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Star flower |
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Habitat:Illustrated on this page are some northern Ontario wildflowers that occur in the northern deciduous forest. The forest near the Sudbury area is a mix of trees typical of the boreal forest region and the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence forest region. Native trees in the Sudbury area include: black spruce, balsam fir, jack pine, red pine, white pine, tamarack, white birch, trembling aspen, maple, and oak along the transition to the Great Lakes - St. Lawrence forest region. Where deciduous trees predominate, soil on the forest floor is rich with leaf litter and organic material. Abundant sunlight in the spring supports many spring wildflowers. Once the trees leaf-out, the forest floor receives much less sunlight and most wildflowers wither away until the next spring. In some areas, there the soil is rich in clay. Rain water is absorbed and held by the organic-rich forest litter. Low-lying areas may contain standing water, especially if the soil is clay-rich. During the spring, sunlight reaching the forest floor quickly warms the soil. Summer temperatures are moderated by the leaf cover and the relatively high soil moisture. Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers: Deciduous forests are hosts to spring wildflowers that are ephemeral in nature. In early spring, the woodland floor bursts into a colourful array of many different wildflowers. These early spring wildflowers are called ephemerals, also known as "short-lived" wildflowers. The word ephemeral refers to the blossoms of spring wildflowers, not the plant itself. The flowers of the spring ephemerals begin to fall almost as soon as they bloom. Ephemerals in this area, such as hepatica, trillium, trout lily, and spring beauty, bloom before the leaves on the large trees form a canopy that blocks the Sunlight from reaching the forest floor. The spring ephemerals are the first wildflowers to bloom, get pollinated, and set their seed before the tree leaves block out the sunlight. Once the leaves on the trees block the sunlight, the leaves on the spring ephemeral wildflowers die back and little evidence remains of the welcoming spring burst of wildflower colour.
Click
here for more habitat information:
Plants that grow in the northern deciduous forest:
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Common Speedwell; also known as Common Gypsyweed; perennial. Family: Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) Flower: Blue or lavender; up to 0.5 cm wide; darker blue stripes funnel in towards the centre of the flower; occur on erect racemes. Leaves: Opposite; leaves up to 5 cm in length; elliptical, toothed with a very a short or no petiole. Stem:Trailing along the ground; flower raceme stands erect. Height: The hairy stem trails along the ground sometimes forming a dense mat. Habitat: Grows in damp, open woodlands and grassy areas; found along a forest path. Interest: The genus name Veronica comes from the term 'vera icon' meaning 'true image'. The name is thought to be derived from the early Christian Saint Veronica. Veronica gave Jesus Christ the towel he used to wipe his face while on his way to his execution. The image of Christ was said to be been retained on the towel. The towel is subject of several religious paintings. The 'officinalis' designation means that the plant was an 'official' historical medical plant.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, forest path to Misery Bay |
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Common speedwell plant.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, forest path to Misery Bay |
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Trout lily; also known as yellow snowdrop, yellow fawn-lily, Yellow adder's tongue lily and dog-tooth lily or violet; perennial. Family: Lily (Liliaceae) Flower: Yellow, nodding, 6 petals that are really 3 petals and 3 petal-like sepals, lance-shaped, spreading open; May. Leaves: Two broad brownish or purplish-blotched and mottled basal leaves; parallel veins; sterile plants have 1 leaf while fertile plants have 2 leaves. Stem: Flowering stem grows from a bulb. Height: 5 to 25 cm. Habitat: Grows in damp, open woodlands. Interest: Forms a colony of 1-leaved sterile shoots with no flowers and a few 2-leaved fertile plants with flowers. The mottled leaves resemble the skin pattern of a brook trout. The Trout Lily is pollinated by ants, and after a seed is planted, it takes up to seven years for a mature plant to grow and flower.
Location: Burwash |
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Trout lily flowers, open in mid-day sun.
Location: Burwash |
Trout lily flower.
Location: Trout
Lake Road |
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A carpet of Trout Lily consists most of one-leaved sterile plants and a few fertile, two-leaved flowering plants.
Location: Trout
Lake Road |
The appearance of trout lily and spring beauty wildflowers marks the beginning of the spring wildflower season.
