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Plant identifying

Lecia and I have begun to identify our collections. Here’s a list of the species we found at some roadside remnants with links to their USDA PLANTS Database descriptions:

Native species

Galium boreale
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GABO2

Heliopsis helianthoides
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HEHE5

Anemone cylindrica
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ANCY

Anemone canadensis
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch

Rosa arkansana
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ROAR3

Introduced species

Lotus corniculatus
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=ROAR3

Melilotus officinalis
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MEOF&photoID=meof_009_ahp.jpg

Medicago sativa
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=MESA&photoID=mesa_003_ahp.jpg

Further info on some of these species can be found at efloras.org and vplants.org.

Landfill collecting

DSC_1519.JPG

This is a picture of one of the plants at the landfill where Lecia and I are collecting plants. We didn’t collect this one (which I think is Delphinium carolinianum subsp. virescens (Nuttall) R. E. Brooks) because there were only three plants. Luckily Christine was with us to take some really good photos.

So far we have 53 collections from landfill, and there is still more out there that isn’t flowering/fruiting yet. I think that’s a fair number of specimens considering we haven’t spent much time there. The hardest part is waiting for our collections to dry out in the press so that we can identify them.

Thank goodness for YouTube

Today I learned how to properly use a ratchet strap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kE4xnA-eEY&feature=related

Bucket alternative

I was talking to my mom on the phone last night and mentioned how we squatted all day, but it was hard to do so comfortably without squashing the vegetation. My opinion is that the buckets don’t help much with this, especially on slopes. I thought my mom had a great suggestion: use milking stools. It would pack down less vegetation than the buckets and might be more comfortable (I say might because I’ve never actually used a milking stool). Just a thought.

Introduction

I was born and raised in western Nebraska, graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Nebraska Wesleyan University, spent a year working at the University of Washington herbarium, and will be attending the plant biology and conservation program at Northwestern in the fall. I grew up on the prairie, so it’s close to my heart, but I love everything plant-related, including eating them. I’ve been a vegan for seven years, but when I’m not reading the labels on food packaging, I like to read, sew, and BAKE.