This has been on youtube for a while now. Decent quality recording of
the mysterious masters of gymnosperm drone Thuja (that's the genus name
for cedars), members of the Jeweled Antler Collective.
-Fibrous B
Friday, September 28, 2012
Prairie Porn II: The Ranunculaceae
"No, no, go not to Lethe, neither twist
wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine"
-John Keats
Many read this selection from Keats' poem "Ode on Melancholy" as a caution concerning the nature of melancholy, that sadness can be productive and death is far too permanent. Hence his warning on the use of wolf's bane, a European plant of the Ranunculaceae family (Aconitum nepellus) famed for its poisonous qualities. A. napellus, also known as monk's hood due to its distinctive zygomorphic flowers, is mentioned countless times in European literature and history from the mythical musings of Ovid (in Metamorphese Ovid explains how this plant was spawned from the saliva of the multi-headed hell-hound Cerebus) to the early medical texts of Dioscorides and botanical inquiries of Theophrastus. Some regard this powerful plant with reverence for its medicinal qualities, and others with fear for its potency as a poison. Wolf's Bane provides a good example of the duality of plant metabolites and their usage; the same substances may be used for healing or for violence.
As explained above, Aconitum is a member of the Ranunculaceae, a plant family characterized by a generally herbaceous growth form, often undifferentiated petals and sepals in specific floral arrangements (many have what are known as "tepals"), and the presence of the toxin Protoanemonin in most plant parts. One of the more charismatic members of this family and a landmark of the Wisconsin prairies is Anemone patens or the pasque flower. To find one, go out to a very dry prairie (mostly Sate Natural areas in Wisconsin) in spring and scan the ground for hairy purple petals poking out of the grasses, they often form colonies of sorts so if you see one you will likely see more. The naturalist and ecological philosopher Aldo Leopold had this to say about A. patens:
"For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech"
Some of the more common members of the Ranunculaceae that can be found in Wisconsin's prairies are of the same genus; Anemone cylindrica and A. candaensis. In slightly more shaded prairies or oak openings one may also find another Ranunculaceae, Aquilegia canadensis.
A. canadensis (also known as Canada Columbine) is a particularly distinctive forb with three smooth lobed leaflets suspended on a petiole of variable length and showy red/orange flowers whose arrangement has been likened to an eagle's claw (hence the genus name). Some may recognize this species' flowers from childhood when they bit the small nectary glands on the tips of the petals releasing the sweet liquid (probably meant for some proboscis bearing pollinator). This is a nice treat while wandering the prairie or savanna but be warned that the rest of the plant may not treat you quite as well as the nectaries. Most other parts of the plant contains cyanide derivatives and can be very dangerous if ingested without proper preparation. However, many Native American tribes are known to have used both the roots and seeds of this plant for herbal remedies treating anything from headaches to gastrointestinal conditions and uterine bleeding. The ground dust from the seeds of some European species have also been used as a lice pesticide in human scalps
If you are in Western Wisconsin and wandering in dry prairies or along woodlines you may be lucky enough to find a Delphinium. Supposedly these plants are becoming increasingly rare (I've only found these two or three times) and that is a shame because they are incredibly beautiful specimens. This genus (whose name comes from the Latin for dolphin) is comprised of over 300 species worldwide, but as far as I know we really only have one native to Wisconsin; D. carolinianum. Again, like most Ranunculaceae this plant is poisonous but its seeds were also used as an anti-lice treatment much like Aquilegia. The showy flowers come out in mid-summer and supposedly attract hummingbirds though I have not seen this myself. The flowers are easily seen as they are borne on a stalk that is typically devoid of leaves and form loose white clusters. The flowers are oddly shaped and fragile with a long nectary extending away from the petals and may exhibit a slight blue hue.
These are just some of the many Ranunculaceae found in our prairies, and many more also exist in wooded or wetland areas. So next time you are surfing the plains for some high quality prairie porn, make sure to look for some of these fantastic plants.
Keep an eye out for the next installment, I think I've put off the Asteraceae for long enough!
-FibrousB
wolf's-bane, tight-rooted, for its poisonous wine"
-John Keats
Many read this selection from Keats' poem "Ode on Melancholy" as a caution concerning the nature of melancholy, that sadness can be productive and death is far too permanent. Hence his warning on the use of wolf's bane, a European plant of the Ranunculaceae family (Aconitum nepellus) famed for its poisonous qualities. A. napellus, also known as monk's hood due to its distinctive zygomorphic flowers, is mentioned countless times in European literature and history from the mythical musings of Ovid (in Metamorphese Ovid explains how this plant was spawned from the saliva of the multi-headed hell-hound Cerebus) to the early medical texts of Dioscorides and botanical inquiries of Theophrastus. Some regard this powerful plant with reverence for its medicinal qualities, and others with fear for its potency as a poison. Wolf's Bane provides a good example of the duality of plant metabolites and their usage; the same substances may be used for healing or for violence.
