Bigtooth Aspen

Order: Salicales

Family: Salicaceae

Genus: Populus

Species: P. grandidentata

Identifying Characteristics:

-Native, short-lived, dioecious, medium-sized deciduous tree with a straight trunk and gently ascending branches.

- Fruit a two-valved capsule

- Bigtooth aspen has 19 pairs of chromosomes (2n=38).

- Height at maturity 60'-80' with diameters of 8'-10'; grows rapidly.

- Age: Stands begin to deteriorate after 50-70 years on good sites, but individuals may live as long as 100 years

- Roots shallow and wide spreading; lateral root spread in a forest may be 33'-66'. Generally, four to five lateral roots originate from the tree and then branch within 2'; vertical, penetrating roots near the base anchor the tree.

- Bark of young trees smooth; after 30 years rough with grooves.

-Distinguished from Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides) by having slightly larger leaves with large irregular teeth on the leaf edges. Quaking Aspen has finely toothed leaf edges.

Special Adaptations:

- Most commonly floodplains, gently rolling terrain, and the lower slopes of uplands. Large stands grow on sands, loamy sands, and light sandy loams. Lower soil pH limit of 4.0.

- Tolerates drier conditions than Quaking Aspen (Populus tremuloides). However, for good growth on upland sites the watertable must be at least 2', but not more than 5', below the surface.

- Soil must be moist but well aerated for good growth

- Very shade intolerant; most shaded stems die.

- Commonly occurs in areas that frequently burn, such as large upland areas distant from water and upwind of natural fire breaks such as lakes.

Queen Anne's Lace

Order: Apiales

Family: Apiaceae

Genus: Daucus

Species: D. carota

Identifying Characteristics:

- Height: 1-3 feet

- Flower size: tiny, in clusters 3-5 inches across

- Flower color: white

- Daucus carota is a variable biennial plant, usually growing up to 1 m tall and flowering from June to August. The umbels are claret-coloured or pale pink before they open, then bright white and rounded when in full flower, measuring 3–7 cm wide with a festoon ofbracts beneath; finally, as they turn to seed, they contract and become concave like a bird's nest. The dried umbels detach from the plant, becoming tumbleweeds.

^{Special Adaptations:}

^{- Also known as the wild carrot}

- Like the cultivated carrot, the wild carrot root is edible while young, but quickly becomes toowoody to consume. A teaspoon of crushedseeds has long been used as a form of birth control

-This beneficial weed can be used as acompanion plant to crops. Like mostumbellifers it attracts predatory wasps to its small flowers in its native land; however, where it has been introduced it attracts only very few of such wasps . This species is also documented to boost tomato plant production when kept nearby, and it can provide amicroclimate of cooler, moister air for lettuce, when intercropped with it.

-Wild carrot was introduced and naturalised inNorth America, where it is often known as "Queen Anne's lace". It is so called because the flower resembles lace; the red flower in the center represents a blood droplet where Queen Anne pricked herself with a needle when she was making the lace. The function of the tiny red flower, coloured by anthocyanin, is to attract insects.

-the plant is amazingly abundant, growing in old fields and even along roadsides where more fastidious flora can't survive

Smooth Brome

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Bromus

Species: B. inermis

Identifying Characteristics

-An erect, leafy, long-lived perennial, 1 ½ to 3 feet tall, rhizomatous and commonly producing a dense sod

- Seedhead: Compact to somewhat open panicle, 4 to 8 inches long; panicle branches in whorls; spikelets ¾ to 1 inch long, slender, turn brownish at maturity, contain 5 to 10 florets; lemmas awnless to awn-tipped, glabrous and split near the tip, into a bifid apex.

- Leaves: Glabrous or occasionally pubescent, particularly on the sheaths; blades 8 to 15 inches long, ¼ to ½ inch wide, flat, with a raised and keeled midrib below; sheaths closed, except near collar, and papery when dry; leaves rolled in the bud; ligules up to 1/8 inch long, rounded, and membranous; auricles absent.

