08-05-16 Phenology Field Note

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08-05-16 Phenology Field Note

August 5, 2016

Prairie Wolfe's phenology field note describes summer fruit, Ustilago infection, and seed collection efforts.

Phenology Note: Summer Fruit, Ustilago Infection, and Seed Collection

 Phenology locations

Ripe serviceberries provide summer sustenance for birds and bears

A mining bee takes off from a fuzzy-tongued penstemon during peak flowering time in early June

From unfurling petals to ripe seed, the flowering span of a bitterroot is only 2-3 weeks

Empty glumes of bulbous bluegrass catch the morning light. Many populations held ripe bulblets for over 14 weeks

Cicada larvae emerged en masse in June

Many species, such as this shooting star, retain ripe seed for several weeks

 Head smut infects nearly 90% of the cheatgrass found in a plot in Lower Sheepcamp. The infection reduces this year’s seed bank

adorns every surface during cottonwood seed dispersal

The plant goes by the common name Great Basin baby-blue-eyes, but is so inconspicuous few folks other than botanists ever notice it

 Flagging helps us find ripening seed once bright banners of petals fall away (Penstemon procerus, Floodplain).

 The fruit of many species spontaneously dehisce, flinging seed as soon as it’s ripe. Placing mesh bags around these lupine plants allows us to collect seed for restoration use (Lupinus argenteus, Baldy).

Golden light