Favoritos de centratex

Two different individuals documented here. Neither has a particularly obvious "white blotch" but the pattern of subterminal black marks and the buffy thorax seem to point to this species.

UPDATE (3/31/19): First individual (two images) re-IDed as Heterocampa subrotata and deleted here.

I only see this species here in Austin every other year or even less frequently, but the sightings are almost invariably in the first half of November. I assume this is a species that periodically migrates up from South Texas.

Edwards county, Texas; Indian Creek Ranch Bioblitz
5/8/2022
Argemone aurantiaca

One, or few, along main road.

Based on the orange latex, mentioned in the Flora of North Central Texas. The FNA does not mention latex color at all, and depends on various qualities of the surfaces of the leaves, stems and capsules, all of which were difficult to apply here. The leaf surfaces did not seem prickly or hispid between the veins, but they may have been minutely hispid (difficult to photograph). There were no capsules yet. The stems did seem somewhat densely prickley, but I don't know if that is distinguishing enough.

Bexar County, Government Canyon SNA
4/5/2018
Geranium sp.

Went down to Goverment Canyon in hopes of looking for the Geranium texanum that was collected there listed in this record at the Plant Resources center (TEX00285228):
https://prc-symbiota.tacc.utexas.edu/collections/individual/index.php?occid=1197203&clid=0
I was hoping that I might find some Geranium plants in that area that have five purple anthers as I have observed in Williamson county in these observations:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10653423
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/10109163

The thought was that if I found the five purple anthered Geranium in a spot where Geranium texanum was collected that that might provide some more evidence that some of the floral characteristics (number and color of anthers specifically) of G. texanum might currently be incorrectly described in the current literature (currently documented to have 10 fertile stamens with yellowish anthers like G. carolinianum).

Unfortunately, the exact location listed in the herbarium record appeared to be off limits to the general public, but I was able to find two small populations of the five purple anthered geranium on the Recharge trail. The population documented here was probably about a mile from that location whereas another small patch on the Recharge trail was likely about half that.

Another interesting detail is that these photos show that though only five anthers seem to be well formed, there sometimes appear to be one or more smaller anthers that do not reach full size but which may or may not generate viable pollen.

This is the relatively localized yucca known as "San Angelo Yucca", formerly thought to be a Texas endemic but now apparently (iNat) known from n. Mexico. Characters that distinguish this species include:

-- Low, trunkless growth form, forming scattered colonies on limestone (1st and last images).
-- Leaves lack curling "hairs" on edges (2nd image); very finely toothed (3rd image).
-- Leaves nearly flat, straight (little or no twist), usually less than 15 mm wide (Twist-leaf Yucca has wider, twisted leaves) (3rd image).

Sutton County, where these plants were photographed, is in the heart of the range of the species, with closely related Twist-leaf Yucca ranging to the east of it and Thompson's (Beaked) Yucca to the west.

The last habitat shot showing the plants growing on a roadcut was taken a few miles further NE on CR 202.

I like to get started early (in the Winter) pulling weeds out of my yard. One of the annual weeds that is earliest to germinate is Common Hedge Parsely (HP), a.k.a. Sockbane (illustrated here). Unfortunately, the seedlings are extremely similar to those of the native and desirable Chervil. Every winter, I go through the same routine of looking carefully to remind myself of how to tell apart the seedlings of these two Apiaceae plants. So for you gardeners out there who want to get an early start removing Hedge Parsley while retaining Chervil, here's how I recognize the difference:
-- The seedlings of the two species have a very slightly different "look". This seems to be a combination of two fine details of the new leaves: The number of ultimate divisions of each leaf segment of Chervil are fewer, often just 3, and the ultimate segments often have an obtuse angle behind the short point on each. These ultimate, 3-parted segments can look like miniature Sassafras leaves, if you're familiar with that tree. On HP, the ultimate segments of each leaf division are usually more numerous (often 5) and they typically have an acute tip behind the short point on each.
-- In the earliest, tiniest seedlings (one or two leaves), the narrow cotyledons of Chervil are proportionately longer than those of HP (last photo in this set). They are on very long "petioles" and they reach or exceed the size of the first real leaf or two. By contrast, the narrow cotyledons of HP are shorter and on shorter "petioles"; they are quickly exceeded by the petioles of the first few leaves.
These basic differences are illustrated in this array of images.

I've been working on separating these buffy brown Gelechiid-like species, not all of which are actually in the Gelechiidae. I hope to create a (long-overdue) overview of several Texas species which we all are frequently confusing.
Teaser: This species seems to be characterized as follows:
-- Wing shape, particularly the FW apex and outer margin, is more rounded than the abundant Kyoto Moth or the Inga's.
-- Dark brown speckling all over wings
-- Mainly just two dark spots on FW, one at 2/5, the other at 2/3 of the FW length. Sometimes the more basal spot as a faint twin.
-- No terminal line of dark dots or only a faint indication of them.

Another species of Glyphidocera, G. democratica apparently occurs in the Austin region rarely. It usually has a distinct blackish terminal area and fringe on the FW (but not always?) and the more basal of the two dark spots is usually bolder. I'm a little unsure of the present moth; it might actually be G. democratica--shall we put it to a democratic vote?

Berry Springs Park. Common in shady primitive camp area of the park and occasional in other part.

Though locally known as Simpson's Rosinweed, plants in the park key to both S. radula and S. astericus using the key in the Flora of North America due to a widely variable number of ray florets (15-28). The key differentiates the two species based on the number of ray florets, with 12-20 being astericus and 20+ being radula. However, the species description for radula indicates that radula var. gracile can have 12-18 ray florets with the stipulation that the basal leaves are persistent at flowering time, which they were not in this case.

Other key points: Cauline leaves mostly opposite and sessile, though distally alternate. Abaxial faces of phyllaries minutely pubescent. Basal leaves not persisting at flowering time. Ray florets from 15-28, though typically a similar number at each clump of plants (ie 15-18, 25-28, etc).