Cup Plant

Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Silphium
Species: S. perfoliatum

Identifying Characteristics:

- This native perennial plant is about 4-10' tall and remains unbranched, except for the panicle of flowering stems near the apex.

- The central stem is thick, hairless, and four-sided.

- The large opposite leaves are up to 8" long and 5" across, which join together around the central stem to form a cup that can hold water, hence the name of the plant. These leaves are broadly lanceolate to cordate, coarsely toothed, and have a rough, sandpapery texture.

- The yellow composite flowers bloom during early to mid-summer for about 1-1½ months. Each sunflower-like composite flower is about 3-4" across, consisting of numerous yellow disk florets that are surrounded by 18-40 yellow or pale yellow ray florets.

Special Adaptations:

- The preference is full or partial sun, and moist loamy soil. This plant may drop some of its lower leaves in response to a drought. Sometimes, the leaves and buds of distressed plants turn brown, growth becomes stunted, and blossoms abort in response to disease or drought. Another problem is that Cup Plant may topple over during a rainstorm with strong winds, particularly while it is blooming, or situated on a slope.

- Typical habitats include moist black soil prairies, moist meadows near rivers, low-lying woodland edges and thickets, fens and seeps, lake borders, fence rows, and along ditches near railroads.

-Long-tongued bees, butterflies, and skippers are common visitors and the most important pollinators of the flowers. Some short-tongued bees, wasps, bee flies, and other kinds of flies also visit the flowers for pollen or nectar.

Reed Canary Grass

Order: Poales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Phalaris

Species: P. arundinacea

Identifying Characteristics:

- The stems can reach 2.5 m in height. The leaf blades are blue-green when fresh and straw-colored when dry. The flowers are borne on the stem high above the leaves and are pinkish at full bloom.

Special Adaptations:

- Reed canary grass grows well on poor soils and contaminated industrial site

- Reed canary grass is also planted as a hay crop or for forage. Furthermore it provides fibers which find use in pulp and papermaking processes.

- In many places, reed canary grass is an invasive species in wetlands, particularly in disturbed areas. When reed canary grass invades a wetland, it suppresses native vegetation and reduces diversity. The grass propagates by seed and rhizome, and once established, is difficult to eradicate.

Common Cottonwood

Order: Salicales

Family: Salicaceae

Genus: Populus

Species: P. deltoides

Identifying Characteristics:

- A tall tree with coarse-toothed leaves which have 2-3 small but obvious glands at top of flattened leafstalks.

- twigs usually hairless, yellowish, sometimes 4-angled on vigorous shoots

- end buds 1"; quite gummy. They have 6-7 scales and are not spicy- fragrant when crushed

- Bark smooth, yellow-green when young but on mature trees dark and ridged

- The leaves are large, deltoid (triangular), 4–10 cm long and 4–11 cm broad with a truncated (flattened) base and a 3–12 cm long, the leaf is very coarsely toothed, the teeth are curved and gland tipped, the petiole is flat; they are dark green in the summer and turn yellow in the fall (but many cottonwoods in dry locations drop their leaves early from the combination of drought and leaf rust, making their fall color dull or absent)

Special Adaptations:

- It needs bare soil and full sun for successful germination and establishment; in natural conditions, it usually grows near rivers, with mud banks left after floods providing ideal conditions for seedling germination; human soil cultivation has allowed it to increase its range away from such habitats

Red Squirrel

Order: Rodentia

Family: Sciuridae

Genus: Sciurus

Species: S. vulgaris

Identifying Characteristics:

- head-and-body length of 19 to 23 cm (7.5 to 9 in), a tail length of 15 to 20 cm (5.9 to 7.9 in) and a mass of 250 to 340 g (8.8 to 12 oz).

- males and females are the same size

- The red squirrel is somewhat smaller than the eastern grey squirrel which has a head-and-body length of 25 to 30 cm (9.5 to 12 in) and weighs between 400 and 800 g (14 oz to 1.8 lb).

- he coat of the red squirrel varies in color with time of year and location. There are several different coat color morphs ranging from black to red

- The underside of the squirrel is always white-cream in color.

Special Adaptations:

- It is thought that the long tail helps the squirrel to balance and steer when jumping from tree to tree and running along branches and may keep the animal warm during sleep.

- The red squirrel sheds its coat twice a year, switching from a thinner summer coat to a thicker, darker winter coat with noticeably larger ear-tufts (a prominent distinguishing feature of this species) between August and November

- The red squirrel, like most tree squirrels, has sharp, curved claws to enable it to climb and descend broad tree trunks, thin branches and even house walls. Its strong hind legs enable it to leap gaps between trees. The red squirrel also has the ability to swim.

