On the bank of a runoff creek. Lower bracts were small, upper bracts very long. Pores large.
I noticed ants were eating from dark spots on this vetch. I don't know what the dark spots are, but they were on all the plants, so not created by the ants.
El Camino Real TMN field trip to Mother Neff State Park.
Suna and I investigate a small meadow area.
Bastrop County, Texas; McKinney Roughs
4/19/2023
Linum imbricatum
Patch of plants in light colored sandy soil which seems to have accumulated on a flat part of the mostly downhill Bluff Trail Loop. Distinguished from L. hudsonioides (which occurs in the nearby uplands of the park) by the ciliate margins found on some upper leaves. It was quite difficult to see the ciliate margins. With a 10x loop I could only see what might have been ciliate margins, but also could have been hairs on the adjacent stem. With a 30x pocket microscope, I could see that there were ciliate margins on at least some of the upper leaves (midstem and upwards), but it did not appear that all the margins were ciliate. Photography of these minute cilia was also difficult since I could never tell if they were in focus and they did not respond well to the direct light of the onboard flash.
I arrived at these plants early in the afternoon and within about 45 minutes almost all of the petals had fallen (or popped off in a ring), as they tend to do in these species.
Plants were up to about 11cm. Petal lobes (measured from top center in flower) were about 8mm.
Found this patch based on this recent observation:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/155017445
A last note. Although all the plants within about a 5 meter radius appeared to be L. imbricatum, there was an isolated individual in the taller vegetation about 20-30m away which appeared to be L. hudsonioides.
Bastrop County, Texas; McKinney Roughs
4/17/2023
Linum hudsonioides
Probably Linum hudsonioides. Small patch in flower along Ridge trail in sparsely gravelly compacted sandy soil. For the most part, the leaves appeared entire, not ciliate margined as in L. imbricatum. However, it does appear that this population had some occasional really minute cilia at the base of some leaves. I don't know if that occurs in other populations or maybe because there be some slight intermediacy in this area due to the proximity of L. imbricatum (maybe just a few hundred meters away on the Bluff Trail).
Plants were to about 15cm tall, with petals approximately 8-9mm.
Had such a great time with fellow iNatters at Timberlake Field Station. iNat is a community! :) Still working on the ID's for many of these, but I'd never turn down assistance!
Williamson County, Texas, Garey Park
4/1/2023
Geranium texanum
After seeing sporadic occurrences of Geranium carolinianum on the lowland trails thoughout the day, I finally find a couple of specimens of G. texanum at the end of the loop only a few meters from where I started the hike, in the heavily mowed margin of the trail near the gate in a sea of Medicago minima. By this late in the day the petals on the one bloom I found were already falling off, and some had done so by the time I finished handling the plant to take photos.
Dallas County, Texas; Thomas Jefferson Park
4/13/2021
Geranium texanum
A few specimens in slightly longer vegetation closer to edge of pond. The rest of the park was mowed short. Confirmation of previous sighting in this park I think.
Dallas county, Texas; Cedar Hill State Park
4/12/2021
Geranium texanum
Small patch in shady area in disturbed ground behind the nearby bathroom. Most plants not blooming yet. Note the anthers are pinkish with purple lines, which is how they often look when the flower has opened but the anthers have not. A photo from about 8 hours later shows the opened anthers appearing more purplish and the petals already falling off.
Found in grassy area near back of building at GCBO near Buffalo Camp Bayou
Made some observations while waiting for my grandson's one act play practice to be over.
These have been under my feet this entire time? All are past flowering stage while the Tomostima platycarpa are fruiting and flowering.
This seems the likely species based on some of the info I've seen.
Williamson County, Texas; Lake Georgetown Overlook
1/9/2023
Tomostima cuneifolia
The only ones I have seen at this particular spot. Definitely didn't have the right lens on for macro work.
Found on a frequently mowed roadside, where abundant, and placed in a pot and observed over about six weeks.
Lawn weed, most common in less frequently mowed areas. The last two photos (fruit) photographed in May 2011.
Plants photographed over several years in a weedy area of a lawn.
Seeds become mucilaginous when wet.
Growing rather lushly just outside the wooden fence of a doggie day care center.
Weedy and sometimes semi-vining shrubs on roadsides and adjacent open spaces, especially in damp soil. Flowers fairly large, 4-5 cm diameter, but fruit small, less than 1 cm diameter. Fruit photos taken in October 2022.
After 2022 TMN conference closed, I spent a few minutes observing plants in the previous night's mothing area in the daylight.
First two pics show two species for comparative purposes.
Specimen on right: Note V-shaped base of flower, less dense branching, longer/narrower petals compared to Amphiachris (left; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34926032).