Prairie-Cup Plant

Cup Plant

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Silphium

Species: S. perfoliatum

General Characteristics: This native perennial plant is about 4-10' tall and remains unbranched, except for the panicle of flowering stems near the apex. The central stem is thick, hairless, and four-sided. The large opposite leaves are up to 8" long and 5" across, which join together around the central stem to form a cup that can hold water, hence the name of the plant. These leaves are broadly lanceolate to cordate, coarsely toothed, and have a rough, sandpapery texture. The yellow composite flowers bloom during early to mid-summer for about 1-1½ months. Each sunflower-like composite flower is about 3-4" across, consisting of numerous yellow disk florets that are surrounded by 18-40 yellow or pale yellow ray florets. The infertile disk florets protrude somewhat from the center and are rather conspicuous, while the ray florets are fertile. The latter produce thin achenes, each with a well-developed marginal wing, which are dispersed to some extent by the wind. The root system consists of a central taproot, and abundant shallow rhizomes that help to spread the plant vegetatively, often forming substantial colonies.

Special Adaptations: Long-tongued bees, butterflies, and skippers are common visitors and the most important pollinators of the flowers. Some short-tongued bees, wasps, bee flies, and other kinds of flies also visit the flowers for pollen or nectar. The larvae of an Antistrophus sp. (Gall Wasp sp.) feed within the stems of this plant, and may attract the hyperparasitic wasp Eurytoma lutea. Various birds, especially goldfinches, are very fond of the seeds, and drink water from the cups formed by the leaves. Because of the tendency to form dense colonies, this plant provides good cover for birds, which often lurk among the leaves during the heat of the day, searching for insects or pausing to rest. Large herbivores, especially cattle, may eat the eat leaves of Cup Plant, especially those of immature plants.

Prairie-Queen Anne's Lace

Queen Anne's Lace

Order: Apiales

Family: Apiaceae

Genus: Daucus

Species: D. carota

General Characteristics: Leaves are pinnately dissected, the blades 5-15 cm long and 2-7 cm wide, the ultimate segments linear to lanceolate, 2-12 mm long and 0.5-2 mm. wide, those of the upper leaves more elongate. The flowers are c ompound umbels several or solitary, the peduncles 2.5-6 cm long; involucre bracts pinnatifid into firm, elongate, filiform segments; bractlets of the involucel linear and entire, often exceeding the flowers; inflorescence showy, 4-12 cm wide, narrower in fruit than in flower, the numerous rays unequal; ultimate umbellets with 20 or more flowers; flowers white or yellowish, rarely pink, the central flower in the umbel purple.

Special Adaptations: As the compound umbel matures it folds in on itself trapping all the spined fruits until some animal brushes the plant and is covered with the seeds.

Prairie-Big Tooth Aspen

Big Tooth Aspen

Order: Salicales

Family: Salicaceae

Genus: Populus

Species: P. grandidentata

General Characteristics: Big-tooth aspen is a columnar tree 50-75 ft. tall. Toothed leaves are cottony-white on the lower surface, especially when the tree is young. The slender trunk’s whitish bark, becomes furrowed at base and darker gray with age. Silvery catkins appear before leaves. Deciduous foliage becomes golden-yellow in fall. Easily distinguishable from Quaking Aspen by the large curved teeth of leaf edges, mentioned in both common and scientific names. Like that species, Bigtooth Aspen is a pioneer tree after fires and logging and on abandoned fields, short-lived and replaced by conifers. The foliage, twig buds, and bark are consumed by wildlife.

Special Charcacteristics: Big toothed aspen is important for revegetating recently cut or burned land, holding soil in place and protecting other slower-growing species of plants.

Prairie-Smooth Brome

Smooth Brome Grass

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Bromus

Species: B. inermis

General Characteristics: A rhizomatous, clump-forming, perennial grass bearing many light green (sometimes purple- or bronze-tinged), narrow, usually hairless spikelets in a loose, much-branched terminal cluster.

This drought-resistant Eurasian species was deliberately introduced into the United States around 1880 as a hay and pasture grass and for reseeding western ranges. It has since gone wild throughout the United States and much of Canada (except the far north) and is now one of our most common weedy grasses; in some areas it is considered an undesirable plant because of its aggressiveness. However, its deep roots make it an excellent soil binder, protecting against erosion. Relished by all kinds of livestock, it is a fine forage. The species name means unarmed, alluding to the spikelets, which do not have the long bristles characteristic of some of Smooth Bromes relatives. A rare variant has hairy spikelets.