Special Adaptations:

-Smooth brome was introduced from Europe and has been used in range seedings in many areas of the country. Smooth brome is a good forage producer on the mountain loam sites, and it is also adapted to the upland sites. In the lower rainfall areas, some irrigation is required for optimum production

- comes on fairly early in the spring, but is not as early as intermediate wheatgrass with which it compares very closely in its adaptations.

-Due to it's aggressiveness, the species can be considered weedy. It is not tolerant of prolonged flooding

-Soils: It is best adapted to fertile, loamy, deep soils including stony loams where there is at least 16 inches of rainfall annually, or supplemental irrigation equivalent to that. Smooth brome is mildly alkaline and moderately salt tolerant.

-It starts growth in early spring; flowers May to July; reproduces from seeds, tillers, and rhizomes. It may regrow and reflower in the fall if moisture is sufficient

Common Evening Primrose

Order:

Family: Onagraceae

Genus: Oenothera

Species: O. biennis

Identifying Characteristics:

- This native biennial plant can be 8' tall, although it is often shorter.

- There is usually a central stem with alternate leaves, but sometimes there will be multiple stems in open areas, creating a bushy appearance. The stems are light green or red, and are covered with white hairs. The light or olive green leaves are up to 8" long and 2" wide, but usually smaller. They are lanceolate and resemble willow leaves. The margins of the leaves are smooth or slightly dentate, and are nearly hairless. Smaller secondary leaves often appear at the axils of major leaves on the central stem.

- A panicle of pale yellow flowers occurs at the apex of the plant (or at the ends of major stems, if the plant is bushy). Each flower is about 1" across when fully open, with 4 petals and prominent stamens, and a long green calyx. The flowers remain open from evening to early morning, but will remain open longer on cloudy days. They have a mild lemony scent, and bloom from mid-summer to fall on mature plants. Long narrow seedpods develop, which split open from the top to release many tiny, irregular brown seeds. They are small enough to be dispersed by the wind, and can remain viable in the soil after 70 years. The root system consists of a fleshy taproot.

Special Adaptations:

-The preference is full sun, average moisture, and a soil that is somewhat sandy, but other growing conditions are acceptable

-This plant forms a stubby rosette during the first year, but becomes tall during the second year, at which time it flowers, sets seed, and dies.

-Common Evening Primrose is easy to grow, but often becomes rather unsightly as the season progresses. Disease can cause small brown spots to form on the leaves, while drought causes the lower leaves to turn yellow and fall off the plant.

-It is a common plant that is particularly conspicuous during late summer or fall. Disturbed areas are favored in both natural and developed habitats, including mesic to dry black soil prairies, sand prairies, thickets, glades, lakeshore dunes, abandoned fields, roadsides and railroads, slopes of drainage ditches, vacant lots, etc.

Little Bluestem

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Schizachyrium

Species: S. scoparium

Identifying Characteristics:

-This native perennial grass is 2-3' tall and tufted at the base. The culms are tan or reddish brown, hairless, and terete; the base of each culm is erect, rather than decumbent across the ground.

Alternate leaves are produced primarily along the lower half of each culm. The leaf blades are up to 10long and ¼" across, light green or light blue, hairless or slightly pubescent, and curling outward. The leaf sheaths are light green or light blue, hairless or slightly pubescent, and finely ribbed.

Special Adaptations:

-The preference is full sun and mesic to dry conditions. Different kinds of soil are tolerated, including those that contain clay-loam, gravel, or sand. Less fertile soil is preferred because of the reduced competition from taller vegetation. Because of its C4 metabolism, Little Bluestem develops primarily during the warm weather of summer and early fall, and it has excellent drought resistance.

- Habitats include hill prairies, gravel prairies, sand prairies, black soil prairies, clay prairies, scrubby barrens, rocky slopes of thinly wooded bluffs, sandy savannas, hilltop glades (limestone, sandstone, or shale), sand dunes, gravelly areas along railroads, and abandoned fields.

-Little Bluestem is often used in prairie restorations and it is occasionally found in gardens as an ornamental grass. In Illinois, this is one of the dominant grasses of hill prairies

Prairie Dropseed

Order: Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Sporobolus

Species: S. heterolepis

Identifying Characteristics:

- Taking up to five years to mature from seed, the adult dropseed can range from 1-4 feet tall and can survive over multiple growing seasons, as it is a perennial plant.

- its long luscious green leaves grow in bunches around a circular base and are no more than 1/8th of an inch wide. The leaves range in color from a rich green hue in summer to a golden rust complexion in the fall. From late July to mid-September, the grass blooms with rusty-tan flowers.

Special Adaptations:

- Native Americans were known to grind the seeds of the grass to make a tasty flour, and several species of birds find the grainy seeds a very edible treat.

-The preference is full sun, mesic to dry conditions, and soil that is loamy, rocky, or gravelly. Because the seeds are difficult to germinate, it is easier to propagate this grass by dividing the dense tufts of leaves. Once it becomes established at a suitable site, Prairie Dropseed is long-lived

- Habitats consist primarily of hill prairies, gravel prairies, dolomite prairies, black soil prairies, cemetery prairies, prairie remnants along railroads, and limestone glades. Less often, Prairie Dropseed has been found in savannas, thinly wooded rocky bluffs, and grassy fens. This grass is found primarily in high quality natural areas. It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Indian Grass

Order:Cyperales

Family: Poaceae

Genus: Sorghastrum

Species: S. nutans

Identifying Characteristics:

-This native perennial grass is 3-7' tall and unbranched

-It typically consists of tight bunches of flowering culms and their leaves. The culms are terete, glabrous, and light green to pale yellow.

-The blades of the alternate leaves are up to 2' long and ½" across; they are dull green to dark green, flat, and hairless

-The leaf sheaths are dull green, hairless, and open. The nodes of the culms are slightly swollen, dark-colored, and covered with fine silky hairs (at least when they are young). Most of the leaves are located along the lower halves of the culms

-The branchlets are some shade of golden brown or tan, mostly glabrous, and slender. However, the tips of the branchlets underneath the spikelets usually have fine silky hairs. Each branchlet terminates in a one-flowered spikelet about 1/4" (6 mm.) to 1/3" (8 mm.) long

Special Adaptations:

- The preference is full to partial sun and slightly moist to dry conditions. Various kinds of soil are tolerated, including those that can loam, clay-loam, sand, and gravel. Most growth and development occurs during the warm weather of summer because of the C4 metabolism of this grass. It can spread aggressively in some situations (e.g., prairie restorations).

-Habitats include savannas and sandy savannas, black soil prairies, clay prairies, sand prairies, gravel prairies, dolomite prairies, hill prairies, cemetery prairies, barrens with scrubby vegetation, limestone glades, grassy fens, fallow fields, roadsides, and areas along railroads

Sky Blue Aster

Order: Asterales

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Aster

Species: A. oolentangiense

Identifying Characteristics:

-This native perennial plant is 1½–3' tall, and largely unbranched except at the inflorescence

-The central stem is light green and largely hairless. Near the base of the plant, are basal leaves with long narrow petioles. These basal leaves are about 3" long and 1½" across, cordate or broadly oval, and largely hairless.

-As the leaves alternate upward along the stem, they become greatly reduced in size and more narrow.

-The inflorescence is a large panicle of compound flowers that are daisy-like in appearance; this large inflorescence has a tendency to droop over somewhat. The compound flowers are about ½" across or slightly larger. They consist of about 10-25 lavender or light blue ray florets

Special Adaptations:

-The preference is full or partial sun and mesic to dry conditions. This plant is rather indifferent to soil characteristics, and can flourish in soil that loamy, sandy, rocky, or contains clay. This plant is easy to grow and drought resistant; the lower leaves are occasionally marred by powdery mildew and other foliar Habitats include mesic to dry black soil prairies, rocky upland woods, savannas, woodland borders, sandy meadows, limestone glades, clay banks, and areas along roadsides

- The flowers attract various insects, including small bees, flies, small to medium-sized butterflies, skippers, and wasps. Among these, Green Metallic bees and other Halictid bees are especially common visitors of the flowers, where they seek nectar or pollen.

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.