Cave Lake Ohio Heritage Naturalist Foray

On May 14th, the Ohio Heritage Naturalists had a foray at YMCA Cave Lake's 700 acres near Latham, Ohio. This place is full of botanical goodies and fascinating fauna, including the rare Frost Cave Isopod. 

As we were waiting for the group to assemble, Kathy McDonald found this interesting moth in the restroom. This is a Small-eyed Sphinx, Paonias myops. We, at first, thought it was a Huckleberry Sphinx, but this is its darker cousin. Many times, outdoor restrooms are a great place to find moths. The lighting inside the restrooms attract the moths at night and they remain perched on the walls during the day. John Howard is my hand model. :)

I found a Lily-leaved Twayblade orchid, Liparis liliifolia. I love the pale pink transparent flowers that contrast with its bright green foliage. I also love the name. It sounds like an insult from a cowboy-"Them are fightin' words, you lily-leaved twayblade."

Marjie Becus found this amazing Oven Bird nest. I had never seen one, so I was quite intrigued. So very camouflaged, Marjie did not see it until she almost stepped on it and the female bird flushed.

Chris Staron flipped over a rock and underneath was this gorgeous Slimy Salamander, Plethodon glutinosus. We found six more, seven total, in the area! Their name comes from the mucus they expel when disturbed. This helps them escape from predators.

In the same area we found the salamanders, we found Goldie's Fern, Dryopteris goldiana, an uncommon fern for Ohio.

We found quite a few Puttyroot Orchids, Aplectrum hyemale, in bloom. I love its yellow blossoms tinged with deep red edging.

We found this huge Black Gum tree, Nyssa sylvatica. Brian Riley measured the circumference and it was a whopping 37 inches. The inside was hollow, with room enough for Chris Staron to climb inside. They have a characteristic rough blocky bark which reminded me of alligator hide. This tree is gorgeous in the fall with striking red leaves.

Such a great day out to an awesome place. Cave Lake is available for monthly camping. More information is available here.

A Smathering of Flowers

I have been on quite a few botanical forays in the last month or so and thought it might be nice to throw some of those photos up for you to enjoy.

Marsh Marigold, Caltha palustris, was a plant so beautiful that I couldn't resist taking a bunch of pictures. If you look closely, you can see the faint nectar guides on the petals, thin lines leading to the center of the flower, that tell the bees where the goods lie.

Wherry's Catchfly, Silene caroliniana ssp. wherryi, is a rarity that will knock your socks off. This beauty is related to Fire Pinks and Royal Catchfly, but instead of red, it is a brilliant pink.

Barren Strawberry, Waldsteinia fragarioides. I really had to work for this one. I fell in the creek twice, got tangled up in some greenbrier and slid down a hill in the mud. Somedays, sigh, I am not very graceful. :)

This Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum, was blooming along with many others in a large patch located at Southeastway Park.

Wild Hyacinth, Camassia scilloides, is another Southeastway specialty. The delicate ice blue flowers scattered across the forest floor are truly breathtaking.

I was so pleases this picture turned out. It was taken in the pouring rain after scurrying up a small hill. This is a Whorled Pogonia, Isotria verticillata, and it doesn't bloom every year. Rick Gardner, who has been practically everywhere in the state of Ohio, had never seen this in bloom. This told me this wasn't a flower to be missed!

Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis, is a gorgeous tiny wonder. This was a good year for them, with many found in Adams and Scioto County, Ohio.

The blossoms of Pinkster Azalea, Rhododendron nudiflorum, reminds me of a little girl's party dress that is perfectly pink with layers of ruffles. The fragrant flowers smell amazing.

Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium pubescens, look like little dutch shoes. This is one of my personal favorites.

Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, with its red and yellow flowers, is a hummingbird magnet.

Wild Geranium, Geranium maculatum, always makes me smile. There is a large patch at Southeastway that I walk by almost everyday in the spring.

The flowers of Pawpaw, Asimina triloba, form before the plant leaves out. The remind me of deep burgandy roses.

Indian Paintbrush, Castilleja coccinea, is a hemi-parasite. This plant can photosynthesize, yet will steal nutrients from other plants, as well.

"My woodland bretheren, it is good to be green." So sayeth Jack, who is preaching from the pulpit. Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, also forms clusters of brilliant red berries in the summer.

I was a little overwhelmed with ADD during this shot. A Pine Warbler was singing overhead, Henry's Elfin butterflies were dancing on the road, a grasshopper was daring me to chase it and these beauties were begging for me to take their picture. These are Birdsfoot Violets, Viola pedata.

And lastly, a lovely azure Long-spurred Violet, Viola rostrata. Rostrata means "beaked" and that beaked, pinocchio-like extension makes this violet easily identifiable.

Orchids

Last weekend I had the pleasure of hiking with my friends Tricia West and John Howard in Adams County, OH. We had lots of great botanical finds including four species of orchids.

Yellow Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium pubescens. We almost walked right by this beauty. This one has a double bloom.

A straight on shot. Its reddish sepals look almost like a weird wig.

Another favorite, Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule. Its delicate pink blossom reminds me of a ballerina's slippers.

An interesting tiny orchid, Spring Coralroot, Corallorhiza wisteriana, is only a few inches tall. These would be easy to miss, if one were not paying special attention!

And a personal favorite, Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis. Each year I look forward to finding these tiny wonders.

Here is a close-up of the flowers. They have such an interesting shape. So "spectabilis". What a name! It sounds like Daffy Duck trying to pronounce spectacular. It actually means "showy". One can't argue with that!