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Habitat:Illustrated on this page are some northern Ontario wildflowers that occur on the limestone pavements, or alvar, and the adjacent dunes located on Manitoulin Island. Alvars have the following characteristics that are challenging for many plants:
Alvars are formed, and are maintained, by local geological history, groundwater and related landscape processes. The plant community is generally dominated by mosses and herbaceous flowering plants, with some scattered small shrubs. Rain water quickly runs off the flat rock surface. However, ground water is close to the surface because the lake level occurs within a few meters of the pavement surface. Plants have to root in cracks in the rock or in the very shallow soil. The soil is also limey because the alvar forms on limestone or dolomite rock. Along the south shore of Manitoulin Island, lake ice during the winter scrapes along the shore, cleaning off exposed soil and plants. Therefore, there is commonly a zone devoid of plants within several meters of the shoreline. From a plant perspective, alvars support a distinctive community of plants because of the challenging growing conditions. The absence of tall shrubs and trees means that wildflowers in this habitat are exposed to full sun and wind. Alvars are subdivided into four types:
Click
here for more habitat information:
Wild flower List:
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Brook lobelia or Kalm's Lobelia; perennial; also known as Kalm's Lobelia. Flower: Blue, with white centre; attached to stem by a long stalk; summer to late summer. Leaves: Upper leaves are linear; basal leaves are spatulate; Up to 1 cm long; not commonly toothed. Stem: Slender and branching. Height: 10 to 30 cm. Habitat: Brook lobelia is a wetland species found on alvars, fens, boggy meadows and pastures, and wet rock ledges by waterfalls or lakes. Language of Flowers: Lobelia means "malevolence". Source
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Field Chickweed; perennial; also known as Starry Grasswort, Meadow Chickweed, Field Chickweed, Starry Chickweed, Field Mouse-ear Chickweed. Family: Pink (Caryophyllaceae) Flower: White; 5 petals that are deeply notched; inflorescence consists of about 5 flowers on the tip of the flowering stem; center of flower is yellow-green in colour with distinctive white stamens; petals streaked with green at their bases; flower is about 1 cm wide; May - July. Stem: Numerous flowering stems; minutely hairy. Leaves: Linear and narrow with one central vein; opposite; 1-3 cm long; thin, with smooth outer margins; sessile to stem. Height: up to 20 cm. Habitat: Rocky or sandy places, especially in limy soil found on Alvars, inland prairies and grasslands, and in subalpine and alpine habitats. General Interest: Forms loose mats with numerous flowering stems. "Cerastium", from the Greek keras, meaning "horn", which refers to the capsule that is tapered and bent slightly like a cow's horn. Native and circumpolar.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay |
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Field Chickweed plants growing on an open alvar field. The background white coloured plants are Field Chickweed.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Burnt Island |
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Harebell; perennial; also known as Bluebells of Scotland. Family: Bluebell A graceful, and fragile-looking wildflower that grows is some hostile and exposed areas. Flower: Blue to purple, bell-shaped; 2 cm long; 5-petals that flare outward; the flower heads nod from branch tips; its colour is one of the brightest and purest of blue colours; June - September. Leaves: Stem leaves about 7 cm long, numerous, narrow and linear; small roundish basal leaves that wither early and are usually absent. Height: 15 to 45 cm. Habitat: Waste and rock areas near waterfalls, slopes, meadows, and shores. General Interest: This is a tenacious plant that grows in very hostile habitats. Harebell grows in cracks in the rocky shore along lakes and Georgian Bay, where it is exposed to wind and ice and where soil is virtually absent. Harebell is native to the northern areas of Canada, Europe, and Asia. If the plant is not pollinated by insects, harebell is able to pollinate itself. Language of Flowers: Means "grief", retirement", "gratitude", or "submission". Source
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Close up of harebell flower.
