Thanks to all those who shared in the appreciation of this wonderful forest.
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| The highlight of the annual walk - Virginia Bluebells |
Virginia Bluebell
Mertensia virginica
Borage Family (Boraginaceae)
Found in rich floodplain areas of Southern Ontario. It is easy to see why Virginia Bluebells
is a favorite woodland wildflower. The pastel colors of the flowers and foliage
are soft and soothing.
The flowers are pollinated by
long-tongued bees primarily, including honeybees, bumblebees, Anthophorid bees,
Mason bees, large Leaf-Cutting bees, and Miner bees; these insects seek nectar
and collect pollen. Other visitors of the flowers include hummingbirds, bee
flies, butterflies, skippers, and Sphinx moths, including hummingbird moths.
This group of visitors seek nectar from the flowers. Small flower flies may
also visit the flowers, however they feed on the pollen and are not effective
pollinators.
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| Golden Alexander |
Golden Alexander
Zizia aurea
Carrot family (Apiaceae)
Golden Alexanders is common in Southern Ontario.
Habitats include moist black soil prairies, openings in moist to mesic
woodlands, areas along woodland paths, savannas, thickets, limestone
glades, thinly wooded bluffs, powerline clearances in wooded
areas, and abandoned fields. Golden Alexanders occurs in both degraded
and higher quality habitats. It adapts readily to habitat restorations.
The flowers are attractive to many kinds of insects seeking pollen or
nectar, especially short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, and beetles. Such long-tongued bees as bumblebees, cuckoo bees
(Nomada spp.)
also visit the flowers, as do some small butterflies and true
bugs. Notwithstanding all of these visitors, this plant is capable of
self-pollination. Caterpillars of the butterflies Papilio
polyxenes asterius
(Black Swallowtail) feed on the
leaves and flowers.
Wild Geranium
Geranium maculatum
Geranium family (Geraniaceae)
The Spotted Geranium, Wood Geranium, or Wild Geranium is a woodland perennial plant native to eastern North America, from southern Manitoba and southwestern Quebec south to Alabama and west to Oklahoma and South Dakota.
It grows in dry to moist woods and is normally abundant when found.
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| This White Trillium has become pink with age. |
White Trillium
Trillium Grandiflorum
Bunchflower Family (Melanthiaceae)
The white trillium grows in rich woods. The White Trillium has been the provincial flower of Ontario since 1937. Populations of white trillium often have some individuals with green and white, sometimes contorted petals, a condition that results from infection by mycoplasma-like organisms.
The species name, grandiflorum, means "large flowered."
Trilliums grow for at least six years before flowering.
As the fruits mature, they bend close to the ground and split open, exposing clumps of sticky seeds. Each seed has a large bump, called an elaiosome, that ants find irresistible. When ants carry the trillium seeds back to their nest, the elaiosome is eaten and the seed discarded (planted) well away from the parent plant.
Violets
Viola sororia, Viola pubescens and others
Violet Family (Violaceae)
Toward the end of the growing season, as days get shoter, violets produce inconspicuous, closed, petal-less flowers that self-pollinate and ensure the plant's reproductive success. There are 30 species of violets in Ontario, many which readily hydridize, so identification is notoriously difficult.
The three main features used in identification are
1. Colour of flower;
2. Variation in leaf form; and
3. Manner of growth:
a) Flowers and leaves come up on one stalk (stemless violets);
b) Leaves and flowers branch from stem (stemmed violets).
Viola sororia (Common Violet)
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| Pale Violet (Viola striata) |
Purple, stemless, uncut leaves - This is the most common species of violet. The common response to this flower is "that's what I call a violet."
Viola pubescans (Yellow Violet) - No Photo
Yellow, stemmed, uncut leaves - This widespread species with its many variations is the cause of considerable disagreement among botonists.
Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense
Birthwort Family (Aristolochiaceae)
Asarum canadense, commonly known as Canada wild ginger, Canadian snakeroot and broad-leaved asarabaccais, is a herbaceous perennial native to deciduous forest in eastern North America, from the Great Plains east to the Atlantic Coast, and from southeastern Canada south to approximately the fall line in the southeastern United States.
The long rhizomes of A. canadense were used by Fist Nations as a seasoning. It has similar aromatic properties to true ginger (Zingiber officinale), but should not be used as a substitute because it contains an unknown concentration of the carcinogen aristolochic acid. The distillate from the ground root is known as Canadian snakeroot oil.
The odor and flavor are spicy. It has been used in many flavor
preparations.
Only three species of Birthwort in Ontario.
One-flowered Broom Rape
Orobanche uniflora
Broomrape Family (Orobanchaceae)
The flowers are cross-pollinated by bumblebees and
possibly other long-tongued bees. Very little appears to be known about floral-faunal
relationships for this species. The root
system is parasitic, developing feeder roots (haustoria) that attach themselves
to the roots of a suitable host plant. One-Flowered Broomrape is holoparasitic
and lacks chlorophyll; it is dependent on the host plant for
nutrients.
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| A surprise - (parasitic) One-flowered Broom-Rape |
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Spring Beauties are one of the first spring wild flowers to bloom. Most
have already
come and gone as the succession of the season marches
forward. |
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| Yellow Rocket |
Animal sightings:
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| Six-spotted Tiger Beetle |
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Rose-breasted Grosbeak called vigorously
throughout the day.
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| Angle wings and Red Admirals were plentiful |
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There were a number of other plants and animals that we saw that I wasn't able to photograph - some notables include:
Wildflowers: Wild Flox, False Mermaid, Marsh Marigold, Buttercup sp.
Flowering Invasives: Garlic Mustard, Dandelion, Autumn Olive.
Reptiles and Amphibians: American Toad, Wood Frog, Dekay's Brown Snake, Garter snake
Butterflies: Common Buckeye, Monarch, Tiger Swallowtail, Red Admirals (many seen - more than 30), Sulphurs.
Birds: Spotted Sandpiper, Orioles, Nuthatch, American Robin, Bluebirds, Tree Swallows, Turkey Vultures, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue Jays, Chickadees and many more.
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Pat somehow spotted this very distant
Wood Duck- magnified 140x in this shot. |
