Catsclaw Sensitive Brier

Cat's Claw Sensitive Brier

Mimosa nuttallii

Schrania nuttallii (alternate)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mimosa_nuttallii

http://www.springerlink.com/content/rk34773gx1075u68/

I was not surprised in the least to see this as part of the Mimosa genus (the filamental stamen, and leaf shape are very similar to the bloom of the Mimosa tree. What is surprising is that this bloom (a true "ball" by contrast to the Mimosa "fan") grows on a ground hugging pricker vine, much different than the big Mimosa tree.

Most Surprising, this really is a sensitive brier. While moving a sample of the vine to white card-stock (3rd image) the fronds all closed up. I had to wait some ten minutes for some of the fronds to re-open.

More later.

Purple Thistle

I believe this is Cirsium arvense, one of many types of purple thistle. (It could also be Cirsium altissium).
For a moment, I thought these were a flower I had never seen. Most thisles grow upright, but after strong winds and rain, this outcrop was bent over.
For a different variety of purple thistle see: http://idarkansas.blogspot.com/2008/05/purple-thistle.html




Info to be added

All pics, mid September 2008

Purple Thistle

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Subfamily: Carduoideae
Tribe: Cynareae
Genus: Cirsium





I do not yet know what species of thistle this is, though it belongs to the genus "Cirsium", which includes a wide variety of thistles. All pics, early June, 2005 Northern Arkansas.


(9/23/08) It would appear that this is Carduus nutans, or a "Musk Thistle." For a different variety of purple thistle see: http://idarkansas.blogspot.com/2008/09/purple.html




Variant Species (we have these here, but these are from Nebraska, July 05)