butter cup

Buttercup

Ranunculus (repens?)

Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Ranunculales
Family: Ranunculaceae
Genus: Ranunculus
(by way of Wikipedia)



Recycle from may of last year, however the Buttercups are coming in strong. It appears there are several varieties in this area, but I am not ready to tackle the differences.

The name buttercup is applied casually to any number of small yellow field flowers, though most of the time it is applied to members of the Ranunculus genus. One of the strong characteristics of this flower type is not only multiple stamen (male part) but multiple pistils. (female component.)

I'll try to get a better picture to illustrate the flourish. Until then, here is a better picture by way of backyard nature: http://www.backyardnature.net/buttrcup.htm

One of the notable characteristics of the featured buttercup is its affinity for drainage areas and wet soil, and its notable waxy sheen. (Which in turn makes it more difficult to photograph). This variety always has five petals.

There is a small irony in the location of Arkansas's field buttercups. They seem to take well to pastureland, and can sometimes be seen distinctly within the perimeters of places where cattle feed. Some varieties of Buttercup are called cowslip, because (I imagine) they slip so easily through cows. On the other hand, buttercups are poisonous, and can blister the mouths of cattle.

For more information on all things Ranunculus see:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ranunculus

Water Hemclock (Cowbane)

Cicuta maculata

Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked):Eudicots

(unranked): Asterids
Order: Apiales
Family:Apiaceae
Genus: Cicuta
Species: C. maculata

Wikipedia:

Missouri plants

At a quick glance (or until you lean the difference) Water Hemlock looks an awful lot like Queen Anne's Lace ---on speed. (its thinner and somewhat strung out.) First time I saw it, I thought, that's weird, that Queen Anne's Lace grows odd in the shade. (It looks too, a lot like Poison Hemlock and Wild Parsley, but the latter are somewhat less common than QAL.)

As is, Water Hemlock (along with Poison Hemlock) are highly poisonous, so not a good idea to mistake for wild carrot (QAL), wild parsley, or wild parsnip.

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QAL and Water Hemlock often grow in close proximity and in patches, with the the difference that Water Hemlock seems to prefer the shade and ditches. Along highway 64, from Conway To Mayflower, QAL seems to dominate the open eastern side of the street, while the Water Hemlock sticks to the the western, darker, ditchy, heavily shaded side. I've seen a few Water-Hemlock plants in open pasture, but they seem to be the exception. Beyond that it seems that the Water Hemlock are with us for a shorter period of time, though this year its a long- short time, given the rains.

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Beyond that, Water Hemlock and QAL share certain structure elements. Both feature bloom clusters within clusters - called "umbels." (Bloom clusters radiating on stems) Think of fireworks, or galaxies ... breaking forth atop of a larger Firework boom. (One difference however, QAL appear to unfold into a disk, while the WH umbel pushes out, from a big-bang disk to a bulbous igloo.

Umbles

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WH are just a blast to photograph. In as much as the umbels are very dimensional (and often at various stages of growth), I have pushed the focus vector through a single plant and watched as various umble parts explode as one part sharpens then fades, reaching from cluster to cluster.

Water Hemlock Umbel, shaped like an Umbrella, with bloom clusters on stems radiating from the center.