-The red squirrel is found in both coniferous forest and temperate broadleaf woodlands.

- the squirrel makes a dry (nest) out of twigs in a branch-fork, forming a domed structure about 25 to 30 cm in diameter. This is lined with moss, leaves, grass and bark. Tree hollows and woodpecker holes are also used. The red squirrel is a solitary animal and is shy and reluctant to share food with others

Raccoon

Order: Carnivora

Family: Procyonidae

Genus: Procyon

Species: P. lotor

Identifying Characteristics:

- Head to hindquarters, raccoons measure between 40 and 70 cm (16 and 28 in), not including the bushy tail which can measure between 20 and 40 cm (8 and 16 in), but is usually not much longer than 25 cm (10 in)

-The body weight of an adult raccoon varies considerably with habitat; it can range from 2 to 14 kilograms (4 to 30 lb), but is usually between 3.5 and 9 kilograms (8 and 20 lb).

- Males are usually 15 to 20% heavier than females. At the beginning of winter, a raccoon can weigh twice as much as in spring because of fat storage

- The most characteristic physical feature of the raccoon is the area of black fur around the eyes which contrasts sharply with the surrounding white face coloring. This is reminiscent of a "bandit's mask" and has thus enhanced the animal's reputation for mischief.

- The slightly rounded ears are also bordered by white fur

- Tail has dark rings

Special Adaptations:

- The most important sense for the raccoon is its sense of touch. The "hyper sensitive" front paws are protected by a thin horny layer which becomes pliable when wet

- raccoons are thought to be color-blind or at least poorly able to distinguish color, though their eyes are well-adapted for sensing green light

- Though usually nocturnal, the raccoon is sometimes active in daylight to take advantage of available food sources

-While its diet in spring and early summer consists mostly of insects, worms, and other animals already available early in the year, it prefers fruits and nuts, such as acorns and walnuts, which emerge in late summer and autumn and represent a rich calorie source for building up fat needed for winter. Contrary to popular belief, raccoons eat active or large prey such as birds and mammals only occasionally, since they prefer prey which is easier to catch, specifically fish and amphibians

-thrived in sparsely wooded areas in the last decades, raccoons depend on vertical structures to climb when they feel threatened

Rough Boneset

Order: Asterales
Family: Asteraceae
Genus: Eupatorium
Species: E. pilosum

Identifying Characteristics:

- Bonesets are mostly tall, erect plants, branching at the top of the stem. The flowers are in small heads, together forming a broad, often flat cluster.

- Stem hairy; larger leaves oblong bluntish, with 3-12 coarse teeth on each margin. Upper leaves nearly entire. 3-5' high.

Special Adaptations:

- Wet or moist open places

- Blooms in Summer and Fall

Painted Turtle

Order: Testudines

Family: Emydidae

Genus: Chrysemys

Species: C. picta

Identifying Characteristics:

- The painted turtle is 10 to 26 centimeters (4 to 10 in) long and has a smooth, flat, oval, and keelless carapace

- The carapace is olive to black with darkness being related to substrate darkness (the lighter the substrate, the lighter the painted turtle's carapace is likely to be and vice versa)

- The plastron is yellowish and has a black or red-to-brown spot. The skin of the turtle is black to olive but the neck, legs, tail, and face have red and yellow stripes (however, the face has exclusively yellow stripes

- Behind each eye is a large, yellow spot and streak. The chin has two wide yellow stripes that meet at the tip of the jaw

- Compared to males, the female painted turtle is larger in overall size but has a shorter, thinner tail, and has shorter foreclaws

- Male eastern painted turtles (Chrysemys picta picta) are 13.1–16.5 cm (5.2–6.5 in) and females are 14.3–17.1 cm (5.6–6.7 in) in length

Special Adaptations:

- The painted turtle is unique in that it is the only turtle found across the entire North American continent

- he painted turtle is most active from May to October in the northeastern United States.

- Instances of local flooding following heavy rainfall in warm months, will sometimes force it to temporarily take to the land for a day or two, migrating between habitats and taking risks crossing roads

- During the winter, the painted turtle hibernates by burying itself deep in the mud beneath streams and ponds. The mud insulates the turtle, which helps prevent freezing during the harsh winter months. The turtle may submerge itself in up to 90 cm (3 ft) of mud under less than 1.8 meters (6 ft) of water

Common Garter Snake

Order: Squamata

Family: Colubridae

Genus: Thamnophis

Species: T. sirtalis

Identifying Characteristics:

- The Garter snake is a Colubrid snake genus (Thamnophis)

- Most garter snakes have a pattern of yellow stripes on a brown background and their average length is about 3.3 ft to 4.9 ft.

