The plant inventory team found this Pitch Pine (Pinus rigida) on the Refuge’s Central Tract and thought it might be a contender for the state champion of this species. Chris Winton went back on 24 October 2020 and measured it … Continue reading
Anyone from Maryland (and beyond) who follows the nature photography pages on Facebook will certainly recognize Matt’s name. He is a prolific photographer who with his smartphone and camera, takes the most amazingly stunning photographs of nature. His subjects include … Continue reading
Hypopitys monotropa Crantz. is a member of the Ericaceae family. Its common names include Dutchman’s pipe, false beech-drops, pinesap, or yellow bird’s-nest. Its natural range is circumboreal and is found throughout North America. The plants do not contain chlorophyll and … Continue reading
Earlier this week, Chris Winton of the Patuxent Research Refuge Plant Inventory Project spotted a type of buttercup that we had not seen on the refuge before. On 13 May 2020 we visited the location where he had spotted this … Continue reading
Matt Beziat and I spotted some Pine Needle Gall Midge (Thecodiplosis cf. brachynteroides) parasitizing in a Virginia Pine (Pinus virginiana) on the North Tract of the Patuxent Research Refuge.
This is a rarely reported species. I found it in a wet meadow on the North Tract of the Refuge When I first tried to determine the plant’s name, I thought it was Rhynchospora capitellata, a fairly common beaksedge. I … Continue reading
Well, I just reached a cool milestone with my plant collection – I just hit collection number 10000. It was an Opuntia probably O. humifusa s.s. collected at the Cromwell Valley Park in Parkville, Maryland, 15 June 2019. I know … Continue reading
Ophioglossum pycnostichum (Southern Adders Tongue) is native to Southeastern North America. Some authors subsume this species under Ophioglossum vulgatum s.l. which is found in Europe and Asia. Even though it does not look like it, it is a type of … Continue reading
Did you know that there are three putative species of cacti in Maryland? Lucus Majure, PhD. at Florida at the Museum of Natural History in Gainesville has recently updated the taxonomy of the cactus native to the East Coast of … Continue reading
Viola primulifolia or Primrose-leaved Violet is an acaulescent viola meaning that the flowering stem grows from the crown of the plant along with the leaves. Its natural range is Eastern USA from Maine in the north, Iowa and Texas … Continue reading
Today, we visited a second site where Liparis liliifolia (Purple Twayblade) was growing on the Refuge. We looked around and found several patches of these lovely orchids thriving. In all, it is possible we spotted over 100 individual plants. I … Continue reading
The Eastern Prickly Pear Cactus (Opuntia cespitosa) is in full bloom on the Patuxent Research Refuge today by Lake Allen on the North Tract. This species differs from the other two species of Opuntia found in Maryland by the reddish … Continue reading
After we re-discovered the location of the Liparis liliifolia on the North Tract, Dave and I did a little foraying in the powerline area. We found some patches of Rubus hispidus (Swamp Dewberry) in bloom. It is also sometimes called … Continue reading
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Today, Dave Anderson and I re-discovered the location of a patch of Liparis liliifolia in bloom that Dave initially spotted last year on the North Tract after the blooming season. This is a new record for this species on the … Continue reading
This gallery contains 10 photos.
Which species of Oxalis is this? I suspect it could be Oxalic colorea? Maybe. If not what other species could this be? We have measured the petals to be at least 7 mm, but never more than 10 mm. It … Continue reading
Viola striata is native to Eastern North America and is mostly (not always) found away from the Coastal Plain. On the Refuge, it is found in the floodplain/bottomland woods. It is a caulescent violet meaning that the flowers are found … Continue reading
Viola sororia also known as Common Blue Violet is an acaulescent violet found in Eastern North America. It is commonly found on the Refuge in hydric habitats like bottomland woods and roadside seepages. It will invade lawns and gardens., … Continue reading
