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Scientific Name: Amphibolips confluenta Common Name(s): Spongy oak apple gall wasp Family: Cynipidae (gall wasp) Life Stage(s): Larva Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Winter

This is what one of these looks like on the inside.

#Amphibolips confluenta #spongy oak apple gall wasp #Cynipidae #Plano #Texas #winter #brown #oak apple #gall wasp #Hymenoptera #gall #insect #bugblr

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2017-08-21 solar eclipse over the Teton range, Wyoming.

#eclipse #solar eclipse #total eclipse #astronomy #astrophotography #Teton range #Wyoming #blue #photographers on tumblr

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Scientific Name: Diabrotica undecimpunctata Common Name(s): Spotted cucumber beetle, southern corn rootworm (larva) Family: Chrysomelidae (leaf beetle) Life Stage(s): Adult Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Summer

#Diabrotica undecimpunctata #spotted cucumber beetle #southern corn rootworm #Chrysomelidae #Plano #Texas #summer #yellow #leaf beetle #beetle #Coleoptera #insect #bugblr

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A honey bee visits a Texas bluebonnet.

#Texas bluebonnet #bluebonnet #honeybee #honey bee #bee #Lupinus texensis #Apis mellifera #Texas #spring #flower #blue #photographers on tumblr #plantblr #bugblr

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Scientific Name: Geranium carolinianum Common Name(s): Carolina crane’s bill, Carolina geranium Family: Geraniaceae (geranium) Life Cycle: Annual Leaf Retention: N/A Habit: Forb USDA L48 Native Status: Native Location: Allen, Texas Season(s): Winter

Distinguished from its lookalikes by the pointy tips on the sepals.

#Geranium carolinianum #Carolina crane's bill #Carolina geranium #Geraniaceae #annual #forb #native #Allen #Texas #winter #flower #white #pink #plantblr

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Scientific Name: Vanessa atalanta Common Name(s): Red admiral Family: Nymphalidae (brush-footed butterfly) Life Stage(s): Adult Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Late winter

Dorsal (top) and ventral (bottom) wing patterns.

#Vanessa atalanta #red admiral #Nymphalidae #Plano #Texas #winter #late winter #spring #red #black #butterfly #Lepidoptera #insect #bugblr

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Scientific Name: Prunus persica Common Name(s): Peach Family: Rosaceae (rose) Life Cycle: Perennial Leaf Retention: Deciduous Habit: Tree USDA L48 Native Status: Introduced Location: Parker, Texas Season(s): Winter

#Prunus persica #peach #Rosaceae #perennial #deciduous #tree #introduced #Parker #Texas #winter #flower #pink #edible plants #plantblr

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Scientific Name: Sapindus saponaria var. drummondii or Sapindus drummondii Common Name(s): Western soapberry Family: Sapindaceae (soapberry) Life Cycle: Perennial Leaf Retention: Deciduous Habit: Tree, shrub USDA L48 Native Status: Native Location: Allen, Texas Season(s): Winter

It’s called soapberry because you can make soap from it!

Soapberries are also offered commercially “soap nuts,” though the ones I’ve seen for sale are Sapindus mukorossi, which is a species native to Asia.

Speaking of species, the genus Sapindus comprises about 12 species. I’m guessing the exact number isn’t settled because, as in the case here, whether this plant is a subspecies or its own species depends on whom you ask. The USDA Plants Database shows that S. saponaria is native to the southern U.S., from the Atlantic coast to Arizona, whereas var. drummondii only exists west of the Mississippi River. This difference is apparently enough for iNaturalist and its taxon authority POWO to elevate it to the full species level.

The fruits are about ½″ (12 mm) in diameter and form in the summer; they are pale green and opaque when young before maturing to a translucent amber in the fall.

