Are you hyper sensitive to smells? No one would ever accuse me of that. LOL. Sometimes, Shirley could not believe that I could not smell. However, she loved to tell a story about that. It goes like this. While down at BRIT, someone tested hers. They put before her specimens of Hedeoma. These were old specimens. And she picked the right species for each one. 🙂
The first stop was at the cow patty for these chestnut colored mushrooms. Someone else had stopped but not to admire! Instead, it was for a meal. Look at the hole in the top most mushroom.
The morning dew glistened on this tiny puffball. And yes, a critter had stopped for a meal here too.
Past the mushrooms was a pond. These racoon tracks had not been washed away by the wave action. It was quick drop-off on the left.
Scarlet Toothcup (Ammannia coccinea) laid close to the ground. Maybe the cows like it? If allowed it can get up to three feet tall.
Every one of the capsules we picked up seemed have a bent style. This plant is a member of the Loosestrife family.
A frog jumped under the water! The clear water was perfect for viewing.
Another few feet and Jeanne spotted this critter. It was dragonfly nymph. When I picked up the nymph for a closer look, it was obvious that the predator had become the prey in this case. However, dragonfly nymphs are fierce hunters. “Dragonfly nymphs are lie-in-wait predators resting quietly on the substrate or on submerged plants. When a potential meal swims or walks near, the nymph’s extendable jaws flash outward to snatch and draw in the food, which can be any small aquatic animal or even the claw of an equal-sized crayfish.” (Dragonfly Larvae)
Bitterweed (Helenium amarum var. amarum). The cows apparently do not care for it. Hence, the name Bitterweed maybe?
On a fallen tree by a pond, a Daddy Longlegs (Harvestmen – Opiliones) was trying to blend in. These critters like soft-bodied animals such as aphids, caterpillars, leafhoppers, beetle larvae, mites, slugs, etc. Also known to scavenge on various arthropods, including hard-bodied animals. (BugGuide).
The last plant near these ponds that drew me in was the Marsh Fleabane (Pluchea odorata). Don’t you love the person who names a plant and then chooses a descriptive name? “Odor” is of course Latin for odor or smell. Even I got a whiff of this one, but barely. Still it wasn’t bad, just that I could smell it. So to be clear I don’t have a very good smeller. LOL. And sometimes that is a blessing. ;-
Keep looking!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
2 Comments
I’ve read that bitterweed got its name because, if cows are forced to eat it due to an overgrazed pasture, their milk tastes bitter.
Also, the link from your email is broken – I did a search to find this post.
Interesting about cows milk. Thanks. Sorry about the email problem. I messed up when I was sending out the blog yesterday . I don’t know how to fix at the point.
I’ve read that bitterweed got its name because, if cows are forced to eat it due to an overgrazed pasture, their milk tastes bitter.
Also, the link from your email is broken – I did a search to find this post.
Interesting about cows milk. Thanks. Sorry about the email problem. I messed up when I was sending out the blog yesterday . I don’t know how to fix at the point.