peduncles/pedicels that are closely grouped at the apex of main branches, and 5) red-tipped corollas.  The native rabbit tobacco (P. helleri) has an overall structure very similar to sweet everlasting, but P. helleri has 1) fibrous roots, 2) stems and leaves that are green with glandular-stipitate hairs at maturity instead of tomentose, and 3) medium green lanceolate leaves.

Other plants that have a very similar appearance during late winter and can occur in the same habitats as sweet everlasting are the related cudweeds (genus Gamochaeta, also formerly of the genus Gnaphalium), of which there are at least seven species (some native and some non-native) in Arkansas (including Gamochaeta purpurea, G. argyrinea, etc.).  Cudweeds have fibrous roots, leaves that are generally shorter and more broadly spathulate, and leaf pubescence that feels smooth rather than velvety.  Upon growth of stems and inflorescences, they are more easy to distinguish from sweet everlasting.  Flower heads of cudweed are sessile to very short-stalked and occur in tight clusters or spikes of clusters.

Sweet everlasting - Pseudognaphalium obtusifoliumPhoto 7:  Plants at left and upper positions are sweet everlasting (Pseudognaphalium obtusifolium). Lower right plant is a cudweed (Gamochaeta sp.).

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Know Your Natives – White Oldfield Aster

Posted on November 3, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

White oldfield aster (Symphyotrichum pilosum), formerly Aster pilosus, a herbaceous perennial of the Aster (Asteraceae) family, occurs from Texas to South Dakota and Minnesota thence to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.  In Arkansas, this aster occurs statewide and is one of 22 species of aster (Symphyotrichum) konwn to occur in the state.   Habitats for this aster include old fields, open woodlands and roadways with a wide variety of dry to mesic soils.  The genus name is from Greek for “junction” and “hair”, apparently based on a European cultivar.  The specific epithet is from Latin for “hairy”.  Other common names include white heath aster, hairy aster, frost (based on dense hairs) aster, and awl (based on shape of phyllaries) aster.

In late fall, after flowering, basal leaf rosettes appear and that persist over winter.  Basal leaves are oval to elliptic with a narrowed base that may be glabrous or have scattered hairs on upper leaf surface as well as short marginal (ciliate) hairs.  These leaves, which may be 3 inches long and an inch wide, have entire margins or a few widely spaced shallow serrations.  The adaxial (upper) leaf surface is medium green, while the abaxial (lower) surface is a slightly lighter green.  Each basal rosette produces a stem.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 1:  In November, stems are frozen and overwintering basal rosettes appear.  Old stems retain pubescence.  Ciliate (marginal) hairs can be seen on new leaves.

White oldfield aster grows in clumps (cespitose) from a caudex and has both fibrous roots and rhizomes.  Young stems are a medium green, but as the terete stems mature the color changes to brown or reddish brown and stems become hardened.  Mature plants have tall lanky stems that may reach 5 feet.  The largest stems may have splits in their epidermal layer due to lateral growth pressure.  Pubescence of short hairs typically covers the entire stem.  The stout, straight stems tend to lean in various directions from the caudex.  Dead stems persist well into the next year, still exhibiting pubescence.

Stem leaves are alternate, simple and spaced 1½ to 4 inches apart.  Clusters of leaves (fascicles) arises from the leaf axils.  Leaves in these fascicles become alternate leaves along growing branches.  Lower, down-stem, branches may be an inch or two long, while higher, up-stem, branches may reach 12 or even 16 inches.  The longer branches also produce fascicles that become secondary branches.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 2:  In mid-May, new stems may be 3 feet tall.  Note pubescent stems, ciliate leaf margins, winged bases of stem leaves, and fascicles of leaves from leaf axils that will grow into branches.

Leaves along stems (cauline leaves) and branches differ in size and shape from the basal leaves.  The largest leaves, cauline leaves and those lower on branches, may be 4 inches long and ½ inch wide at mid-leaf and have a very gentle taper to leaf tips (acuminate).  Leaf width from mid-leaf to leaf base reduces down to narrow wings that continue to the sessile and clasping leaf base.  Leaves have entire margins or small widely spaced serrations.  Slight up-folding occurs along midrib which is especially prominent along the winged base.  Along with short ciliate hairs at leaf margins, similar scattered hairs occur on adaxial leaf surface while abaxial surface is more hairy with concentrations along primary veins and the leaf base.  Leaves are thin and feel slightly rough.  The color on both sides of leaves is a similar medium green.  As plants mature in fall, especially with drying soils, lower leaves wither and drop off.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 3:  In mid-October, pubescent stems are hard and brown.  Lower along stem, axillary branches that bear flowers are shorter, as shown.

Leaves on branches that bear the inflorescence become smaller upwards, first becoming broadly acicular (needle-shaped), to acicular, then to bract-like.  These leaves and bracts, also sessile, have the same color and pubescence as the larger leaves, though without winged bases.  The acicular leaves, which may be ½ inch long and 1/16 inch wide, further decrease in size to tiny acicular bracts.  Bracts are especially numerous at the ends of the longest branches and secondary branches.

The inflorescence, a series of composite flower heads along branches, occurs along and toward the ends of widely spreading and ascending, short to long branches.  The longest flowering branches tend to occur about mid-upper-stem with shorter braches below and above.  Branches have alternate leaves or bracts that are separated from each other by about ½ to 1/8 inch or less.  Leaf/bract size and separation decreases toward the ends of branches.  Leaves or bracts within the inflorescence subtend a single flower head or a fascicle that may produce a secondary flowering branch.  Flower heads at the ends of branches or secondary branches bloom first, with development continuing down-branch over a month or two if conditions remain favorable.  When stems lean to a great degree, flower heads bend to the sunny side, becoming secund (oriented to one side).  Bracts just below flower heads have acute tips that grade into the similarly sized and shaped phyllaries.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 4:  In mid-October, plants may be 5 feet tall with many branches and secondary branches.  Fragrant or aromatic aster (S. oblongifolium) is shown at lower right.

