Posted on 31 May 2007 by wilde
Solomon’s Seals grow in open woods where sunlight reaches the forest floor. They co-exist with the viburnums and other woodland herbs.
Smooth Solomon’s Seal, Polygonatum biflorum, has one to four creamy-white to yellow-green, bell-shaped flowers dangling from the leaf axils along an arching stem. If you don’t look under the leaves, you’re bound to miss the flowers.
Smooth Solomon’s Seal’s dangling, tube-shaped flowers.
False Solomon’s Seal, Smilacina racemosa, is blooming now, too — it’s flowers are much more noticeable than Smooth Soloman’s Seal’s blooms. At the end of an upward-arching stem projects out a pointed cluster, or raceme, of white flowers, which lends it an alternate name of Wild Spikenard.
Blooms of False Solomon’s Seal projecting upward at the tip of the zig-zag stem.
Looking down on a group of False Solomon’s Seal with the terminal flowers still in their yellow-green buds.
A close up view of the flower cluster of False Solomon’s Seal shows the stamens projecting out in all directions, which make the individual flowers appear as starbursts.
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Posted on by wilde
This past week saw an end to the blooming of the locust trees. The spikes of white blossoms can be noticed from afar and so can their putrid scent. Not really putrid, but what would you call a cross between body odor and cat pee? I think the folks living nearest the rivers are glad that their blooming is over!
The forests are still alive with Spring blossoms. The Viburnums and Solomon’s Seals are making a great show along the wooded paths.
Maple-leaved Viburnum likes the filtered sunlight found in open wooded areas. The short-stalked leaves remind one of the leaves of, you guessed it — maple trees.
Pairs of leaves on this woodland shrub, Viburnum acerifolium, are similar to maple tree leaves.
Broad clusters of several small, white flowers are at the tip of the growing branches. The flower buds are pinkish-white before opening up into five-petaled, white blossoms. Five stamens project upward and make the clusters appear fuzzy from a distance.
Small white flowers cluster together in maple-leaved viburnum.
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Posted on 25 May 2007 by wilde
The most popular Springtime wildflower color seems to be white, so it is rather pleasing to find flowers of different colors. Wild geraniums that grow along our lane and in the open woods sport light violet to pink flowers.
Also known as Cranesbill, Geranium maculatum, the Wild Geranium has five-parted, deeply lobed leaves and occurs in shady, wooded areas and roadsides.
Wild geranium in the mountainous forest of central Pennsylvania.
Lilac-toned flower of Cranesbill.
Flowers with five large, rounded petals occur in small clusters with only one or two blooms open at a given time. The “cranesbill” — which is the future seedpod — lies at the center of each flower. Stems and sepals are very hairy.
Erect seedpods that become elongated as they mature give this woodland Geranium its common name, Cranesbill.
Later in the season, when the seeds are fully mature, the seedpods burst open and forcefully eject the seeds to colonize new areas.
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