Special Adaptations:

- Garter snakes are widespread throughout North America

- in the western part of North America, these snakes are more water loving than in the eastern portion. Northern populations hibernate in larger groups than southern ones.

- Garter snakes, like all snakes, are meat eaters. Their diet consists of almost any creature that they are capable of overpowering: slugs, earthworms, leeches, lizards, amphibians, birds, fish, toads and rodents. When living near the water, they will eat other aquatic animals.

- Garter snakes often adapt to eat whatever they can find, and whenever, because food can be scarce or abundant. Although they dine mostly upon live animals, they will sometimes eat eggs.

- Garter snakes have complex systems of pheromonal communication. They can find other snakes by following their pheromone-scented trails.

- Male and female skin pheromones are so different as to be immediately distinguishable. However, sometimes male garter snakes produce both male and female pheromones. During mating season, this fact fools other males into attempting to mate with these "she-males". This causes the transfer of heat to them in kleptothermy which is an advantage immediately after hibernation so allowing them to be more active

- If disturbed, a garter snake may coil and strike, but typically it will hide its head and flail its tail. These snakes will also discharge a malodorous, musky-scented secretion from a gland near the anus. They often use these techniques to escape when ensnared by a predator. They will also slither into the water to escape a predator on land. Hawks, crows, raccoons, crayfish and other snake species (such as the coral snake and king snake) will eat garter snakes, with even shrews and frogs

Slender-leaved Goldenrod

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Euthamia

Species: E. caroliniana

Identifying Characteristics:

- The largest leaves are very narrow (about 1/8" wide), with either a single vein ot 3 indistinct veins

- There are often tufts of smaller leaves in the axils.

- 1-2 1/2' high

- Flower size: 1/4 inch long

- Flower color: yellow

- Flowering time: August to October

- Origin: native

Special Adaptations:

- grows is sandy soil

Sweet Goldenrod

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Solidago

Species: S. odora

Identifying Characteristics:

- Leaves: narrowly lance-shaped, 2-4" long, and usually anise-scented when bruised, although some plants have no odor

- Flower rays: 3-4, 2-4" high

- Flowers: yellow, curved, one-sided clusters, together forming a large terminal cluster

Special Adaptations:

-About 100 perennial species make up the genus Solidago, most being found in the meadows and pastures, along roads, ditches and waste areas in North America.

-Probably due to their bright, golden yellow flower heads in late summer, the goldenrod is often unfairly blamed for causinghay fever in humans. The pollen causing these allergy problems is mainly produced by Ragweed(Ambrosia sp.), blooming at the same time as the goldenrod, but is wind-pollinated.

-Parts of some goldenrods can be edible when cooked. Goldenrod is also used as a food plant by thelarvae of various Lepidopteraspecies (see list of Lepidoptera that feed on goldenrods).

-Goldenrods are mostly short-day plants and bloom in late summer and early fall and some species produce abundant nectar when moisture is plentiful before bloom, and the bloom period is relatively warm and sunny.

-Honey from goldenrods often is dark and strong due to admixtures of other nectars. However when there is a strong honey flow, a light (often water white), spicy-tasting honeyis produced. While the bees are ripening the honey there is a rank odor and taste, but finished honey is much milder.

-The variety Solidago virgaurea is used as a traditional kidney tonic.

Autumn Olive

Order: Rosales

Family: Elaeagnaceae

Genus: Elaegnus

Species: E. umbellata

Identifying Characteristics:

-A woody shrub that may reach up to 20 feet in height

-yellow to cream colored flowers that appear in the spring and bunches of red berries that appear in the early fall.

- Leaves: Alternate, elliptic to ovate in outline, approximately 1 1/4 to 3 inches long, 1/2 to 1 1/4 inches wide. Upper leaf surfaces are dark green while leaf undersides are covered with grayish or silver 'scales'. Leaf margins are often wavy (undulate) and are untoothed

- Flowers: Occur in clusters of 5 to 10 in the region between the central stem and branches (axillary clusters). Individual flowers are approximately 1/2 inch long, are creamy white to yellow in color, and are also covered with silvery 'scales'

Special Adaptions:

- Autumn olive was introduced into the United States from east Asia in the 1830's and is now an invasive weed of pastures, hay fields, roadsides, and rights-of-way. Autumn olive is found from Maine to Virginia, and west to Wisconsin.

- Many things eat the berries, humans, mammals, birds, insects

Cockspur Thorn

Order: Rosales

Family: Rosaceae

Genus: Crataegus

Species: --

Identifying Characteristics:

-Crataegus, commonly called hawthorn or thornapple, is a large genus of shrubs and trees in therose family, Rosaceae

-growing to 5-15 m tall

-The most common type of bark is smooth grey in young individuals, developing shallow longitudinal fissures with narrow ridges in older trees.