Flower heads, to about ¾ inch wide, have 20+ pistillate ray flowers and 25+ perfect yellow disk flowers.  Ray flowers have widely spreading strap-like ligules, normally white, about ¼ inch long and 1/16 inch wide.  Tubular disk flowers, with yellow 5-lobed corollas and yellow stamens, become reddish with age.  Flower heads are set in an elongated urn-shaped involucre composed of closely spaced, sharply pointed, 1/8 inch, awl-shaped, overlapping, stiff bracts (phyllaries) in 4 to 6 irregular layers (series).  Phyllaries are appressed on their lower portion and upward-flared on upper portion.  Involucres are the same medium green as leaves, but with lighter green bases due to bract growth.  Pedicels, subtended by acicular bracts, are not more than ¼ inch long.  The elongate inferior ovaries of the ray and disk flowers have bristly structures (pappus) at their upper ends.   The white styles of ray flowers and yellow styles of disk flowers have bifurcated stigmas.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 5:  Ends of branches and secondary branches bear acicular leaves and bracts that transition directly to the acicular phyllaries.  Note the pubescent branches and ¾-inch daisy-like flower heads.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 6:  The disk flowers changes from yellow to reddish with age.  Note the many acicular leaves and bracts below flower heads

With fertilization, ray and disk flowers produce 1-seeded achenes topped by tufts of white hairs (pappus).  Achenes, about 1/16-inch long and dispersed by wind, are slightly flattened and lightly ribbed.

White oldfield aster - Symphyotrichum pilosumPhoto 7:   Composite flower heads have pistillate ray flowers and perfect disk flowers.  Ovaries indicated by “x’s”.  Stigmas of ray flowers indicated by red arrows while those of disk flowers indicated by yellow arrows.  Stamens indicated by blue arrows.  Pappus indicated by white arrows.

Asters are important nectar and pollen sources for many insects in the fall.  White oldfield aster may not be suitable for small gardens due to large size and tendency to readily spread by seed.  Removal and disposal of seeds before maturity lessens degree of spreading.

Several other native Arkansas asters have white flower heads and may get confused with white oldfield aster.  Wreath aster (S. ericoides), typically found in tallgrass and blackland prairies of western Arkansas, tends to be about 2 feet tall and bushy with smaller more closely spaced leaves; in addition, flower heads have fewer ray flowers.  White woodland aster (S. lateriflorum), known from throughout the state, has narrowly lanceolate leaves, prefers shadier and usually moister woodlands, has smaller flower heads with fewer ray flowers, and the pubescence tends to be limited to stems (although the mid-vein on the underside of leaves may be hairy, as well).  Bottomland aster (S. ontarionis) has abaxial side of leaves uniformly soft pubescent, upper leaves and bracts that are broader and more leaf-like, and is strongly rhizomatous; it occurs in lowlands of eastern Arkansas.  Tall white aster (S. lanceolatum), found scattered throughout much of the state in moist woodlands and disturbed areas, has mature leaves that are glabrous with wedge-shaped bases and stem hairs in lines, and it lacks the numerous small leaves and bracts found on upper branches of white oldfield aster.

White oldfield aster can be distinguished by a combination of characteristics: It 1) prefers drier and often more disturbed habitats, 2) has new basal growth of oval to elliptic leaves, 3) has evenly pubescent stems, and 4) has leafy fascicles during mid-summer growth.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Know Your Natives – Beautyberry

Posted on October 18, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) of the Mint (Lamiaceae) family, formerly of the Vervain (Verbenaceae) family, is a large deciduous shrub that occurs throughout the Southeastern U.S. from Texas and Oklahoma to southern Missouri and southwestern Kentucky, to Maryland, thence south and east to the coasts.  In Arkansas, it is recorded from across the state but is more sparse in the northernmost Ozark counties.  The genus name comes from Greek meaning “beautiful fruit”.  The specific epithet means “of the Americas”.  It is also called American beautyberry, beautybush and French-mulberry.

This plant, with multiple stems growing from the root stock, does well in a wide variety of soils in full sun or partial shade.  Branches, growing from previous year’s stems and older branches, are irregularly spaced and unbranched in current year’s growth.  Most branch growth occurs from side buds rather than terminal buds.  New, rapidly growing basal stems may arise from among older stems of mature plants.  In favorable sites, new stems and fruit-producing branches may grow up to three or more feet per year.  Plants have a relatively dense habit in sunnier sites, while in shady sites plants have fewer stems with a more open habit.  Rapid growth rate of new branches and weight of fruit along ends of branches cause branches to permanently arch downward to the extent that mature shrubs have a cascading appearance.  Overall plant height may be 7 feet or more with greater widths.  Plants may live for 15 or more years.

New growth of stems and branches appear woolly due to being densely covered with short, branched hairs.  Dense hairs extend onto petioles and peduncles, and along the veins of lower sides of leaf blades, along with shorter hairs throughout upper and lower surfaces of leaf blades.  Hairs on stems wear away throughout the growing season, the stems becoming smooth and tan with variously-sized, thin, elongate lenticels (pores).  On old growth, lenticels become rounded to irregularly shaped and corky.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 1:  A first-year seedling exhibits characteristic widely spaced opposite leaves and rapid growth.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 2:  Trunk of a 12-year or older plant showing “old growth” stems alongside one- and two-year old stems.  Note lenticels on old and young stems.