Special Adaptations: Bromus inermis is a larval host and/or nectar source for the Orange-edged Roadside-Skipper (Amblyscirtes fimbriata)

Prairie-Common Evening Primrose

Common Evening Primrose

Order: Mytales

Family: Onagraceae

Genus: Oenothera

Species: O. biennis

General Characteristics: At the top of a leafy stalk bloom lemon-scented, large yellow flowers. Stem hairy, often purple-tinged. King’s cure-all or common evening primrose is an erect, 2-6 ft. biennial with leafy, branched stems from a basal rosette. The bright-yellow, four-petaled flowers, up to 2 inches across, open at night. These fragrant flowers occur in a many-flowered, terminal spike.

The flowers of this night-flowering biennial open in the evening and close by noon. The plant takes 2 years to complete its life cycle, with basal leaves becoming established the first year, and flowering occurring the second. The roots are edible, and the seeds are important as bird feed. Most of the evening-primroses have yellow flowers. Showy Evening-primrose (O. speciosa) has pink or white flowers.

Special Adaptations: The flowers of this plant attract a variety of moths. Small mammals eat the roots and leaves of young plants. Birds eat the seeds. Deer graze older plants.

Prairie-Prairie Dropseed

Prairie Dropseed

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Sporobolis

Species: S. heterolepis

General Characteristics: Prairie dropseed is a fine-textured, distinctive bunchgrass with leaves that curve gracefully outward forming large, round tufts. Delicate seedheads appear above the tuft in midsummer, rising 2 ft. high. Fall color is tan-bronze. Prairie dropseed is a perennial. Snow does not flatten the plant, so it is visible even in winter.

Special Characteristics: Decoction of root taken as an emetic "to remove bile."

Prairie-Indian Grass

Indian Grass

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Sorghastrum

Species: S. nutans

General Characteristics: Indian grass is a tall, bunching sod-former, 3-8 ft. in height, with broad blue-green blades and a large, plume-like, soft, golden-brown seed head. This showy perennial’s fall color is deep orange to purple.This is a beautiful grass with a somewhat metallic golden sheen to its flowering parts. It is an important associate in the tallgrass prairies and is relished by livestock. It appears to be favored by occasional flooding and repeated burning and sometimes forms nearly pure stands in the lowlands. Warm-season grass with rich gold-and-purple sprays of flowers and seeds in the fall.

Special Adaptations: Sorghastrum nutans is a larval host and/or nectar source for the Pepper and Salt Skipper (Amblyscirtes hegon)

Prairie-Sky Blue Aster

Small Blue Aster

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Symphyotrichum

Species: S. oolentangiense

General Characteristics: The plant is an erect, perennial, 2'-3' tall forb

The flower head is 3/4"-1 1/3" wide with 10-25 blue to pink rays; bracts (phyllaries) with short, dark, diamond-shaped tip; inflorescence loose, branched cluster. It blooms Aug.-Oct. The leaf is mostly toward the bottom of the stem, thick, stiff, usually entire, lower leaves on long, often winged stalked, base usually heart-shaped, upper surface rough; upper leaves lance-like, stalkless but not clasping.

Special Characteristics: The flowers attract various insects, including small bees, flies, small to medium-sized butterflies, skippers, and wasps. Among these, Green Metallic bees and other Halictid bees are especially common visitors of the flowers, where they seek nectar or pollen. The caterpillars of the butterfly Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) and several species of moth feed on this and other asters. The Wild Turkey and been observed feeding on the foliage and seeds of asters to a limited extent. Many mammalian herbivores occasionally eat this plant, even though it has low food value, including rabbits, deer, groundhogs, and livestock.

Various Ecosystems-Smooth Sumac

Smooth Sumac

Order: Sapindales

Family: Anacardiaceae

Genus: Rhus

Species: R. glabra

General Characteristics: The colony-forming smooth sumac is a 10-20 ft. shrub with short, crooked, leaning trunks and picturesque branches. The pinnately compound leaves are alternate, with 13–30 sharp-toothed leaflets on each side of the midrib. Deciduous leaves become extremely colorful in early fall. On female plants, yellow-green flowers are followed by bright-red, hairy berries in erect, pyramidal clusters which persist throughout winter.

Special Adaptations: Colonies can be rejuvenated every few years by cutting them to the ground in mid-winter. Sumacs will grow in dry waste areas, such as impossible slopes where even junipers struggle. They are fast growing, generally pest and disease-free, and drought-tolerant. Colonies are often single-sexed, formed from a single, suckering parent. Only female plants produce flowers and berries. Boiled fruit is a remedy for painful menstruation and blood diarrhea.

Various Ecosystems-Showy Goldenrod

Showy Goldenrod

Order: Asteridae

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Solidago

Species: S. speciosa

General Characteristics: The erect, usually unbranched, reddish stems of this perennial are 1-5 ft. tall and occur singly or in clusters. Small, yellow flowers occur in a compact, erect, pyramidal column. A stout stem, smooth below and rough above, bearing a dense, pyramidal or club-shaped, terminal cluster of small yellow flower heads.