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Cylindrical Blazing Star; native perennial; also known as slender blazing star, Ontario blazing star, cylindrical blazing star, barrelhead gayfeather, few-headed blazing-star. Family: Aster (Asteraceae) Flower: Purple to pink; compound; on a short spike; at top of the stem; showy; each compound flower consists of about 15-25 tubular flowers that are crowded together into a head that is about 2-3 cm across; each flower has 5 small lobes that curl outward; a divided white or pinkish style protrudes from the center; no floral scent; July - September. Leaves: Basal leaves in a rosette, petiolate. Entire leaf up to 40cm long; up to 25 cm long and 1 cm across, becoming smaller and fewer up the stem; alternate around the stem. Stem: Single or multiple from base, from a corm; erect; herbaceous; simple or branching at the apex. Height: Up to 1m, but generally less than 50 cm. Habitat: Dry woodlands, prairies, fields and meadows; on Manitoulin, it occurs in alvar lands or limey meadows.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Murphy Point |
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Compound flower head of cylindrical blazing star.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Murphy Point |
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Downy Arrow-wood; also known as Downy Arrowwood, Arrow-wood. Family: Caprifoliaceae (Honeysuckle) Flower: White or creamy white; upright terminal clusters; numerous, small, flowers; late May and June. Leaves: Opposite; very short petioles; elliptical to ovate; 4-8 cm long and 3-5 cm wide; toothed; dark green on upper surface; hairy on under side. In fall, the leaves take on a rose to maroon colour. Fruit: Dark blue-black or black; clusters at ends of branches; about 10 mm long; contains a flat stone; July to September. Stem: Spreading, but straight stems. Height: up to 2 m tall. Habit: An understory shrub in the western Boreal forest; grows on dry calcareous soils of open Alvar areas on Manitoulin Island. Interest: Erect or spreading deciduous shrub with pale gray twigs. The buds have two pairs of scales. Tolerates drought and is used as an ornamental shrub for landscaping. Name derivation: Viburnum: classical Latin name, meaning obscure. Rafinesquianum: after Constantine Samuel Rafinesque (1783-1840), who was a naturalist and author of many new plant names. |
Location: Goat
Island alvar |
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Downy Arrow-wood flowers.
Location: Gore Bay
airport, Manitoulin Island |
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Early Buttercup; native perennial; also known as Thick-root Buttercup Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) Flower: Yellow; single flower; on end of stalks that are up to 20 cm long; erect; 5 petals; about 1 cm across; shiny above and pale below; many stamens; 5 spreading sepals; 2 cm across; May-June. Leaves: Leaves of the basal rosette have a long stalk or petiole (up to 15 cm long); mostly basal and deeply lobed; leaf segments rounded. Stem: Leaves and flowering stalks originate from basal cluster. Height: Up to 25 cm. Habitat: Prefers calcareous soils of prairies, pastures, dry, open woods, calcareous rock outcrops, alvars, and calcareous savanna. Interest: Ranunculus: from Latin rana, "little frog," because many species tend to grow in moist places and fascicularis meaning "of bundles".
Location:
Manitoulin - Burnt Island |
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Early Buttercup flower and leaf.
Location:
Manitoulin - Burnt Island |
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Iceland Yellow Cress; also known as American watercress, Mountain watercress, Common watercress, Yellow watercress, Marsh cress, Northern marsh yellowcress, Great yellowcress; Annual, biannual or short-lived perennial native. Family: Mustard (Cruciferae) Flower: Yellow; 1-3.5 mm long; sepals often yellowish or purplish; Late May to frost. Leaves: Basal and lower stem leaves oblong 6-20 cm long, 0.5-4 cm wide, short-stalked to unstalked, irregularly saw-toothed, incised, deeply lobed, may be hairy. Stems: Branched and spreads out. Height: Up to 1 m. Habitat: Wet meadows, boggy areas, and on beach or dune sands; circumboreal and occurs throughout North America.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay Language of Flowers: Cress means "stability, power, reliability". Source |
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Iceland Yellow Cress plant growing on the flats between the sand dunes.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Location:
Manitoulin Island, south shore |
Ohio goldenrod; perennial herb. Family: Aster (Compositae or Asteraceae) Flower: Yellow; large umbrella-shaped head with hundreds of tiny yellow flowers; flat-topped; June to October. Leaves: Flat, not triple-nerved; long, erect, upward-pointing. Stems: Erect. Height: 40 0 90 cm. Habitat: Characteristic of calcareous fens and common in moist areas, such as Alvars, beaches, ditches, moist meadows. Interest: Can be confused with Riddell's goldenrod (Solidago Riddellii), which occurs in similar habitats; however, S. Riddellii has leaves that are are sickle-shaped, folded, and triple-nerved, and its inflorescence is hairy. Solidago comes from the Latin word solido meaning "to strengthen; to make solid". Ohioensis is the Latin word meaning "of Ohio".
