Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense)

OK, here is a strange little plant. You really have to be looking for it to find it.

Wild Ginger

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 30cm in height (12inches).

Leaves: This plant has basal leaves only. Leaves can be as wide as 15 cm (6inches). The two heart shaped leaves are entire, have a shinny surface and the leaf stem is hairy at the base.

Flowers: The flowers have 3 Regular Parts and are up to 4cm wide (1.5 inches). They are brown or dark purple. Blooms first appear in early spring and continue into late spring. The flowers are at the base of the plant hidden by the leaves and their color blends in with the leaf litter. Sometimes the flowers are redish sometimes greenish.

Habitat: Rich woods.

Range: New Brunswick south to South Carolina west to Missouri.
     
Since it spreads via the roots Wild Ginger sometimes grows in dense stands. If you see it when not in flower you can test its identity by probing just below the ground with a finger and scratching the root. A ginger like smell on your finger will be proof.

Lore: Native Americans used the root to flavor foods much as real ginger is used (This plant is not related to the ginger you can find in the produce department of your local grocery). In addition it was thought to protect those who ate spoiled meat or food that might be poisoned or have some sort of a spell cast on it from the types of sickness one might expect from eating such food. The accounts of it being used to prevent sickness from eating questionable meat are so numerous as to give the use some credence.

Medical Uses: It was used for many medical purposes including the treatment of digestive disorders, especially gas, and in a poultice on sores. The dried powered leaves were used to promote sneezing. You will find mention in Medicinal and other uses of North American Plants of its being used in large quantities to produce abortion. Often it was used to promote sweating, reduce fever and for coughs and sore throats. Many of these uses may be somewhat valid as the plant has been shown to have certain antimicrobial properties.

The book Field Guide to Medicinal Plants, Eastern and Central North America states that Wild Ginger contains the antitumor compound aristolochic acid. In Magic and Medicine of Plants it states that studies show the plant may cause cancer.

Similar Species: Littlebrownjug, Hexastylis arifolia is very similar. It's flowers are longer and the tip of the sepals are not elongated.
Largeflower Heartleaf, Hexastylis shuttleworthii has relatively large flowers without the elongated tips.

Photographed: A designated state natural area in Middle TN.

Reference: 2bnTheWild.com

Squaw Root (Conopholis americana)

Squaw Root is also known as American Squaw Root, Cancer Root.

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant. It is parasitic and has no chlorophyll or leaves.

Flowers: The flowers are irregular in shape . They are yellowish. Blooms first appear in mid spring and continue into early summer. The rather plan flowers cover the un-branching stalk overlapping like scales.

Habitat: Under hardwood trees. Usually oaks or beeches.

Range: Throughout hardwood forests of eastern North America. Rare in the Coastal Plain area.

     
Squaw Root is often described as looking like a pine cone and the dried, brown stalks of old plants do look very much like that. They usually grow in small clusters.

Since Squaw Root is parasitic it does not need to produce energy using chlorophyll and sunlight so it has no green color and can live in complete shade. I usually occurs in clumps under oak trees which it paraitizes. The name Squaw Root indicates that this plant was collected by Native Americans as a source of food. It is also a favorite food of bears

Reference: 2bnTheWild.com

Blue-Eyed Mary (Collinsia verna)

Figwort family

    Description: This native plant is a winter annual about ½–1½' tall and unbranched. The central stem is pubescent or hairless. The opposite leaves are up to 2" long and ¾" across; they may be pubescent or hairless. The lower leaves are oval or orbicular with a few blunt teeth along their margins; they are smaller than the other leaves and have slender petioles. The middle leaves are the largest and most conspicuous; they are oval or broadly lanceolate, often with a few blunt teeth along their margins, and they clasp the stem. The uppermost leaves are usually lanceolate and smooth along their margins; they are often sessile.

    The central stem terminates in a whorl of 4-6 flowers. Sometimes individual flowers develop from the axils of the upper leaves as well; these axillary flowers have slender pedicels. Each flower is up to ¾" across, consisting of a green calyx and a blue/white corolla. The calyx has 5 slender teeth; it is often pubescent. The short tubular corolla is divided into upper and lower lips. The upper lip is cleft into 2 lobes that are white, while the lower lip is cleft into 3 lobes. The 2 outer lobes of the lower lip are bright blue, while the middle lobe of the lower lip is folded into a keel and hidden from view. This middle lobe contains the stamens and style of the flower. The blooming period occurs from mid- to late spring and lasts about 3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a globoid capsule that contains a few large seeds. The root system consists of a slender taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself; it often forms colonies of variable size.

    Cultivation: The preference is dappled sunlight to light shade, moist to mesic conditions, and a rich loamy soil. The size of individual plants is strongly influenced by moisture conditions and the fertility of the soil. The seeds should be planted during the summer so that they will germinate during the fall.

    
Range & Habitat: Only one species is known in TN, and its distribution is restricted. Habitats include moist to mesic deciduous woodlands, wooded slopes of river valleys, and along woodland paths. Sometimes Blue-Eyed Mary occurs in drier woodlands, in which case the individual plants will be smaller in size. Even though it tolerates minor levels of disturbance, this plant is an indicator species of high quality woodlands.

    Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bumblebees and other long-tongued bees. Occasionally, butterflies and skippers visit the flowers, but they are less effective at cross-pollination. The caterpillars of the butterfly Celastrina argiolus (Spring/Summer Azure) feed on the flower buds and seed capsules of Blue-Eyed Mary. Little else appears to be known about floral-faunal relationships for this species.

    Photographic Location: A State natural area in Middle TN.

    Comments: The distinctive bicolored flowers are very beautiful and they make Blue-Eyed Mary easy to identify. This woodland wildflower is unusual in having flowers with a true blue color.

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium reptans)

Phlox family (Polemoniaceae)

     Description: This native perennial plant is 1–1½' tall, branching occasionally. The stems are usually glabrous and have a tendency to sprawl across the ground. They are often dull reddish green and somewhat angular. The alternate compound leaves are odd pinnate, consisting of about 5-15 leaflets, and they are up to 1' long. Sometimes, there are a few white hairs at the base of the petioles of the compound leaves. Each leaflet is oval to narrowly ovate, hairless, and with a margin that is smooth. It is about 1½" long and ½" across. Flowering stalks develop from the upper axils of the compound leaves that are several inches long. These stalks are glabrous and often reddish green, terminating in a small corymb of floppy or nodding flowers. Each bell-shaped flower is about 2/3" across. It has 5 rounded petals that are light blue, 5 stamens with white anthers, a style that is divided at its tip into 3 parts, and a reddish green calyx with 5 teeth that is united at the base. There are fine lines running along the length of the petals, while the stamens are the same length as, or shorter than, the petals. The blooming period usually occurs during the late spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks. The flowers are replaced by rounded capsules containing 3 cells. Each cell contains several seeds. The root system consists of a taproot. This plant spreads by reseeding itself.

    Cultivation: The preference is light shade or partial sun, mesic conditions, and a rich soil with lots of organic matter. Full sunlight and conditions that are moister or drier are also tolerated. It is not aggressive, and adapts well to flower gardens, especially in partially shaded areas.

    Range & Habitat: Habitats include deciduous mesic woodlands, woodland borders, mesic black soil prairies, fens, and semi-shaded areas along rivers. This plant prefers high quality natural habitats, and rarely wonders far from wooded areas.
   
    Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract bees primarily, including honeybees, bumblebees, Little Carpenter bees, Mason bees, Cuckoo bees (Nomadine), Halictid bees (including Green Metallic), and Andrenid bees. A visitor from this last group, Andrena polemonii, is an oligolege of Polemonium spp. The flowers are also visited by Bombylius major (Giant Bee Fly) and various butterflies, skippers, or moths, which seek nectar. Syrphid flies also visit the flowers, but they feed on the pollen and are unlikely pollinators. Apparently, little information is available about this plant's relationships to birds and herbivorous mammals.

    Photographic Location: Tennessee state natural area.

    Comments: This is a rather floppy plant, although both the flowers and foliage are attractive. The bell-shaped flowers and compound leaves together provide Jacob's Ladder with a distinctive appearance. The only other species that resembles it, Polemonium vanbruntiae (Greek Valerian), which is native to some of the Eastern States. This latter species is more erect in habit, and has slightly larger flowers with exerted stamens. These flowers are usually a darker shade of blue than those of Jacob's Ladder, and their anthers are often yellow, rather than white. The common name of Polemonium reptans refers to the pairs of opposite leaflets on the compound leaves, which supposedly resemble a series of steps on a ladder in a dream by the biblical Joseph.

Bloodroot, Puccoon, Red Puccoon, Indian Paint, Redroot, Tetterwort (Sanguinaria canadensis)

Photographic Location: Cummins Falls State Park in Middle Tennessee.

Papaveraceae (Poppy Family)

 For more information about this plant, Click Here.

Photographic Location: Taylor Hollow State Natural Area in Middle Tennessee.

A little creative license!

Henbit (Lamium amplexicaule)

A weedy annual 4-16" tall. Leaves are 0pposite. Flowers: pinkish purple, tubular, to 0.7" long, 2-lipped corolla is dilated at the throat, the lower lip spotted, densely hairy calyx has long, narrow converging teeth. Bloom time: March - June. Found in open areas, lawns, fields and waste places throughout the US and TN. Although many refer to this plant as a "bothersome weed", look closely at the flower - it is rather beautiful and during spring, the colonies create a pink hue throughout fields and roadsides.

Spring Star (Ipheion uniflorum)

OK, here is one of those plants that you might not see in your wildflower book. However it does meet the definition of a wildflower. See our windflower definition page. I have seen them pop up on my farm and I caught these the other day in Cedars of Lebanon Park. This is a VERY striking flower. It is one of my favorites. 

