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Buck Creek Barrens Fall 2018 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2018) |
|
Buck Creek Barrens Fall 2018 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2018) |
| After seeing several images of Fringed Gentians taken here the previous weekend, I headed over on an overcast afternoon. After the overnight & morning rains, I was pretty sure that the flowers wouldn't be opening today, and I was correct. But there were other interesting plants in bloom... Late September 2018: |
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| The day's initial find was these British Soldiers Lichens (Cladonia cristatella) |
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| The little red "caps" that resemble the red hats worn by invading British troops during the American Revolutionary War give the lichen its common name of British Soldier Lichen. |
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| Curtiss' Milkwort (Polygala curtissii) Previously incorrectly identified here as Polygala nuttallii. |
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| Canada Burnet (Sanguisorba canadensis) |
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| I came upon a nice population of Large-leaf Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia grandifolia) |
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| Unfortunately they were just a little past their prime. |
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| But still nice to see! |
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| I thought this was a lichen, but now I'm pretty sure it's an algae, Trentepohlia aurea |
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| To shoot this tall thistle, I had to hold the camera above my head and shoot down, so I didn't see the crab spider nor all the other little critters hiding in the flower... |
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| Soapwort Gentian (Gentiana saponaria) |
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| These Gentians were blooming better than I had ever seen them here. |
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| I finally came to the Fringed Gentian site (shown with Parnassia grandifolia). This is one of the lesser populations here, but I like how it grows amidst the Parnassia. |
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| Fringed Gentian (Gentianopsis crinita) |
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| Unfortunately, with little sun today, this was about as far as the flowers opened. |
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| Parnassia grandifolia |
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| The Fringed Gentians here grow within a large colony of Parnassia grandifolia. |
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| A pair of Fringed Gentians |
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| The Fringed Gentians are always lovely to see, even when not fully open. |