Flower Identification

Blue Mist Flower, Eupatorium coelestinum

This Blue Mist flower was in the Christmas Rocks Nature Preserve which is a forest (and this was in the underbrush of the forest). This flower is identified because it has leaves in pairs that are triangular, with a long stalk that can be one to three feet high. It blooms in late summer to fall so I was there at the perfect time over Labor Day weekend! The flowers of this plant are called disk flowers and they are very attractive to butterflies (https://gnps.org/plants/blue-mistflower-wild-ageratum-conoclinium-coelestinum-syn-eupatorium-coelestinum/ )

Tall Coneflower, Rudbeckia laciniata

Oh my goodness these types of flowers are a struggle for me to identify, but what clued me into the identity of this flower was not only its height, but also the greenish-yellow disk. The flower heads can be 2.5-4 inches wide and have 6-8 drooping rays. The lower leaves are pinnately divided into anywhere from 3-7 leaflets that are irregularly lobed. I found this flower at Three Creeks Metro Park right by one of the ponds amongst many other small shrubs and other wild flowers. These flowers attract birds as pollinators and the lower leaves were boiled for greens by the Cherokees (https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=rula3)

White Snakeroot, Eupatorium rugosum

This flower was also found at Three Creeks Metropark right by a pond amongst other wildflowers, trubs, and trees. The lower leaves were broad and egg-shaped and become pointed at the end. The flowers are bright white and are in heads that can be 1-5′ high. When the ovary ripens into the fruit, it can be seen that it is an achene fruit! A not so fun fact is that this plant is HIGHLY toxic to humans and can even be fatal if ingested (https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/eupatorium-rugosum/)

Spotted Touch-Me-Not, Impatiens capensis

WHAT A GREAT NAME!!! I found this flower at Three Creeks Metro Park by a pond with many other wildflowers, shrubs, and trees. These flowers are orange with brown spots and are about 1 inch long and dangle from a long stalk. The egg-shaped leaves are coarsely-toothed. The fruit is a plump pod that actually EXPLODES when it is ripe! The stem is succulent and 2-5 feet high. It grows in moist places (like by a pond) and blooms summer and early fall. The plant attracts birds, hummingbirds, and wildflowers and the stem juice is said to relieve poison ivy itches.

 

Flower Analysis

This flower was found here (location and habitat/environment): in a planter near the faculty club!

Common name: Common Zinnia           Scientific name: Zinnia elegans

Corolla:  number of petals 5  separate or  fused? fused

Calyx:    number of sepals 0 separate or fused?N/A

Androecium: number of stamens 5 separate, fused or arranged in any special way? The filament is fused to the corolla

Gynoecium type: unicarpellate, apocarpous, or  syncarpous (and # of carpels = 2)
How can you tell? (Cite the features were apparent about the number of carpels.)

The two carpels are fused together so they are syncarpous.

Flower type/ovary position: Hypogynous, or  perigynous or epigynous? epigynous

Flower symmetry: actinomorphic (regular)   or zygomorphic (irregular)?  BOTH!

Additional distinctive features: Members of the aster family are unique because while this looks like one single flower with a lot of petals, those white “petals” are actually individual flowers formed from 5 fused petals and the interior portion has what are called disk flowers that have 5 petals fused into a tube. That is why I said the corolla has 5 petals that were fused, because each of these ray and disk flowers has 5 petals fused in some form! HOW COOL!

 

This flower was found here (location and habitat/environment): in a planter near the faculty club.

Common name: Wax Begonia         Scientific name: Begonia cucullata

Corolla:  number of petals 2  separate or  fused? separate

Calyx:    number of sepals 2 separate or fused?fused

Androecium: number of stamens many separate, fused or arranged in any special way?N/A

Gynoecium type: unicarpellate, apocarpous, or  syncarpous (and # of carpels =0)
How can you tell? (Cite the features were apparent about the number of carpels.)

These flowers are imperfect because they only have either male or female parts (aka monoecious)

Flower type/ovary position: Hypogynous, or  perigynous or epigynous?epigynous

Flower symmetry: actinomorphic (regular) or zygomorphic (irregular)? actinomorphic

Additional distinctive features: These flowers are beautiful. The flowers and plants have a waxy feeling to them and there is a large inferior ovary below the flowers.

 

This flower was found here (location and habitat/environment): in a planter near the Ohio Union

 

Common name: Busy Lizzie          Scientific name: Impatiens walleriana

Corolla:  number of petals 5  separate or  fused? separate

Calyx:    number of sepals 5 separate or fused?separate

Androecium: number of stamens 5 separate, fused or arranged in any special way? No?

Gynoecium type: unicarpellate, apocarpous, or  syncarpous (and # of carpels = 1)
How can you tell? (Cite the features were apparent about the number of carpels.)

I saw the one chamber and no noticeable divisions, so I think it is unicarpellate

Flower type/ovary position: Hypogynous, or  perigynous or epigynous?Epigynous (the cap of the stamens is fused over the ovary)

Flower symmetry: actinomorphic (regular) or zygomorphic (irregular)? actinomorphic

Additional distinctive features: There is a spur that forms on the flower and it produces nectar.

 

This flower was found here (location and habitat/environment): in a planter by the Ohio Union

Common name: Desert Tobacco      Scientific name: Nicotiana obtusifolia

Corolla:  number of petals 5  separate or  fused? fused

Calyx:    number of sepals 5 separate or fused? fused

Androecium: number of stamens 5 separate, fused or arranged in any special way?

Gynoecium type: unicarpellate, apocarpous, or  syncarpous (and # of carpels =4)
How can you tell? (Cite the features were apparent about the number of carpels.)

I looked and the chamber had four parts to it.

Flower type/ovary position: Hypogynous, or  perigynous or epigynous? perigynous

Flower symmetry: actinomorphic (regular) or zygomorphic (irregular)? actinomorphic

Additional distinctive features: The flower is very sticky and also contains nicotine.