Large, elliptic-obovate, mostly opposite leaves occur along new stems and current year’s branches.  Leaves may reach 9 inches long (including the 1½ inch flat-topped petioles) and about half as wide.  Leaves, which are generally widely spaced and opposite, tend to be closer together and significantly smaller toward the branch apex.  However, at branch apices, leaves may occur singly or as a group of several leaves.  Leaves, with a consistent shape throughout the plant, are dark green above and light yellowish green below with yellow veins.  Leaf blades are flat, soft and flexible with tips and bases that are similarly tapered.  Margins, except at the tip and near the base, are dentate with triangular teeth.  Venation is impressed above and raised below, with primary veins that are pinnate but offset across the midrib.  Secondary veins connect primary veins to one another (cross-venulate).  Leaf blade, on upper side, is up-flexed between veins.  In fall, leaves exhibit a nice yellow-green coloration.  On new branches, axils of leaves approaching branch apices develop two buds, one above the other.  Lower buds may develop into branches the next growing year while upper buds may develop into inflorescences during the current year.

In early summer, clusters of flowers grow from the upper axillary buds.  Clusters above paired opposite leaves are of equal size (referred to herein as “double cluster”).  Peduncles of clusters are thrice bifurcated so that eight small umbels grow from a single leaf axil with up to ten or more flowers per umbel.  All flowers in a double cluster bloom and fade simultaneously.  Double clusters bloom sequentially toward branch apices with only one double cluster reaching anthesis at one time.

Flowers bear light pink or white, stubby and funnel shaped corollas, approximately one-eighth-inch in diameter, with four rounded lobes and prominently exserted stamens and styles.  Filaments, with knobby divided yellow anthers, and styles, with a flattened split stigma, have a coloration similar to the corolla lobes.  Flowers are set in a light green one-piece, cup-like calyx.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 3:  In early July, branches and petioles are woolly.  Note succession of buds to flowers to fruit.

In late summer, flowers reliably produce fruit (berries) with luminous magenta or white skin.  As they grow, the double clusters of fruit form a dense flattened to rounded mass up to about 1½ inches wide with a depth of about ¾ inch.  Fruit masses, enveloping leaf bases, are aligned along slender branches in shish-kabob fashion.  As leaf spacing decreases near branch tips, fruit clusters may join together to form a longer continuous cluster.  Also, when “extra” leaves (typical opposite leaves plus one or two more) are present, each leaf produces its own flower/fruit cluster resulting in larger fruit clusters.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 4:  Shrubs in full sun, as shown, have a more dense habit than those in partial sun.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 5:  In this mid-September photo, note that the pinnate primary veins are offset across the midrib.  Also, note dentate margins.

A fully developed fruit has four cupped, somewhat elongate, thin light tan seeds.  Seeds are small in relation to fruit size, with each seed set separately in light-colored mealy fluid, the cupped side with a fruit core of the same fluid.  Fruit, unless eaten by wildlife, remains after leaves have fallen.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 6:  Double clusters of beautyberry fruit are shown (common magenta [left] and less common white [right]) with a double cluster (fruit removed [center]) in which thrice divided peduncles (see yellow arrows) and pedicels can be seen along with calyces.  Stem is removed (see red arrow).  Seeds are also shown.

For a larger garden or natural area this plant provides good color and structure as well as an excellent wildlife food source.  Its large open arching structure and large leaves attract attention even before fruit develops.  When fruit ripens to a magenta color (the complimentary color of green) or pure white* and leaves assume their fall color, this plant is a “show stopper”.   Fruit can persist into winter, but may be devoured by birds, small mammals and deer well before winter.  Although drought tolerant, leaves tend to wilt when soil dries, but rebound with renewed moisture.  Cold winters may kill stems, but not the plant.  Beautyberry is a prolific seeder and can form colonies from seed.

Beautyberry - Callicarpa americanaPhoto 7:  In mid-October, fall leaf color accents magenta fruit.

A second species in the same genus has been identified as escaped in Arkansas, namely, non-native Chinese beautyberry (Callicarpa dichotoma), which is documented from Saline County.  This winter-hardy plant also bears magenta fruit, but on a smaller shrub than American beautyberry.   Chinese beautyberry, although not now classified as invasive, is potentially invasive.

  • White fruited beautyberry is a form of Callicarpa americana.  This white form has been referred to as Callicarpa americana var. lactea.  The flowers are also white.

Note:  Raw fruit should not be eaten.  However, fruit has been used for jelly as noted in Florida’s Incredible Edibles by Richard Deuerling and Peggy Lantz.  This same book also provides a recipe for using beautyberry as insect repellant.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Arkansas Center for Biodiversity Collections – 1st Annual Bioblitz

Posted on October 13, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Folks,

There is an amazing opportunity for some citizen science up in the Jonesboro/Cherry Valley area of northeast Arkansas later in October.

The event is October 20 and 21.

See the flyer below for more details and contact Kari Harris, kharris@astate.edu for more details and to sign up!

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Know Your Natives – Woodland Sunflower – Helianthus divaricatus

Posted on September 29, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Helianthus divaricatus, another species known by the common name woodland sunflower, of the Aster (Asteraceae) family, is a deciduous, rhizomatous perennial that occurs in the U.S. from Louisiana to Oklahoma to Wisconsin thence east and south to the borders.  In Arkansas, this species is recorded from throughout much of the state except for portions of the Mississippi Alluvial and West Gulf Coastal Plains.  Preferred habitat is dry uplands in full to partial sun, such as found in woodlands, glades and prairie borders. It may occur in more moist habitats as long as soils are well drained.  The genus name is based on Greek words for “sun” and “flower”.  The specific epithet is perhaps in reference to the plant’s colonizing or “spreading” nature.  It could also be in reference to the divergent nature of inflorescence branches, when present.

