This contest is officially closed. See post of answers on April 4, 2009
Here's a little game that anyone can win, but those who have some North American nature knowledge will have a slight edge. This is hopefully a final goodbye to winter, although we got three inches of snow today with horizontal wind! The fun nature event was that all the army worms (remember them) that came out yesterday worked hard to tunnel up above the snow and a huge flock of starlings swooped down and gobbled most of them up. While I was trying to get the memory card in the camera they all swooped off again!
OK, here are the rules. There are five pictures of winter weed stalks below. There is a list below that of ten plant names to choose from. Anyone who gets all five of the plants labeled correctly on the first try will get a month long 125x125 ad on this blog April 4- May 3. Answers should be in the form letter-number, for example X-12, which would match a picture with a name from the list. No trick questions, the answers are in the list and the plant stalks are all typical examples.
One entry per person. Put entries in the comments sections. Contest will close April 3, 2009 at midnight EST. If you are not an Entrecard member and win, that is fine, but you'll need a 125x125 banner, or let me make one for you.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
The list of choices
1. Common mullein - Verbascum thapsus
2. St. John's wort - Hypericum perforatum
3. Wild blue flag - Iris versicolor
4. Mistflower - Eupatorium coelestinum
5. Common teasel - Dipsacus sylvestris
6. Chickory - Chichorium intybus
7. Bouncing Bet (Soapwort) - Saponaria officinalis
8. Yucca - Yucca filamentosa
9. Wild Asparagus - Asparagus officinalis
10. Bee Balm - Monarda fistulosa
Good luck! If anyone wants more weed fun, I did a similar game, but just for fun, on an e-newsletter I produced for a while. You can see that at Books Leaving Footprints, Newsletter 5
See One Less Army of Worms for a previous thaw and emergence of worms
See The Army Meets a Different Need for what happened to them
11 comments:
I recognize some of these weeds in the pictures, and I recognize some of the names, but I wouldn't know where to begin to match any of them. So, good luck to any of you who think they might know. This is a great game, and it will be fun to see who wins. I think I'll go brush up a bit on my weed knowledge.
Don't despair, Ratty! It's so easy to look up pix on the web these days that I didn't want to make it TOO easy. Anyone who spends a little time should be able to get it. But I'll run an ad for all who get them all right.
Actually, I was looking them up, and I already know some, but I'll give it a good chance to run before I make a good guess.
Here goes although I dont know some of your common names. I would do better if you had scientific names to choose from but here's my best effort.
A. 9
B. 5
C. Looks like something in the Apiaceae (Carrot family)
D. Looks like Salsola but not a choice.
E. 1
Oh and I am a botanist from California so I should get extra credit...hee hee. ;)
Julia- How silly of me to not include those. Shows how I tend to undervalue this blog, I think. Gosh... your "about me" page says you are a wetland specialist. I did that for several years myself! I should have included the binomial names for folks from other climes. I'm mostly lost looking at plants from California!
Thanks for your consideration!! Seeing your post was fun. I was like, "hey this is totally right up my alley!" Actually, I was thinking I probably really need to have a handicap, right? I would love to go botanizing somewhere other than California!
Great contest started to do it by going to google images etc. but just have to much other stuff to do today. Most of my seeds for the garden have sprouted (outside in hot boxes) love your blog..
Joe Todd
oh brother I wish my hubby was here. Oh I know these. I have seen all of them many many times....but, I can't put the names together.
Oh I am the worst at this sort of stuff anyway. But, now I will be thinking about it all day.
Great idea and kudos to you for knowing!!:-)
i am not sure if i see some of them, hmmm, i may have to search in google if i have the time.
I waited a few extra hours, but this contest is now officially closed.
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