Category Archives: Wildflowers
Know Your Natives – Rattan Vine
Rattan Vine or Supplejack (Berchemia scandens) of the Buckthorn (Rhamnaceae) family is a large-stemmed, high climbing, twining, woody vine with simple leaves that have parallel veins. Genus name recognizes Jacob Pierre Berthoud van Berchem, an 18th Century Dutch naturalist and … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Perfoliated Boneset
Perfoliated Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum) of the Sunflower (Asteraceae) family can be distinguished from other members of the genus by its distinctive leaves. Genus name recognizes Mithridates Eupator (132-63 B.C.) King of Pontus, who invented a “universal antidote” against poisoning and … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Trailing Bush Clover
Trailing Bush Clover (Lespedeza procumbens) of the Bean (Fabaceae) family is an herbaceous, prostrate perennial that has racemes of pea-type flowers. Genus name recognizes Vicente Manuel de Cespedes (an early text misspelled his name as “de Lespedez”), governor of the … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Flowering Spurge
Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) of the Spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) is an herbaceous perennial with cyathia (false flowers) that have outward flared, white petaloid appendages growing from the rim of the involucre (modified receptacle). Genus name recognizes Euphorbus, a Greek physician. … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – St. Andrew’s-Cross
Article and photographs by ANPS member Sid Vogelpohl St. Andrew’s-cross (Hypericum hypericoides subsp. hypericoides) of the St. John’s-wort (Hypericaceae) family is a small perennial shrub (subshrub) with fine leaves on straight twigs, 4-petal yellow flowers and 2 prominent sepals. Genus … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Rough Coneflower
Rough Coneflower (Rudbeckia grandiflora var. grandiflora*) of the Aster (Asteraceae) family is an upright herbaceous perennial with multiple slender stems bearing yellow composite flowers. Genus name honors “Olof Rudbeck the Younger”, a Swedish botanist. Specific epithet is derived from Latin … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Yellow Wild Indigo
Yellow Wild Indigo (Baptisia sphaerocarpa) of the Pea (Fabaceae) family is a shrub-like, herbaceous perennial with bright yellow pea-type flowers. Genus name is derived from Greek for “to dye” (bapto), based on another member of the genus (Indigofera tinctoria) used … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Texas Toadflax
Texas Toadflax or Blue Toadflax (Nuttallanthus texanus*) of the Plantain family (Plantaginaceae) is an annual forb with vegetative basal stems and floral stems terminating with a raceme of light blue to lavender flowers. The genus combines the name of British … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Harvey’s Buttercup
Harvey’s Buttercup (Ranunculus harveyi var. harveyi*) of the Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) family has an open structure and a succulent appearance. The genus name, based on Latin words for “frog” (rana) and “little” (unculus) relates to the occurrence of many buttercups in … Continue reading
Know Your Natives – Yellow Honeysuckle
Yellow Honeysuckle (Lonicera flava) of the Honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae) family is a twining vine with terminal clusters of yellow tubular flowers favored by swallowtail butterflies. The genus name honors Adam Lonicer* a German physician, botanist, and herbalist of the 16th Century. … Continue reading