#Sapindus saponaria #Sapindus drummondii #western soapberry #soapberry #Sapindaceae #perennial #deciduous #tree #shrub #native #Allen #Texas #winter #fruit #orange #taxonomy #taxonomic confusion #plantblr

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Scientific Name: Stellaria media Common Name(s): Common chickweed Family: Caryophyllaceae (pink, carnation) Life Cycle: Annual or short-lived perennial Leaf Retention: N/A Habit: Forb USDA L48 Native Status: Introduced Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Winter

#Stellaria media #common chickweed #chickweed #Caryophyllaceae #annual #forb #introduced #Plano #Texas #winter #flower #white #plantblr

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Scientific Name: Anemone berlandieri Common Name(s): Tenpetal anemone, tenpetal thimbleweed Family: Ranunculaceae (buttercup) Life Cycle: Perennial Leaf Retention: Deciduous Habit: Forb USDA L48 Native Status: Native Location: Lucas, Texas Season(s): Winter

Lies! All lies!

First off, when a plant is named “tenpetal,” wouldn’t you expect its defining feature to be flowers with ten petals? But look at this thing. Count’em. Do you see ten? No, that number is highly variable between individuals and is not a reliable key for identifying this species.

Worse, those … aren’t even petals. No, they’re sepals. This plant doesn’t have any petals at all. (When a plant either lacks petals or when its petals and sepals are indistinguishable, the term “tepal” is used, but I’m not enough of an expert to know if it applies here.)

After the flower appears, the stem continues to grow so that the bract becomes sufficiently far down the stem to appear as leaves. Don’t be mistaken. The leaves for this plant grow only at its base.

This plant is a perennial that blooms in late winter and early spring, then goes dormant over summer and fall. White is most common, but the flowers’ colors can range from white to purple.

Two Anemone species, A. berlandieri and A. caroliniana, are found here in North Texas, and they can be difficult to tell apart at first glance. Using this side-by-side comparison, we can identify this as A. berlandieri by the hairs on the stem below the bract even without any basal leaves visible in this photo.

#Anemone berlandieri #tenpetal anemone #tenpetal thimbleweed #Ranunculaceae #perennial #deciduous #forb #native #Lucas #Texas #winter #flower #white #plantblr

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Scientific Name: Schizachyrium scoparium Common Name(s): Little bluestem Family: Poaceae (grass) Life Cycle: Perennial Leaf Retention: Deciduous Habit: Graminoid USDA L48 Native Status: Native Location: Lucas, Texas Season(s): Winter

Post-fruiting, based on season, but I’m not good at recognizing grass phenology.

#Schizachyrium scoparium #little bluestem #Poaceae #perennial #deciduous #graminoid #native #Lucas #Texas #winter #fruit #brown #tan #bluestem #plantblr

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Scientific Name: Perithemis tenera Common Name(s): Eastern amberwing Family: Libellulidae (skimmer) Life Stage(s): Adult Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Summer

smol.

The common name is pretty self-explanatory. At around 0.8″ to 1.0″ (20–25 mm) long, this is the second smallest dragonfly in North America; it’s bested only by the elfin skimmer, which has different coloration. This species is common throughout the eastern 2/3 of the U.S., and, away from the U.S.-Mexico border where it shares habitat with other amberwings, its size and color should make it easy to identify. (BugGuide says: “Except along the U.S.-Mexican border, this is the only tiny dragonfly with amber wings on the male.”) The main difference between males and females is in the wings: males have clear amber wings, whereas females’ wings are more variable and can have dark patches.

#Perithemis tenera #eastern amberwing #Libellulidae #Plano #Texas #summer #dragonfly #insect #Odonata #orange #bugblr

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Bridge railing

#bridge #infrastructure #brown #monochromatic #geometric #shadow #shadows #stripes #repetition #photographers on tumblr

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Seen on a walk.

#watermelon #graffiti #photographers on tumblr #red

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Texas Tantrum Tot and Pals by Ron English (website, Instagram), Deep Ellum, Dallas, Texas.

#Ron English #Deep Ellum #Dallas #Texas #mural #art #photographers on tumblr

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Scientific Name: Ilex decidua Common Name(s): Possumhaw Family: Aquifoliaceae (holly) Life Cycle: Perennial Leaf Retention: Deciduous Habit: Tree, shrub USDA L48 Native Status: Native Location: Plano, Texas Season(s): Fall

#Ilex decidua #possumhaw #Aquifoliaceae #perennial #deciduous #tree #shrub #native #Plano #Texas #fall #autumn #fruit #red #holly #plantblr

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Flying over Greenland.

#flying #travel #Greenland #snow #white #photographers on tumblr