Location: Burwash |
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Spring beauty; also known as Broad-leaved Spring Beauty, Carolina Cup Lichen, and Carolina Springbeauty; perennial. Family: Purslane (Portulacaceae) Flower: White or pink with deeper pink veins; 5 petals; April - May. Leaves: Opposite, 1 pair or two leaves below the flowers on stalk; 3-6 cm long, lance-shaped. Stem: Weak; supports the flower and single pair of leaves. Height: 3 to 10 cm. Habitat: Rich open woods, alluvial thickets, upland slopes, and forest edge. Prefers a damp soil and full sun. Requires a lime-free soil. Other: The variety C. Virginica has narrow leaves compared to the variety C. Caroliniana, which has much broader leaf-blades on distinct stalks. Interest: Spring Beauty an early spring wildflower. After it flowers, the entire plant disappears by early summer until the following spring. It grows from tiny tubers. The flowers close at night or during storms or during cloudy weather.
Location: Burwash |
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A patch of spring beauty wildflowers.
Location: Secord
Road, Sudbury |
Spring beauty cluster in full sun.
Location: Burwash |
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Round-lobed hepatica; also known as Round-lobed liverleaf; perennial. Family: Buttercup. Flower: White, pink, or lavender; 12-15 mm wide; 6 petal-like sepals and 3 bracts; April - May. Leaves: Basal leaves are 3-lobed, rounded, cut to near middle of leaf; generally form after flowers die. Stem: Several hairy stems; hairy; 5-15 cm tall; a single flower occurs at the top of the stem. Height: 5-15 cm. Habitat: Mixed forest. Interest: This early spring wildflower has no petals! The hepatica plant occurs with Spring Beauty and Goldthread. The flowers appear before the leaves appear. The hairy stems help keep the plant warm when the spring temperatures drop to freezing. The common name "liverleaf" refers to the liver-like shape of the leaf and perhaps also to the liver-like colour of the brown leaves that remain from the previous year.
Location: Paddy
Creek, Rantala Road, Sudbury |
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Round-lobed hepatica cluster in the shade. Hepatica is one of the early spring wildflowers that appears after winter in the cool spring.
Location: Paddy
Creek, Rantala Road, Sudbury |
Round-lobed hepatica cluster in the shade. In the Burwash area, Round-leaved hepatica appears to be more common in areas where conifer trees are more abundant. The blue-colour is not common. Note the fine hairs on the stems. The hairs help keep a layer of warm air close to the plant.
Location: Burwash |
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Large-flowered (white) trillium; also known as White Trillium, Snow Trillium, Showy Trillium, Grand Trillium, Large Flowered Trillium, Great Flowered Trillium; perennial. Flower: White; solitary, on an erect stalk, 5 to 10 cm across; 3 petals, oblong to lance-shaped, 3-5 cm long, wavy-edged; April to May. Leaves: Three in a whorl at top of stem; 7 to 15 cm long; ovate to diamond-shaped, pointed; net-veined. Stem: Flowering. Height: 20 to 40 cm. Habitat: Moist woods, usually deciduous forest. The plant tolerates acid, neutral and alkaline soils and it can grow in full shade, semi-shade, or in full sun. It requires moist soil. Interest: This is the floral emblem of the province of Ontario. This species is commonly cultivated for domestic gardens. The Latin names, florum, means "flowered" and grandiflorum means "large flowered". The whole plant dies down and disappears after flowering. Before you pick a flower, remember that it may take up to 5 years for the seed to germinate and the plant to flower.
Location: Burwash |
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Large-flowered (white) trillium cluster.
Location: Burwash |
Deciduous forest floor covered by trillium flowers.
Location: Trout
Lake Road, Sudbury |
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There are many colour variations in trillium petals reported caused by infections from micro-organisms. For example, Mycoplasma infect mainly populations of Trillium grandiflorum. These viruses or bacteria cause various green mutations in the petals. |
Trillium with fiddle head or ostrich fern in the early spring.
Location: Burwash |
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Nodding trillium; also known as Whippoorwill Flower, Nodding Wake-Robin; perennial. Family: Lily (Liliaceae) Flower: White, about 4 cm wide; single and nodding; 3 petals with tips bent slightly back; 3 sepals; pink anthers; May - June. Leaves: 3 at top of stem; simple; diamond-shaped to rounded; pointed tip. Stem: 1 or several unbranched stems. Height: 15-60 cm. Habitat: Moist, acid woods and swamps. Interest: The flowers of nodding trillium are easy to miss because they are hidden beneath the leaves. It prefers rich soils deposited by streams or in old-growth deciduous forests.
Location: Burwash |
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Close up of nodding trillium flower. Note pink anthers.