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Ohio goldenrod plant growing in the alvar habitat.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, south shore |
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Silverweed; also known as Crampweed, Five fingered grass, Five-leaf grass, Five-leaf, Five-fingers, Five-Finger Blossom, Goosegrass, Goose tansy, Moor grass, Rough-fruited Silverweed, Silver cinquefoil, Potentilla. Family: Rose (Rosaceae) Flower: Yellow, 5 petals, present on runners and stalks. Leaves: 5-parted radial leaves; the underside of the leaf is covered with silver-coloured fine hairs. Stems: Prostrate stems, rooting at nodes. Height: Hugs ground. Habitat: Common on moist areas, such as Alvars, beaches, ditches, moist meadows. Interest: The presence of the silver-coloured hairs on the underside of the leaf gives the plant its name "silverweed". The plant spreads by red-coloured runners above ground to form large patches of plants. Language of Flowers: Means "beloved child", "a beloved daughter", or "maternal affection". Source |
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Silverweed leaves. Note the "silver" colour that helps to reflect the Sunlight.
Location:
Misery Bay west, Manitoulin Island |
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Flower: Purple. Leaves: Arrowhead-shaped stipules embrace leafstalks; oval leaflets, paired or alternate; June - August. Stems: Nothing distinctive. Height: Up to 0.6 m or spreads along ground.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Beach pea flower.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Flower: Blue to purple; branching pencil-like spikes of small, 5-petaled flowers; individual flowers are inconspicuous, but flower spikes are showy; only a few bloom at a time advancing toward the pointed tip; July to September. Leaves: Lower may be 3-lobed; opposite, narrow, toothed. Stem: Grooved, 4-sided. Height: up to 0.5 m. Habitat: Roadsides, fence lines, low river banks, beaver dams, and lake sides. Interest: Verbena is an ancient name for a scared plant. The name vervain is supposed to signify "enchantment".
Location: Burwash |
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Blue vervain flower close up. Note the flower opens from the bottom up along the flower stem. Language of Flowers: Vervain means "enchantment". Source
Location: Kingston |
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Location: West
Belanger Bay, Manitoulin Island |
Bluet; low-growing perennial; also known as Canada summer bluet, Canada bluets, Fringed houstonia. Family: Madder (Rubiaceae) Flower: Purple to white; tubular; +/-3 flowers on terminating stems; May - July Leaves: Opposite; basal leaves have petioles up to 1 cm long; oblong to lanceolate and tapering at base; reddish below, green above; opposing leaves joined at base. Stem: Multiple stems; simple or branching; 4-sided; glabrous and reddish. Height: Up to 15 cm. Habitat: Occurs on rocky or gravelly alvar areas where it is exposed to full sun or partial shade. Other: Different from H. longifolia in that the petal-like lobes are more than half as long as the tubular part of the flower, they have basal leaves that are fringed with fine hairs. Houstonia longifolia’s petal-like lobes are about half as long as the tubular part of the flower and does not usually have basal leaves when the flowers are in full bloom. Note: Some authors include this variety in Houstonia longifolia. This plant was once classified in the Hedyotis genus, but is now generally found listed as Houstonia.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, south shore |
