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Wildflowers of Eastern

North America

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Introduction

Flowers by Family. Genus, and

Species

Flowers by Common Name

Flow ers.by Scientific Name

A Gallery of WildflowerPhotographs

Some Flowering Trees and Shrubs

Wildflower Calender

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. Nearctica -. Eastern Wildflowers - Asteraceae - Virginia Thistle (Cirsium virginianum) Page I of 2

Virginia Thistle

(Cirsium virginianum)

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Virginia Thistle (Cirsium virginianum [L.]Michx.)

YIdentification: Flower head ovate, usuallysolitary at the top of the plant, topped with aspray of lilac to purple florets. Upper leaves donot embrace the bottom of the flower head.Flower bracts tipped with spines. Stem smooth,without spines or spiny plates. Upper leaves

-7,! • y thin, lanceolate, and reduced. Bottom leaveslarger, with spine-tipped lobes. Leaves withwhite, woolly hair on bottom side. Plant 1 to 4feet in height.

Distribution: Found along the eastern CoastalPlain from New Jersey south to Florida.

Habitat: Virginia Thistle is an inhabitant ofbogs and wet pine barrens.

Flowering period: August to October.Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Similar Species: The thin upper leaves of

Canada, Second Edition. Virginia Thistle can be confused with those of

TallThistle. However the upper leaves of TallThistle embrace the bottom of the flower head.In addition Virginia Thistle is found in wet,

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* Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Asteraceae - Virginia Thistle (Cirsium virginianum) Page 2 of 2

coastal areas unlike the drier, more ubiquitoushabitats of Tall Thistle.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Fabaceae - Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana) Page 1 of 2

Butterfly Pea

(Clitoria mariana)

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Butterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana L.)

Identification: Plant low, climbing on otherplants by tendrils. Flowers lavender to paleblue, top two petals fused into a single huge (2inches), round standard. Flowers arising singlyon long flower stalks from the leaf axils. Stemsmooth. Tendrils present, arising from theflower stalk, not the leaves. Leaves dividedinto 3 elongate, ovate leaflets.

Distribution: Iowa in the west to New York inthe east, southward to Florida and Texas.

Habitat: Butterfly Pea is found on dry soils,particularly in open woods.

Color Photograph: Susan Ladd Miller, U.S. Fish and Flowering period: June to August.Wildlife Service

Similar Species: The huge flowers and upperstandard, and the tendrils arising from theflower stems are distinctive features ofButterfly Pea.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Fabaceae - Bdtterfly Pea (Clitoria mariana) Page 2 of 2

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and

Canada, Second Edition.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Fabaceae - Few-flowered Tick-Trefoil (Desmodium pa... Page 1 of 2

AFew-flowered Tick-Trefoil

(Desmodium pauciflorum)

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Few-flowered Tick-Trefoil (Desmodiumpauciflorum [Nutt.] DC.)

Identification: Flowers white, pealike, withlower petals forming an elongate projection.Seedpods jointed with 1 to 4 segments.Flowers arranged sparsely on an elongateflower stem. Leaves with 3 leaflets, eachleaflet ovate, tapering at both the apex and thebase and borne on short petioles. Plant 1 to 3feet in height.

Distribution: Michigan and western NewYork southward to Florida and Texas.

Habitat: Few-flowered Tick-Trefoil is found

in woodland habitats.

Flowering period: July to August.

Similar Species: The white flowers, not pinkor lavender, are almost distinctive for thisspecies. A related species (Desmodiumillinoense) (not treated here) is found inprairies and has prominent stipules at the baseof the leaf petiole.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown.' 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and

Canada, Second Edition.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Primulaceae - Sea Milkwort (Glaux maritima) Page 1 of 2

Sea Milkwort

(Glaux maritima)

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Sea Milkwort (Glaux maritima L.)

Identification: Flowers small, white, with 5petals, mostly fused except for terminal petallobes. Flowers sessile and arising from the leafaxils. Stem green, smooth. Leaves fleshy,small, ovate, sessile to the stem, and inopposite pairs. Plant 2 to 12 inches in height.

