After taking a few pictures of local flora during May 2016, efforts intensified in June, with an increased focus on getting quality pictures of additional blooming plants. Whenever a species was in a fine condition with flowers, pictures were taken and eventually identified, often with the assistance of Dr. David M. Sutherland, professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Without his assistance, this project would not have occurred. There is simply no reference available that could provide a comprehensive means to make an proper identification of the forbs and grasses.
Specimens were mostly from the North Lake Shore Hills which included the local environs of the bluebird shack, the Valentine Mill Pond with its bit of planted warm-season grass prairie and the wild-fire setting at the water tanks tract northward of the pond. A few were observed at Government Canyon. Only a very few were recorded elsewhere, at Valentine of the fish hatchery along Minnechaduza Creek.
The focus was essentially on naturally occurring species amidst wild lands, especially north of the city. A “value-added” picture included some type of insect that added to the subject of attention.
About the bluebird shack, pictures — mostly of weedy species — were taken whenever conditions were especially suitable, i.e., early morning light and no breeze, or even when dew or snow occurred. Elsewhere they were recorded while birding. Autumn leaf color provided the impetus to get views of some trees. The intent was not to get a picture of every species species that occurs in the area, but to denote a the variety.
The last species denoted — the American Elm — was in a wooded area along Lake Shore Drive.
This is a list of the species recorded, listed in the order when recorded, rather than in taxonomic sequence.
- Yarrow — Achillea millefolium; North Lake Shore Hills; 05/05
- Shell-leaf Penstemon — Penstemon grandiflorus; Water Tanks Tract; 05/29
- Tall Hedge Mustard — Sisymbrium altissimun; North Lake Shore Hills; 05/31
- Dames Rocket — Hesperis matronalis; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/06
- Smooth Brome — Bromus inermis; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/07
- Hoary Alyssum — Berteroa incana; North Lake Shore Drive; 06/08
- Blue Vervain — Verbena hastata; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/18
- Prickly Poppy — Argemone polyanthemos; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/18
- Purple Coneflower — Echinacea angustifolia; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/18
- Plains Beebalm — Monarda pectinata; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/22
- Yellow Cone Flower (a.k.a Prairie Coneflower) — Ratibida columnifera; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/22
- Common Nettle — Urtica dioica; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- Motherwort — Leonurus cardiaca; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- Musk Thistle — Carduus nutans; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- White Prairie Clover — Dalea candida var. oligophylia; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- White Vervain — Verbena urticifolia; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- Wild Four O'Clock — Mirabilis nyctaginea; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- Yellow Goats Beard — Tragopogam dubius; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/23
- Common Mullein — Verbascum thapsus; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/24
- Spiderwort — Tradescantia occidentalis; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/24
- Leadplant — Amorpha canescens; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/26
- Wooly Plantain — Plantago patagonica; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/26
- Bush Morning Glory — Ipomoea leptophylla; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/28
- Yellow Clover — Melilotus officalis; North Lake Shore Hills; 06/28
- Bull Thistle — Cirsium vulgare; Valentine Mill Pond; 06/29
- Giant Bur Reed — Sparganium eurycarpum; Valentine Mill Pond; 06/29
- Swamp Milkweed — Asclepias incarnata; Valentine Mill Pond; 07/07
- Canada Lettuce — Lactuca canadensis; North Lake Shore Hills; 07/23
- Common Elderberry — Sambucus canadensis; Valentine Mill Pond; 07/23
- Field Bindweed — Convolvulus arvensis; North Lake Shore Hills; 07/23
- Smooth Sumac — Rhus glabra; Water Tanks Tract; 07/23
- Plains Sunflower — Helianthus petiolaris; Water Tanks Tract; 07/30
- Catnip — Nepata cataria; North Lake Shore Hills; 07/31
- Common Yellow Primrose — Calylophus serrulatus; North Lake Shore Hills; 07/31
- Golden Prairie Clover — Dalea aurea; North Lake Shore Hills; 07/31
- Buffalo Bur — Solanum rostratum; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/11
- Canada Goldenrod — Solidago canadensis; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/12
- White Clover — Trifolium repens; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/12
- Spotted Joe Pye Weed — Eupatorium maculatum; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/13
- Big Bluestem — Andropogon cristatum; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Common Arrowhead — Sagittaria latifolia; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Common Evening Primrose — Oenothera latifolia; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Gumweed — Grindelia squarrosa; Lake Shore Drive; 08/15
