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MOWGLI
12-18-2007, 17:26
Blooming on December 14 in Jocassee Gorges in Upstate SC - near the Foothills Trail.

http://americanhiking.chattablogs.com/archives/064522.html

PS: I know a wildflower isn't technically "wildlife", but I didn't know where else to put this.

Lone Wolf
12-18-2007, 17:30
Bloodroot

Ramble~On
12-18-2007, 17:32
Bloodroot. but the foliage looks odd and what the......oh yeah, global warming

Jack Tarlin
12-18-2007, 17:35
I think the above posters are correct.

Not bad, Wolf. Didn't know you were a wildflower kind of guy.

Veri impressive response. And pithy, too.

Lone Wolf
12-18-2007, 17:37
I think the above posters are correct.

Not bad, Wolf. Didn't know you were a wildflower kind of guy.

Veri impressive response. And pithy, too.

my first year on the AT i carried Petersen's Wildflower Guide

emerald
12-18-2007, 17:37
Something other than bloodroot. Leaf altogether wrong. Try again.

Ramble~On
12-18-2007, 17:45
I thought the foliage looked a little funny for Bloodroot...and what the.. is it doing blooming in December?
It still looks like Bloodroot to me though.

MOWGLI
12-18-2007, 17:48
If you folks like playing along, I can do this in the spring on a weekly basis. I live in a wildflower paradise. A 300 acre botanical garden filled with native plants.

doggiebag
12-18-2007, 17:58
Colchicum autumnale/Nancy Lindsay

Minerva
12-18-2007, 18:20
I agree with SOG it's not bloodroot. Thought it might be a hepatica, but the leaves don't look like any thing I'm familiar with. Is it some kind of anemone or goldthread? Does this plant have it's seasons messed up?

Mowgli16, I think it would be fun to do in the spring, but most folks are out hiking. At least for me, it's in the winter time with the short days and too much time near a computer that I like to play these games.

warraghiyagey
12-18-2007, 18:26
my first year on the AT i carried Petersen's Wildflower Guide
Wuss. . .




:p

doggiebag
12-18-2007, 18:29
If you folks like playing along, I can do this in the spring on a weekly basis. I live in a wildflower paradise. A 300 acre botanical garden filled with native plants.
Would it be possible to have the same thing with edible wild plants/mushrooms found along the trail? Just for fun.

MOWGLI
12-18-2007, 19:19
Would it be possible to have the same thing with edible wild plants/mushrooms found along the trail? Just for fun.

Hmmm. Might have to look hard at that one. Making a mistake in the field can cause some major problems.

How about trees? By bark (in winter) and leaves (in spring & summer)? Got hundreds of 'em all labeled around my cabin. I could do it 5-6 at a time with multiple choice options.

Ramble~On
12-18-2007, 19:36
Trees I can deal with....
Mushrooms I'm not gonna go there
Wildflowers.....this spring I hope to photograph a bunch of them and I'll let you figure out what they are since I won't have a clue.

sasquatch2014
12-18-2007, 20:04
Is it from the Wintergreen family?

doggiebag
12-18-2007, 20:06
Is it bigger than a bread box?

Cuffs
12-23-2007, 01:23
That looks like anemone virginiana to me..

Rain Man
12-24-2007, 10:33
NOT a wildflower expert, but I'll throw out this possibility from a Foothills Trail journal I recently read--

http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=207815

"Oconee Bell, a flower that only grows in this part of the country. our first sighting."

Maybe Jake Brake would have some other photos?

Rain:sunMan

.

MOWGLI
12-24-2007, 10:54
The Oconee Bell is a real rarity, and is only found in Upstate SC. You don't find it along the AT. In this case, I don't think that's what we're dealing with.

Groucho
12-24-2007, 14:05
The Oconee Bell is a real rarity, and is only found in Upstate SC. You don't find it along the AT. In this case, I don't think that's what we're dealing with.

Shortia with-leaves-like-Galax (galacifolia) has a little wider distribution, but is rare. TN, VA, NC, SC, and GA according to http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SHGA

emerald
12-24-2007, 16:02
Shortia with-leaves-like-Galax (galacifolia) has a little wider distribution, but is rare. TN, VA, NC, SC, and GA according to http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SHGA

This map may lead one to believe it's a more common and widespread plant than it actually is. I knew it to be quite rare and spent a bit of time doing some online research.

It's global rank is G2. The populations in TN (3 counties), also VA and GA (1 county each) are considered to be introduced, likely introduced or at least possibly introduced.

It's an S2 species (threatened) where it exists naturally in SC and just a few counties in NC.

It's available in the nursery trade for those who might be interested in trying to grow it on their own properties.