The plant, a colonizer with rigid, straight, rounded (terete) stems, ranges from 2 to 5 feet tall and tends to lean when in bloom. Stems, often reddish and well-covered with a bluish waxy coating (glaucous), are mostly glabrous, but may have scattered small, rough outgrowths that can be felt more easily than seen.  Winter-killed stems remain upright into the following year.

Leaves are a medium green above and a lighter shade of the same green below.  Leaves typically occur in widely spaced, opposite pairs that are offset 90 degrees from the pair immediately above or below.  Alternate leaves may occur on the upper portion of main stems, but floral branches from those leaf axils have opposite leaves.  A few single leaves may occur just below flower heads.  Leaves are sessile or have petioles up to 1/16 inch long and which do not have wings.  Smaller leaves of floral branches (for example, 3 inches long and 3/4 inch wide) are narrowly lanceolate toward the tip, with wider rounded bases. Larger leaves of the stem (for example, 6 inches long and 2½ inches wide) are lanceolate toward the tip, with bases that are significantly wider in proportion to their length. Bases of these larger stem leaves are broadly truncated.  Upper leaf surfaces are covered by very short, coarse hairs while hairs on lower surface are denser and slightly longer; especially on veins.  Although leaves are scabrous, leaves can be pulled between fingers with slight resistance.  Leaf margins are mostly entire, but may have widely-spaced, shallow, serrated teeth or may be somewhat crenulate.  Primary venation comprises three prominent veins; namely, the central vein (midrib) and a pair of lateral veins originating at the junction of leaf margin and petiole.  These veins arch gently toward the tip while secondary veins throughout a leaf are pinnate.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus divaricatusPhoto 1: New stems of Helianthus divaricatus grow in mid-April from rhizomes in a sunny site.  Large lower leaves have broadly truncated bases.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus divaricatusPhoto 2: Display showing upper and lower leaf surfaces of upper-stem leaves along with a lower and upper portion of a stem.  Primary lateral veins originate off midrib at leaf blade and petiole junction (see arrow).  Note the prominent bluish waxy coating on the stem.

The period of bloom at mid-summer lasts for about two months, with floral display varying considerably between small and large plants.  Smaller plants, with no branching or short branches, may only produce a single or a few composite flower heads at the top of slender stems.  Larger plants may have a dozen straight floral branches up to 2 feet long that arise from lower as well as upper portions of the stem.  Floral branches have the same appearance as main stems; that is, the longer ones have widely spaced opposite leaves that may produce axial sub-branches.  Final pairs of leaves at the top of floral branches often produce three flower heads or a central head along with two axial branches.  Floral branches of larger plants terminate with loosely arranged composite flower heads with all branches on a plant in bloom simultaneously.  Peduncles, at the extremities of floral branches, are about 1 to 2 inches long and may bear a tiny leaf (bract) or two.

Flower heads, up to about 2½ inches wide, consist of 10 to 20 sterile ray florets surrounding numerous fertile disk florets.  The surface of the central disk, before opening of florets, is covered by light yellow floral bracts (chaff), each subtending a disk floret. Ray florets have a bright yellow, strap-shaped to oblong corolla (ligule) about an inch long.  Ligules, with rounded to pointed tips, are slightly in-folded along the long axis.  Tubular disk florets are about 1/8 inch long with five lobes and five closely packed brownish-black stamens topped with yellow pollen.  Stamens shrink in size before the pistil appears with its recurved bifurcated stigma.

Involucres consist of up to about 50 ascending, imbricated phyllaries in several layers or series.  Phyllaries have narrow bases in relation to their lengths.  Length of phyllaries is about six times their width.  The phyllaries have long, narrow, free-standing, twisting and pointed tips.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus divaricatusPhoto 3: Stems, mostly smooth with a bluish waxy coating, may be reddish-brown.  Leaves are sessile or on short petioles.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus divaricatusPhoto 4: Display of flower heads and floral cluster. Involucres are composed of imbricated, long, narrow phyllaries in several series.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus divaricatusPhoto 5: Display showing phyllaries (#1), sterile ray florets (#2), fertile disk florets with dark stamens exserted (#3), fertile disk florets with exserted bifurcated stigmas (#4), chaff bracts that subtend florets (#5), and a style with 2-lobed stigma (#6).  Needle-like appendages (arrow) will become awns on achenes.

White inferior ovaries are attached to constricted bases of disk florets.  With fertilization, ovaries develop into dry, flattened, glabrous, dark brown fruits (achenes).  Achenes have an elongated, rounded base and a truncated top with two relatively long, weakly attached awns.  Seeds are spread by dropping from long leaning stems and by foraging wildlife.

Several characteristics help distinguish Helianthus divaricatus from two other very similar widespread woodland sunflowers; namely, Helianthus strumosus and Helianthus hirsutus.  Helianthus divaricatus has: 1) stems that are typically smooth and well covered with a bluish waxy coating, 2) petioles that are absent or do not exceed ¼ inch in length, and, if present, leaf blades that do not extend onto petioles, 3) two lateral primary veins near leaf base that originate off midrib at leaf blade and petiole junction and 4) phyllaries with narrow bases and long twisting tips.

