Western Carolina Botanical Club

Bear Pen Gap to Wet Camp Gap – August 6, 2021

Posted on August 9, 2021 by WCBC

Another perfect day and the meadow was glorious! Plants that are non-native to North America are indicated by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name. Photography by Penny Longhurst, Randy Richardson, & Joe Standaert. Click on any picture to zoom.

The movie of the Snowberry Clearwing Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris diffinis) was taken at Wolf Mountain Overlook on the way home.

Carolina Phlox (Phlox carolina) [Polemoniaceae] Leaves

American Lovage (Ligusticum canadense) Plant

May Apple; Mandrake (Podophyllum peltatum Apple

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum montanum) with Friend

Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum) with 5 Leaves

American Lovage (Ligusticum canadense) Stem

Common Dodder (Cuscuta gronovii) [Convolvulaceae]

Downy Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera pubescens)

Slender Ladies' Tresses (Spiranthes lacera) [Orchidaceae]

Appalachia False Bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. Appalachiana)

Hairy Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum pubescens) [Liliaceae] Underside of Leaf

Rose Twisted Stalk; Rose Mandarin (Streptopus lanceolatus v. roseus)

Small Green Wood Orchid (Platanthera clavellata)

Bluebead Lily (Clintonia borealis) Fruit

Wine-leaved Cinquefoil (Sibbaldiopsis tridentata) [Rosaceae]

Smooth Southern Bush Honeysuckle (Diervilla sessilifolia)

Doll's Eyes; White Baneberry (Actaea pachypoda) Fruit

Green-headed Coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata)

Rough Sunflower (Helianthus hirsutus) [Asteraceae]

Entire-leaved False Foxglove (Aureolaria laevigata)

Pale Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium)

Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) [Hydrophyllaceae]

Hollow-stem Joe-Pye-Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)

Starry Campion (Silene stellata) [Caryophyllaceae]

Appalachian Bunchflower (Veratrum parviflorum)

Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum montanum) [Lamiaceae]

American Lovage (Ligusticum canadense) Leaves

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) Fruit

Wood Nettle (Laportea canadensis) [Urticaceae] Fruit

Tall Meadow Rue (Thalictrum pubescens) Fruit

Posted in Field Trips | Tagged Blue Ridge Parkway, Hiking, North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Frying Pan Trail – July 30, 2021

Posted on August 2, 2021 by WCBC

Our third field trip of the year! We were fortunate to have cloudy skies and temperatures in the 70’s on a day with a forecasted high of 90! Some of the plants shown were seen along the Blue Ridge Parkway between the Pisgah Inn and the trailhead. Photography by Penny Longhurst. Click on any picture to zoom and enter the slide show.

Pale Indian Plantain (Arnoglossum atriplicifolium) [Asteraceae]

Northern Leatherflower (Clematis viorna) & Appalachia False Bindweed (Calystegia sepium ssp. Appalachiana) Grouping

Wild or Smooth Hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens) [Hydrangeaceae]

Zigzag Spiderwort (Tradescantia subaspera)

Clammy or Swamp Azalea (Rhododendron viscosum)

Cinnamon Fern (Osmundastrum cinnamomeum)

Red Spruce (Picea rubens) [Pinaceae] Cones

Broadtooth Hedge Nettle (Stachys latidens)

Common Timothy Grass (Phleum pratense*) [Poaceae]

Wavy-leaved Aster (Symphyotrichum undulatum)

Carrion Flower (Smilax herbacea) Fruit 20210730_121320

Admiring the Spreading Dogbane Hedge (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

Great Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum v. commutatum) Fruit

Common Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis)

Indian Pipes; Ghost Flower (Monotropa uniflora)

Purple-flowering Raspberry (Rubus odoratus)

Wild Raisin (Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides) Fruit

Fringed Loosestrife (Lysimachia ciliata)

Smooth Azalea (Rhododendron arborescens)

Northern Leatherflower (Clematis viorna)

Beaked Hazelnut (Corylus cornuta) Hazelnuts

Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum) Fruit

Indian Cucumber Root (Medeola virginiana) Fruit

Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium)

Solomon's Plume (Maianthemum racemosum) Fruit

Plants that are non-native to North America are indicated by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name.

Posted in Field Trips | Tagged Blue Ridge Parkway, Hiking, North Carolina, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Sky Valley Road – July 22, 2021

Posted on July 28, 2021 by WCBC

Photography by Ken Borgfeldt, Richard Holzman, & Penny Longhurst. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicated by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name. Click on any picture to zoom.