Special Adaptations: Infusion of root used for burns or steam scalds.

Various Ecosystems-Red Backed Salamader

Red Backed Salamander

Order: Caudata

Family: Plethodontidae

Genus: Plethodon

Species: P. cinereus

General Characteristics: A thin bodied little salamander that occurs in two common color phases. The "redback" phase has a reddish or orange stripe down the back and tail, bordered by darker sides. The "leadback" phase lacks the stripe, and has a dark colored back, sometimes speckled with faint light spots. In both the belly is mottled with a white and gray "salt and pepper" pattern. Adults are 2.3 to 5 inches (5.8 to 12.7 cm) long. (Note that these salamanders sometimes lose portions of their tails during encounters with predators.)

Special Charcacteristics: Does not require water to reproduce; young go through larval stage in the egg.

Various Ecosystems-Big Bluestem

Big Bluestem

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Andropogon

Species: A. gerardii

General Characteristics: Big Bluestem is a warm season, perennial bunchgrass with blue-green stems 4-8 ft. tall. The seedhead is usually branched into three parts and resembles a turkey’s foot. Fall color is maroonish-tan. It tends to be taller than the other species and was at one time very abundant. It can still get quite aggressive when its established in a favorable, undisturbed location, but overgrazing and land destruction have reduced it to mere patches of its former range. Part of the problem is that cattle love it so much - some ranchers refer to it as ice cream for cows - and it cannot take concentrated grazing; the seasonal grazing of migratory bison is what its evolved to cope with.

Special Adaptations: Provides cover for at least 24 species of songbirds and nesting sites or seeds for Grasshopper Sparrow, Henslow’s Sparrow, and other sparrows.

Various Ecosystems-Little Bluestem

Little Bluestem

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Schizachyrium

Species: S. scoparium

General Characteristics: This mid-prairie species, also known as Bunchgrass, gets its name from the bluish color of the stem bases in the spring, but most striking is the plants reddish-tan color in fall, persisting through winter snows. In winter the seeds, fuzzy white at maturity, are of particular value to small birds. A related species, Big Bluestem or Turkeyfoot (Andropogon gerardii), has finger-like seed heads that somewhat resemble a turkeys foot. It reaches a height of 12 ft (3.6 m) in favorable bottomland sites and is also one of the Easts most important native prairie grasses.

Special Adaptations Larval host for Ottoe Skipper, Indian Skipper, Crossline Skipper, Dusted Skipper, Cobweb butterfly, Dixie skipper. It has a high deer resistant.

Various Ecosystems-Garter Snake

Garter Snake

Order: Squamata

Family: Colubridae

Genus: Thamnophis

Species: T. sirtalis

General Characteristics: Although the pattern is variable, it usually consists of a narrow stripe down the middle of the back and a broad stripe on each side. Between the center and each side stripe are two rows of alternating black spots. A dark line separating the yellow side stripe from the belly is not particularly bold as it is in the ribbon snake. Background color is usually brown or black, but may be somewhat green or reddish. Stripes may be tan, yellow or orange. A garter snake will occasionally appear more checkered than striped. The scales are keeled and the belly is yellow or pale green.

Special Characteristics: Although they feed on a variety of small animals, garter snakes' primary prey are earthworms and amphibians. Their saliva appears to be toxic to amphibians and other small animals and a bite may produce swelling or a burning rash in some people. Although garter snakes may or may not bite if handled, most individuals secrete a foul-smelling fluid from anal glands when alarmed. Occasionally, garter snakes make their way into basements, a situation that appears to be most common in spring or autumn.

Various Ecosystems-Fox Squirrel

Fox Squirrel

Order: Rodentia

Family: Sciuridae

Genus: Sciurus

Species: S. niger

General Characteristics: In contrast with the gray squirrel, the fox squirrel is brawny, less nervous and adjusts well to small woodlots in farmland. Upper body parts are a grizzled black-brown-orange combination. The fox squirrel has brown under parts. Those found below the Mason-Dixon Line may be black above, white below and have white ears and noses, but this color phase is not found in Indiana. Although fox squirrels are often seen on the ground, they climb well and are seldom found far from trees. They arise and feed later than other squirrels and are more active throughout the day. Their barking and squalls often betray their presence, as these sounds carry a great distance.

Special Adaptations: Squirrels don’t hibernate, so they must depend upon buried acorns and nuts for winter fare. Many acorns buried in the fall are never found and later sprout to become trees. Sticky seeds and burrs lodge in the squirrels plume-like tail and are transported to new areas. Through planting and dispersal of seeds, our bushy-tailed friend serves as a forester and plant distributor of great importance.