Location: Burwash |
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Family: Violet (Violaceae) Flower: Purple to blue; 5 unequal petals - 3 lower petals are bearded at base; solitary flower on stem. Leaves: Basal leaves are egg- to kidney-shaped, blunt at pointed tip; basal leaves are heart-shaped Stem: Flower stem is taller than leaves. Height: 5 to 25 cm. Habitat: Cool, shady site with a humus, moist soil, and tolerates shade. Interest: It is said that when violets appear in your dreams, fortune is not too long away. Also, folklore states that when violets bloom in the fall, they mean to warn us about imminent dangers. Napoleon was very fond of violets and he was sometimes known as Corporal Violet. When he was exiled on Elba, the violet became his symbol for his supporters. The supporters spread along the parade route when he returned to power in Paris, after escaping from Elba. Language of Flowers: Purple violet means "modesty", "Decency", or "you occupy my thoughts". The erect flower stem droops slightly , as if bending its head toward the ground. Perhaps that is why the flower is associated with modesty and decency.
Location: Burwash |
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Northern blue violet cluster.
Location: Burwash |
Northern blue violet cluster.
Location: Burwash |
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Family: Violet (Violaceae) Flower: White, <1 cm across; stands taller than leaves, fragrant; upper 2 petals are egg-shaped; lower 3 petals may have purple veins; May - June. Leaves: Nearly round or bluntly heart-shaped, 1-5 cm wide and long. Stem: Smooth with flower on top. Height: 2 to 10 cm. Habitat: In the Burwash area, this violet occurs in wet woods, clearings, and more open areas or disturbed areas. Interest: This is a delicate, little wildflower. The leaves and flowers of the Northern White violet are edible, delicious, and healthy. The leaves and flowers contain much more Vitamin C as an equal portion of oranges, plus significant amounts of Vitamin A. Some use the flowers to make jelly, to use in salads and on top of cakes for a beautiful garnish. The colored veins in the bottom petal look like a set of landing lights that lead insects toward the nectar in a spur at the back of the bottom petal. Language of Flowers: Means "modesty", "purity", and "innocence". Source
Location: Burwash |
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Northern white violet flowers. Note the red-purple veins.
Location: Burwash |
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Downy yellow violet (Viola pubescens); perennial. Flower: Yellow with purple veins near base; 5 unequal petals; 2 lateral petals are bearded; grow on hairy stalks from leaf axils; May-June. Stem: The flowers occur on stalks, rather than on basal leaves; soft hairs on the stem and rest of plant are distinctive. Leaves: Basal leaves single or absent, rounded to heart-shaped; opposite; stem leaves near top of stem, egg-shaped, pointed tip, 4-10 cm long; toothed; hairy beneath. Height: 10-45 cm. Habitat: Rich, moist slopes in wooded areas and moist hardwood forests. Interest: This is one of the early spring wildflowers. Violets are so successful in part because they have the ability to ballistically scatter their seeds over long distances. This happens when the three sides of each fruit dry, slowly squeeze shut, and shoot out the seeds over a period of an hour or more. The downy yellow violet scatters its seeds up to five meters away. Language of Flowers: Yellow violet means "modest worth" or "rural happiness". Source
Location: Burwash |
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Downy Yellow Violet flower detail.
Location: Burwash |
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Wild Lily-of-the-Valley, also known as Canada Mayflower, Bead Ruby, Canada Beadruby, False Lily-of-the-Valley, Wild Lily-of-the-Valley, Squirrel Berry (Finland), Two Leaf Solomon's Seal, Tow-leaved Solomon's Seal, Muguet or May lily; perennial; member of the Lily Family. Flower: White; 2 petals + 2 petal-like sepals; terminal clusters on stem; lacks scent; May-July. Leaves: Generally 2 leaves; alternate; egg-shaped; 2-10 cm long; have deep cleft at base and sheath the stem. Fruit: White with spots then turning pale red. See following photo. Stem: May have zig-zag shape, erect from creeping root-stalk. Height: 5-25 cm. Habitat: Forest of many types, including deciduous and coniferous, dry to moist, less frequently on open, sunny areas. Interest: The Latin name, Maianthemum, means "May blossom" - an appropriate name because the plant flowers in May. This is a very common plant found in deciduous, mixed, and coniferous boreal forests. In folklore, the root may have been used as a good luck charm. Native Americans are reported to have used the plant for headache and sore throats. Language of Flowers: The lily-of-the-valley means "Good luck" or "the return of happiness", typical of the spring appearance of this flower. Some cultures offer a sprig of lily-of-the-valley as a token of good luck.