As explained above, Aconitum is a member of the Ranunculaceae, a plant family characterized by a generally herbaceous growth form, often undifferentiated petals and sepals in specific floral arrangements (many have what are known as "tepals"), and the presence of the toxin Protoanemonin in most plant parts. One of the more charismatic members of this family and a landmark of the Wisconsin prairies is Anemone patens or the pasque flower. To find one, go out to a very dry prairie (mostly Sate Natural areas in Wisconsin) in spring and scan the ground for hairy purple petals poking out of the grasses, they often form colonies of sorts so if you see one you will likely see more. The naturalist and ecological philosopher Aldo Leopold had this to say about A. patens:
"For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech"
.jpg) |
| Pasque Flower, photo courtesy of Royston Wildlife http://www.roystonwildlife.com/page9.htm |
 | ||
| Photo I took of an Aquilegia in California to show flower structure |
 | ||
| Aquilegia canadensis, courtesy of Wild Ginger Farm http://www.wildgingerfarm.com/Aquilegia.htm |
 |
| D. carolinianum, courtesy of Texasprairie.org |
 |
| D. virescens (not WI native) for close-up of slower structure, courtesy of Missouriplants.org |
These are just some of the many Ranunculaceae found in our prairies, and many more also exist in wooded or wetland areas. So next time you are surfing the plains for some high quality prairie porn, make sure to look for some of these fantastic plants.
Keep an eye out for the next installment, I think I've put off the Asteraceae for long enough!
-FibrousB
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Prairie Porn I: The Fabaceae
Prairie Porn I: The Fabaceae
Walt Whitman wrote the following of the North American prairies "...while I know the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara Falls, the Upper Yellowstone and the like afford the greatest natural shows, I am not so sure but the prairies and plains, while less stunning at first sight, last longer, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America’s characteristic landscape.”
–Walt Whitman, Specimen Days (1879)
Having spent almost my entire summer in Wisconsin's prairies, I couldn't agree more. If it were not for the ubiquitous swathe of agriculture encircling nearly all of the few prairie remnants left in southern Wisconsin, these places may still be the most serene and awe inspiring in the Midwest. But of course the reality is that these communities are dwindling in size and numbers, and a host of exotic plants and animals are forever changing their compositions.
Nevertheless, a great diversity of native plants and wildlife abound in Wisconsin's prairies. Though our native species may not be as dramatic as those found near the western coast or in the south-eastern wetlands, many are just as beautiful and charismatic.
For the first installment of Prairie Porn, I will focus on the story of the Fabaceae, the pea and bean family. The Fabaceae, like the Asteraceae (which will be discussed in later installments) is one of the most dominant plant families found in the Wisconsin prairies. When viewing a low lying prairie from atop a bluff in late spring and early summer, you will find that the most eye catching floral displays are often produced by members of the bean family.
Baptisia alba (wild white indigo) sends up fantastic throngs of delicate white flowers on stalks ascending from a dark violet tinged herbaceous stem. This species grows a meter tall, far above the most of the other springtime forbs. Even before flowering, this plant is easily identified by its distinctive three part compound leaf. The only other native Baptisia species is B. bracteata which has a spreading growth form much closer to the ground, and has darker and narrower leaves.
The only other native member of the Fabaceae family that could rival Baptisia in both height and noticeability is Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine). This striking Fabaceae is characterized by its fantastically blue/violet colored spike like inflorescence. This species is unique among the Wisconsin flora with its distinctive 7-11 parted palmate compound leaves. For those of you who may have missed the two lectures they spent on plant parts in introductory biology, this means the leaf is dissected into a number of individual leaflets, arranged in a spreading spacial pattern similar to how your fingers are arranged about your palm. Like many plant species, Lupinus' genus name is quite descriptive, though as we will see, also quite incorrect. Lupinus is Latin for wolf and refers to the belief that these plants consume or "wolf" the nutrients of the soil in which they dwell. We now know that this is not only incorrect, but the opposite is true which brings us to possibly the most important function of Fabaceae species in the prairie community.
Fabaceae species have an amazing ecological role in plant communities; within specialized structures called nodules in their root systems, members of this family harbor nitrogen fixing bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by other organisms, in effect fertilizing the soil around them. This symbiotic relationship is the very reason many exotic Fabaceae species have been introduced to the new world. Crops like corn are especially good at sucking the nitrogen right out of the soil, and so farmers would plant things like alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in a rotation to help restore nitrogen levels in soils that were depleted by other crops. Naturally, Medicago escaped into surrounding areas and is now a common weed in Wisconsin's prairies. Farmers still practice crop rotation, though they are much more inclined to plant round-up-ready soybeans than anything as benign as alfalfa.
