So I am going to back up with a few more photos from the Friday NPSOT pop up field trip. This was after the two rare plants that I had wanted to share in yesterday’s post. Now we were no longer on a slope but in open prairie.
The Draba (Tomostima cuneifolia) was hosting a small black ant. Furthermore they looked right back at me. 🙂
Some of the Drabas were bearing fruit. These little ones will only stick around thru April.
Slowly the more showy plants are popping up. This is the Four-nerve Daisy (Tetraneuris scaposa). Look at all their tiny bug friends they were hosting. I’m guessing they were thrips.
Additionally there were bugs on the back side too.
It wasn’t until I looked on the computer that I noticed the tiny planthopper. The Tiny Bluets (Houstonia pusilla) are another of the special flower friends that will appear as early as February. Catch them while you can because by early April they will be gone.
Here the Ten-petal Anemone (Anemone berlandieri) was short by a couple of petals. Hope that’s not being “a few cards short of a deck.” for them. LOL.
Another color of the Ten-petal Anemone also short a petal.
Now I wanted to check out this Anemone. Dr. Russell Pfau from Tarleton State University will be here in a few weeks to further investigate them. Notice the hairy sepals.
Yet another one but purple this time! It also should be noted the double sepals.
And yep hairy too.
Another hairy part are the undersides of the bracts. Russell has a great identification guide for Anemones.
And the last friend of my Friday morning on the way home was this magnificent Bull Snake!
What a magnificent snake! And great to see the anemones!! Agree on thrips on Tetraneuris.
Thanks! Thrips might be in the predatory Aeolothrips genus… Maybe 🤔
Beautiful snake
Yes that is a super pic of the bull snake!