The cover photo is a native plant called Lopsided Indiangrass. The inflorescence on each head-high stalk is on one side and as the stalk leans over, it looks lopsided, thus the name. The Indian part I’m always hesitant about but it’s commonly used in common names for plants. This morning I stumbled across a website that gives a possible explanation for this usage. And after that bit of digression, there’ll be more wildflower photos from my walk around Spring Canyon last Sunday.
- Curious about something you saw while walking in the woods? Spot the coolest bug ever? The prettiest flower and butterfly? Stumble on a rock and found a fossil? Or was it? This is the place to show your discoveries and share in the knowledge of the natural world right outside our doors. Join in the fun everyday at The Daily Bucket.
September 2017
Sorghastrum secundum — I may remember this plant name by the time I am done today. Sorghastrum sounds sorta like sorghum, another grass, so I got that but secundum was bugging me. A Latin translation of secundus is second and secundum means something like accordingly or following so that’s not much help. A few searches later I found this great website that lists the “Latin” words botanists use that was put together by a fellow amateur with a lot of time and interest. He says Secundatus and secundus in botany mean side-flowering and secundi- is side. That kinda fits but you have to be careful around botanists and the sly puns they put on the rest of us.
As far as the Indian part of the name — from the Flora of Alabama:
Yellow Indian Grass is a native perennial warm season bunch grass in the Grass family (Poaceae). It is found throughout Alabama in prairies and dry open woodlands. It is a major component of the Tall Grass Prairie and savannah grasslands of the Midwestern and Southeastern United States. ... Yellow Indian Grass is consumed by many herbivores including bison, white tailed deer, cattle, and rabbits. The seed are consumed by many song birds. ... --A. Diamond
Ok, that’s it I guess -- prairie, bison, deer … seems better than some uses of Indian I’ve seen. Anyways, if you follow this USDA plant database profile page for the genus Sorghastrum, it shows the range for this grass and whether it’s native or non. If you click on the tab for SUBORDINATE TAXA, you get range maps for all the species within the genus. I find it quite helpful in understanding the various plants I discover — like the Slender Indiangrass in my secundi-yard.
ahem, more wildflowers below the fold…
In no certain order….
Apalachicola False Rosemary is endemic to a couple counties along the east side of the Apalachicola River and also farther west in the Panhandle. It’s rare and threatened but grows abundantly where it’s left alone. By the way, when you see a plant listed as endangered or threatened, whether federal or state, it’s usually loss of habitat caused by us humans.
Honeycombhead and Liatris — they are everywhere!
and more Liatris
Under the pines in the sandy soil they favor, there is Liatris chapmanii and tenuifolia. And now that we know how to translate these words — tenui- is slender or thin and folia refers to the leaf. Actually I had that word figured but for this plant the leaves are very slender, almost non-existant past the basal leaves. Also for the plant shown above, angusti- means narrow which I guess is not a thin as tenui.
and a touch of azure to finish this Daily Bucket
Well that’s it for this bucket, thanks for stopping by. See ya in the comments.
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