Thursday, July 23, 2009

Wildflowers along the SHT - Pincushion Mtn to Co. 58

Photos from the hike this past Saturday (7/18/09) where I resurrected my past role as hike naturalist.


Shinleaf (Pyrola elliptica)


Mertensia/Virginia bluebells/Virginia Cowslip (Mertensia virginica) - late blooming plants, but was able to see what their seedpods look like due to spying the flowers.


One-flowered pyrola (Moneses uniflora) - love the latin name of this one.


Early Coralroot (Corallorhiza trifida) - The coralroots are saprophytic plants(get their food from dead organic matter), hence no need for chlorophyll.


Twinflower (Linnaea borealis) - found along cliffs/hillsides near rivers in our area - or at least that is where I always find them. I think of them as blooming in late June/early July so was thrilled to find them. Favorite flower of Linneas - the man who came up with binomial nomenclature. Guess when you invent a system of naming you get to choose what will bear your name!


Large coralroot(Corallorhiza maculata) - telling this apart from Late coralroot can be tough and requires a handlens, unless your eyes are good. Or - you can read the field guide and note that late coralroot blooms in late summer and fall ;-> Though, plants do not read....


A closer look at the flower of the Large coralroot


Early coralroot - an attempt to get a shot of the flowers. The field guide says:"Stem yellowish". It sure is!


Devil Track River - looking down the valley towards Lake Superior

More photos of coralroots (it was a spectacular hike for orchids):






Common speedwell (Veronica officinalis) - spotted less than 50 feet from the end of the hike at the Co. Rd. 58 parking lot.

Sent in my registration for Wild Duluth 50K earlier this week... time to start training for my first ultra. The biggest hurdle may be running past my house to the finish line in Bayfront. Living just off the trail may become an issue on race day ;->

3 comments:

Chris said...

Oh, love the Devil Track River shot.

50K?! Yowza...

Jean said...

Beautiful photos! I love those bluebells. They are such pretty plants. I am starting to get excited...I will be visiting my folks up on the Shore in a few weeks!

Best of luck in preparing for the Wild Duluth 50k!

wildknits said...

Okay all you orchid folks, after looking at the photos, which when embiggened give a nice view of the lip of the flower, I am starting to rethink my ID of the very purplish looking orchid with the spotted lip (2nd from last photo). Originally I thought: Wister's coralroot. Then I decided no as the blooming time is off. But, after taking a close look at it I see a notched lip.... Late bloomer???

What say you all???