The shores of the ponds and lakes host a whole different plant and animal communities.
In North Texas most bodies of water are low as was Little Cottonwood Lake. However this now gives you easy access to walk the shorelines.
Scarlet Toothcup (Ammannia coccinea) is a common plant along the shores. The flowers attracts flies, bees and butterflies. Additionally the seeds are utilized in the winter by ducks.
Certainly you need to get close to appreciate the flower!
The seeds are gift wrapped for the ducks!
A few Checkered Setwings were hanging out.
So the finely bladed sedges (Fimbristylis vahlii) was moving into the now dry habitat at the lake’s edge.
Closeup of the sedge! A cutie!
The Yerba de Tajo or False Daisy (Eclipta prostrata) is also a plant that likes the wet areas. False Daisy may be visited by bees, butterflies, other insects, hummers, and other animals for food, cover or/and nectar.
Indeed these organisms have found their niche living on the edge!
The more you know, the more you see and the more you see, the more you know
9 Comments
Like that sedge moving down in the area the water has receded from, the frogfruit did that at our stock tanks. Anyone that saw the zoom meeting in August for Trinity Forks saw that example. I am thrilled when I see that because I know that those plants will help hold soil when runoff comes rushing in.
Like that sedge moving down in the area the water has receded from, the frogfruit did that at our stock tanks. Anyone that saw the zoom meeting in August for Trinity Forks saw that example. I am thrilled when I see that because I know that those plants will help hold soil when runoff comes rushing in.
I am waiting for your TF presentation to go online so I can share it here. It was a wonderful and informative presentation.
It is. Under “activities” then under “programs”.
https://npsot.org/chapters/trinity-forks/tf-programs/
Great! Thanks!
Love to see the specialists in their habitats!
Interesting article about climate and aggression. Thanks
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I love all of the small plants people tend to ignore. The Ammannia is one of them!
The small ones are pretty great for sure!