Honors 2360.01 Spring 2017

 

Yuccas are very adaptable plants. They can be found anywhere from rocky deserts and badlands, to coastal sands. You can even find some yucca plants in subtropical and semi-temperate zones. Yucca plants are pollinated specifically by yucca moths, which is a really interesting fact. Yucca moths transfer the pollen to the flower of another, but at the same time, lays an egg in the flower where they’ve transferred the pollen. The moth larva then feeds on the developing seeds, but leaves just enough for a new plant to grow.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5957415

This plant has bright red flowers that somewhat resemble thin peppers. The cedar sage also has hairy, heart-shaped leaves. They grow in shady areas, usually in dry soil that has been fertilized by juniper tree leaves.

The cedar sage is a highly resilient plant, which makes it perfect for Texas gardens, though it is also found in some parts of Mexico. During the winter or long periods of drought, the cedar sage will go dormant and turn into a dead-looking brown color. However, this plant is revived by relatively low levels of water.

The cedar sage has fragrant flowers, which attract hummingbirds and butterflies. However, these critters aren’t the only ones to feed on these flowers: cedar sage flowers are edible to humans and are known to taste sweet!

Reference:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=saro3

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5433918

This is one of my favourite trees on campus. The vividly bright green leaves contrast beautifully with the deeply textured bark, and the thick foliage provides a good place to take shelter from the scorching Texas sun.

Bur oaks are massive trees, meaning that the one on campus is likely still in its adolescence. In fact, bur oaks often exceed 100 feet in both height and width! The size, coupled with the ‘deeply furrowed bark’ allow this tree to have the widest natural territory of all the eastern oaks. They also have the largest acorns of all the oaks. 

References:

https://www.arborday.org/trees/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?ItemID=874

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=quma2

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5434007

I wasn’t able to get a good photo, but on our walk across campus with Dr. Belaire, we stumbled upon a tree filled with a flock of cedar waxwings.

These little chubby birds are just gorgeous. The upper halves of their bodies are a beautiful rusty brown color, fading gently into steel blue. Their square tails are tipped with a vivid yellow, and their wings with bright red. They also have yellow bellies.

Cedar waxwings stay in some latitudes year-round, but usually only stay in Texas for the winter. They are very social birdsand are known for their remarkable aeronautics.

Reference:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cedar_Waxwing/id

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5434033

I was lucky to get a photo of these spiderworts, because research informed me that these blossoms typically only last for one or two days! I also found out that these flowers don’t usually start blooming until May, which makes this observation even more remarkable, as it was made in late March.

Spiderworts, also known as Tradescantia virginiana, tend to grow in clusters, much like the evening primrose. The petals of this flower vary in color, sometimes appearing violet, purple, pink, or (rarely) white.

These plants are actually pretty incredible. Each part of the plant- leaves, roots, flowers, and seeds- is edible. Leaves are typically used for tea or in salads, roots are harvestable at any time of year, flowers can also be used in salads, and the seeds are edible when roasted and ground into a bitter powder. The plant also has medicinal qualities: spiderwort leaves and roots can be applied externally to help heal wounds and hemorrhoids. Additionally, spiderwort tea can allegedly increase breast milk!

Reference:

http://www.ediblewildfood.com/spiderwort.aspx

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5434061

I found this little guy when we walked around campus with Dr. Belaire looking for wildlife. She was able to identify the bird immediately.

Though they might not look like much from the subdued coloring, mockingbirds are very lively birds. They harass any other birds that get in their territory by either flying around them or ‘prancing’ toward them. They also like to make their presence known. The bird we found was originally perched in a tree as we all crowded in beneath it to try and get a good photo. Then, the bird actually flew down closer to us and landed on the grass. Photo Op!!

Reference:

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Mockingbird/id

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5434105

Ah, the Lupinus texensis— better known as the Texas bluebonnet. These beautiful flowers grow in vast quantities around the St. Edward’s campus, particularly on the hill behind Teresa Hall. This spot is usually flooded this time of year with people from all around snapping photographs of their families or prom groups, surrounded by beds of bluebonnets as far as the eye can see.

Growing up in Texas, I’ve always had an appreciation for these beauties, given that they’re state flower (hence the scientific name). I remember countless elementary school projects involving bluebonnets. I also remember a vividly upsetting memory from my elementary school years: I was watching a man cutting the grass in one of ride-along lawnmowers, when he approached a patch of the beautiful flowers. Without a moment’s hesitation, he plowed right through them.

More recently, I found out that picking bluebonnets is actually not illegal in Texas (contrary to what they taught us in elementary school). So, even though the man in the lawnmower destroyed a beautiful patch of Texas’ state flower, it technically wasn’t illegal. I still should have reported him.

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5434115

I see these pretty pink flowers all the time around campus. What caught my eye in particular as I was walking home from class is how these flowers tend to grow in patches along the grass. My research informed me that these flowers are native to the central United States and Mexico and often form “extensive colonies”.

These flowers go by many names: pink evening primrose, showy evening primrose, Mexican evening primrose, pink ladies, and pink buttercups to name a few. The species name is Oenothera speciosa.

I also found out that these flowers tend to open up during the evening (hence the name ‘showy evening primrose’), which is probably why I noticed them on my way home at 5 PM and have never seen them open when I walk to campus earlier in the day.

Reference:

https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=oesp2

iNaturalist Observation:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5971858

Named Austin’s large tree of the year in 2009, the bald cypress tree stands tall at about 100 feet and may live for hundreds of years. It one of my favorite trees at Redbud Isle, which is the perfect location for this tree because it grows best in wet, swampy soils. It is called the bald cypress because it is one of the first trees to lose its leaves in the fall and last to bud in the spring.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5971799

I saw this flowering tree while walking in Pease Park and recognized it because I have seen them around my neighborhood as well. The Retama tree is a small tree; the one I saw was about 13 feet tall. It has long, droopy branches with tiny leaves and yellow flowers on each, which is why it caught my eye. It can withstand dry and hot weather so it does well in Texas where we go through long droughts and hot summers. Interestingly, the tree has green bark that helps the tree survive through especially harsh droughts by allowing photosynthesis to continue even when it has very little moisture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/5968433