Fifteen species of Helianthus occur in Arkansas, of which three widespread species are often referred to by the general common name “woodland sunflower”.  These are: Helianthus divaricatus (addressed herein), Helianthus strumosus (addressed in this previous article), and Helianthus hirsutus.  Helianthus hirsutus has nearly sessile leaves with primary lateral veins much like Helianthus divaricatus,except Helianthus hirsutus has leaves and stems that are generally densely covered by long hairs.  The dense hairiness of Helianthus hirsutus also helps distinguish it from Helianthus strumosus.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus hirsutusPhoto 6: Helianthus hirsutus, as shown, has stems and leaves that are covered with dense longer hairs.  Note venation and serrated leaf margins in comparison to the other two woodland sunflower species.

FOOTNOTE: Woodland sunflowers are prone to naturally hybridize and species’ characteristics in hybrid plants may become muddled–which of course adds to the difficulty of telling the three species apart.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Know Your Natives – Woodland Sunflower – Helianthus strumosus

Posted on September 21, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Helianthus strumosus, known by the common name pale-leaf woodland sunflower or just woodland sunflower (a general name also used for several other native species of sunflowers), of the Aster (Asteraceae) family, is a deciduous rhizomatous perennial which occurs throughout the eastern U.S. from eastern Texas and North Dakota to the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts.  In Arkansas, it is reported from across much of the state and possibly occurs statewide.  The genus name is based on Greek words for “sun” and “flower”.  The specific epithet relates to having strumae (cushion-like swellings) at the base of hairs on the upper stems.  This plant is usually found in full to partial sun in dry to mesic soils of open woods, glades, prairies, roadsides and river banks.

The plant, a colonizer with rigid, straight, rounded (terete) stems, grows to 5 feet or more tall and tends to lean.  Stems and secondary floral branches vary from glabrous to scabrous and may be partially covered with a bluish waxy coating (glaucous).  Winter-killed stems remain upright into the following year.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus strumosusPhoto 1:  New stems of Helianthus strumosus grow from rhizomes in mid-April.

Opposite, widely-spaced, rough leaves are medium green on the upper surfaces and lighter green on the lower surfaces.  Pairs of leaves are off-set 90 degrees from the pair immediately below or above.  Leaf margins are mostly entire, but also may have shallow, widely-spread teeth (serrations).  Lanceolate stem leaves with broadened bases range from 5½ inches long and 1½ inches wide to 8 inches long and 3¼ inches wide.  From their broadest dimension near the base, leaves have a gentle taper to a long-pointed (acuminate) tip, while below that point the width sharply tapers toward the midrib before continuing at a more gentle taper onto the petiole.  Petioles, including the winged portion, range from ¼ inch to 1 inch long.  Hairs on the upper and lower leaf surfaces are stiff and hooked, and thus the leaves feel scabrous.  Longer hairs occur on leaf margins and along abaxial (underside) veins.  Leaves, when gently pulled between fingers, will not slide.  Primary veins consist of three prominent veins; namely, the central vein (midrib) and a pair of lateral veins that originate near the base of leaf but well within the leaf blade.  The two primary lateral veins gently arch toward the tip while secondary veins throughout the leaf are pinnate.  Smaller leaves at the top of the plant are lanceolate and without broadened bases.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus strumosusPhoto 2:  Display showing upper and lower leaf surfaces along with a lower and upper portion of a main stem.  Primary lateral veins originate off midrib at a point well within leaf blade (see arrow).

The inflorescence consists of six or so straight floral branches from an inch to about 8 inches long that grow from leaf axils from near the top of the stem.  These floral branches, which bear one or two pairs of opposite, ovate-lanceolate leaves ½ to 1 inch long (including petioles), produce about three to eight composite flower heads on ¼- to ¾-inch peduncles.  Flower heads are borne in loose clusters with about 20 to 25 total flower heads on a stem.  The central flower head of a cluster blooms prior to others in that cluster.  The period of bloom at mid-summer lasts for about a month.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus strumosusPhoto 3:  Roughness of leaves is evident in upper leaf pair.  Small leaves near inflorescence remain opposite and retain petioles.  Involucres are composed of imbricated bracts (phyllaries) in several series.

Flower heads are composed of ray florets without stamens or pistils (sterile) and fertile disk florets that have stamens and pistils (each a perfect flower).  The surface of the central disk, before opening of florets, is covered by yellowish-green bracts (chaff) that subtend disk florets.  Flower heads, from about 1 to 3 inches across, have about 10 to 15 ray flowers with bright yellow corollas (ligules) up to 1 inch long that are strap-like and slightly infolded along the long axis.  Ray flowers encircle up to about 50 1/8-inch-long tubular disk florets with five up-pointed lobes and a truncated, constricted base.  Five closely packed stamens with purplish anthers covered with yellow pollen become exserted well above the corolla.  Thereafter, the stamens withdraw before the pistil, with a recurved bifurcated stigma, becomes exserted.  Disk florets, pollen and stigma are a pale orange.  Flower heads are subtended by an involucre composed of up to about 30 light green bracts (phyllaries) that have an elongated triangular shape with up-pointing tips and occur in several series.  The length of phyllaries is about two-times their width.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus strumosusPhoto 4:  Floral bracts (chaff) of the receptacle are pushed aside as disk florets open.  Pollen bearing stamens are purplish.

Woodland sunflower - Helianthus strumosusPhoto 5:  Display showing phyllaries (#1), sterile ray florets (#2), fertile disk florets with dark anthers exserted (#3), fertile disk florets with exserted bifurcated stigma (#4) and bracts (chaff) that subtend florets (#5).  The needle-like appendages (arrow) will become awns on achenes.

White inferior ovaries are attached to the constricted bases of disk florets.  With fertilization, ovaries develop into dry, flattened, glabrous, dark brown, 1-seeded fruits (achenes).  Achenes have an elongated rounded base and a truncated top with two relatively long, weakly attached awns.  Seeds are spread by dropping from long, leaning stems and by foraging wildlife.

