Horsetails

Equisetum arvense at Wildcat Creek.  Some people call them horsetails.  Photo taken December 16, 2015.

Link to Equisetum arvense:

Link to Equisetum arvense:

Link to Equisetum arvense:

Wildcat Creek runs clear in December

Here's a view of Wildcat Creek looking from the high trail at Clegg Garden, December 16, 2015.

Notice the water is clear and the level is low.

Link to water levels on Wildcat Creek:

Small mushroom growing on fallen twig

This mushroom found growing on a fallen twig buried in the leaf litter, at Clegg Garden, Nov. 24, 2015.   I don't know what it is but I'll start a guess that it is a collyboid fungus, based on the cartilaginous stem and white gills.  Possibly Clitocybula lacerata.  I'll revise this post if I get a better determination.

Link to Clitocybula lacerata:

Link to Clitocybula lacerata:

American toad

Toadus the toad (Anaxyrus americanus) was hopping about Clegg Garden.  Well camouflaged while sitting on the dirt.

Toadus hiding alongside the house.

Photos taken Oct. 12, 2015.

Link to American toad:

Link to American toad:

Running strawberry bush in fruit

Running strawberry bush (Euonymus obovatus) here is showing its colorful fruit.  This is more like a vine that runs along the ground rather than a bush.  Find it along the trail on the east-facing slope that leads to the Wildcat Creek overlook.

Photo taken Sept. 30, 2015.

Link to previous post on Euonymus obovatus:

Link to Euonymus obovatus:

Link to the range maps for Euonymus species in North America:

Oyster mushrooms

Some oyster mushrooms (Pleurotus ostreatus) on a fallen log in a ravine at Clegg Garden.  Photo taken Sept. 30, 2015.

Link to Pleurotus ostreatus:

Blue-stemmed Goldenrod

Blue-stemmed goldenrod (Solidago caesia) on high ground in the woods at Clegg Garden.  Photo taken Sept. 20, 2015.

Link to Solidago caesia:

Link to Solidago caesia:

Link to Solidago caesia:

White Snakeroot

That white-flowered plant that is all over the woods at Clegg Garden right now is white snakeroot (Ageratina altissima).  Here is a picture of some white snakeroot growing at the front steps to the NICHES headquarters.

Photo taken September 20, 2015.

Link to previous post on white snakeroot:

Wingstem

Wingstem (Verbesina alternifolia) is a tall herbaceous plant with attractive yellow flowers that can be found at Clegg Garden.  The stems have distinctive membranous "wings".
 
The above photo shows wingstem along the trail at the old horse shelter at Clegg Garden.

The next photo below shows wingstem at Peter's Mill Landing, near Wildcat Creek.  The river birch that was featured in the post of August 20, 2015 can be seen in the background.

Photos taken September 2, 2015.

Link to previous post on wingstem:

King Alfred's Cakes

King Alfred's cakes (Daldinia sp., probably Daldinia concentrica).  On a dead tree at Clegg Garden.  Photo taken August 26, 2015.  Daldinia concentrica is an ascomycete fungus.

Link to Daldinia concentrica:

Link to Daldinia concentrica:

Link to Daldinia concentrica:

Link to Daldinia concentrica:

Dead Man's Fingers

Dead Man's Fingers (Xylaria polymorpha) is a fungus that helps to decay wood that has fallen in the forest.  Here is a photo of some dead man's finger fungus that was emerging from a fallen log in a ravine at Clegg Garden.  The fungus finger shown at the bottom of the photo was pulled out of the log so I could show it better.  The fingers at the top have not been disturbed and they are seen still in the log.

Photo taken August 21, 2015.

Link to Xylaria polymorpha:

Link to Xylaria polymorpha:

Berries of Solomon's seal

Solomon's seal (Polygonatum biflorum).  A typical plant of Indiana woodlands, by late summer it produces these dark purple berries.  Photo taken August 6, 2015 at Clegg Garden.

Link to previous post on Polygonatum biflorum:

Link to post on Polygonatum biflorum berries:

River birch

A couple river birch trees (Betula nigra) can be found at Peter's Mill Landing.  The river birch is native to Indiana and can be seen growing naturally on the roadsides when you travel through the Kankakee River area.  The river birch is not found naturally in Tippecanoe County and these two trees were planted here years ago.  River birch is commonly used in landscaping everywhere around here but this location on creek bottomland is its normal kind of habitat.  This is near the boat landing spot on the creek.

Photo taken August 6, 2015.

Link to Betula nigra:

Link to Betula nigra:

Link to Betula nigra:

Link to previous post on Betula nigra planted on Purdue campus:

Lizard's tail

Here's some of the unique plant, lizard's tail (Saururus cernuus), in the small pond installed near the Clegg Garden entrance.  Lizard's tail is a native Indiana plant that is sometimes seen wild along streams but it has been planted in this location.

