Category Archives: Plantae

Plants

Friday Flower – Sedum pulchellum

Posted on June 25, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

I’m particularly enamored with glades, and after nearly 30 years of exploring Missouri’s Ozark Highlands, there aren’t many glades of any significance that I haven’t visited at some time or another.  However, during my mostly unproductive Memorial Day weekend collecting trip, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crassulaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Friday Flower – Dwarf Spiderwort

Posted on June 11, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Living at the foothills of the Ozark Highlands, I sometimes forget how unique the biota of this ancient landscape truly is. More than 200 species of plants and animals are largely restricted to the region, with around 160 of these … Continue reading →

Posted in Commelinaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , | 21 Comments

Friday Flower – Pawpaw

Posted on May 7, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

As my friend Rich and I stood in the verdent understory admiring the spectacular panicles of red buckeye punctuating the green lushness, a small brown flower on a leafless branch above me caught my eye.  “Pawpaw!” I exclaimed, perhaps partly in … Continue reading →

Posted in Annonaceae, Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, Lepidoptera, Papilionidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 28 Comments

Friday Flower: Red Buckeye

Posted on April 30, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Beetles, spiders, and snakes were not the only delights that Rich and I saw as we hiked the lower stretch of the Ozark Trail’s Wappapello Section in early April.  Entering the rich, moist, east-facing slopes overlooking the Black River valley, the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hippocastanaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

North America’s second-rarest pine

Posted on April 23, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

During last year’s trip to Lake Tahoe, I made it a goal to find all of the 11 conifer species occurring naturally in the Lake Tahoe Basin.  It took some effort, some good references (Arno 1973, Graf 1999, Lanner 1999, … Continue reading →

Posted in Pinaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Winter Botany Quiz #6 – answers and a checklist

Posted on April 14, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

I thought yesterday’s Winter Botany Quiz #6 would be a fairly difficult, and given the apparent difficulty of my previous quizes (Pismire Puzzle and Tuesday Teaser) I thought I’d give readers a break this week and narrow down the location to the Lake Tahoe area. … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Rosaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Winter Botany Quiz #6

Posted on April 13, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

This photo was taken during my March trip to Lake Tahoe.  Can you identify the plant (family, genus, species), the structure shown, and its function?  Answer and more photos tomorrow. © Ted C. MacRae 2010 Email to a friend

Posted in Plantae | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Bicycle ride around Lake Tahoe

Posted on April 7, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Perhaps some of you have by now deduced that, in addition to insects and natural history, I have a second passion – cycling! In fact, I raced bikes competitively as an amateur for seven years (going by the local nickname … Continue reading →

Posted in Cupressaceae, Pinaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 5 Comments