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Boneset plant; perennial; also known as Common Thoroughwort, Agueweed, Bonesset, Common Boneset, Eupatoire Perfoliee, Eupatorio, Feverwort, Hempweed, Indian Sage, Sweating Plant, Tse Lan, Wasserdost, Waterdost, Eupatorium perfoliatum. Family: Aster (Asteraceae) Flower: Dense, terminal compound heads of flat-topped clusters of dull-white flowers; 10-16 florets; July-October. See photo below. Leaves: Wrinkled; 10-20 cm long; pointed and tapering; stalkless; opposite, finely toothed, lanceolate, unite at base to completely surround the stem; rough above and downy beneath; dark green and shiny on top. Stem: Hairy, cylindrical. Height: 60-120 cm. Habitat: Wet meadows, along streams, in marshes and swamps, and alvars. Other: Native to Mexico and West Indies that has become naturalized in North America. It is thought that the name "Boneset" was derived from the observation that the stem appeared to be growing through the leaves. Therefore, it was thought that the plant was useful for setting bones. In folklore, leaves were wrapped within the bandages used to splinting a broken limb.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, south shore |
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Boneset flower White; numerous small fuzzy heads in rounded, flat-toped clusters. Folklore: Early herb doctors suggested the leaves should be wrapped with bandages to help set broken bones or as a cough and fever remedy for the affects of the flue called "break-bone fevers". Early settlers to North America used boneset extensively. Recent studies indicate that boneset does not have helpful medicinal qualities and may in fact cause kidney and liver damage.
Location: Burwash |
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Shrubby Cinquefoil (Shrubby Potentilla); botanical name for a group of hardy perennials and shrubs; is the only shrubby species among the cinquefoils. Flower: Yellow; saucer-shaped; June to September. Leaves: Smooth-edged; compound with 3 - 7 leaflets, but generally 5, hence the name "cinquefoil"; Stem: Woody shrub; the bark is reddish-brown and shreds easily. Height: up to 1 m. Habitat: Hot and dry locations or moist partial shade areas, such as alvars, open fields, edges of rivers, and rocky areas. Interest: "Potentilla" means potent. Historically, the entire plant can be gathered as medicine to reduce inflammation of gums and tonsils, the tannin was used in the tanning of leathers, and the plant was used to stop the flow of blood when applied directly to open cuts; also used as a fever-reducing agent. The leaves have been used to make tea. Potentilla is a popular "home gardener" shrub because it is easy to grow, showy, is low maintenance and is tolerates dry conditions.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, south shore |
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Wood lily, also known as Wild Orange Lily; perennial. Family: Lily Flower: Red to orange; base of petals is more orange-coloured and dotted with black spots; upward-opening; purplish-brown spots; 5 cm wide; 3 petals and 3 sepals; spaces between stalks at base of petals and sepals; 6 stamens; no scent; June - August. Stem: Erect; has whorled leaves. Leaves: Up to 10 cm long; lanceolate; in whorls of 3 to 8. Height: up to 90 cm. Habitat: Found in the wooded areas close to the transition zone between the forest and adjacent open area. Interest: The wood lily is the floral emblem of Saskatchewan. There are actually 3 petals and 3 sepals on the flower, even though it appears to have 6 petals.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Wood lily flower.
