Spring Has Sprung...Part Duex
March 18, 2010
Yesterday, on my way home from school, I specifically noticed one yard near the school that was super green. Today on my way home from school, I noticed that same yard except in one 24 hour period it went from being super green to blanketed with the light blue hue of hundreds if not thousands of scroph plants. It occured to me then, that it was time to do another flower blog as I have noticed over the last week other things beginning to bloom such as the daffodils and maple trees. So here we go with the second installment of spring in my backyard.
Family: Amaryllidaceae Genus: Narcissus Common Name: Narcissus or Daffodil
Family: Violaceae Genus: Viola Common name: violet
Characteristics of the violaceae family are usually purple, white or yellow zygomorphic (assymetrical) flowers, heart shaped leaves (as shown the picture directly below) and a spur on the back of the flower (as shown in the second picture directly below).
Heart shaped leaves of the violaceae family
The spur is the part between the stem and the green sepals (attached to the petals). It sort of looks like a heel. It is kind of hard to see in this picture, so why don't you venture into your own back yard, find a violet and observe for yourself!!
I know, from the shape and look of the leaves that this plant is in the family apiaceae, but I am not sure of the genus because it is not in flower yet. Do the leaves look similar to something you might have in your refrigerator?! That is because carrots are in the apiaceae family as well! If your family does not buy loose whole carrots, the next time you are in the grocery store find some in the produce section and observe what the leaves look like.
Family: Scrophulariaceae Genus:? I know this is in the scroph family, and I know it is probably the same genus but a different species from the scroph I included in my "Spring Has Sprung....Almost" blog. I am not sure of the actual specific identity however and to my dismay, I realized as I took these pictures this afternoon, my "Guide to the Vascular Flora of the Carolina's" book is in my classroom at school, so I can't even attempt to identify it this afternoon.
Hmmm.....purple, zygomorphic flowers.......opposite leaves........and.......
square stem?! sound familiar?! Those are easy to define characteristics of the mint family!
Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Lamium Species: amplexicaule Common name: ?
Forsythia...I am pretty sure this is an ornamental and not native to this area....but it is pretty all the same.
I LOVE how this picture turned out! This is the maple in our front yard. It has really inconspicuous flowers and I would say most people never even notice that the maples are in bloom. Maples are usually one of the first trees to turn in the fall and most definitely one of the most beautiful as we get some amazing reds, oranges and yellows before the leaves drop for winter.
A small branch with partially opened maple flowers.
Family: Geraniaceae Genus: ? It is not in flower yet, and flowers are the easiest way to get the specific identification of a plant. However, I know what family it is in because the geranium family, geraniaceae, has two easy to define characteristics. The first is deeply cleft leaves as you see in the picture above. The second characteristic is that when the flowers go to seed, the ovary of the flower extends outward sometimes as long an inch or so. These two characteristics make it very easy to identify plants that are in the geraniaceae family.
I walked past our ornamental prickly bush and it was buzzing loudly. Our ladies LOVE this plant!!! They were out of the hive and collecting in full force today since the temperature was above 55 F. If you look really closely, you can see the pollen on this lady's left hind leg. Bees have special hairs on their two hind legs so they can pack themselves full of pollen to take back to the hive. Bees eat pollen and they also store it in their honeycomb along with honey. Pretty soon I am going to devote an entire blog to bees, because they are just simply amazing and super cool organisms!!!
Family: Amaryllidaceae Genus: Narcissus Common Name: Narcissus or Daffodil
Family: Violaceae Genus: Viola Common name: violet
Characteristics of the violaceae family are usually purple, white or yellow zygomorphic (assymetrical) flowers, heart shaped leaves (as shown the picture directly below) and a spur on the back of the flower (as shown in the second picture directly below).
Heart shaped leaves of the violaceae family
The spur is the part between the stem and the green sepals (attached to the petals). It sort of looks like a heel. It is kind of hard to see in this picture, so why don't you venture into your own back yard, find a violet and observe for yourself!!
I know, from the shape and look of the leaves that this plant is in the family apiaceae, but I am not sure of the genus because it is not in flower yet. Do the leaves look similar to something you might have in your refrigerator?! That is because carrots are in the apiaceae family as well! If your family does not buy loose whole carrots, the next time you are in the grocery store find some in the produce section and observe what the leaves look like.
Family: Scrophulariaceae Genus:? I know this is in the scroph family, and I know it is probably the same genus but a different species from the scroph I included in my "Spring Has Sprung....Almost" blog. I am not sure of the actual specific identity however and to my dismay, I realized as I took these pictures this afternoon, my "Guide to the Vascular Flora of the Carolina's" book is in my classroom at school, so I can't even attempt to identify it this afternoon.
Hmmm.....purple, zygomorphic flowers.......opposite leaves........and.......
square stem?! sound familiar?! Those are easy to define characteristics of the mint family!
Family: Lamiaceae Genus: Lamium Species: amplexicaule Common name: ?
Forsythia...I am pretty sure this is an ornamental and not native to this area....but it is pretty all the same.
I LOVE how this picture turned out! This is the maple in our front yard. It has really inconspicuous flowers and I would say most people never even notice that the maples are in bloom. Maples are usually one of the first trees to turn in the fall and most definitely one of the most beautiful as we get some amazing reds, oranges and yellows before the leaves drop for winter.
A small branch with partially opened maple flowers.
Family: Geraniaceae Genus: ? It is not in flower yet, and flowers are the easiest way to get the specific identification of a plant. However, I know what family it is in because the geranium family, geraniaceae, has two easy to define characteristics. The first is deeply cleft leaves as you see in the picture above. The second characteristic is that when the flowers go to seed, the ovary of the flower extends outward sometimes as long an inch or so. These two characteristics make it very easy to identify plants that are in the geraniaceae family.
I walked past our ornamental prickly bush and it was buzzing loudly. Our ladies LOVE this plant!!! They were out of the hive and collecting in full force today since the temperature was above 55 F. If you look really closely, you can see the pollen on this lady's left hind leg. Bees have special hairs on their two hind legs so they can pack themselves full of pollen to take back to the hive. Bees eat pollen and they also store it in their honeycomb along with honey. Pretty soon I am going to devote an entire blog to bees, because they are just simply amazing and super cool organisms!!!
Posted by Jennifer Greever.
