Late Spring Ephemerals

Deborah Barber, The Nature Conservancy &

Serenella Linares, Prince George’s Parks and Recreation

For common species one picture might be enough

Photos by Serenella Linares

Several vantage points are usually better

Photos by Serenella Linares

How to become a better iNaturalist?

Pictures of leaf AND flower

AND…

Photos by Deborah Barber

Plant Identification

• Take more than one picture
• Take a picture showing flowers or visible fruits
• Take a picture of the leaves and how they are arranged
• Get the overall look of the plant
• Show the type of habitat the plant is growing from (leaf litter, disturbed areas, etc)
• ​

Photos by Serenella Linares

How to become a better iNaturalist?

Take pictures of leaf underside (Greenbriers)

Photos by Deborah Barber

Your Sequence of Shots

Captive/Cultivated

“Similar Species” Tab= Great Resource!

When CV Suggests an “Extra”

Check Your Notifications!

Look for things like bugs and fungus ON plants

Photos: Ana Ka’ahanui

How to become a better iNaturalist?

• Multiple shots per observation
• Develop a set sequence (e.g. flower, basal leaves, then stem, the overall plant): helps with organization. Have a terminate sequence habit (e.g. picture of hand or sky)
• Object for scale
• Casual observations: a few ok, but focus is on wild vs captive.
• Check your notifications
• Quality over quantity of observations
• Become an identifier!

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Wild bergamot, Monarda fistulosa

• Mint family, Lamiaceae. Square stems
• widespread and abundant as a native plant in much of North America.
• Showy summer-blooming pink to lavender flowers
• Used as a medicinal plant, and garden ornamental.
• Species is quite variable, several subspecies or varieties have been recognized
• This plant attracts diverse pollinators ranging from swallowtail butterflies to hummingbird moths to bumble bees. Deer and rabbit proof.

@goodfire-inc via iNaturalist

@Joshua Wysor via iNaturalist

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Violets, Viola spp.

• Maryland is home to 30 species!
• Common violet species include
• common blue violet (Viola sororia),
• marsh blue violet (Viola cucullata), see down the throat of the flower, clubbed hairs.
• field pansy (Viola bicolor),
• primrose-leaved violet (Viola primulifolia) and
• striped violet (Viola striata), very small leaves, numerous flowers, many spiky stipules
• These violets can be found gracing yards, gardens and natural areas across Maryland
• Produce showy flowers that attract pollinators and non-descript flowers that remain closed and near the ground

Viola sororia by Artur Haines�Also called woolly blue violet

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Viola cucullata by Artur Haines�Also called Blue marsh violet

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Viola bicolor by cpar�Also called field pansy

Viola striata by sudomir

via iNaturalist�Also called Cream violet

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Violet Woodsorrel, Oxalis violacea

• Native to Eastern and Central United States
• Family Oxalidaceae (wood sorrels)
• Not to be confused with clovers, genus Trifolium, which belong to the Fabaceae family
• Found from the Rocky Mountains east to the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts, and through Eastern Canada
• All parts of the plant are edible – flowers, leaves, stems, and bulb. It is used in salads
• Consume in moderation: oxalic acid

Pictures by Serenella Linares

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Red columbine, Aquilegia canadensis

• Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae
• Occurs naturally in open woodlands, clearings, and rocky slopes in most states east of the Rockies.
• Typically in bloom for about a month in April & May
• The seeds were crushed and used by American Indians for headaches, fevers and as love charms
• Host plant for the Columbine Duskywing butterfly and attractive for hummingbirds

@Joshua Wysor via iNaturalist

Illustration by �Mary Vaux Walcott

Pics by Serenella Linares

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Buttercups, Genus Ranunculus

• Buttercup family, Ranunculaceae
• According to the Maryland Biodiversity Project, MD is home to 21 species in this genus, not all native.
• Habitat: natives like it wet, non-natives like it disturbed.
• Growth form: erect or creeping
• Important characteristics to note:
• Sepals: erect or reflexed
• Leaflet stalked or not (biggest leaf, basal)
• Flowers showy or “aborted”

@Joshua Wysor via iNaturalist

Small-flowered Buttercup Ranunculus abortivus�By Scott King via iNaturalist

Bulbous Buttercup, Ranunculus bulbosus�@alexander_baransky via iNaturalist

Buttercup, Ranunculus sp�@ana_kaahanui via iNaturalist

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Fleabane, Genus Erigeron

@Joshua Wysor via iNaturalist

Maryland Biodiversity Project

Common Fleabane (stem and clasping leaves) in Anne Arundel Co., Maryland (4/23/2017). Photo by Bill Hubick

Common native herbaceous plants, MD

Fleabane, Genus Erigeron

@Joshua Wysor via iNaturalist

Maryland Biodiversity Project

Tips and Reminders

�Replace any disturbed microhabitats

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Bring a phone charger, or extra battery pack

�Optional tools:

• Small ruler or a coin for scale (1m tape measure available in Amazon)
• Small mirror to see underneath things like mushrooms
• Hand lens (loupe) for seeing things closely
• Flashlight (to get more light on your subject)
• Piece of white paper or cardboard to separate your subject
• 365 nm UV Flashlight https://a.co/d/e7hGVi1
• Macro lens:
• https://a.co/d/375cleH iPhone
• https://a.co/d/854UvKo Android

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Let’s Identify!

Monarda

Viola

Oxalis

Aquilegia

Ranunculus

Genera to species –OR–

Stay in this room for general questions and tips

City Nature Challenge Celebration: May 16, 7-8:00pm

Upcoming Programs at Mount Rainier Nature Center

Thank you for coming!

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1yTizD4ojU_gVvTsxPfNDPeKf6zuZjRrw5jgJOiKO8hc/edit?usp=sharing