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Balsam Ragwort; native perennial; also known as Balsam Groundsel, northern meadow groundsel, northern ragwort. Family: Aster (Asteraceae) Flower: Yellow; daisy-like flower heads in flat-topped clusters; 2.5 cm wide; 8-12 ray flowers and central disk flowers; June-July. Leaves: Basal leaves 1-15 cm long, oblong to lance-shaped; upper stem leaves 2-9 cm long and lobed; alternate; stem leaves are clasping and lobed. Stem: Erect, branched, usually furrowed. Height: 30-60 cm. Habitat: In cracks in limestone pavement alvar adjacent to Lake Huron and in open woodlands.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay. |
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Balsam ragwort basal leaves.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay |
Balsam ragwort flower
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay |
Bearberry; also known as Bears' Grape, Mountain Box, and Kinnikinick; low trailing shrub. Flower:White or pink in terminal clusters; bell-shaped; drooping; 5 fused petals; 5 mm long; May-July. Leaves: Evergreen; 1-4 cm long; smooth, leathery, thick; green on both sides; rounded tip; 1 - 4 cm long. Stem: Woody stems that lie on the ground; has many branches covered with dark flaky bark; forms large mats. Fruit: Dull red berry that is edible, but that are dry and mealy. Habitat: Grows on a range of soils, including coniferous forest with a rocky or sandy soil and on rocky areas and old beach transitions areas related to alvars on Manitoulin Island. Interest: A wash of bearberry leaves is a folk remedy to stop the spread of poison-ivy rash. A wash of bearberry leaves is a folk remedy to stop the spread of poison-ivy rash. The leaves were also used as a tobacco substitute. A yellow dye can be made from the leaves of Bearberry. The Latin name means "bear-cluster, the grape of a bear". |
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Bearberry fruit.
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Bird's-eye Primrose; perennial native; Also known as Lake Mistassini primrose, Canadian primrose, Dwarf Canadian primrose, Bird's Eye primrose, Canada Cowslip, Oxlip. Family: Primrose (Primulaceae) Flower: Tubular; light lilac to pink-coloured; yellow centres; 5 notched petals; 1-2 cm in diameter; May - August. Leaves: Oblanceolate to spatulate; some coarse teeth; small; grow in a basal rosette about 1 to 3 cm in diameter; green on both sides, shortstalked. or sessile, and toothed. Stem: Long; leafless and topped with flower cluster. Height: Up to 10 cm. Habitat: Marshes and bogs; wet, calcareous ledges, rocks, shores and slopes commonly found on alvars; argillaceous rocks. Interest: This is one of the early spring-blooming plants. Primula mistassinica is named for Lake Mistassini, a large lake in Québec, where the plant was first discovered.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Michael's Bay |
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Flower: Yellow; starlike; 5 petals on top of stalk; June-July. Leaves: Tiny flat fleshy leaves; succulent. Stem: Branched. Height: 2-5 cm. Other: Alien; found also on rocky beaches. It is possible that this plant escaped from cultivation. Interest: Cacti, including sedum, have an interesting way to conserve water during the very hot, dry, desert weather typical of their environment. These plants only open their stomates during the cool of the night. However, this means the plants do not get CO2 from the atmosphere that is needed by the plant to create sugars, by a photosynthesis reaction that takes place during the daytime. The adaptation goes like this: at night, the plants open their stomates and take in CO2; that CO2 is stored in various organic compounds; during the daytime, when the light-based photosynthesis takes place, but the stomates are closed, the plants take the CO2 from the organic compounds.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Mossy Stonecrop flower Language of Flowers: Stonecrop means "tranquility". Source
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Rock Sandwort; native; annual or short-lived perennial; also known as Texas Sandwort, Stiff Sandwort, Michaux's stitchwort. Family: Pink (Caryophyllaceae) Flower: White; 0.5 cm across maximum; five-petals and 5 sepals that are shorter than the petals; petals rounded or slightly notched; June - early July. Leaves: Opposite, needlelike; arranged in whorls about the stem; tufts of shorter leaves in axis; often matted mass or clump. Stem: Mass of numerous, moos-like, fine, thread-like stems; up to 3 flower heads on a stem. Height: Up 20 cm. Habitat: Found on rocky soils or limestone pavement or alvar in this area; full sun; adapted to calcareous soil. General Interest: This species grows well in a limestone rock garden, but it is difficult to transplant. In addition, the plant is easily overgrown by woody species through succession, destroyed by trampling; and intolerant of soil compaction. Reference: see Morton et al. (2000).
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay. |
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Rock sandwort leaves. Note whorl of grass-like leaves around stem.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay.