Ipheion uniflorum is a species of flowering plant, related to the onions, so is currently placed in the Allium subfamily (Allioideae) of the Amaryllidaceae. It is known by the common name spring star, or spring starflower. It was at one time transferred to the genus Tristagma, but recent research suggests that this was not correct. It is native to Argentina and surrounding countries, but can be found elsewhere, such as much of the southern half of North America, as an introduced species, possibly an escaped ornamental plant. This is a perennial herb growing from a bulb and producing flat, shiny, green, hairless, grasslike leaves up to 30 centimeters long. The foliage has an onionlike scent when crushed. The stem grows up to 20 centimeters tall and bears a solitary showy flower in spring. Each star-shaped flower has six pointed lobes up to 3 centimeters long in shades of very pale to deep purple-blue.

Fineleaf Toothwort (Dentaria multifida)

Fineleaf Toothwort is also known as Cardamine multifida, Cardamine dissecta, Forkleaf Toothwort.

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 41cm in height (16inches).

Leaves: The leaves are alternate. Each leaf is finely divided. There are only two stem leaves which are similar to the basal leaves.

Flowers: The flowers have 4 Regular Parts. They are white sometimes pink. Blooms first appear in early spring and continue into mid spring.

Habitat: Rich woods.

Range: Scattered locations from Oklahoma to the Carolinas and as far north as southern Ohio.

The species name multifida means "many times divided," in reference to the shape of the leaves.  Falcate Orangetip  butterflies used toothworts as host plants for their caterpillars, which eat the leaves. The caterpillars are green with bold, white side stripes and a yellow-orange stripe along the top of the back.

Reference: 2bnTheWild.com

Early Buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis)

 Description: This native perennial wildflower consists of a small tuft of basal leaves and flowering stalks; a tufted plant is typically about 6" tall and 6" across. The basal leaves are usually divided into 3-5 leaflets; these leaflets are divided into narrow lobes and they may have a few teeth along their margins. There is a variety of Early Buttercup (var. apricus) with basal leaves that are shallowly divided into wide lobes or teeth, but it is uncommon. Each basal leaf has a long slender petiole. The flowering stalks are light green to purplish brown; each stalk has 1-2 cauline leaves. The cauline leaves are smaller in size than the basal leaves; they are either sessile or short-stalked. The cauline leaves are undivided, or they have 2-3 small lobes. Both basal and cauline leaves are medium green and either glabrous or silky-hairy. Both the flowering stalks and the petioles of basal leaves are usually silky-hairy.

        The flowers occur individually or in small loose clusters. Each flower is about ¾–1" across, consisting of 5 spreading petals (rarely more), 5 spreading sepals, a ring of numerous stamens, and a dense cluster of pistils in the center. The yellow petals are oblong or elliptic-oblong in shape; they are longer than wide. The green or yellowish green sepals are ovate in shape and usually hairy; they are shorter than the petals. The blooming period occurs during mid-spring and lasts about 2-3 weeks. Each flower is replaced by a dense cluster of beaked achenes spanning about 1/3" across. These achenes are orbicular and flat-sided (about 2.5–3.0 mm. across); their beaks are straight or curved (about 1.5–2 mm. long), while their sides are smooth. The root system consists of a tuft of thickened fibrous roots. This wildflower spreads by reseeding itself.

    Cultivation: The preference is full sun to light shade, mesic to dry conditions, and a rather poor soil containing rocky material or sand. This buttercup is a candidate for rock gardens.

    Range & Habitat:  Habitats include upland woodlands, thinly wooded bluffs, rocky savannas and sandy savannas, hill prairies, sand prairies, rocky glades, and pastures. This wildflower is found in rather dry areas where there is sparse ground vegetation.

    Faunal Associations: The nectar and pollen of the flowers attract primarily bees and Syrphid flies. Bee visitors of Early Buttercup's flowers include honeybees, Little Carpenter bees (Ceratina spp.), Cuckoo bees (Nomada spp.), Mason bees (Osmia spp.), Halictid bees (Halictus spp., Lasioglossum spp., & others), and Andrenid bees (Andrena spp.). Less common visitors of the flowers include butterflies, skippers, and miscellaneous flies (other than Syrphid). The seeds and foliage of Ranunculus spp. (buttercups) are eaten to a limited extent by the Wild Turkey, Ruffed Grouse, and Ring-Necked Pheasant. The seeds are also eaten to a limited extent by the Eastern Chipmunk, Gray Squirrel, Fox Squirrel, and voles. During the winter, Snow Buntings feed on the seeds of some buttercup species in fields and pastures. Because of the toxic foliage, Early Buttercup and other buttercups are often rejected by cattle and other mammalian herbivores as a source of food.

    Comments: This buttercup is the earliest to bloom.  Early Buttercup can be distinguished by its diminutive size, relatively large flowers (at least ¾" across), and deeply lobed leaves (except for var. apricus). Both the blades of the basal leaves and the petals of the flowers are longer than they are wide; other buttercups often have leaf blades and flower petals that are about as wide as they are long. Mature specimens of Early Buttercup produce fibrous roots that are slightly swollen and fleshy, although not truly tuberous.

Reference: http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info