BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 1 of 9

Summary of Plants learned in this lab:

Family Genus Species ANACARDIACEAE Rhus virens

AQUIFOLIACEAE Ilex decidua

AQUIFOLIACEAE Ilex vomitoria

ASTERACEAE Liatris mucronata

ASTERACEAE Melampodium leucanthum

BORAGINACEAE Heliotropium tenellum

FAGACEAE Quercus buckleyi

GENTIANACEAE Centaurium texense

LAMIACEAE Hedeoma drummondii

NOLINACEAE Nolina lindheimeriana

NOLINACEAE Nolina texana

ORCHIDACEAE Spiranthes lacera

PASSIFLORACEAE Passiflora tenuiloba

PRIMULACEAE Samolus ebracteatus

POACEAE Bouteloua hirsuta

RUTACEAE Thamnosma texana

* not native to Texas

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 2 of 9

ANACARDIACEAE Rhus virens Evergreen Sumac, Tobacco Sumac

virens = “green”

shrub or small tree to 3m or more tall

leaf arrangement?

leaf surface?

ASTERACEAE Melampodium leucanthum Black-foot Daisy, Rock Daisyleucanthum = “white-flowered”

This plant gets its common name from the way the old stigma looks on the ray flowers (don’t look at me, I didn’t name it).

leaves are sessile

leaf shape?

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 3 of 9

BORAGINACEAE (Forget-Me-Not family) Heliotropium tenellum Pasture Heliotrope

corollas funnelform

tenellum = “tender, soft”

leaf shape?

how many petals?

PASSIFLORACEAE Passiflora tenuiloba Spread-lobe Passion-flower, Bird-wing Passion-flowertenuiloba = “with narrow, slender lobes”

growth habit?

leaves are sessile

This plant may have ocelli (small, yellowish dots that apparently act as egg mimics).

The leaves of this plant are believed to have evolved this shape to copy the shape of the leaves on Berberis trifoliolata as a way to trick moths (your TA will explain further).

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 4 of 9

FAGACEAE (Oak or Beech family) Quercus buckleyiTexas Red Oak, Spanish Oak, Spotted Oak, Rock Oaknamed for Samuel Buckley (1809-1884) state geologist and plant collector

How would you describe this plant’s leaves?

typical bark

Do you remember what type of fruit an acorn is? ________________

POACEAE Bouteloua hirsuta Hairy Gramahirsuta = “hairy”inflorescence branches usually 1-4 per main axis, usually 2.3-4cm long

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 5 of 9

RUTACEAE Thamnosma texana Dutchman’s Breeches, Texas Desert-rue

fruit a leathery, 2-lobed capsule; the two lobes resembling the inflated legs of a dutchman’s breeches

leaves aromatic (like many plants in the Rutaceae family)

ASTERACEAE Liatris mucronata Narrow-leaf Gayfeathermucronata = “mucronate, pointed”

inflorescences spike-like, the heads densely-crowded

leaf shape?

leaf arrangement?

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 6 of 9

AQUIFOLIACEAE (Holly family) Ilex decidua Deciduous Holly, Possumhaw, Winterberry

decidua = “deciduous”

persistent red or orange fruits are often conspicuous during winter months

shrub

leaf shape?

fruits poisonous

Which leaf goes with I. decidua and which with I. vomitoria??

AQUIFOLIACEAE Ilex vomitoria Yaupon Holly, Indian Blackdrink, Emetic Hollyvomitoria = “emetic”

The leaves contain caffeine and were used by Native Americans to make a ceremonial drink called “black drink”. During religious festivals they drank large amounts during purging ceremonies.

leaf shape?

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PRIMULACEAE (Primrose family) Samolus ebracteatus Limerock Brookweedebracteatus = “without bracts”

leaf shape?

basal rosette of leaves

ORCHIDACEAE (Orchid family) Spiranthes lacera Slender Ladies’-tresses, Green-lip Ladies’-tresseslacera = “torn”

leaves all basal, not always persisting until flowering

flowers in spiral row; lip white-marked with broad, green or yellowish-green stripe in center

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 8 of 9

NOLINACEAE Nolina texana Sacahuista, Bunch-grassleaves narrow, elongate, almost rounded-triangular in cross-section

leaf margins smooth or with distant teeth

flower stalks 30-60cm tall (seen in spring)

flowers are poisonous and potentially fatal to livestock

NOLINACEAE Nolina lindheimeriana Devil’s Shoestring, Lindheimer’s Nolinaleaves narrow, elongate, flat with smooth surface and serrulate margins

flower stalks 60-180cm tall (seen in spring)

margin teeth directed forward, be careful ! there is a reason why it’s called Devil’s Shoestring

Which stem cross-section matches with N. lindheimeriana and which with N. texana??

BIO 406D - Native Plants Fall 2005Packet #5 – Wild Basin – October 20th Page 9 of 9

LAMIACEAE Hedeoma drummondii Drummond’s Hedeoma, Drummond’s False Pennyroyal

leaf shape?

GENTIANACEAE (Gentian family) Centaurium texense Texas Centaury, Lady Bird’s CentauryCommon name is for Mrs. Lyndon B. Johnson (Lady Bird), who made a special effort to collect seeds of this species and plant them along her ranch’s airfield runway.

leaf arrangement?

leaf shape?