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Rock sandwort plant. Note moss-like appearance.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay. |
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Sand Cherry; native perennial shrub; Also known as Beach plum, Dwarf American Cherry, Great Lakes sand cherry. Family: Rosaceae (Rose) Flower: White; 5 petals; clusters of 2-4 flowers occur in leaf axils; 25-30 stamens; June. Leaves: Alternate; narrow (10 to 18 mm wide) oblanceolate; dark green; 4-7 cm long; entire to finely toothed; lustrous on top surface and pale on lower surface. Stem: Twigs are red but become gray with age. Height: Up to 0.5 m high and 1 m. spread; prostrate growth. Fruit: Turn a deep blackish purple; larger than choke cherry fruit; favourite fruit for wildlife; the fruit are edible; June-July. Habitat: The Great Lakes sandcherry is often found on well drained glacial sand plains or sand dunes bordering larges bodies of water, on alvars, along gravel bars or shorelines, on cliff faces, rocky slopes, and on calcareous. Interest: Sandcherry has an important role of stabilizing the sand dune.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
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Sandcherry fruit.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay |
Sandcherry shrub illustrating a prostrate form, growing close to the surface of limestone pavement. Note that the shrub is rooted in a karst crack in the limestone.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay west
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Shrubby St. Johnswort; spreading deciduous shrub; native to North America. Flower: Yellow; 2-3 cm wide; 5 petals, 5 sepals, numerous stamens; the large fluffy stamens at the centre of the flower are diagnostic; July - August. Leaves: 5 cm long; opposite, linear to oblong; clusters of tiny leaves present in axils of larger leaves. Stem: Branching. Height: Up to 1 m. Habitat: Found on rocky soils or limestone pavement in this area. General Interest: Shrubby St. Johnswort is one of the few plants that will grow under the Black Walnut tree. It does well in dry soils and in full sun. Hypericum is a Latin modification of a Greek name for a European species of the genus. Prolificum means "abundant in number".
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Shrubby St. Johnswort leaves. Note the tiny leaves in the axils of the larger leaves.
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Family: Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) Flower: Deep pink; clustered at top of stem; flowers 6 mm wide; 5 recurved petals and elevated central crown; June - August. Leaves: Opposite; up to 10 cm long. Stem: Tall, up to 1.2 m; branching, crowned by flower clusters. Fruit: Elongated pod up to 10 cm long, but are slender and tapered at both ends; opens along one side. Height: 30 to 120 cm. Habitat: Wet areas such as ended of lakes, swamps, alvars. Distinctive: Flower form is distinctive of milkweeds. Juice is less milky compared to other milkweeds. Language of Flowers: Milkweed means "hope in misery". Source
Location: Great La
Cloche Island |
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Swamp milkweed flower.
Location: Great La
Cloche Island |
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Family: Mint (Lamiaceae) Native perennial. Flower: White; 2-lipped; in tiny clusters on stems near leaf axils; July - September. Leaves: Deeply cut, oak-like lodes on lower leaves; opposite, lance-shaped, upper leaves sharply serrated. Stem: Slender and hairy; sparingly branched; square in cross section. Height: up to 30 cm. Habitat: Along the edges of ponds and lakes, wet roadside ditches, along streams, low woods, and wet meadows. Distinctive: Square stem; flowers in leaf axils; no mint smell, deeply lobed leaves. Interest: Water horehound is a member of the mint family; however, it does not have aromatic leaves typical of wild mint. The large, rounded teeth on the leaves distinguish Water Horehound from other species of the Mint family.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay. |
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Close up of distinctive, deeply lobed leaves and white flowers of cut-leaved water horehound.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Providence Bay. |
