Jerusalem Artichoke (Sun Choke)

Lobelia

Missouri Plants indicates that this is a member of the lobelia genus, but this doesn't seem to be the offered species. May be Lobelia purpurea. All I know is have never seen it before and it took me by surprise...

Found on Highway 365 near the Mayflower exit.

Ground Nut: Apiosis americana

Ground Nut

Apiosis americana

This will clearly rank as one of my productive flower weeks in years. I have seen over the top Springs, but this "down summer" marked by greater rains and moderate temperatures (for August and September) is reaping a harvest of photos, many of things I have never noted before, including this thing called a ground nut, or American potato bean. (Thanks Tom for the ID help. Check Tom's Ohio wildlife blog on the side bar.)

Turns out Apiosis americana is (has been and may be) an important food source, both for its been and its starchy sweat-potato like tubers:

(Wikipedia): Apios americana, sometimes called the potato bean, hopniss, Indian potatoor groundnut (but not to be confused with other plants sometimes known by thename groundnut) is a perennial vine native to eastern NorthAmerica, and bears edible beans and large edible tubers. It grows to3-4 m long, with pinnate leaves 8-15 cm long with 5-7leaflets. The flowers are red-brown to purple,produced in dense racemes. The fruit is a legume (pod) 6-12 cm long.The tubers are crunchy and nutritious, with a high content of starch and especially protein. The plant was one of the most important food plants of pre-European North America, and is now being developed for domestication."

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

Pink Weed

(color in shade)

(color is sun)

All pics, early September 2009

Pinkweed

Polygonum pensylvanicum

I am not absolutely sure on the pensylvanicum part, as there are dozens of Polygonums, and quite a few of them lean pink.

This Plant appears to thrive in colony, and can take on the form of a large sprawling hedge, or can just exist on a stem by stem basis. I have seen these in leaner branching form clear into December.

Blue Mistower (Purple Froth)

Before I found the same thing on Tom's Ohio blog, I was calling this Purple Froth. I'm either colorblind or the same guy who named this named the Redbud and Red clover.

Turns out to be "Blue Mistflower" or

.

Conoclinium coelestinum

Kingdom Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass Asteridae
Order Asterales
Family Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus Conoclinium DC. – thoroughwort P
Species Conoclinium coelestinum (L.) DC. – blue mistflower P

Pink kinda froth (Or Purple Froth 2)

Beach False Foxglove (Purple fragilee)

Agalinis fasciculata

of the Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) family

This appears to be another of those plants that sheds its blooms with a mere touch. I believe each bloom is good for a day then falls off.

Suprise Lily (Naked Lady)

Surprise Lily, sometimes called a Red Spider Lily, also known as "Naked Lady" presumably because of the absence of leaves.

Lycoris radiata.

As the title suggests, these spectacular lilies are surprising and they do radiate! I don't know if they are native or a garden escapee, but the field not far from my home marks September every year with a few lily surprises. I have also seen a pink version, which seems more in keeping with the naked lady moniker.

Horse-nettle: Devil's tomato

.
Horse Nettle Berries: Late August

Note: the berries do not really grow into the sky. I lifted a ground-bound brier there so that you might better see the fruit.












Horse Nettle Blooms: Late June

(Too bad I didn't name this plant, I would have called it Umbrella bloom.)


Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Solanum
Species: S. carolinense
binomial name:
Solanum carolinense

Carolina horsenettle (Solanum carolinense), also known as Bull nettle, Carolina horse nettle, Horse nettle, Apple of Sodom, Radical Weed, Sand Brier and, Tread-softly, is not a true nettle, but a member of the Solanaceae, or nightshade family. It is known for producing painful spines along the stems that penetrate the skin and break off. It is a perennial, herbaceous plant native to southeastern United States that has spread widely throughout North America.

Carolina horsenettle is considered a noxious weed in several US states. It can spread vegetatively by underground rhizomes as well as by seed. It is resistant to many herbicides; in fact, herbicide use often selects for horsenettle by removing competing weeds. It is an especially despised weed by gardeners who hand weed as the spines tend to penetrate the skin and then break off when the plant is grasped. The deep root also makes it difficult to remove.

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

For more on this plant's limited use, or it's real dangers see: ToxicTomatoes

Ashy Sunflower

Helianthus mollis

late July - September.

Family Asteraceae (Sunflower, Daisy)

The Ashy Sunflower is sometimes also called downy Sunflower, as both the back of the bloom and stem are covered in "downy" hairs. The overall feel of the plant however, is stiff.

Hard Ball: Eryngium yuccifolium

Eryngium yuccifolium

Compare and contrast to the simular shape but much softer expression of the the Button Ball bush.

This is one I missed posting from mid July, and will move back to the right chronological position in a day or two.