Various Ecosystems-Red Squirrel

Red Squirrel

Order: Rodentia

Family: Sciuridae

Genus: Tamiasciurus

Species: T. hudsonicus

General Characteristics: The red squirrel is a small squirrel with reddish to reddish-gray fur on top and a white or cream underside. It has white around its eyes. Its tail is not as long or bushy as the tail of other tree squirrels. In the summer, the red squirrel may have a black stripe on its sides. Its curved front claws and powerful hind legs make it a very good climber and jumper

Special Characteristics: The red squirrel may migrate short distances when food supplies are low. The red squirrel also drinks tree sap from maple trees. It bites a tree until the sap flows out and returns to drink it after the water in the sap has evaporated.

Old-Field-Mountain Mint

Mountain Mint

Order: Lamiales

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: Pycanthemum

Species: P. virginianum

General Characteristics: This is a native perennial plant up to 3' tall and branching frequently, often with a bushy appearance. The green or reddish stems are strongly four-angled and have scattered white hairs along the ridges. The opposite leaves are up to 2½" long and narrowly lanceolate or linear. They are sessile, and have smooth margins. The largest leaves are ¼ - ½" across. When damaged, the foliage releases a strong mint scent.

Special Adaptations: Many insects are strongly attracted to the flowers, including various bees, wasps, flies, small butterflies, and beetles. Typical visitors from these groups include honeybees, Cuckoo bees, Halictid bees, Sphecid wasps, Eumenine wasps, bee flies, Tachinid flies, Wedge-shaped beetles, and Pearl Cresecent butterflies. Most of these insects seek nectar. Mammalian herbivores and many leaf-chewing insects apparently find the mint fragrance of the leaves and stems repugnant, and rarely bother this plant.

Old-Field-Water Horehound

Water Horehound

Order: Lamiales

Family: Lamiaceae

Genus: Lycopus

Species: L. americanus

General Characteristics: Tiny, white, tubular flowers clustered in dense groups around a square stem in axils of opposite leaves. The members of this group are non-aromatic mints and are typical of wet sites. The various species are distinguished on the basis of technical details. They are sometimes called bugleweeds because of the resemblance of each flower to a bugle. Other species have less coarsely toothed leaves. The genus name is from the Greek lycos (a wolf) and pous (foot) and refers to the likeness of some species leaves to a wolf’s footprint. About 10 species of Lycopus occur in eastern North America; most are very similar, making identification difficult.

Special Adaptations: Compound containing entire plant can be used for stomach cramps.

Old-Field-New England Aster

New England Aster

Order: Asteridae

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Symphyotrichum

Species: S. novae-angliae

General Characteristics: New England American-aster is large and showy, growing to 6 or more ft. in height. The perennial’s hairy, clasping leaves are arranged densely on its stout stems. Showy, bright, rose-purple flowers with orange-yellow centers bloom in profusion at the tips of the leafy branches.

The flower color is variable, ranging from lavender to blue to white. A pink variety of this species is sometimes grown commercially.

Special Charcacteristics: This plant is attractive to bees, butterflies and/or birds

It is drought-tolerant. This plant is resistant to deer

Old-Field-Heath Aster

Heath Aster

Order: Asteridae

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Aster

Species: A. ericoides

General Characteristics: This native perennial plant is up to 2' tall, branching occasionally to create a bushy appearance. The hairy stems are green initially, but often become brown when the plant matures. The alternate leaves are up to 3" long and ¼" across toward the base of the plant, becoming less than 1" long and 1/8" across near the flowering stems. They are linear in form and have smooth edges, often with a fine pubescence. The lower leaves usually shrivel and fall off by the time the compound flowers bloom during the fall.

Special Adaptations: A wide variety of insects are attracted to the flowers, including long-tongued bees, short-tongued bees, wasps, flies, butterflies, skippers, moths, beetles, and plant bugs. Bee visitors include honeybees, bumblebees, Cuckoo bees, Little Carpenter bees, Leaf-Cutting bees, Halictid bees, Plasterer bees, and Andrenid bees. Wasp visitors include Thread-Waisted wasps, bee wolves, Spider wasps, Sand wasps, Paper wasps, Ichneumonid wasps, and Braconid wasps. Among the flies, are such visitors as bee flies, Syrphid flies, Thick-Headed flies, Tachinid flies, Muscid flies, and others. Various insects suck juices from the plant, including aphids, lace bugs, and plant bugs. The caterpillars of the butterfly Chlosyne nycteis (Silvery Checkerspot) feed on the foliage or flowers, as does the caterpillars of many moth species. Wild Turkeys nibble on the seeds and foliage to a limited extent. Mammalian herbivores, including the White-Tailed Deer, Cottontail Rabbit, and various kinds of livestock, also feed on the tender growth of young plants occasionally, but are less likely to bother mature plants later in the year.