Marvelous mallow

I've got such a backlog of photos to share, it's shameful. One flower that I finally got photos of this year was a lovely, large, showy hibiscus-looking flower that grows out in the middle of one of the fields on our road. It grows down in a low spot that tends to have its feet wet, so to speak, when we go through spells of rainy weather. It stands out not only because it's so gorgeous, but because it's pretty much the only flower of its kind in that immediate area.


I am still trying to determine if this is Common Rose-Mallow or Halberd-leaf Rose-Mallow. One way to differentiate between the two is to look at the leaf shape, but both types could have 3-lobed leaves. I didn't get great shots of the leaves, but they are definitely 3-lobed. I need to go back and see if the leaves are hairy or not - if they are hairless, then the ID is most likely the Halberd-leaf species (at least according to my handy-dandy National Wildlife Federation Field Guide to Wildflowers of North America).


A not-so-great shot of the mallow leaves and blossoms
The seed pod can also aid in identification, but both rose-mallows have "many-seeded capsules," so that doesn't really narrow it down.


These dried out seed pods are from last year's flowers, mixed right in with the new flowers from this year. I guess I could snag a few and try planting them somewhere else closer to home.
They both prefer similar habitat (wet, marshy areas), so again, no help there. For now I will be content to simply admire how beautiful they are, but my learning antennae will be up to find the key to lead me to a positive ID.



Nice pollen. I have to wonder what evolutionary purpose these large petals, which can catch pollen, might serve? Is it to be a "landing pad" of sorts for the insects that are meant to pollinate it?

Does the stamen of this flower look like an elephant's trunk to anyone else?
P.S. A big thanks goes out to Dave, who mowed a path with the tractor so that I could get to these flowers. They are amidst very tall grass and dicey terrain, wherein I worried that I might encounter snakes or other surprise animals hiding out. I wasn't too crazy about the possibility of bushwhacking my way to said flowers, so my man helped me out. He's pretty nice like that. ;)

Berries from northern Michigan

The last 2 posts of flowers from northern Michigan included plants that I was able to identify. Not so in this post (with one exception). When we were there in July there were several plant species that were putting out fruit. Here's one that I don't recognize.




If I had to guess, I would say Elderberry, but their berries are very dark, aren't they? If anyone has any suggestions on the ID of this plant, I'd be happy to hear them.


Here's another one I don't know. These berries turn a lovely shade of blue come September, but they're pale green in July.




Again, any suggestions as to the ID would be appreciated. This is definitely a plant that likes shady locations, if that's of any help.


This one I was able to identify, but if I had just the berries to go off of alone, I never would have figured it out.


Aha! Berries and flowers right on the same plant. Looks like we've got some Bittersweet Nightshade here.


Like the Wild Peas from a few posts ago, this plant was observed in multiple stages of development. Some of the flowers were still just forming and hadn't even bloomed.


Here's a nice blossom. For some reason, I have the hardest time remembering the name of this plant. When I see it, I know I know it, but I can't remember the name! I have the same problem with Sweetgum trees. Don't know why. I guess I need to work on some kind of mnemonic device to help jog my memory.

I'm just about ready to wrap up my showcase of flowers from northern Michigan so we can get to more seasonally relevant posts. I hope you have enjoyed these posts.

Calling all flower detectives

This post is for all the plant lovers, botanists and Science Chimps out there. I've got a mystery that needs solvin'!

UPDATE: Mystery has been solved thanks to help from my blogging friends. The flower is Leather Flower, also called Vase Vine and Bluebill (Clematis viorna), a type of Clematis, member of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). Thanks to botanist Tom Arbour of the Ohio Nature Blog for the specifics. Turns out I was on the right track with the Virgin's Bower similarity, as that is a type of Clematis, too. Just needed to dig deeper.

Every year I come across at least one flower that I've never seen before and cannot find in my National Audubon Society Field Guide to Wildflowers (Eastern Region). It frustrates me to no end when I can't find something in an ID book. Sometimes it's because I'm looking in the wrong place, but most of the time it's because it's just not in there (as was the case with the Carolina Cranesbill in my Lunchtime Nature Walk post , which was kindly ID'd by Jim McCormac - thanks, Jim!).

And so here I am again, left scratching my head about another flower. At least with the Cranesbill I knew it was something in the Geranium family, but this one... I have no clue. Can anyone help me here?

Whatever it is, the honeybees like it.

Clockwise from upper left: tiny flower bud; bigger flower bud, not yet opened; view of flower from below.



And these are the leaves.

I'm guessing this is the fruit of the flower. This part reminds me a whole lot of Virgin's Bower, but it is not similar in any other way (well, other than the fact that it seems like it might be a vine).


The flower as it matures and goes to seed. I love the deep purple color, and how the texture has changed from something shiny to something more like sandpaper.



And here's a nice close-up look. It's a very "girly" looking flower, don't you think?

I'd appreciate any help I can get on this one. Thanks in advance!