The spike that gives lizard's tail its name is past flowering and is covered with tiny green fruits.  Photo taken August 6, 2015.

Lizard's tail is the only native Indiana member of the plant family Saururaceae.

Link to Saururus cernuus:

Link to Saururus cernuus:

Link to video of lizard's tail:

Boneset

Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum).   This is in the part of Clegg Garden near the entrance that is planted and is due to be replanted with other species.

Photo taken August 5, 2015.

Link to previous post on Eupatorium perfoliatum:

Link to previous post on Eupatorium perfoliatum:

False foxglove

There is a fair amount of false foxglove (Aureolaria sp.) under the oak trees on the east edge of Clegg Garden, near the entrance.

Photos taken August 5, 2015.

Link to previous post on false foxglove:

Indian tobacco

Indian tobacco, Lobelia inflata, is the herbaceous plant shown in the middle of the photo.  The flowers are small and so are hard to see.  The blue flower to the right of the Indian tobacco plants is tall bellflower (Campanula americana) which is a much more common plant here.  Campanula and Lobelia are both in the same plant family, the Campanulaceae.

On the low trail along Wildcat Creek at Clegg Garden.

Photo taken August 6, 2015.

Link to Lobelia inflata:

Link to Lobelia inflata:

Wildcat Creek

A view of Wildcat Creek at Clegg Garden.  Looking downstream.  Photo taken July 27, 2015.  Water has been high throughout the month of July.

The same view of Wildcat Creek a few days later, August 6, 2015.  The creek has been receding and is good for canoeing/kayaking.

Link to Wildcat Creek levels:

Melanthium woodii -- with flowering stalk

This Melanthium woodii is along the south trail that leads to Wildcat Creek.  It has small brown flowers on a stalk that is about 3 or 4 feet high.

Photos taken July 22, 2015.

Previous post on Melanthium woodii in May:

Giant ragweed

A nice specimen of a single stalk of giant ragweed (Ambrosia trifida), over 10 feet tall, standing next to an oak tree at Clegg Garden.  Giant ragweed is a common weed in cornfields but this one found its way into Clegg Garden.

Photos taken July 27, 2015.

Link to Ambrosia trifida:

Giant swallowtail butterfly

This giant swallowtail butterfly (Papilio cresphontes) stopped to spread her wings long enough for me to get some photos.  W.S. Blatchley called this species  "our largest and rarest Papilio". The above photo shows the butterfly resting on the sensitive fern (Onoclea sensibilis) that is near the front of the Clegg Garden grounds.  Onoclea is not a host plant for Papilio, but we do have the host plant prickly ash on the high trail that overlooks Wildcat Creek.  Look there for the distinctive single orange egg and the caterpillars that look like bird poop.
 
Link to previous post on prickly ash at Clegg Garden:

Link to Onoclea sensibilis:

A male giant swallowtail arrived and the two butterflies began mating.  This is in the crabapple tree close to the park entrance.

Photos taken July 27, 2015.

Link to Papilio cresphontes:

Link to Papilio cresphontes:

Resurrection lilies

The curious and beautiful pink flowers you see scattered around the entrance of Clegg Garden are Lycoris squamigera, sometimes called resurrection lilies or naked ladies.  They are a popular garden addition although they are not a native Indiana plant, but rather originated in China or Japan.

Photo taken July 27, 2015.

Link to previous post on Lycoris squamigera:

Link to previous post on Lycoris squamigera:

Link to previous post on Lycoris squamigera:

Nodding wild onion

Along Wildcat Creek, a nodding wild onion (Allium cernuum).

Photos taken July 22, 2015.

I noticed some nodding onions were growing wild along the roadside on the hill approaching Clegg Garden.

Link to Allium cernuum:

Link to Allium cernuum:

Woodland sunflower

Woodland sunflower (Helianthus divaricata) on the high trail above Wildcat Creek.  In the background is a bank of Helianthus divaricata, the same species.  This particular flower in view is opening early and by now the flowering is more extensive.

Photo taken July 13, 2015.

Link to Helianthus divaricata:

Link to Helianthus divaricata:

Blue ash

Clegg Garden contains a considerable amount of blue ash (Fraxinus quadrangulata).  This species of ash is native to Indiana woodlands but is not particularly common.  To identify blue ash look for the four ridges (you might also call them wings) on the blue ash twig.  The photo above shows a typical blue ash twig and leaves.  The blue ash population at Clegg  Garden seems to be regenerating well as we find many seedling and sapling trees.

Photo taken July 13, 2015.

Link to Fraxinus quadrangulata:

Link to Fraxinus quadrangulata:

Link to Fraxinus quadrangulata:

Green walking stick insect

This green stick insect was found crawling on this Solomon's seal plant (Polygonatum biflorum).  Solomon's seal is a common plant of Indiana woodlands.   The species of the stick insect is not known.

