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GA BotSoc Spring 2026 Pilgrimage Field Trips Dickenson Branch Botanical Area, Rabun Co., GA Part 1 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2026) |
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GA BotSoc Spring 2026 Pilgrimage Field Trips Dickenson Branch Botanical Area, Rabun Co., GA Part 1 |
All Text & Images: Copyright (2026) |
| May 1 & 2, 2026 I led two field trips here during the Georgia Botanical Society's 2026 Spring Pilgrimage, based in Clayton, GA. These images are a combination of photos taken during the Friday and Saturday walks, as well as from my "scouting" visit a few days before. The walks covered two areas - the ultra-mafic dunite "barrens", and the lower creekside environment. Part 1 (this page) covers the first (ultra-mafic) area: |
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| Bastard Toadflax (Comandra umbellata) Rich Reaves had texted me the day before the Pilgrimage that he had stopped here on the way up and seen this species. It took us a while to find it, but we did! I'm not sure if any of us had seen it before. |
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| Catesby's Trillium (Trillium catesbaei) Heading up into the barrens area, we walked by this nice pair of flowers. |
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| There was lots of Mountain Laurel (Kalmia latifolia) here, but it was just coming into flower. |
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| Bowman's root, aka Indian Physic (Gillenia trifoliata) is another species that is quite prolific here. |
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| Mottled Wild Ginger (Asarum shuttleworthii) |
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| The flowers on these are much larger than the more common "little brown jug" species. |
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| Virginia Groundcherry (Physalis virginiana) A species that I'd never seen here; this one was growing in the middle of the trail! |
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| Close-up of the flower (and Hannah's hand). |
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| Fairy Wand (Chamaelirium luteum) I'd seen several of these in flower here last year, but like a lot of others in the same family, they can be reluctant bloomers. Last year's stalk is visible in this image, but I didn't see any blooming stalks this year. |
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| Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia) The (tiny, now) newly forming flower buds are visible on the end of the pedicels. |
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| Fire Pink (Silene virginica) |
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| Fire Pink (Silene virginica) |
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| Leather flower, aka Vase vine (Clematis viorna), in bud. Recent work within the Clematis viorna complex has resulted in several new species being identified. This may be C. beadlei. |
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| Rattlesnake Hawkweed (Hieracium venosum) |
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| Distinctive basal leaves of Hieracium venosum |
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| Little-leaf Meadow-Rue (Thalictrum macrostylum) |
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| Little-leaf Meadow-Rue (Thalictrum macrostylum) |
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| Thalictrum macrostylum |
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| Ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius) |
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| Birds Foot Violet (Viola pedata) |
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| A millipede partially fluorescing from a UV flashlight beam. |
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| Another species just emerging, this was one of only a few Galax urceolata stalks that I saw. |
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| A nice trio of Catesby's Trilliums (Trillium catesbaei) |
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| Eastern Fence Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus) One of the day's weirdest sightings. It just hung onto this branch, upside-down, not moving. I think it hoped that we didn't see it. Continue to Page 2 of this BotSoc Spring Pilgrimage Walk |