Several characteristics help distinguish Helianthus strumosus from two other widespread and very similar native woodland sunflowers, namely, Helianthus divaricatus and Helianthus hirsutus.  Helianthus strumosus has:  1) stems that are typically rough, but not especially hairy, 2) leaf petioles that are ¼ inch or more long with leaf blade extending onto petioles,  3) two primary lateral veins near the leaf base that originate at a point well within leaf blade, and 4) phyllaries that are about twice as long as their widths. Nevertheless, it should be admitted that even the experts often have difficulty distinguishing among these 3 species of woodland sunflower. And without the roots, even Jerusalem artichoke, Helianthus tuberosus, becomes tough to tell apart from them.

FOOTNOTE:  Woodland sunflowers are prone to naturally hybridize and species’ characteristics in hybrid plants may become muddled.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl,

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Know Your Natives – Cut-Leaf Coneflower

Posted on August 31, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Cut-leaf coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniata) of the Aster (Asteraceae) family occurs across the eastern U.S. to North Dakota and New Mexico.  In Arkansas, it occurs primarily in the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains.  The genus name established by Carl Linnaeus (developed binomial nomenclature in 18th century) commemorates his professor O.O. Rudbeck.  The specific epithet relates to the slashed or torn appearance of the leaves.  Other common names include tall coneflower, goldenglow and green-headed coneflower.

This herbaceous perennial, forming clonal colonies from its rhizomatous base, is native to flood plains and moist, fertile soils in partially sunny woodlands, thickets, sloughs and prairies margins.  It does well during hot and humid summers, but quickly wilts when soil becomes dry.  Colonies have stems that reach a typical height of 5 to 8 feet but may reach 10 feet.  Light green stems are terete (rounded), slightly ridged and are glaucous (with a waxy blue-gray sheen).  The tough, non-woody stems, about ¼-inch wide, have a pulpy white interior surrounding a hollow core.  Branching occurs near the top of the plant.  Overall, the plant is glabrous, but a few fine hairs may be found.

Leaves, dark green above and lighter green below, are mostly three-lobed, but with simple leaves high in the plant.  First leaves of spring can be shallowly lobed with serrated margins.  Later, alternate stem leaves are deeply three-lobed.  Stem leaves may be 12 to 16 inches long (including 2- to 6-inch petioles) and equally wide.  The three lobes of stem leaves are narrowly to broadly lanceolate with large serrations on margins.  Lobes may be dissected to the point that some lobes, especially terminal lobes, have secondary lobes.  Width of lobes reduces gradually toward their common junction so that they may be almost sessile at the rachis.  Lateral lobes are not symmetrical along their main vein–the side away from the midrib is wider.  Leaves approaching the inflorescence become smaller and unlobed, and petioles become shorter.  Margins of the smallest leaves are entire (not serrated).  Basal and lower stem leaves tend to drop in response to drying soil.

Petioles, with grooved upper surfaces and bases that wrap halfway around the stems, support ascending leaves with drooping tips.  Narrow wings of leaf blade may extend a short way down the petiole.

Venation is slightly incised above and strongly raised below.  Primary and secondary veins are mostly aligned along the long axis of leaves and leaf lobes, while secondary and tertiary veins are pinnate to net-like (reticulate).

Cutleaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniataPhoto 1:  A young plant in late May showing relatively shallowly three-lobed leaves.

Cutleaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniataPhoto 2:  An established colony in mid-April.  Three-lobed leaves are further deeply cut.

Cutleaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniataPhoto 3:  Display of various leaf shapes and a stem segment.  Upper and lower surface of large stem leaves shown.

Inflorescence, in mid-summer, consists of solitary composite flower heads on long, naked peduncles at the ends of branching stems near the top of the plant.  In the area of the inflorescence, each stem leaf subtends one smaller axillary branch.  An axillary branch may itself produce one or more leaves from which, in like pattern, other axillary branches may continue this branching pattern.  At the final leaf of a branch or stem, a peduncle bears a single flower head.  With main stems diverging away from axillary branches, the main stems within the inflorescence zigzag from leaf to leaf.

Cutleaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniataPhoto 4:  Uppermost flower heads of a 7-foot plant in mid-July. Of the pair of heads on right, one head (left) is at the apex of a main stem and the other (right) is an axillary head.

Within the inflorescence, a single stem may produce 40 or more composite flower heads.  Flower heads, very early in their growth, are exposed as green domes surrounded by 8 to 14 elongate, pointed, outward-flaring bracts (phyllaries) of unequal length and in several series.  With approaching anthesis, ligules of the 6 to 12 infertile ray florets, at first up-pointing flare outward, become bright yellow and broadly oblong-ovate with a pinched base.  Phyllaries and ligules, at anthesis, are somewhat droopy about the central disk that is ½ inch or more wide.  The diameter of the entire flower head is to 2 to 3 inches.  The central disk remains green until the 100+ disk florets open, at which time it becomes brownish yellow.  Yellowish tubular disk florets, about ¼ inch long and 1/32 inch wide, have a tubular corolla with 5 upward pointing, triangular lobes and 5 exserted stamens.  Split (bifurcated) stigmas become exserted later than the stamens.  The central disk, appearing prickly when in bloom, becomes brown as florets fade.  Fertilized disk florets produce 1/8 inch-long, 1-seeded, 4-sided, conical-shaped achenes with short bristles at the top edge.

Cutleaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniataPhoto 5:  A pair of nectar-feeding wasps (Scolia bicincta) eat nectar and carry pollen from flower to flower.  Stamens (red arrow) and bifurcated styles (blue arrow) become exserted as florets become receptive to pollination.