-The thorns are small sharp-tipped branches that arise either from other branches or from the trunk, and are typically 1-3 cm long

-The leaves grow spirally arranged on long shoots, and in clusters on spur shoots on the branches or twigs. The leaves of most species have lobed or serrate margins and are somewhat variable in shape.

-The fruit, sometimes known as a "haw", is berry-like, but structurally a pome containing from 1 to 5pyrenes that resemble the "stones" of plums,peaches, etc. which are drupaceous fruit in the same subfamily.

Special Adaptions:

- native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere inEurope, Asia and North America.

-Hawthorns provide food and shelter for many species of birds and mammals, and the flowers are important for many nectar-feeding insects

-Hawthorns are also used as food plants by the larvae of a large number of Lepidoptera species

-The wood of some hawthorn species is very hard and resistant to rot. In rural North America it was prized for use as tool handles and fence posts.

Daisy Fleabane

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Erigeron

Species: E. annuus

Identifying Characteristics:

-This native annual or biennial plant is erect and up to 3' tall

-It is largely unbranched, except for a few side stems near the inflorescence at the apex

- Flower size: 1/2 inch across

- Flower color: white or pale pink rays around a yellow disk

- Flowering time: June to October

- Origin: native

Special Adaptations:

- Habitat: Fields, roadsides

- A tea from the plant was a diuretic and medicine for digestive ailments. An essential oil can be made to relieve bronchitis and cystitis

-This plant can be weedy or invasive

Tall Sunflower

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Helianthus

Species: H. giganteus

Identifying Characteristics:

- Height: 3-12 feet

- Leaf: opposite on the lower stem, upper alternate, flat, narrow, at least 3 times as long as wide,upper surface rough, lower

- Flower size: flowerheads 2-3 inches across

- Flower color: yellow

- Flowering time: July to October

- Origin: native

Special Adaptions

- Habitat: thickets, swamps, meadows

New England Aster

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Symphyotrichum

Species: S. novae-angliae

Identifying Characteristics:

-Compared to other native asters, New England aster flowers have more rays (around 40) and, usually, more intense purple color.

-Height: 3-7 feet

-Flower size: flowerheads around 1-1/2 inches across

-Flower color: purple rays around a yellow disk

-Flowering time: August to October

- hairy stem and lance-shaped leaves with entire margins

Special Adaptations:

- Habitat: Damp thickets and meadows

- New England aster can be used for roadside plantings, prairie restoration, wildlife cover.

Closed Gentian

Order: Gentianales

Family: Gentianaceae

Genus: Gentiana

Species: G. andrewsii

Identifying Characteristics:

-Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 61cm in height (24inches)

-Leaves: The leaf arrangement is opposite. Leaves can reach 10cm in length (4inches). Each leaf is lanceolate entire and stemless.

-Flowers: The flowers have 5 Regular Parts and are up to 3.5cm long (1.5 inches). They are blue sometimes violet. Blooms first appear in mid summer and continue into mid fall. The corolla appears completely closed but can be opened at the top.

- The flowers are clustered at the top of the plant or in the axis of the top leaves. The stems are 30 to 60 cm long, lax in habit, producing sprawling plants with upturned ends ending with clusters of bee pollinated flowers.

Special Adaptations:

-Habitat: Moist fields or open woods

- The bitter root has long been used as a tonic and is known to be an appetite stimulant. The Cherokee used it as a tonic, cathartic and laxative as well as to treat a weak stomach and, oddly, hysterical affections

Field Cricket

Order: Orthoptera

Family: Gryllidae

Genus:Gryllus

Identifying Characteristics:

- Field crickets are dark brown to black crickets, 9/16 to over 1 inch long

- Females can be identified by the presence of an ovipositor, a spike-like appendage, about 0.75 inches (19 mm) long, on the hind end of the abdomen between two cerci. This ovipositor allows the female to bury her fertilized eggs into the ground for protection and development

- Males are distinguished from females by the absence of an ovipositor. At the end of the abdomen there are simply two cerci. Unlike females, however, males are able to produce sounds or chirps.

Special Adaptations:

- Life Cycle: Adult females are recognizable because of the sword-like egg laying structure (ovipositor) in addition to the two appendages (cerci) at the end of the abdomen, and their fully developed wings. Females deposit eggs in moist soil or sand. After 15 to 25 days,nymphs hatch from the eggs. They resemble adults except for their smaller size and lack of wings. Nymphs develop to adults in about 12 weeks, depending on temperature. As many as three generations may be produced per year

- Adult males chirp to mark territory and attract females.

- These crickets live in cool dark and damp habitats like caves, plumbing, under rocks, damp basements and inside privies.