Location: Paddy Creek |
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Cluster of Wild lily-of-the-valley plants.
Location:
Wanapitei River, Secord Road |
Red fruit of the lily-of-the-valley. These berries are poisonous.
Location: Paddy Creek |
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False solomon's seal; also known as Solomon's plume, False Spikenard, Golden Seal, Job's Tears, Treacle Berry, Wild Spikenard, Zigzag; perennial herb. Rabbits and deer love to eat this plant. False Solomon's Seal will survive a forest fire and grow quickly after the fire is out. Flower: Many small white flowers ; 3 mm long; 3 petals, 3 sepals; pyramidal cluster at tip of stem; strongly perfumed; May-July. Leaves: 7-15 cm long; alternate; elliptical; hairy beneath; parallel-veined. Stem: Arching and erect, up to 0.75 m tall. Fruit: Berry; green at first changing to ruby red. See following photos. Height: 30-90 cm. Habitat: This plant grows in rich woods, thickets, and moist clearings. Interest: The cluster of flowers at the end of the stalk distinguishes this plant from Solomon's Seal, which has flowers which hang along the underside of the stem. False Solomon's Seal forms a cluster of red fruit in late summer. The plant is said to have been used by early American settlers as a treatment for headaches and sore throats. The fruit is occasionally referred to as "scurvy berries", perhaps because the fruit was eaten to ward off scurvy.
Location:
Killarney Highway |
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False solomon's seal fruit.
Location:
Fairbanks Provincial Park |
False solomon's seal flower. |
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Rose-twisted stalk; also known as Rose Mandarin, Rose Twistedstalk; perennial. Family: Lily (Liliaceae) Flower: Rose coloured to whitish, bell-shaped, 1 cm long; 6 lodes (3 petals and 3 sepals); hang on the underside of the stem; May-June. Leaves: Alternate, simple, lance-shaped; 5-10 cm long, 2-3 cm wide, pointed, prominent parallel veins; slightly clasping at stem. Stem: Tall, erect from rootstalk, branching, zig-zag shape. Height: up to 0.5 m tall. Fruit: Red berries about 1 cm long; July. Habitat: Moist deciduous to mixed forests. Interest: Distinguished from Solomon's Seals and False Solomon's Seals by the alternate leaves on zig zag stem. Also the single flower distinguishes Rose-twisted Stalk from False Solomon's Seal. The name Streptopus comes from the Greek word streptos meaning "a twisted foot, easily bent or twisted" and roseus, from the Latin, "rose coloured".
Location: Burwash |
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Rose-twisted stalk clump in the dark forest.
Location:
Killarney Provincial Park, Cranberry Bog trail |
Rose twisted stalk fruit.
Location:
Killarney Provincial Park, Cranberry Bog trail |
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Smooth Solomon's Seal; also known as True Solomon's Seal, Drop Berry, Seal of the Blessed Virgin, Sealwort, Big John the Conjure, King Solomon's Seal; perennial. Family: Lily Flower: Greenish white, bell-shaped; 2 flowers hanging from leaf axils; 1-1.6 cm long; 6-lobed, 6 stamens. (May - June). Leaves: Lanceolate; 5-15 cm long; stalkless; untoothed; parallel-veined. The leaves are smooth on both sides, a characteristic which distinguishes P. biflorum from Hairy Solomon's Seal (P. pubescens), which has hairs underneath the leaf. Stem: Arching Fruit: Blue-black berry. (August - October). Height: 20 - 90 cm. Habitat: Dry to moist shaded deciduous woods. Interest: In the fall, the leaf stalk dies back and separates from the rhizome. A scar remains which is said to resemble the Seal of King Solomon, who reined as King of Israel from 961 - 931 BC. The seal is a hexagram consists of two overlapping triangles that create a six pointed star, commonly called the Star of David after King David, father of Solomon. It is reported that Solomon used the symbol to cast away demons and summon angels. The old stem scars on the root also resemble the seals once used to seal letters with wax.
Location: Burwash |
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Solomon's Seal fruit.