Cutleaf coneflower - Rudbeckia laciniata var. lanciniataPhoto 6:  Display of leaves from upper branches, a branch segment and front and back of flower heads.  Note that central disk of small flower head on stem is already fully exposed.

In a garden setting, cutleaf coneflower is an eye-catching plant throughout the growing season.  Its extravagant leaves and interesting flowers place it on the “list of plants for consideration” for a partially shady, large garden or natural area.  However, the plant can become a vigorous colonizer.  Some of its many extending rhizomes and offset plants will probably need to be removed every year to maintain control.  In a too-sunny or too-dry site, leaves droop and the plant may wither.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Know Your Natives – Brown-Eyed Susan

Posted on August 18, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba var. triloba) of the Aster (Asteraceae) family occurs naturally in the U.S. from Texas to Nebraska and Minnesota, then east and south to the borders, as well as apparently introduced in Colorado and Utah.  In Arkansas, this species (the only variety of the species in the state) occurs primarily across the Ozark Plateaus, Arkansas Valley and Ouachita Mountains.  Other common names include thin-leaved coneflower and three-lobed coneflower.  Brown-eyed Susan, a biennial or short lived herbaceous perennial, grows in well-drained moist to wet soils in light shade to full sun within open woodlands, alluvial thickets, roadsides and prairies.  The root system includes several short taproots along with smaller roots.

Brown-eyed Susan has a primary stem that grows to 3 to 5 feet tall.  Plant width (spread) is about half as wide as the plant is tall.  Secondary ascending branches grow from the axils of most primary stem leaves, with lower branches reaching up to two feet in length.  Even with the many flowering branches, when not confined by other vegetation, the plant has an overall open to airy appearance.  Stems and branches, generally a medium green, may have reddish shading, especially when plants are younger.  Stems and branches are densely covered with upright hairs and feel very rough (scabrous).  In deer country, primary stems are eaten early in the growing season so that lower secondary branches become dominant and plants may be only a foot or two tall.

The leaves of brown-eyed Susan are variable.  All leaves are thin but, being covered with short hairs (hirsute), feel thicker and rough.  Hairs of the upper leaf surface are equally spread while on lower surfaces, hairs are concentrated on primary leaf veins.  Leaf margins and petioles have longer hairs.

In winter into spring, the reddish basal leaves vary from simple, long-petioled, and spoon shaped to three- to five-lobed.  In spring, the mounded leaves have three deeply cut, broadly rounded, irregular, finger-shaped lobes with crenulated margins.  With bolting of the primary stem, alternate stem leaves are three-lobed and may be 7 inches long and 4 inches wide, decreasing in size toward the top of the stem.  The lobed leaves at the lower portion of the primary stem transition upwards to unlobed leaves.  In deer country, three-lobed leaves may not be seen on a plant because the primary stem has been eaten.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 1:  In early February, these two plants of brown-eyed Susan exhibit reddish basal leaves.  Leaf shape varies from unlobed, oval, and long-petioled to three-lobed.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 2:  In early April, basal leaves are deeply cut into rounded, irregular, finger-like lobes.

The three-lobed stem leaves have a broadly lanceolate central lobe and lanceolate side lobes that are less than half the size of the central lobe.  Blades of all three lobes taper to elongated tips (attenuate) and have narrowed bases.  The spaces (sinuses) between the three lobes are elongated and rounded at the closed end.  Narrow wings of leaf blade on petioles extend partially or all the way to the stem.  Margins of leaves of these primary stem leaves vary from coarsely serrated to entire, with central lobes having more and coarser serrations.  When leaf-lobe margins are serrated, serrations occur from lobe apices to just below mid-leaf with the lower portion being entire.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 3:  Leaf and stem display.  Lobes of three-lobed leaves on the primary stem are lanceolate to lanceolate-elliptic.  Simple leaves occur mainly on secondary branches and within inflorescences.  Stems are hirsute.

Unlobed leaves are normally present on secondary branches; however, they may also occur on primary stems along with smaller three-lobed and even two-lobed leaves.  Unlobed leaves have the same appearance as the central lobe of three-lobed leaves, except the smallest leaves are not serrated and are sessile.  Unlobed leaves may be 3 inches long and 1 inch wide, with size decreasing up-branch.

Flowers, on secondary branches, bloom in mid-summer over a month or more.  Branches may have several sub-branches with one or two flower-heads occurring at the end of each branch or sub-branch.  A plant in an ideal habitat with minimal competition may have hundreds of flower-heads that are evenly spread throughout.  Generally, basal leaves have disappeared by the time that the plant is in bloom.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 4:  Here in a garden setting, brown-eyed Susan is on left and black-eyed Susan is on right.  Photo taken mid-June.

Brown-eyed Susan has composite flower heads, ½ to 1½ inches across, with a purplish-brown central disk composed of many very small florets surrounded by about eight sterile ray florets.  The round central disk has a stubby conical shape on an elongated receptacle.  Disk florets are each subtended, toward the outside of the disk, by a thin, acuminate, receptacular bract (chaff).  These bracts are green at first, but as the purplish-brown disk florets push out, the bracts assume the same color.  Disk florets, about one-eighth-inch long and maturing from the outside of the disk inward, are tubular with five pointed lobes.  Stamens are yellow and the pistil is purplish.  Lobes of the corolla tubes of the disk florets recurve as florets mature.

Ray florets have a yellow strap-like to ovate corolla (ligule) that first appears as a rolled-up tube.  At anthesis, ligules are linear to ovate and may have a notched tip.  Flower-heads bloom across the entire plant without any particular sequence.  Additional smaller heads may appear after the main bloom, if growing conditions remain favorable.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 5:  Note stage of ray-flower development shown by the three heads.  Leaves in inflorescence are simple, hairy, sessile and lanceolate.

