Category Archives: Plantae

Plants

Friday flower

Posted on June 26, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

While photographing small Acmaeodera beetles on flowers of Tradescantia ohioensis at Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area, I thought I should take a photo of the flower itself.  Flowers of Tradescantia species, or spiderworts, are notable for their bright yellow anthers and … Continue reading →

Posted in Commelinaceae | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Trilogy of Terror

Posted on May 18, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

Last week, Alex at myrmecos tagged me with a fun new meme called These are a few of my favorite stings…. It’s simple – list the things which have stung you (biting doesn’t count), and tag three others for their tales … Continue reading →

Posted in Coleoptera, Euphorbiaceae, Formicidae, Hymenoptera, Scarabaeidae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Blackjack oak “flower”

Posted on May 13, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

This blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica) was found on one of southeastern Missouri’s finest sand prairie relicts a couple of weeks ago on my ‘Annual Birthday Season Opener Bug Collecting Trip.’ Growing near the edge of the prairie at the transition … Continue reading →

Posted in Fagaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Trees of Lake Tahoe – The Deciduous Trees

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

Alder, Maple, and Nuttall’s Flowering Dogwood make beautiful bowers over swift, cool streams at an elevation of from 3000 to 5000 feet, mixed more or less with willows and cottonwood; and above these in lake basins the aspen forms fine … Continue reading →

Posted in Aceraceae, Betulaceae, Fagaceae, Rosaceae, Salicaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Winter botany quiz #5

Posted on April 18, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

This may be the last winter botany quiz for awhile, but I did come across this interesting little plant on my recent visit to Lake Tahoe that doesn’t fit neatly into any other category upon which I have (or will … Continue reading →

Posted in Viscaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 13 Comments

Trees of Lake Tahoe – The “Other” Conifers

Posted on April 4, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

The inviting openness of the Sierra woods is one of their most distinguishing characteristics. The trees of all the species stand more or less apart in groves, or in small, irregular groups, enabling one to find a way nearly everywhere, … Continue reading →

Posted in Cupressaceae, Pinaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 34 Comments

Winter botany quiz #4

Posted on April 2, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

Back to botany mode¹, and in that vein there are a couple of botanically-oriented carnivals with new issues just out.  The first is Berry Go Round #15 at Mary Farmer’s A Neotropical Savanna. An expert botanist herself, Mary presents a … Continue reading →

Posted in Cupressaceae, Pinaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Trees of Lake Tahoe – The Pines

Posted on March 28, 2009 by Ted C. MacRae

The coniferous forest of the Sierra are the grandest and most beautiful in the world, and grow in a delightful climate on the most interesting and accessible of mountain-ranges…–John Muir, The Mountains of California (1894) During the early 1990’s while … Continue reading →

Posted in Pinaceae | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 41 Comments