New-to-me flowers and an OUCH

Alas, James plans to mow later this week. I know, I know. The horseherb (our volunteer native ground cover) needs some discipline. But I always hate to think of all the resident creatures that get run over and chewed up in the process. James said he'd buy me a little flute so I can whistle a warning to everyone before he gets going. Har har.

In the meantime, I thought I'd better get some pictures of plant mysteries I'm trying to solve before...well, you know what....

Purple spiderling
Boerhavia purpurascens
I identified this tiny but pretty bloom per Wildflowers of Texas by Geyata Ajilvsgi.

Mystery #1
A rouge-plant?
I don't think so but that's my best guess so far.

Mystery plant #1 (second photo)

Mystery #2
A species from the pea family?

UPDATE JULY 12, 2012--It's a coastal indigo (Indiogera miniata)!

Mystery #3

I brushed against this little plant in the Meadow the other evening and OUCH!! Stung/burned like crazy but no visible reaction erupted on my skin. I'm guessing a nettle species but haven't figured it out as yet. Click on the photos and you can see the bristly hairs on the leaves and seeds. OUCH again!

UPDATE JULY 12, 2012-- It's a branched noseburn (Tragia ramosa)!!

Mystery #3 (second photo)

Wildscape update

False garlic
Nothoscordum bivalve
(Also called crow poison)
Warning: This plant is poisonous and should not be tasted!

So my wanderings through the Meadow yesterday and across the front yard of our Wildscape today brings more photos. The evening rain lilies have all gone to seed now. In their place are growing false garlic blooms. With our recent rains, the blue mistflowers have rejuvenated, just in time for the arrival of queens and monarchs. We've already spotted three or so monarchs and numerous queens. All the lantanas are back in bloom (look up close and you'll likely find a sneaky spider, lurking). And there's a grass photo for James, my "grass" guy.

Queen on a blue mistflower

Lantana with crab spider

Lantana urticoides

Sideoats grama
State grass of Texas

Forager

The eastern fox squirrels in our neighborhood love the corn cobs we put out for them. One squirrel has even learned how to jump on a "squirrel-proof" bird feeder and nab some sunflower seeds. I call her Squirrel Gurl. I'm not sure if this squirrel is her, but thought I'd grab a photo while I could.

Oxalis cousins

Drummond's woodsorrel

Oxalis drummondii

All the recent rains enticed a new-to-me species to spring up in our Wildscape. My neighbor, Monta, noticed some blooming in her yard as well. Naturally, I had to figure it out, and I believe it's an oxalis called Drummond's woodsorrel. Which means it's related to the oxalis we bought and planted in the back yard (violet woodsorrel) and also a yellow woodsorrel (common yellow oxalis) that springs up everywhere.

Just in case you're interested, oxalis is pronounced "ox-alice." Took me FOREVER to remember how to say it, but I finally did!

Windowbox wood sorrel
Oxalis rubra

Common yellow oxalis

Oxalis stricta
(My daughter, Lindsey, calls this plant "her clover")

Through James' lens...

Salvia coccinea

Inland sea oats

More salvia coccinea

Friendly red admiral

Red admiral
Vanessa atalanta

So here's the outgoing red admiral that showed up yesterday evening in our backyard. This one was extra friendly and kept landing on ME. James snapped a few photos. I got one of him, too, with our butterfly friend.

As a teenager YEARS ago, growing up in Corpus Christi, I remember how this same species was friendly like this. I'd stand outside on our patio, hold out my arms, and wait for one to land on me, which they'd usually do. It was cool. From what I've observed then and now, admirals enjoy sunning their wings in bright sunshine in the evening. Even on people!

Lost Ladybug Project

Yesterday evening, I just happened to spot this little ladybug on one of our backyard birdbaths. Actually, James and I were trying to photograph a friendly red admiral butterfly that kept landing on me. After I saw the beetle, then I turned my attention to it while James kept shooting the butterfly on my back. We are easily entertained!

This morning, I uploaded these photos to the Lost Ladybug Project. I'm guessing our species is an ashy gray ladybug (Olla v-nigrum). Pretty, eh?

What's the Lost Ladybug Project? Researchers at Cornell University are asking kids and adults to shoot photos of ladybugs across the nation so they can survey species. Check out their website! One of my two articles on ladybugs and the project (published in Jakes children's magazine) is posted there under the "media" link. The other article, "Ladybug Lookout," appeared in the August 2009 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine.