FRC Nature Trail

I made like a deer and spent some time on the trail made for humans, but more time on the many trails maintained by deer.  There are lots of buttercups and dandelions that stand out against the greenery, but the more hidden beauties include the Western Dog Violet (top two photos), Viola adunca, that were mostly hidden under taller grasses.  I came across one beautiful specimen of Spotted Coralroot, Corallorhiza maculata (third from top), and I'm including a photo of Striped Coralroot, C. striata (that I took at Oakland Camp) for comparison.  The fourth photo is of a member of the Pink, or Carnation Family.  In older books it's Sticky Starwort, Stellaria jamesiana, but newer books and flower websites have it as Pseudostellaria jamesiana, and call it James's Starwort.  It's been a good year for Scarlet Fritillary, so whenever I see a nice one on a hike I tend to incude it in the day's report.  This one was very close to the Admissions and Records Office on the access road to the nature trail.  Last, a photo of the False Solomon's Seal, Maianthemum racemosa. See Monday's post for a close-up of the flowers.  Lot's of Choke Cherry blooming along the trail, and the Corn Lilies in the wet areas are looking healthy and approaching 5 feet tall.  Signs of blooming should show up soon.