Beaver Creek - Beaver, West Virginia
Late summer is without question one of my favorite times of the year in the mountains. I very much enjoy taking photos of the wildflowers and the late summer wildflowers can sure put on a show.
Ironweed
Vernonieae is a tribe of about 1300 species of plants in the aster family. They are mostly found in the tropics and warmer temperate areas, both in the Americas and the Old World. They are mostly herbaceous plants or shrubs, although there is at least one tree species, Vernonia arborea.
Ironweed
Goldenrod
Solidago, commonly called goldenrods,…
…is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Asteraceae. Most are herbaceous perennial species found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America. There are also a few species native to Mexico, South America, and Eurasia. Some American species have also been introduced into Europe and other parts of the world.
Goldenrod
Thistle
…of a group of flowering plants characterised by leaves with sharp prickles on the margins, mostly in the family Asteraceae. Prickles often occur all over the plant – on surfaces such as those of the stem and flat parts of leaves. These are an adaptation that protects the plant against herbivorous animals, discouraging them from feeding on the plant. Typically, an involucre with a clasping shape of a cup or urn subtends each of a thistle’s flowerheads.
Thistle
Being able to identify plants and wildflowers makes me feel like I have a strong connection to my roots. My grandmothers could not only tell you the name but also any uses associated with a particular plant.
Regrettably a lot of the knowledge from our forefathers about the mountains and the things that live there was lost in my generation. With the internet, game consoles, and mobile entertainment everything else became less important. We connected with the world and disconnected from our roots.
Daisy
Asteraceae or Compositae, (the aster, daisy, or sunflower family),…
…comprise the largest family of vascular plants. The family has more than 22,750 currently accepted species, spread across 1620 genera, and 12 subfamilies.
The name ‘Asteraceae‘ is derived from the type genus Aster, which is a Greek term, meaning “star”.
In addition, the name daisy is derived from its Old English meaning, dægesege, from dæges eage meaning “day’s eye,” and this was because the petals open at dawn and close at dusk.
Daisies
Queen Anne's Lace
Daucus carota is a variable biennial plant, usually growing up to 1 m tall and flowering from June to August. The umbels are claret-coloured or pale pink before they open, then bright white and rounded when in full flower, measuring 3–7 cm wide with a festoon of bracts beneath; finally, as they turn to seed, they contract and become concave like a bird’s nest. The dried umbels detach from the plant, becoming tumbleweeds.
Similar in appearance to the deadly poison hemlock, Daucus carota is distinguished by a mix of bi-pinnate and tri-pinnate leaves, fine hairs on its stems and leaves, a root that smells like carrots, and occasionally a single dark red flower in its center.
Queen Anne's Lace
I spent a few hours in the woods today taking photos of wildflowers. The photos in this post up to this point I took for the sole purpose of using in this post. Sometimes I take photos of flowers/plants/whatever to use for research. In other words, I have no idea what I’ve taken a photo of besides the most basic details and frankly, I’m curious.
Smooth Flox
Unknown
I’ll use any excuse to spend some time out with Mother Nature. In late summer, it is the wildflowers.
Photos best viewed in high definition!!
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When one tugs at a single thing in nature; he finds it attached to the rest of the world.
