Mystery plant confirmed!
Back in March, Jeanne and I were checking out a spot on the grasslands to see what we could find. Well, we found a plant that had these hairs on the old stem that hurt to touch. Kathy saw my post and suggested it might be Marbleseed (Onosmodium bejariense) and also known as False Gromwell. So that was the mission on the grasslands. Was it blooming and was Kathy’s suggestion correct?
Kathy, you nailed it!
The leaves are quite hairy too!
We were not the only ones to visit the patch; we saw a female hummingbird and a bumble bee!
This tiny plume moth was resting on last season’s stalk.
Closeup of the flowers! This patch had 12+ plants in it. We found a couple more plants a few hundred feet further.
Did I mention how the stiff bristle hairs hurt when you handled the old stalk it. So now we know what to look for even in the winter. And it is a new plant for the grasslands! I only have seen it in one other spot in Wise County.
FYI, due to technical difficulty, there was no Friday night post.
More stuff tomorrow! And great job Kathy!
Wow, so interesting! I've never heard of that species. You'll have to show it to me sometime.
Suzanne, Will be happy to show you and I need to look for more in other places too 😉
Yay!!!!! And thanks to Shirley for being so excited about this plant and raising my awareness. When I found it in Collin County at Legacy I was really thrilled. So glad I dug a sample and brought it with me down here. Alan posted it on iNat and I suggested that he document the population over on 455 &51 too.