Location:
Killarney lighthouse area |
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Wild sarsaparilla; also known as American Sarsaparilla, Bamboo Brier, Shot Bush, Spikenard, Spreading Spikenard, Wild Liquorice; perennial. Family: Ginseng (Araliaceae) Flower: White in rounded clusters of greenish-white on top of leafless stem; rounded clusters are 3-5 cm wide; flowers have tiny petals; June. See next photo. Leaves: Single, long-stalked; 20-40 cm tall; rising above the flowers; 3 branching parts each with 3-5 ovate leaflets; red-brown to red-green colour. Fruit: purplish-black berries in clusters. See following photographs. Height: 20 - 40 cm. Habitat: Moist deciduous or mixed forest. The plant prefers light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils. It can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral, and basic soils. It can grow in full shade and semi-shade and it requires moist soil. Interest: This is the root-beer plant. The root is used as a flavouring and as a substitute for sarsaparilla. The root was used to make 'root beer' and can be made into a tea. It is reported that the roots were also used by the First Nation peoples when they were hunting since it is very sustaining. |
Wild sarsaparilla leaves.
Location: Burwash |
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Wild sarsaparilla flowers.
Location: Burwash |
Wild sarsaparilla fruit. |
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Wild sarsaparilla plant. Note three rounded clusters of flower clusters.
Location: Burwash |
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Bristly Sarsaparilla; also known as Dwarf elder, Wild elder, Aralia, Bristle-stem Sarsaparilla. Native perennial. Family: Ginseng (Araliaceae) Flower: Greenish white, small, numerous, in 2-10 rounded terminal clusters on slender stalks (July-August). Leaves: Alternate, short-stalked; three sections, each with 3-5 leaflets; oblong- to egg-shaped; 2-5 cm long; margins toothed. Stem: Bristly and branched. Fruit: Dark-purple, rounded berries. Height: 20-90 cm. Habitat: Dry open to semi-open areas in rocky or sandy or sterile soils, often in extremely disturbed situations, such as clearings, rocky woods, tops of cliffs, sand dunes, recently-burned areas, even freshly bulldozed areas. Interest: The scented flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning the plants have both male and female organs and are pollinated by Insects. Location: Burwash |
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Bristly Sarsaparilla flower.
Location:
Killarney Highway 637 |
Bristly Sarsaparilla black fruit.
Location:
Killarney lighthouse |
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Flower: White, star-shaped; 10-12 mm across; 5-7 petals; 7 stamens; 1-3 flowers on stalk rising from centre of leaf whorl; May-July. Leaves: 5-10 in single terminal whorl; simple, lance-shaped, tapering to point; 4-10 cm long. Height: 10 - 20 cm. Habitat: Woodland, usually deciduous or mixed forest in open shade. Starflower grows in dry or moist sites in sandy, acid soil. Interest: Starflower is one of the few flowers that has seven petals. Two delicate, star-shaped white flowers open above a whorl of green leaves on each plant. So long as the weather does not get too warm, Starflowers will bloom for a couple of weeks.
Location: Burwash |
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Cluster of starflower plants growing on a coniferous forest floor.
Location: Paddy Creek |
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Location: Burwash |
Blue bead lily or Clintonia; also known as Clintonia, Clinton's Lily, Corn Lily, Cow's Tongue, Yellow Beadlily, Yellow Bluebeadlily, Snakeberry, Dogberry, Straw Lily. Cow Tongue; perennial. Flower: Greenish-yellow; bell-shaped; 3 petals and 3 sepals; loose clusters of 2-8 flowers on tip of single stalk; nodding; May-July. Leaves: Basal, 2-4 leaves, but most commonly 3 leaves; simple, large basal leaves; oblong or tongue-shaped, pointed tip, clasping at base, shiny; parallel veins; up to 30 cm long, 4-9 cm wide, dark green, thick, leathery. Stem: Leafless stalk with 2 to 8 flowers or berries at top; up to 30 cm tall. Height: up to 40 cm. Fruit: Bead-like, dark blue berries in cluster; 8-10 mm in diameter; July-August. Habitat: Open shade in mixed or coniferous forest, rich woodlands, cool moist sites. Interest: The sky-blue berries of the Blue bead lily are poisonous, so please ensure your children know the difference between these berries and wild blue berries. It is said that some hunters rub their traps with the roots of Clintonia because bears are attracted to the odor. |
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Flowers of the blue bead or Clintonia.
Location: Burwash |
Blue bead lily fruit.