Distribution: Found along the Atlantic Coastfrom The Gaspe Peninsula to Virginia. Alsooccurs in the northwestern United States.

Habitat: Sea Milkwort is found in salt marshes

and brackish marshes.

Flowering period: June to July.

Similar Species: Sea Milkwort could besuperficially confused with some species in thefamily Euphorbiaceae. However the flower is atypical white flower with 5 petals without thecomplicated structure of the euphorb flower.

Color Photograph: Western wetland flora: Field officeguide to plant species. U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation

Service, West National Technical Center.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Primulaceae - Sea Milkwort (Glaux maritima) Page 2 of 2

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and

Canada, Second Edition.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Liliaceae - Bunchflower (Melanthium virginicum) Page 1 of 2

Bunchflower

(Melanthium virginicum)

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Bunchflower (Melanthium virginicum L.)

Identification: Flowers white, numerous,arranged in a central panicle. Petals narrowingat the base giving the flower an open look.Leaves elongate, rough, most arising from nearthe base of the plant. Plant height 3 to 5 feet inheight.

Distribution: Minnesota in the west, to NewYork in the east, southward to Florida andTexas.

Habitat: Bunchflower is found in meadowsand wet thickets.

Flowering period: June to July.

Similar Species: Bunchflower might beconfused with Fly Poison. The petals ofBunchflower are constricted at the base, butthose of Fly Poison are not. The flowers of FlyPoison are more tightly arranged around thestem than those of Bunchflower.

Color photograph: Homer D. House. 1918. Wildflowersof New York.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Liliaceae - Bunchflower (Melanthium virginicum) Page 2 of 2

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and

Canada, Second Edition.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Liliaceae - Mountain Bellwort (Uvularia puberula) Page 1 of 2

Mountain Bellwort

(Uvularia puberula)

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Mountain Bellwort (Uvularia puberulaMichx.)

Identification: Flowers single, cream-yellowto yellow, petals not spreading and not aspointed as in Large-flowered Bellwort orPerfoliate Bellwort. Leaves sessile to the stem,stem not appearing to pierce leaf, and leavesrounded at the base. Stem slightly hairy. Plant6 to 12 inches in height.

Distribution: New York in the north,southward to Georgia and Alabama.

Habitat: Mountain Bellwort is found in pinebarrens or mountain forest.

Flowering period: April to May.

Similar Species: Mountain Bellwort is veryclose in appearance to Wildd Qats. The base ofthe leaf of Mountain Bellwort is rounded at thebase, but that of Wild Oats tapers towards itsbase. The stem of Mountain Bellwort is finelyhairy, but smooth in Wild Oats.

Cook, 1823, Botanical Cabinet

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Liliaceae - Mountain Bellwort (Uvularia puberula) Page 2 of 2

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and

Canada, Second Edition.

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* Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Verbenaceae - Narrow-leaved Vervain (Verbena simple... Page 1 of 2

Narrow-leaved Vervain

(Verbena simplex)

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Narrow-leaved Vervain (Verbenasimplex Lehm.)

Identification: Flowers lavender to purple,small, with a fused corolla and 5 free petallobes. Flowers arranged in a series of elongate,highly branched flower spikes. Only a fewflowers open at any one time. Stem and leavesslightly hairy. Leaves elongate, blade-shaped,with a toothed outer margin. Base of leaftapering, without a distinct petiole. Plant 1 to 2feet in height.

Distribution: Throughout eastern NorthAmerica.

Habitat: Narrow-leaved Vervain is found in

fields and prairies.

Flowering period: May to September.

Similar Species: The elongate, narrow leaveswith their bases tapering to the stem incombination with the lavender flowers willidentify this species.

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Nearctica - Eastern Wildflowers - Verbenaceae - Narrow-leaved Vervain (Verbena simple... Page 2 of 2

Color Photograph: Copyright Nearctica.com, Inc.

Line Drawing: Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. AnIllustrated Flora of the Northern United States and

Canada, Second Edition.

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