Photo taken July 6, 2015.

Link to stick insects:

Link to Polygonatum biflorum:

Prickly ash

Prickly ash shrubs (Zanthoxylum americanum), pictured here, can be found along the high ground trail overlooking the Wildcat Creek.  Photo taken July 6, 2015.

Link to Zanthoxylum americanum:

Link to Zanthoxylum americanum:

Link to Zanthoxylum americanum:

Prickly ash is a native Indiana representative of the citrus family (Rutaceae)

Link to Rutaceae:

Prickly ash is a food source for caterpillars of some kinds of swallowtail butterflies, including the uncommon giant swallowtail (Papilio cresphontes).

Link to Papilio cresphontes and Zanthoxylum americanum:

Link to Papilio cresphontes and Zanthoxylum americanum:

Bottlebrush grass

Bottlebrush grass on the high ground trail overlooking Wildcat Creek.  The scientific name of bottlebrush grass is Elymus hystrix.  The genus Elymus also includes the wild rye grasses that are common in Indiana.

Photos taken July 6, 2015.

Link to Elymus hystrix:

Link to Elymus hystrix:

Link to range of Elymus species:

Pickerelweed

The blue-flowered aquatic plant in the small goldfish pond near the Clegg Garden entrance is pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata).

It was planted here at this location, but pickerelweed is also an aquatic plant native to Indiana wetlands.

Photos taken July 6, 2015.

Link to Pontederia cordata:

Link to Pontederia cordata:

Hostas

The plants with the purple flowers near the entrance of Clegg Garden are hostas.  These perennial plants are not native but were planted here years ago.  Gardeners usually plant hostas for the attractive, shade-tolerant foliage, but the flowers that show in summer are attractive too.

Photos taken July 6, 2015.

Link to hostas:

Link to hosta flowers:

Ginseng flowering

Ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is beginning to flower here.  This ginseng is not growing wild but was planted in front of the house at Clegg Garden. 

Photo taken June 25, 2015.

Link to Panax quinquefolius:

Link to Panax quinquefolius:

Link to Panax quinquefolius:

Link to Panax quinquefolius:

Path rush

Here is a rush that is easy to find.  It’s path rush (Juncus tenuis).  Path rush typically is found on trails because it tolerates compacted soil.  This path rush is along the trail that runs by the old horse shelter at Clegg Garden.  Photo taken June 15, 2015.

Link to Juncus tenuis:

Rushes are often mistaken for grasses but botanically they are different, in the plant family Juncaceae.

Link to Juncaceae:

Indian pink

This striking display of red-yellow flowers is along the driveway entering Clegg Garden.  It is Spigelia marilandica, sometimes called Indian Pink.  This is native to some of the southern states of the US but not this part of Indiana..

Photo taken June 14, 2015.

Link to previous post on Spigelia marilandica on Purduecampus:

Blue penstemon along the trail near Wildcat Creek

I will surmise that this is a blue form of Penstemon cobaea.  Compare it to the pale flowered Penstemon on the high slope pictured in the post of May 31.

http://clegggarden.blogspot.com/2015/05/introduced-wildflowers.html

This blue flowered Penstemon is found along the trail on the low lying ground near Wildcat Creek.  Photos taken June 13, 2015.

The nature, identification, and origin of the Penstemon at Clegg Garden needs further review.

Link to Penstemon cobaea:

Red raspberry slime mold

Tubifera ferruginosa, also called red raspberry slime mold, on an old fallen log at Clegg Garden.

Photo taken June 13, 2015.

Link to Tubifera ferruginosa:

Link to Tubifera ferruginosa:

Introduced wildflowers?

A display of Penstemon flowers on the sunny slope overlooking Wildcat Creek.  I am going to assume that this is Penstemon cobaea which has been previously identified here at Clegg Garden.  Penstemon cobaea is not native to Indiana but rather is a native of the prairies of Kansas and Texas.

A closer look at the Penstemon on the slope.

Link to Penstemon cobaea:

Link to Penstemon cobaea:

Link to reported range of Penstemon cobaea:

Here a growth of Linum, also of unclear species, amongst the Penstemon.  Linum with blue flowers is not reported to be native to Indiana.  Both Penstemon cobaea and Linum lewisii are components of commercially available wildflower mixes which might account for their presence here at Clegg Garden.

Which raises the question of whether plants that are intentionally sown should even be called wildflowers.

Link to Linum perenne lewisii:

Link to Linum perenne/lewisii:

Link to reported ranges of Linum species:

This post is subject to further revision as better identifications are made and more is learned about the history of Clegg Garden.

Photos taken May 22, 2015.