Location: Paddy Creek |
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Foamflower; also known as Allegheny Foamflower and False Mitrewort; perennial evergreen plant; member of the Saxifrage Family. Family: Saxifrage (Saxifragaceae) Flower: White; 5 petals; 5 mm wide; lance-shaped; on terminal clusters on spike. (May - June) Leaves: Basal are heart-shaped to maple leaf-shaped; 3-5 lobes; 5-10 cm long; rounded teeth on margins. Stem: Flower spike is 10-20 cm tall. Height: 15-30 cm. Habitat: Commonly found in wet hollows and mossy places in deciduous and mixed woods. Interest: Foamflower grows much like the wild strawberry plant by sending out underground stolons (instead of runners), which root and form new plants. The plant name comes from the Greek word tiara, meaning small crown, that refers to the fruit's shape. The plant has a high tannin content making it a natural astringent. Native Americans made leaf tea to cure mouth sores and eye ailments. Root tea was used to treat diarrhea, as well as made into a poultice for topical wounds. Please do not sample wildflowers unless you are absolutely certain what you are eating.
Location: Burwash |
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Detail of Foamflower flower.
Location: Sudbury |
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Wild cucumber root; perennial; also known as Cucumber Root, Indian Cucumber, Indian Cucumber-root, Indian Cucumberroot. Family: Lily (Liliaceae) Flower: Yellow-green; several nodding flowers from centre of a whorl of 3 leaves at top of unbranched stem; 1.3 cm long; 3 curved petals and 3 sepals; 6 reddish stamens; June - July. Leaves: In 2 whorls; those atop stem are 2.5-7.5 cm long; second whorl midway down stem of 6-10 leaves 6-12 cm long; all lance-shaped. Stalk: Single, up to 30 cm tall, unbranched. Fruit: Dark bluish-purple berry. Height: 30-75 cm. Habitat: Open, mixed forest. Interest: This is a double-decker plant. Flowering plants have two tiers of leaves, with the flowers arising from the second tier. Plants that aren't blooming in a given year have only the lower tier of leaves. Indian Cucumber Root is a member of the lily family. First Nation people use/used the roots for food. The root is reported to taste and smell like a cucumber; however, the root does not resemble a cucumber. It is reported that First Nation people placed chewed root on their hooks to get fish to bite. The Latin name, Medeola, is named for Medea, the enchantress, whom Jason sole away from Colchis in his famous ship - the Argo. |
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Indian cucumber root flower.
Location: Burwash |
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Click here (George Barron's website on Fungi) to read an excellent and expert summary about the life of Ghost pipe. |
Ghost Pipe (formerly Indian pipe); perennial; also known as American Iceplant, Bird's nest, Broomrape, Convulsion root, Convulsion weed, Corpse plant, Death plant, Fairy smoke, Ghost flower, Iceplant, One-flowered waxplant, Ova ova, Pipe plant, and Waxplant. Family: Wintergreen family (Pyrolaceae) Flower: White, single, nodding and hang down; flower faces upward when it produces seed; 1-2.5 cm long; 4-5 petals; 10-12 stamens; 1 pistil; turns black as fruit ripens; June-September. Stem: White, translucent, fleshy, covered with scaly bracts; bears one flower. Leaves: Scales. Height: 7-22 cm. Habitat: Woodland rich in humus. May be deciduous, mixed, or coniferous forest. Look under dead leaves or coniferous needles. Interest: This is a white, waxy, parasitic plant. Because It also has no chlorophyll, so it does not have the green colour that we associate with living plants. The Ghost pipe derives some water and nutrients from root fungi that area already in a mycorrhizal association with forest plants and trees. The Ghost pipe establishes its own mycorrhizal association with the root fungi. The Ghost pipe thus indirectly derives some sugars from the trees, delivered through the root fungi. Until the seeds have formed, the flower droops on a stem resembling a peace pipe. Once the seeds have formed, the plant raises the flower head. The plant turns black as the fruit ripens or when picked. Folklore: In some folklore, it is said that Ghost Pipe has the power to help healing after loss of a loved one.