Grass-leaved Golden Aster (Pityopsis graminifolia)

Hairy Wood Sunflower (Helianthus atrorubens)

Pinweed (Lechea racemulosa) [Cistaceae] extreme enlargement

Lanceleaf Loosestrife (Lysimachia lanceolata)

Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata) [Ericaceae]

Self Heal; Heal All (Prunella vulgaris) [Lamiaceae]

Wild Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis var. montana)

Greater Tickseed (Coreopsis major) [Asteraceae]

Flowering Spurge (Euphorbia corollata) [Euphorbiaceae]

Purple-headed Sneezeweed (Helenium flexuosum) [Asteraceae]

Hardhack; Steeplebush (Spiraea tomentosa)

Hoary Mountain Mint (Pycnanthemum incanum) [Lamiaceae]

Hairy Wood Sunflower (Helianthus atrorubens) Leaves and Stem

Kidney-leaf Rosinweed (Silphium compositum) [Asteraceae]

Indian Tobacco (Lobelia inflata) [Campanulaceae]

Hairy Wood Sunflower (Helianthus atrorubens) Stem

Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) [Lauraceae] Fruit

Yellow Fringed Orchid (Platanthera ciliaris)

Wild Quinine; American Feverfew (Parthenium integrifolium)

Toothed White-topped Aster (Sericocarpus asteroides) [Asteraceae]

Straggling St. Andrew’s Cross (Hypericum hypericoides ssp. multicaule) [Hypericaceae]

Posted in Field Trips | Tagged DuPont State Forest, Hiking, Trees, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Shut-In Trail – July 16, 2021

Posted on July 19, 2021 by WCBC

Our first field trip since 2019 and 22 members had a glorious day for it! Plants that are non-native to North America are indicated by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name. Photography by Penny Longhurst, Jim Poling, & Joe Standaert.

(Click on any picture to zoom)

Whorled Loosestrife (Lysimachia quadrifolia)

Pointed-leaved Tick Trefoil (Desmodium glutinosum) [Fabaceae]

Purple or Wideleaf Bedstraw (Galium latifolium)

Hairy-jointed Meadow Parsnip (Thaspium barbinode)

Appalachian Rock Cap Fern (Polypodium appalachianum) [Polypodiaceae]

Clinton's Lily, White Clintonia (Clintonia umbellulata)

Wood Betony; Lousewort (Pedicularis canadensis)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) [Asclepiadaceae]

Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) Pod or Follicle

Ox-eye; False Sunflower (Heliopsis helianthoides)

Venus' Pride (Houstonia purpurea v. purpurea)

Bear Corn (Conopholis americana) [Orobanchaceae]

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia macrophylla)

Indian Cucumber Root (Medeola virginiana)

Peruvian Daisy; Quickweed (Galinsoga quadriradiata)*

Spotted Wintergreen (Chimaphila maculata)

Minnie Bush (Menziesia pilosa) [Ericaceae]

Turk's Cap Lily (Lilium superbum) [Liliaceae]

Greenbrier; Catbrier (Smilax rotundifolia)

Whiteleaf Greenbrier (Smilax glauca) Leaf Underside

Venus'-pride (Houstonia purpurea var. purpurea)

Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides)

Marginal Wood Fern (Dryopteris marginalis) [Dryopteridaceae]

Mountain Golden-Alexanders (Zizia trifoliata)

Sourwood (Oxydendrum arboreum) [Ericaceae]

Rattlesnake Fern (Botrypus virginianus; Botrychium virginianum)

Alternate-leaved Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia)

Bumblebee with Basil Balm (Monarda clinopodia)

Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata) Leaf Underside

Rosebay; Great Laurel (Rhododendron maximum)

Perfoliate Bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata) Fruit

Great Solomon's Seal (Polygonatum biflorum v. commutatum)

Posted in Field Trips | Tagged Blue Ridge Parkway, Ferns, Hiking, North Carolina, Pisgah National Forest, Trees, WCBC, Wildflowers | Leave a comment

Blue Ridge Parkway in July

Posted on July 9, 2021 by WCBC

Typically, we’re not able to schedule many field trips in July because of the July 4th weekend and the Annual Meeting. However, we manage to squeeze in a few. Below is an selection of plants you might expect to see on Big Ridge or Shut-In trails in July. Plants that are non-native to North America are indicated by an asterisk (*) placed after the species name. Photography by Ken Borgfeldt, Penny Longhurst, & Joe Standaert.