Monthly Archives: April 2011

Random Plant: White troutlily/fawnlily

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

White troutlilies/fawnlilies (Erythronium albidum, Liliaceae) can often be found in hardwood forests in east-central North America.  These spring ephemerals first appear in early April as single waxy and variegated leaves of red and green.  It’s at this stage that I … Continue reading →

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This is why it’s called a “floodplain forest”

Posted on April 30, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Today the television weather report for southeast Michigan said we’ve had the second-highest April precipitation on record.  We’ve experienced significant rainfall almost daily for two weeks, and this has lead to serious flooding. The River Raisin is the largest waterway … Continue reading →

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Plant-Insect Interaction: Bee pollinating a white trillium

Posted on April 29, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

The other day I was checking out some white trilliums (Trillium grandiflorum, Liliaceae) in a hardwood forest here in southeast Michigan.  I was looking for insect pollinators, and found this little bee (superfamily Apoidea) hard at work collecting pollen. In … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Common midge

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Flies (order Diptera) can be divided into two large groups, the Brachycera and the Nematocera.  The latter group includes mosquitoes (family Culicidae) and many other flies that resemble mosquitoes.  Among these mosquito-like flies are the common midges (family Chironomidae). There … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Wild onion

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

A pungent onion scent in eastern forests and meadows often indicates the presence of wild onions (Allium canadense, Liliaceae).  While superficially resembling grass, digging up these plants can reveal their identity.  Although there are several wild onions in this area, … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Various violets

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Despite the name, violets come in several colors including violet, white, and yellow.  There are many different species, and the differences between those of the same color are often subtle.  One thing the plants in eastern North America have in … Continue reading →

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Textbook Alluvial Fans

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Alluvial fans are common geologic features in basin and range provinces like the one in the American southwest.  They’re composed of sand and gravel that has been eroded from mountains, transported by water, and then deposited in enormous fan-like shapes … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Canadian wildginger

Posted on April 17, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Today I noticed a lot of Canadian wildginger (Asarum canadense, Aristolochiaceae) popping up in some southern Michigan woodlands.  The leaves grow from the thick, fleshy rhizomes that persist just under the ground surface throughout the year.  These rhizomes spread into … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Winter stonefly

Posted on April 16, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

The other day I found several winter stonefly adults (order Plecoptera, family Taeniopterygidae) crawling around on a tree in a hardwood forest east of Blissfield, MI.  They were about fifty feet from the River Raisin, the primary waterway in this … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Virginia spring beauty

Posted on April 14, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

In addition to bloodroot and white trilliums, some of the first spring ephemerals to emerge here in southern Michigan are Virginia spring beauties (Claytonia virginica, Portulacaceae).  By the end of April these short-lived flowering plants blanket many wooded areas with … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: White trillium

Posted on April 12, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Within the next couple of weeks many eastern hardwood forests will be blanketed with white trilliums (Trillium grandiflorum, Liliaceae).  Each spring this particular patch in southeast Michigan covers several thousand square feet.  These individuals grow on a north-facing slope above … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: Bloodroot

Posted on April 9, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

Today I noticed my first bloodroot plants (Sanguinaria canadensis, Papaveraceae) of the season growing in a local hardwood forest.  Each plant has a single leaf and a single flower, and in mid-April they’re just starting to open up.  By early … Continue reading →

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Spring Ephemeral Season

Posted on April 7, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

With the arrival of warmer April temperatures, the group of plants known as spring ephemerals have started to come up here in the woods of southern Michigan. “Ephemeral” means “short-lived,” and this is the case with spring ephemerals.  These forest … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Squash bug

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

A couple of weeks ago I found this squash bug adult (Anasa tristis, Coreidae) overwintering inside a rotting tree.  It was hanging out with a number of different spiders (note the webs), waiting for mild temperatures so it could resume … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: American sycamore

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

In the spring, summer, and autumn, the business of deciduous tree identification is usually carried out by examining leaves, flowers, and fruit.  In the winter and early spring, one is frequently left with little more than bark for identification. Often … Continue reading →

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Random Plant: American bladdernut

Posted on April 3, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

The other day I noticed a TON of these seed capsules littering the ground in a local floodplain forest.  They were papery thin, three-lobed, and when shaken the seeds rattled inside.  I wanted to find out what plant these capsules … Continue reading →

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Random Insect: Bean leaf beetle

Posted on April 1, 2011 by Jeremy Sell

I recently found this bean leaf beetle (Cerotoma trifurcata, Chrysomelidae) overwintering in a rotting log.  It was a bit sluggish but seemed displeased with being handled.  Although colors and patterns can vary within this species, one consistent characteristic is the … Continue reading →

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