Category Archives: Plantae

Plants

Friday Flower – Ozark Witch Hazel

Posted on March 26, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

Spring is beginning its “march” across the nation, and in typical fashion the month started out with the promise of pleasant weather but is throwing a few tantrums before giving way to April. For most folks in the lower Midwest, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hamamelidaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , | 22 Comments

Clubmoss along the Ozark Trail

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

It has been a long, hard winter – one of the toughest I can remember during my years here in Missouri in terms of amount and frequency of precipitation and persistent cold temperatures. Tough winters, however, are no deterrent to … Continue reading →

Posted in Lycopodiaceae, Plantae | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Friday Flower: Crystallofolia (“Frost Flowers”)

Posted on January 22, 2010 by Ted C. MacRae

While hiking the middle stretch of the Ozark Trail’s Wappapello Section, my friend Rich and I witnessed a bounty of crystallofolia, or “frost flowers”.  These fragile, yet exquisite formations are, of course, not flowers at all, nor are they true … Continue reading →

Posted in Asteraceae, Lamiaceae | Tagged , , , , , , | 33 Comments

Great Plains Ladies’-tresses

Posted on December 7, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

First things first—everyone who participated in the quiz in the previous post correctly identified the orchid flower in the photo as belonging to the genus Spiranthes, and a few were on the right track with their species suggestion of S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Orchidaceae | Tagged , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Friday Flower: Yes, it’s an orchid…

Posted on December 4, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

…but what kind? Identifying the genus should be relatively easy, but I suspect a species identification will be more of a challenge.  I’ll provide a little information and even a couple of literature sources that might be useful for achieving a … Continue reading →

Posted in Orchidaceae | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

North America’s most beautiful longhorned beetle

Posted on September 28, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I’ve written a few posts in recent weeks highlighting some of the more interesting finds encountered during two visits this past July to the White River Hills region of extreme southwestern Missouri. It’s a land of extremes, with deeply dissected … Continue reading →

Posted in Cerambycidae, Coleoptera, Sapotaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Friday flower – Sabatia angularis

Posted on August 28, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

During my explorations of the glades in the White River Hills in southwestern Missouri this past July, I noticed large populations of a flower that I couldn’t recall having ever seen before.  Vivid, striking pink petals with contrasting yellow anthers … Continue reading →

Posted in Gentianaceae | Tagged , , , , , , | 19 Comments

Friday flower – Krameria lanceolata

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

I encountered few insects this past June on the dry slopes of sand shinnery oak shrubland that just makes it into the northwestern corner of Oklahoma’s Four Canyon Preserve – insect population levels were still depressed from the wildfire that swept … Continue reading →

Posted in Krameriaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 11 Comments