There are dozens more native Fabaceae species in a variety of growth forms, all with their own specific characteristics and ecological function and niches. Just to name a few, there is Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil) a beautiful pink to purple flowered forb with sticky leaves and seeds, Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover) a delicate herb with very small leaves and an interesting inflorescence akin to a ballerina's tutu, Apios americana (Groundnut) a mesic/wet species with a climbing vine growth form, and Chamaecrista fasciculata (Showy Partridge Pea) a small and easily overlooked annual forb with highly compounded leaves and beautiful yellow flowers.
Stay tuned for the next installment of Prairie Porn, where I will be highlighting another family of interesting prairie plants!
Walt Whitman wrote the following of the North American prairies "...while I know the standard claim is that Yosemite, Niagara Falls, the Upper Yellowstone and the like afford the greatest natural shows, I am not so sure but the prairies and plains, while less stunning at first sight, last longer, fill the esthetic sense fuller, precede all the rest, and make North America’s characteristic landscape.”
–Walt Whitman, Specimen Days (1879)
Having spent almost my entire summer in Wisconsin's prairies, I couldn't agree more. If it were not for the ubiquitous swathe of agriculture encircling nearly all of the few prairie remnants left in southern Wisconsin, these places may still be the most serene and awe inspiring in the Midwest. But of course the reality is that these communities are dwindling in size and numbers, and a host of exotic plants and animals are forever changing their compositions.
Nevertheless, a great diversity of native plants and wildlife abound in Wisconsin's prairies. Though our native species may not be as dramatic as those found near the western coast or in the south-eastern wetlands, many are just as beautiful and charismatic.
For the first installment of Prairie Porn, I will focus on the story of the Fabaceae, the pea and bean family. The Fabaceae, like the Asteraceae (which will be discussed in later installments) is one of the most dominant plant families found in the Wisconsin prairies. When viewing a low lying prairie from atop a bluff in late spring and early summer, you will find that the most eye catching floral displays are often produced by members of the bean family.
 |
| Baptisia alba, photo courtesy of http://sweetbay103.blogspot.com |
Baptisia alba (wild white indigo) sends up fantastic throngs of delicate white flowers on stalks ascending from a dark violet tinged herbaceous stem. This species grows a meter tall, far above the most of the other springtime forbs. Even before flowering, this plant is easily identified by its distinctive three part compound leaf. The only other native Baptisia species is B. bracteata which has a spreading growth form much closer to the ground, and has darker and narrower leaves.
The only other native member of the Fabaceae family that could rival Baptisia in both height and noticeability is Lupinus perennis (sundial lupine). This striking Fabaceae is characterized by its fantastically blue/violet colored spike like inflorescence. This species is unique among the Wisconsin flora with its distinctive 7-11 parted palmate compound leaves. For those of you who may have missed the two lectures they spent on plant parts in introductory biology, this means the leaf is dissected into a number of individual leaflets, arranged in a spreading spacial pattern similar to how your fingers are arranged about your palm. Like many plant species, Lupinus' genus name is quite descriptive, though as we will see, also quite incorrect. Lupinus is Latin for wolf and refers to the belief that these plants consume or "wolf" the nutrients of the soil in which they dwell. We now know that this is not only incorrect, but the opposite is true which brings us to possibly the most important function of Fabaceae species in the prairie community.
 |
| The palmately compound leaves of Lupinus |
 |
| Lupinus perennis, photo courtesy of Illinois Wildflowers (http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info) |
Fabaceae species have an amazing ecological role in plant communities; within specialized structures called nodules in their root systems, members of this family harbor nitrogen fixing bacteria that convert atmospheric nitrogen into a form usable by other organisms, in effect fertilizing the soil around them. This symbiotic relationship is the very reason many exotic Fabaceae species have been introduced to the new world. Crops like corn are especially good at sucking the nitrogen right out of the soil, and so farmers would plant things like alfalfa (Medicago sativa) in a rotation to help restore nitrogen levels in soils that were depleted by other crops. Naturally, Medicago escaped into surrounding areas and is now a common weed in Wisconsin's prairies. Farmers still practice crop rotation, though they are much more inclined to plant round-up-ready soybeans than anything as benign as alfalfa.
There are dozens more native Fabaceae species in a variety of growth forms, all with their own specific characteristics and ecological function and niches. Just to name a few, there is Desmodium canadense (Showy Tick Trefoil) a beautiful pink to purple flowered forb with sticky leaves and seeds, Dalea purpurea (Purple Prairie Clover) a delicate herb with very small leaves and an interesting inflorescence akin to a ballerina's tutu, Apios americana (Groundnut) a mesic/wet species with a climbing vine growth form, and Chamaecrista fasciculata (Showy Partridge Pea) a small and easily overlooked annual forb with highly compounded leaves and beautiful yellow flowers.
Stay tuned for the next installment of Prairie Porn, where I will be highlighting another family of interesting prairie plants!
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