Location: Burwash
coniferous swamp |
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Twinflower; also known as American Twinflower; Longtube Twinflower; low evergreen shrub. Family: Honeysuckle (Caprifoliaceae) Twinflower is unmistakable when in bloom because of its twin flowers, the small round leaves, and ground hugging growth habit. Twinflower is easily killed by a forest fire. Flower: Pinkish-white, bell-shaped with a delicate scent of vanilla; 5 lobes, nodding, usually in pairs on 3-10 cm long Y-shaped stalk; June - July. Leaves: Opposite, simple, oval or rounded, blunt-toothed at tip; 1-2 cm long; margins slightly rolled under; bristle hairs on surface (see following image). Stem: Creeping or trailing, 2 m or more long; older stems are woody; young branchlets are green to reddish-brown. Height: Less 10 cm tall. Habitat: Twinflower prefers open shade, dry or moist sites in pine woods and sandy, acid soil. The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) or semi-shade (light woodland). Interest: The epithet borealis means “of the north”, reflecting the distribution of the plant in boreal forests of the northern hemisphere. The genus name, Linnaea refers to the scientist Carolus Linnaeus, who some consider to be the “Father of Modern Taxonomy”. It is an evergreen perennial creeper. The flowers are hermaphrodite, meaning they have both male and female organs and are pollinated by Insects.
Location: Burwash |
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Twinflower leaves. Note that the leaves occur along a creeping stem that forms mats on the forest floor. Hairs occur on the surface of the leaves.
Location: Burwash |
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Pipsissewa, also known as Prince's Pine, Bitter Wintergreen, Gagigebug (Ojibwe, "everlasting leaf"), Ground Holly, Love-In-Winter, Pine Tulip, Rheumatism Weed, and Waxflower; perennial shrub. Family: Heath Family or Shinleaf family (Pyrolaceae) Flower: White or pinkish, waxy flower; 15 mm wide; 5 petals, 10 stamens; ring of reddish anthers; nodding at top of stem; July-August. Leaves: Dark, evergreen, shiny, no white markings; toothed; 2-7 cm long; lanceolate; in 2 or 3 layers; radiate in whorls around stem; leaves are ever-green, even during the winter. See following photo. Stem: Erect from creeping root-stock. Height: up to 20 cm. Habitat: Mixed forests, almost always near coniferous trees. Other: Similar to Spotted wintergreen or striped wintergreen, except that Pipsissewa lacks white and green mottled leaves of spotted wintergreen. The name Chimaphila means "winter-loving", referring to the evergreen leaves. Pipsissewa was used for medicinal purposes. The name Pipsissewa comes from the Cree word, pipsisikweu, meaning "it breaks into small pieces", a reference to its use for the treatment of gall and kidney stones. Extracts from the leaves were used to make the root beer drink.
Location: Burwash |
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Pipsissewa flower cluster.
Location: Burwash |
Waxy or "wet-glossy" Pipsissewa leaves. |
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This photograph illustrates the plant just before its flowers opened. |
Shinleaf; also known as Waxflower Shinleaf or White Wintergreen; perennial evergreen. Family: Wintergreen family (Pyrolaceae) Flower: Greenish-white, waxy, fragrant; may have green veins; 15 mm wide; yellow antlers; 5 petals; 10 stamens; 1 pistil that protrudes and is curved; occur on an elongated cluster on a stalk that rises above basal leaves; June-August. Stem: Extends from the basal leaves; reddish colour. Leaves: Up to 7 cm long; olive-green; elliptical or oblong shape with rounded end. Height: 10 - 25 cm Habitat: Shinleaf prefers cool, shady sites with a humus, moist acid and neutral soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland), semi-shade (light woodland), or in full sun. It does require moist soil. Interest: Shinleaf is a common species of Pyrola. Like other members of the Wintergreen Family, Shinleaf leaves contain a drug similar to aspirin; leaves have been used as a plaster on bruised limbs to reduce pain - hence the name. Compare with the Lesser Pyrola. The name "Shinleaf" is derived from the early use of the leaves to make plasters for injured shins.
Location: Burwash |
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Shinleaf plant with flower.
Location: Burwash |
Shinleaf flower.
Location: Burwash |
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Flower: White, July-October. Stem: Zig-zag shape, downy; may be reddish at the base. Leaves: Large, narrow-base, sharp-toothed leaves appear whorled along the stem. Height: 20 - 50 cm Other: Not common in the Sudbury area. This photograph was taken in the Laurentian Mountains, north of Montreal.
Location: Ste.
Adolph de Howard, Quebec |
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Whorled Wood Aster flower head.
Location: Ste.
Adolph de Howard, Quebec |
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Flower: White; 1 cm wide; 5 petals; terminal clusters or in leaf axils; May - June. Stem: Slender, soft, hairy stem with erect branches and long trailing shoots. Leaves: Alternate, compound; 3 leaflets; egg-shape |
