Plant tax Radford field trip

Monilophytes

Family Equisetaceae (Horsetail)

Equisetum arvense

Field Horsetail

Native

Grows in floodplains, swamps, and marshes with calcareous rock

Dimorphic, with green, branching sterile fronds and tan, unbranched fertile fronds with terminal stobili

Monocots

Family Araceae (Arum)

Arisaema triphyllum

Jack-in-the-Pulpit

Native

Grows in mesic forests, floodplains, and hummocks

Plant has a single 3-lobed leaf and a single inflorescence

Spadix surrounded by a hooded, green-and-purple striped spathe

Monocots

Family Colchicaceae (Meadow Saffron)

Uvularia grandiflora

Large-Flowered Bellwort

Native

Grows in forest coves with rich soils

Branching upper stems have perfoliate leaves and pendulous flowers

Indicator of a healthy forest understory

Monocots

Family Liliaceae (lily)

Erythronium americanum

Yellow Trout Lily

Native

Grows in floodplain forest and mesic forest slopes

Mottled leaves with a single, nodding flower with 6 yellow tepals

May take 4-8 years to mature

Monocots

Family Liliaceae (Lily)

Prosartes lanuginosa

Yellow Fairy-Bells

Native

Grows in mesic mountain forest

Hairy stems with sessile leaves

Downwards-hanging, green to yellow flowers with 6 tepals

Dicots

Family Aristolochiaceae (Birthwort)

Asarum canadense

Canada Wild Ginger

Native

Grows in rich mountain forests

Pubescent, heart-shaped leaves and maroon, tube-shaped flowers at ground level

Rhizome tastes like ginger and was traditionally used as flavoring, but bay be carcinogenic

Dicots

Family Berberidaceae (Barberry)

Caulophyllum Thalictroides

Blue Cohosh

Native

Grows in rich forest coves with calcareous rock

Compound, 3-lobed leaves and yellow flowers that ripen into blue berries

Traditionally used by midwives, but can be poisonous

Dicots

Family Berberidaceae (Barberry)

Podophyllum peltatum

Mayapple

Native

Grows in mesic mountain forests, especially in disturbed habitats

Rhizomatic colonies of peltate leaves

Only mature, forked stems produce edible yellow fruits, but the rest of plant is highly poisonous

Dicots

Family Caryophyllaceae (Pink)

Stellaria pubera

Star Chickweed

Native

Grows in mesic to dry forests

Flowers have five deeply notched petals, red anthers

Stems have 2 lines of hairs

Dicots

Family Cornaceae (Dogwood)

Cornus florida

flowering dogwood

Native

Grows in the understory of upland forests

Small tree with opposite leaves

Many tiny flowers subtended by four white, pink, yellow, or red bracts

State tree of Virginia

Dicots

Family Fabaceae (Legume)

Cercis canadensis

Eastern Redbud

Native

Grows in mesic forests, woodlands, and roadsides

Alternate, heart-shaped leaves

Pink, edible flowers are cauliforous, growing from the tree’s branches

Produces pink, edible legumes

Dicots

Family Fumariaceae (Fumitory)

Dicentra cucullaria

Dutchman’s Breeches

Native

Grows in mesic mountain coves with rich soils

Creeping rhizomes sprout deeply lobed leaves

Racemes of zygomorphic flowers with white, inflated sepal spurs and yellow petals

Dicots

Family Geraniaceae (Geranium)

Geranium maculatum

Wild geranium

Native

Grows in forests

Pink, 5-petaled, perfect flowers with 10 stamens

Long, beak-shaped capsules pop open if disturbed when ripe

Dicots

Family Montiaceae (Montia)

Claytonia virginica

Virginia spring beauty

Native

Grows in old fields and forest with base-rich soils

Narrow, grass-like leaves and flowers with 5 white, pink-striped petals

Edible corms have a chestnut-like flavor

On the cover of the Flora of Virginia

Dicots

Family Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)

Delpginium tricorne

Dwarf Larkspur

Native

Grows in rich mountain forest coves with calcareous rock

Palmately lobed leaves and racemes of flowers with purple to white sepals and tiny petals

Long nectar spur attracts hummingbirds and long-tongued bees

Dicots

Family Ranunculaceae (Buttercup)

Thalictrum dioicum

Early Meadow-Rue

Native

Grows in rocky outcrops and forest coves with calcareous rock

Dioecious: male flowers have purple or white sepals and long, dangling stamens while females have green sepals and curved pistils

Wind-pollinated