BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 1 of 8

Summary of Plants learned in this lab: Family___________________Genus _______Species

APOCYNACEAE Amsonia ciliata

ASTERACEAE Melampodium leucanthum

CYPERACEAE Carex planostachys

FABACEAE Acacia farnesiana

FABACEAE Dalea greggii

HIPPOCASTANACEAE Aesculus pavia (var. flavescens)

IRIDACEAE Sisyrinchium chilense

MENISPERMACEAE Cocculus carolinus

PLATANACEAE Platanus occidentalis

PTERIDACEAE Adiantum capillus-veneris

THELYPTERIDACEAE Thelypteris kunthii

VERBENACEAE Lantana camara *

VITACEAE Parthenocissus quinquefolia

VITACEAE Vitis cinerea (var. helleri)

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 2 of 8

FABACEAE (Legume family) Acacia farnesiana Huisache, Sweet Acacia

Akis=a sharp point, referring to the sharp prickles

Mimosoid flowers – mostly an aggregation of stamens

This genus always has bipinnately compound leaves, often with glands on petioles

Smell the flowers – but beware of the prickles! *Huisache honey is made from this plant

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FABACEAE (Legume family) Dalea greggii Gregg’s Prairie Clover

Note the pubescence of the inflorescence spike and of the leaves

Leaf complexity?

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 3 of 8

MENISPERMACEAE (Moonseed family) Cocculus carolinus Carolina Snailseed

Men=moon sperm=seed coccus=berry

Leaf blades extremely variable in shape, sometimes resembling elephant heads! Family name and species common name both derive from distinctive seed shape

What plant habit? Leaf texture? How can you tell this from Smilax?

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VERBENACEAE (Vervain family) Lantana camara West Indian Lantana

How does this species differ from Lantana montevidensis? What flower color(s)?

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 4 of 8

IRIDACEAE (Iris family) Sisyrinchium chilense Blue-eyed Grass

Iris=Greek goddess of rainbows sys=with rhynchus=beak or snout (significance unknown) chilense= from Chile

Common name is doubly-incorrect!! (Yellow-eyed Iris would be much better)

Notice the mucronate apex of the each tepal monocot or dicot?

Equitant leaf structure is unique to the Iris family (equitant meaning that the leaves fold around the stem as the legs of a rider would fold around a horse)

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ASTERACEAE (Sunflower family) Melampodium leucanthum Black-foot Daisy

Melas=black podos=foot leuco=white anthum=flower

“blackfoot” is referring to a small, foot-shaped bract at the base of the white ray flowers which turns black upon maturity

herbaceous or weakly shrubby perennial that grows in low mats

opposite leaves!

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 5 of 8

VITACEAE (Grape family) Vitis cinerea (var. helleri) Winter Grape, Spanish Grape

Cinerea=ashy-gray

Unlike Vitis mustangensis, this grape species has little to no pubescence on leaf undersides

Look for branched tendrils on this plant (where do tendrils always arise on Vitaceae members?)

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APOCYNACEAE (Oleander/Dogbane Family) Amsonia ciliata Texas Slimpod, Texas Bluestar

Apo=far from cyon=dog; for ancient use as a dog poison ciliate=fringed

This family also includes oleander and frangipani (Plumeria sp.) tubular corolla throat

Closely related to the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae), the Apocynaceae also usually has milky sap

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 6 of 8

CYPERACEAE (Sedge family) Carex planostachys Cedar Sedge

Plano=flat stachys=spike

In comparison with Carex microdonta, this species has a much shorter stature, the leaves are thinner, and the inflorescence is not held as high above the vegetative part

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VITACEAE (Grape family) Parthenocissus quinquefolia Virginia Creeper

Parthenos=virgin cissus=old name for ivy quinquefolia=five-leaved

What leaf complexity? On some Virginia creepers, you can see the branched tendrils with adhesive disks attaching to their substrate as they climb

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 7 of 8

HIPPOCASTANACEAE (Horse Chestnut/Buckeye family) Aesculus pavia (var. flavescens) Texas Yellow Buckeye

Hippos=horse kastana=chestnut flavescens=yellowish

What leaf complexity? Flowers in showy panicles

*Woody opposite!* the yellow-flowering variety is endemic to the Edwards Plateau. There is also a red-flowering variety (var. pavia) which has a larger range

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PLATANACEAE (Sycamore family) Platanus occidentalis Sycamore, Planetree

Platys=broad, referring to the leaves occident=western

Leaves often with 3 main veins Conspicuously peeling bark, often yielding interesting patterns

Fruits in a ball structure – many fruits together are called infructescences

BIO 406D - Native Plants Spring 2005 Packet #9 – Wild Basin Nature Preserve – April 5 and 6, 2005 Page 8 of 8

PTERIDACEAE (Maidenhair Fern family) Adiantum capillus-veneris Southern Maidenhair Fern

Pteris=fern (from pteron=feather or wing) adiantos=unwetted, for the ability of the fronds to repel water

Capillus=hair veneris=Venus; referring to the shiny black rachises resembling hair

Plants typically grow on rocks often cultivated for their delicate, beautiful foliage

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THELYPTERIDACEAE (Marsh fern family) Thelypteris kunthii Southern Shield Fern

Thelys=female pteris=fern

Unfurling fiddlehead large fronds sori borne on frond undersides