Early Saxifrage

 
Here's the flower I thought I was seeing from a distance that turned out to be the pussytoes. Oddly enough, within a few hundred feet, we did find early saxifrage, Micranthes virginiensis.

Note the five white petals and ten yellow stamens.



The taxonomists are playing with my head. A whole bunch of what used to be genus Saxifraga are now placed in brand new genera. I suspect unless you are taking a college class or doing plants professionally, you can still call it Saxifraga virginiensis.

It's a dainty spring plant, usually less than a foot tall. This one was growing through dead leaves, but it often sprouts in rocky areas with moss or on rotting logs, creating a nice setting for pictures.

Note the basal leaves on this species. They are broadly oval with big teeth. The stems are hairy and sticky.



I've previously shown you a cousin, Allegheny foamflower. I don't think we saw any of that on this Ohio trip, but we did see miterwort, another cousin. I didn't take it's picture though. It's not very showy, so I keep giving it the short end of the stick.

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A Less-Common Pussytoes

 
Field pussytoes are really common. So common, I've never bothered to show you their picture, which means that I can't give you the comparison till another time. For now, you'll have to take my word for it that these are different. I saw this from a distance and thought it was a completely different plant (which we did see just a few minutes later). But I got mildly excited that this was Plantain-leaved Pussytoes, Antennaria plantaginifolia.



That said, there are something between 6 and 32 species of Antennaria, depending on which expert you ask. But I THINK this isn't one that's under dispute.

The thing that makes it look obviously different from field pussytoes is the leaves. That one has pointed basal leaves with one vein. This one has spatulate basal leaves with 3-5 veins. A lot like plantain. Thus the name. Look closely at the leaves in this second picture.



The big point of departure from plantain is that pussytoes' leaves have white-wooly undersides. I think the name "pussytoes" comes from the flowers, but the leaves feel soft too, like kitten's toes.

Now for the fun fact that lets me count this as learning something new. This plant is dioecious. That means male and female flowers are on separate plants. Often whole clumps will be one sex or the other, spreading vegetatively. This clump is male, because the flower heads are flat-topped. The female flowers are elongated.

I'll have to get some pictures of the common one this summer to show you side by side. The differences are obvious when seen together.

	See Cat's Ears
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Practically Perfect in Every Way

 
Today was a Mary Poppins Perfect kind of day and it takes priority over more Ohio flower pictures.

First of all, it was one of those days where the weather is just exactly the kind I like best. The air was cool and the sun warm. I awoke (not to an alarm clock!) to the scents of flowers coming through the windows. And birds singing.



Apple trees are in bloom. The sky was blue all day. (Now it has turned gray and a gentle rain has begun, but that is perfect too. The birds are fluttering around in it!)



The lawnmower started right up- first time this year. After last year, when it was the primary project of the spring-summer-fall, that is enough for a Quality Day right there.

I mailed a book order (hooray for book sales!) and got gas, came home and mowed half the yard. And the grass wasn't even a foot high before I did this first mowing!



My laundry dried on the line nicely, all soft and outdoor-smelling. I know I show pictures of this way more than you probably care about, but I LOVE clothes dried outside.



I even spent a little time sorting boxes. I gave away three boxes of fabric, consolidated two other boxes. I broke down three empty boxes and put out a bag of trash. The one downside of that is you can't even tell I did anything. But I have to keep working on that mess even if only in short bursts. So, I get a pat on the head for that effort.

My energy level was high today (an awesome gift on a day off), and I didn't waste it. Crocheted a little more on some small projects.

OK, this post is all me, me, me, but as I said, it was one of those rare days when almost everything is perfect, so I'm going to celebrate it!

	See Words are Better than Pictures
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Golden Ragwort

 
How about another "golden" plant today, Golden Ragwort. At least this one has the decency to actually have a golden flower.

It's pretty common. I see it every spring just about everywhere, but I like it anyway.



One thing I particularly like is that the buds are a deep purple. You'd never guess that it was going to open up to be a yellow flower!

It's always been Senecio aureus. But Senecio was a huge genus... actually one of the largest there is. Genetic testing has separated the ragworts out and they are now Packera. But they may get changed again. I know you are just waiting with bated breath for the final decision. Not.

Anyway. It grows about a foot tall in wonderful puddles of gold.



The leaves are also very distinctive, making it easy to recognize even if it's not in bloom. The lower leaves are oval to heart shaped, but deeply lobed, smaller ragged leaves work their way up the stalk.



I'm still waiting to find tansy ragwort, on which the basal leaves are also finely cut and ragged. I may need to be closer to the Atlantic Ocean to see it.

Ann asked to see the crafts I'm taking to Shagway Art Barn. Maybe another day. It's a diverse pile of stuff.

	See Goldenseal
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Goldenseal

 
Here's a spring lovely that I've encountered anywhere from Michigan to Alabama. In fact, it will grow even farther north and south than those states.

It's Goldenseal, Hydrastis canadensis. Yes, that's the same plant many herbal medicines are made from.



I think the most interesting thing about it is that the "flower" is made up stamens. No petals! I also like the wrinkly leaves.

With the addition of this picture to my Nature Photo Page, I've reached one of the goals that was on the silly list I posted last year. I now have 1000 photos there, mostly plants. Am I getting rich from the ad income? Ha! I make a few cents, but I hope some people find the pictures helpful.

Also, I caved in and installed a photo ID app for plants on my phone. I won't consider it as the most reliable source of information, but it could be one tool to help me learn and remember things. For example, I could not remember the correct name for this, and my favorite "quick and dirty" guide, Peterson's Wildflower Guide, doesn't include this plant for some strange reason. Took a while to ferret it out again.

In other news, I'm getting crafts ready to take to the Shagway Arts Barn tomorrow. They open at the end of the month. My books are already there.

	See Blue-eyed Mary
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