1. Plant Identification Reviewing Some of the Common Plants Found in Our Area Environmental Education 1

2. The Prairie Grasses From http://www.flickr.com/photos/jaredks/86565746/

3. Foxtail (Setaria sp.)  Flower head a series of dense spikes.  Head floppy, drupes easily like a “fox tail”.

4. From http://www.backyardnature.net/fl_foxtl.htm From http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/giantfoxtail.html

6. Side Oats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)  Its spikelets have an oat-like resemblance  Spikelets Appear to come off one side of the panicle branch.  10 - 40 inches tall. From http://www.noble.org/webapps/plantimagegallery/

7. Spikelets

8. From http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/sideoats.html

9. Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii )  Can be quite tall. (2 to 6 feet)  One of the big grasses on the prairie.  Inflorescence often resembles a turkey foot.  The base of the plant is typically hairy From http://www.noble.org/webapps/plantimagegallery/

10. Turkey Foot

11. From http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/bigbluestem.html

12. Indian Grass (Sorghastrum nutans )  Inflorescence looks like a big paint brush.  The leaves are broad with a blue-green color.  One of the big grasses on the prairie. From http://www.noble.org/webapps/plantimagegallery/

13.  The ligules/auricles take on the appearance of rabbit ears, Paint Brush From http://www.noble.org/webapps/plantimagegallery/

14. Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)  20 to 60 inches tall.  Greenish-blue to purplish.  Branching above, leafy base.  Inflorescence form wind blown seed tufts. From http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/littlebluestem.html

15. InflorescenceSpikelets From http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/littlebluestem.html

16. Broadleaf & Herbaceous Plants

17. Wing Stem  Wings on sides of stems.  Yellow flowers.  Tall plants.  One stalk that branches at top.  Narrow, rough leaves up to 6 inches long.

19. Golden Rod (Solidago sp.)  Flowers yellow  Inflorescence usually wider than it is tall, with numerous tiny flowering heads on the upper side of curving branches.  Stem is green to Reddish- green, single or clustered, usually erect.  Leaves lanceolate, 2 to 5 inches long From http://www.missouriwildflowerguide.com/default.asp

20. From epod.usra.eduFrom http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/missourigold.html

21. Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans )  3-leaflets.  Petiole often reddish.  Leaflets kind of triangular with side notch.  “If it’s 3 let it be”

23. Note the Red Petiole White Berries

24. Cattail (Typha latifolia)  Leaves are large spear-shaped.  Stalks are topped with hotdog-shaped, dark brown flower tuff which turns into fluff in the fall  Grows at edge of pond in thick stands.

25. From www.bio.brandeis.edu/.../Common_Cattail.htmlwww.bio.brandeis.edu/.../Common_Cattail.html

26. Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca)  Grows up to six feet tall.  Has large, broad leaves, usually four to ten inches long.  Flowers are often droop.  Flowers are pinkish- purple clusters which often droop.  Fruits are large green pods which turn brown before bursting open to let out fluffy seeds.  Sap is milky white. From http://biology.missouristate.edu/Herbarium/default.htm

27. Flowers in the spring

28. Thistle  Leaves with sharp spines or prickles on the margins.  Their prickles often occur all over the plant, including on the stem and flat parts of the leaf.  Purple flowers. From http://weeds.hotmeal.net/weeds/List_B_Part2.html

29. Butterflies love thistle.

30. Horse Nettle (Solanum carolinense)  Prickly stems and leaves.  Yellow fruit that resembles little tomatoes. But poisonous.  White flowers with yellow stamens. From http://cal.vet.upenn.edu/poison/plants/slides/2101lg.jpg

31. From www.esc.rutgers.edu/.../Poisonous_Plants.htmwww.esc.rutgers.edu/.../Poisonous_Plants.htm From www.esc.rutgers.edu/.../Poisonous_Plants.htmwww.esc.rutgers.edu/.../Poisonous_Plants.htm

32. Compass Plant

33. Rattlesnake Master

34. Vines

35. Grape (Vinca sp.)  Leaves large and heart shaped with three points.  Often growing high in trees and over shrubs.  Green fruits in late summer and fall, turning purple as ripen. From http://homepage.mac.com/cohora/plants/grape.html

36. Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia)  5-leaflets per leaflets instead of three.  Toothy edges to leaflets.  Bottom of each leaflet is often wedge-shaped.  Leaflets may taper abruptly into a short blunt tip,

37. Which is which?

38. Trumpet Creeper (Campsis radicans)  Large leaves with toothy leaflets 3–10 cm long.  Emerald green when new, maturing into a dark green.  The flowers orange to red in color, trumpet shaped.  The plant as a whole may grow to 10 meters in height.  The flowers are very attractive to hummingbirds. From http://www.hramornursery.com/images/TrumpetVine.jpg

39. From http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/trumpetvine.html

40. Some useful websites  KSU Wildflower Visual Collection http://www.lib.ksu.edu/wildflower/  Missouri Wildflower Guide http://www.missouriwildflowerguide.com/default.asp