The flower head is based on a receptacle subtended by small lanceolate bracts (phyllaries) that form the involucre.  At anthesis, the bracts align in a single flat layer just below the ligules.  Bracts can vary from about half the length of the ligules to slightly longer than the ligules.  Bracts, the same color as the overall plant, have dense short hairs.  Fruits, about one-eighth-inch long, are dark, elongate, 1-seeded achenes that quickly mature as the seed head dries.  The persistent emptied seed heads at first look spiky due to the chaff which then falls off to reveal the receptacle.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 6:  Disk florets bloom from outside edge toward center.  Involucre is composed of lanceolate bracts in a single layer.

Nine species of Rudbeckia occur in Arkansas, some with multiple varieties. Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), with its common name similar to that of brown-eyed Susan, may cause confusion, because the species’ disks are not quite “brown” or “black”.  Black-eyed Susan has several characteristics that distinguish it from brown-eyed Susan: 1) it prefers drier and sunnier habitats, 2) it is a smaller plant with all unlobed leaves, 3) the upper surface of leaves feels fuzzy, 4) a single flower-head terminates each long secondary stem, and 5) the involucre has several layers of bracts.

Black-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia hirtaPhoto 7:  Basal leaves of black-eyed Susan in late March.  Note underlying over-winter leaves of this biennial.

Brown-eyed Susan -Rudbeckia triloba var. trilobaPhoto 8:  Four flower-heads of brown-eyed Susan at lower-left and four heads of black-eyed Susan at upper-right.  Texture of central disks differs between species, but color is about the same.  Note difference of involucres.

In a home landscape, brown-eyed Susan would work well in a naturalized setting where its tall lanky growth habit would fit in.  For a more tidy plant, the shorter more compact black-eyed Susan (which typically has flowers for two years) would probably be a better option.  Both species self-seed.

Footnote:  Orange coneflower (Rudbeckia fulgida) has flowers similar to black-eyed Susan.  This perennial species forms colonies from rhizomes and has broad, mostly basal leaves.

Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl

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Fall 2016 Meeting Update and Latest Claytonia now available

Posted on August 7, 2016 by Webmaster ANPS

Dear ANPS Member,

We wanted to share with you the latest news on the Fall 2016 Meeting coming up next month in Mena, Arkansas, and tell you that the Fall 2016 Claytonia newsletter is now available for downloading!

The fall 2016 Claytonia newsletter has been published and the mailed copies will go out around August 8 or 9.

Click here to download and read the Fall 2016 Claytonia.

Click here for all the details on the Fall 2016 Meeting in Mena, Arkansas, to be held September 23-25.

Meeting details:

Everybody is welcome to attend! Meeting registration is only $5 with no pre-registration required. Registration will begin at 5:00PM on Friday, September 23d.

Meeting Location: Ouachita Center on the Rich Mountain Community College Campus (look for ANPS signs as the Ouachita Center is too new to be on their campus map!)

Directions from Sun Country Inn to Rich Mountain Community College

Hotel: Sun Country Inn, 1309 Hwy 71 North, Mena, AR  71953

Phone: (479) 394-7477 or 877-394-7477

UPDATE: As of August 29, 2016, Sun Country Inn is fully booked. An alternative is Rainey Day Resort in Mena. Click here for more info about Rainey Day Resort.

Directions from Hot Springs to hotel (about 1 1/2 hours).

Directions from Russellville to hotel (about 2 hours).

Twenty-five rooms (15 double queens and 10 kings) have been reserved at the reduced rate of $84.55 plus tax per night. Reservations must be received by August 23, 2016 to guarantee the reduced rate. Be sure to mention that you are with the Arkansas Native Plant Society when making your reservation.

Dining Options: We will have a Potluck meal Friday and Saturday evenings. Bring a dish or just come and eat! There are also many dining options in downtown Mena (Stache’s Cookery (tasty), Branding Iron, American Artisans (awesome lunch!), Chopping Block Steakhouse, and Skyline Cafe (breakfast is early and delicious!))

Field trips: Several field trips to local areas of top botanical interest will be scheduled for Saturday 8:00 AM-5:00PM and Sunday 8:00AM-12:00PM:

Queen Wilhelmina State Park on Rich Mountain

Cossatot River State Park south of Mena

Ouachita National Forest in the vicinity of Mena

There will also be an opportunity Saturday afternoon to stay cool inside and watch Catherine Zimmerman’s Hometown Habitat: Stories of Bringing Nature Home featuring Doug Tallamy and many others dedicated to creating native landscapes across the country.

We will offer something for everybody, whether you want to take it slow and easy or something more vigorous. You must sign up for field trips on Friday evening to allow for adequate logistical planning.

Programs:

Friday 7:00PM – The annual Native Plant Auction (bring plants or books or homemade jelly to auction off!)

Saturday 7:00PM – Dr. Travis Marsico –  Associate botany professor and curator of the Arkansas State University Herbarium will give a presentation on the digitization of Arkansas herbaria and how ANPS members can help.

Saturday 7:45 – Dwayne Estes – Associate professor at Austin Peay State University (APSU), curator of APSU Herbarium, and Botanical Explorer with Botanical Research Institute of Texas (BRIT) will speak on the fascinating similarities between the vegetation in the Ouachita Mountains and the Cumberland Plateau of Tennessee.

For complete and up-to-date details, go to http://www.anps.org or contact Virginia McDaniel, virginiamcd31@yahoo.com, (828) 545-2062.

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