Belew
12-24-2007, 16:36
Doesn't look like a Galax to me but maybe that's how they look when first coming out of the ground. I've only seen the Galax around here and somewhere around White top. I love the smell of the Galax, very strange odor.

Groucho
12-24-2007, 17:00
This map may lead one to believe it's a more common and widespread plant than it actually is. I knew it to be quite rare and spent a bit of time doing some online research.

It's global rank is G2. The populations in TN (3 counties), also VA and GA (1 county each) are considered to be introduced, likely introduced or at least possibly introduced.

It's an S2 species (threatened) where it exists naturally in SC and just a few counties in NC.

It's available in the nursery trade for those who might be interested in trying to grow it on their own properties.

When I read M's post, I remembered that it existed in NC, SC and possibly one other state (which I thought was GA); and, upon googling, was surprised to learn that it was found in 5 states. I was wondering whether it was introduced.

anneandbenhike
12-24-2007, 23:24
This flower is most definitely NOT bloodroot. Sorry guys!! I have bloodroot growing in my yard in the spring and the flowers are very "daisy-like" and not like this which has fewer petals. I think it is a wood anemone. It is certainly blooming like a spring flower. With the crazy fall weather we have had, I imagine some of the spring things are thinking it is time to bloom. We had a very warm several days here in TN and I now have daffodils up, so this is not a surprise. Although the picture is not exactly as Mowgli's picture, it is a variation. I have five flower field books and looked at each picture and they all vary a bit. This is my best guess!! What do you all think? There is always variation in nature.

http://www.enature.com/flashcard/show_flash_card.asp?recordNumber=WF0093

It is also not Hepatica as it has a very distinct, three lobed, leathery leaf. See a picture of it here.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=HENOO

anneandbenhike
12-24-2007, 23:36
Found this picture which is somewhat more like what is in mogli's picture.

picture.http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Anemone_nemorosa/ARK018160.html (http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Anemone_nemorosa/ARK018160.html)


The flower is definitely not an oconee bell as the greenery is very different. See oconee at this link.

http://jurisdynamics.blogspot.com/2006/10/shortia-galacifolia-oconee-bell.html

warraghiyagey
12-24-2007, 23:40
Found this picture which is somewhat more like what is in mogli's picture.

picture.http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Anemone_nemorosa/ARK018160.html (http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Anemone_nemorosa/ARK018160.html)


The flower is definitely not an oconee bell as the greenery is very different. See oconee at this link.

http://jurisdynamics.blogspot.com/2006/10/shortia-galacifolia-oconee-bell.html
Close-ish but I don't think so.:) :)

warraghiyagey
12-25-2007, 01:08
Late stage Wood Anemone?
http://americanhiking.chattablogs.com/archives/064522.html

jlb2012
01-02-2008, 15:56
OK here is what the expert opinion around here says:

Its bloodroot growing up through the leaf of a different plant - bloodroot leaves actually come up slightly later than the flower so it is not unusual to have a bloodroot flower without a sign of the leaf.

MOWGLI - did you check to see if the flower was attached to the same plant as the leaf? I suspect that if you had dug around a little you would have seen that they are two different plants.

MOWGLI
01-02-2008, 16:19
Thanks HOI. My South Carolina wildflower expert says.......











Bloodroot!

He says the leaves don't look quite right, so he's forwarding the photo to another friend. I'll let you know if I hear anything to the contrary.

Rain Man
01-02-2008, 16:56
The Oconee Bell is a real rarity, and is only found in Upstate SC. You don't find it along the AT. In this case, I don't think that's what we're dealing with.

But, but, but,... YOU said the photo was "in Jocassee Gorges in Upstate SC - near the Foothills Trail."

Anyway, it was just a WAG on my part, based on the photo from someone else's journal. ;)

Rain:sunMan

.

Minerva
01-02-2008, 17:45
Dang, I am surprised it's Bloodroot, sure the flower part looks like it, but the leaves don't.

MrsG

LuTotten
01-28-2008, 14:42
I'll follow MOWGLI's lead here...I found this one on blood mtn, can't find anything on it anywhere. Sadly I don't have a pic of the foliage and I am not all too sure there really was any. Pic was taken in mid august. Plant was 2'-3' tall, twiggy with sort of furry branches.

jlb2012
01-28-2008, 15:53
Best guess Bunchflower - Melanthium hybridum - flowers are presistant and turn green after a while

mudhead
01-28-2008, 17:18
How about trees? By bark (in winter) and leaves (in spring & summer)? Got hundreds of 'em all labeled around my cabin. I could do it 5-6 at a time with multiple choice options.

This would be elegant.

Or your bird ID links.