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Family: Gentian (Gentianaceae) Flower: Blue, single; fringed; up to 4 cm long; tubular; 5 petals; at end of stem; long stalks; July - September. Leaves: Opposite; 2-5 cm long; ovate to lanceolate, rounded at base, pointed tip. Stem: Erect, branched, flower at tip of stem and branches; up to 60 cm tall. Height: 30 - 90 cm. Habitat: Wet areas, damp woodlands, meadows, rocky areas beside lakes or rivers. Distinctive: The fringed flower petals and the blue colour are distinctive. It is a biennial. Interest: The fringed gentian flower opens in the sun and closes at night. This wildflower is becoming rare. Please do not pick. Fringed Gentian is commonly found, or has a tolerance for, damp, sunny meadows associated with magnesium rich rock, such as amphibolite, serpentine, and dolomite-rich alvar. Language of Flower: Means "intrinsic worth". Source
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay |
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Fringed gentian flower. Note the delicately fringed petals.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay |
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Pringle's aster; perennial; also known as Frost Aster, Heath Aster, and Old Field Aster. Family: Asteraceae (Aster) Note: There are two varieties found in Ontario: a) The var. pilosus has robust shoots with pyramid-shaped flower structures; and b) var. pringlei consists of small plants that have smooth stems (see Semple et al. 1996 for discussion). Flower: White rays; 15-35 rays, 3-8 mm long and up to 1.2 mm wide; yellowish disc flower structures that become purple with age; few to many flowers; bracts are green-tipped; July - September. Leaves: Stem leaves are linear, very narrow or grass-like; alternate; has basal rosette of leaves (not illustrated). Stem: Slender, erect, branched towards the top where flowers occur. Height: Up to 50 cm. Habitat: Smaller plants occur on marshy areas of sandy soils and alvars. Distinctive: Grass-like leaves and small, aster flower.
Location:
Providence Bay area, Manitoulin Island |
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Pringle's Aster plant growing in a crack in limestone pavement (alvar).
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Murphy Point |
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Scarlet Paintbrush; perennial; also known as Painted Cup, Indian Paintbrush or Scarlet Paintedcup. Family: Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) Flower: Greenish-yellow, tubular, long 2-lobbed upper lip over 3-lobbed lower lip; 2.5 cm long; flowers are hidden in the axils of scarlet-tipped, fan-shaped bracts and arranged in a terminal spike; May - July. Leaves: Basal leaves 2-7 cm long, in rosettes, elliptic, untoothed; stem leaves are stalkless, divided into narrow segments. Stem: Erect; bears terminal coloured bracts and hidden flowers. Height: 30 - 60 cm. Habitat: Meadows, prairies, damp sandy soil. Interest:
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay Click here for a feature by the North American Native Plant Society. |
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Scarlet paintbrush and yellow paintbrush.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Misery Bay west. |
Detail of flower head of Indian Paintbrush illustrating the orange-coloured bracts
Location:
Manitoulin Island |
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Seneca Snakeroot; native perennial; also known as Senega snakeroot, Seneca (senega) root, Black snakeroot, and Snakeroot. Family: Milkwort (Polygalaceae) Flower: Greenish-white, in terminal dense, spike-like inflorescences; tapers; flowers turn pinkish-white with age; 5 sepals, 3 petals united into a tube; late May - July. Leaves: Leaves are small, alternate and lance-shaped; leaves are pale coloured below and dark green on top; lowest leaves may be scale-like and purplish in colour. Stem: Many unbranched erect stems; Height: Up to 30 cm. Habitat: Open to partially shaded areas including prairies, open woods, roadsides. It prefers limestone-based (calcareous) soils found on Alvars. Interest: The root has yellowish or greyish-brown colour, has a twisted snake-like appearance, smells and tastes a bit like wintergreen, and has been commercially harvested in some regions. The plant was traditionally used as a cure for snakebite. Commercial harvesting in Manitoba includes use in cough syrups, teas and lozenges, and as a gargle for sore throats.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Belanger Bay |
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Close up of Seneca snakeroot flower.
Location:
Manitoulin Island, Belanger Bay |
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Lakeside daisy; also known as Manitoulin Gold and Stemless Rubberweed, Angelita Daisy, Plains Hymenoxys, Stemless Hymenoxys; member of the Sunflower family. |