- Indian Grass — Sorghastrum nutans; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Jewelweed — Impatiens biflora; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Water Hemlock — Cicuta species; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Wild Bergamont — Monarda fistulosa; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/15
- Annual Wild Buckwheat — Erigonum annuum; Water Tanks Tract; 08/16
- Black Nightshade — Solanum interius; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/16
- Purple Lovegrass — Eragrostis spectabilis; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/16
- Gilia — Ipomopsis longiflora; Water Tanks Tract; 08/20
- Blazing Star — Liatris glabrata; Water Tanks Tract; 08/26
- Horseweed — Conyza canadansis; North Lake Shore Drive; 08/26
- Prickly Pear Cactus — Opuntia humifusa; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/26
- Barrel Cactus — Coryphantha vivipara or Coryphantha missouriensis, with species identification not possible as the plant pictured does not have any flowers, an essential needed to determine their coloration; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/27
- Bristlegrass — Setaria species; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/27
- Cocklebur — Xanthium strumarium; Water Tanks Tract; 08/27
- Fringed Sage — Artemisia frigida; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/27
- Prostrate Vervain — Verbena bracteata; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/27
- Snakeweed — Gutierrizia sarothrae; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/27
- Lamb'squarters — Chenopodium album; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/29
- Broad-leaved Cattail — Typha latifolia; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/30
- Bulrush — Scirpus species; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/30
- Purple Loosestrife — Lythrum salicaria; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/30
- Blue Cardinal Flower — Lobelia siphilitica; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/31
- Boneset — Eupatorium perfoliatum; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/31
- Common Duckweed — Lemna minor; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/31
- Dandelion — Taraxacum officinale; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/31
- Green Foxtail — Setaria viridis; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/31
- Late Goldenrod — Solidago gigantea; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/31
- Puncture Vine — Tribulus terrestris; North Lake Shore Hills; 08/31
- Rough Barnyard Grass — Echinochloa muricata; Valentine Mill Pond; 08/31
- Field Sandbur — Conchrus longispinus; North Lake Shore Hills; 09/01
- Red Clover — Trifolium pratense; North Lake Shore Hills; 09/01
- Bearded Flatsedge — Cyperus squarrosus or C. acuminatus; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/08
- Lady's Thumb — Polygonum persicaria; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/08
- Nodding Beggarticks — Bidens cernua; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/08
- Pale Smartweed — Polygonum lalathifolium; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/08
- Redroot Flatsedge — Cyperus erythrorhizos; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/08
- Straw-colored Flatsedge — Cyperus strigosus; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/08
This visit to the Mill Pond involved wading out to the terrestrial flats just west of the open water of the pond, where the beggartick plants were profuse in their blooming.
- Siberian Elm — Ulmus pulima; Water Tanks Tract; 09/14
- Aromatic Aster — Aster oblongifolius; Water Tanks Tract; 09/14; some of these were blooming late in October at the Cherry Street Nursery and were attractive to small butterflies
- Catalpa — Catalpa speciosa; Valentine — 09/14
- Golden Aster — Heterotheca villosa; Water Tanks Tract; 09/14
- Little Bluestem — Andropogon scoparius; Water Tanks Tract; 09/14
- Sand Bluestem — Andropogon hallii; Water Tanks Tract; 09/14
- Sand Reedgrass — Calamovilfa longifolia; Water Tanks Tract; 09/14
- Sugar Maple — Acer saccharinum; North Lake Shore Hills; 09/14
- False Boneset — Brickellia eupatorioides; North Lake Shore Hills; 09/21
- Heath Aster — Aster ericoides; North Lake Shore Hills; 09/21
- Ponderosa Pine — Pinus ponderosa; North Lake Shore Hills; 09/21
- Common Boneset — Eupatorium perfoliatum; Government Canyon; 09/28
- Green Ash — Fraxinus pennsylvanica; Government Canyon; 09/28
- Peach-leaf Willow — Salix amygdaloides; Government Canyon; 09/28
- Riverbank Grape — Vitis riparis; Government Canyon; 09/28
- Water Cress — Nasturtium officinale; Government Canyon; 09/28
- Western Water-Horehound — Lycopus aster; Government Canyon; 09/28
- White Aster — Aster lanceolatus; Government Canyon; 09/28
- White Water-Crowfoot — Ranunculus longirostris; Government Canyon; 09/28
- Woodbine — Parthenocissus vitace; Government Canyon; 09/28
Wetland plants were notably gathered during this outing from the upper extent of the stream, with other distinctive plants also present in this scenic canyon.
- Switchgrass — Panicum virgatum; Valentine Mill Pond; 09/30
- Windmill Grass — Chloris verticillata; along the road at the Valentine Fish Hatchery; 09/30
- Black Walnut — Juglans nigra; Valentine Mill Pond; 10/01
- Box Elder — Acer negundo; Valentine Mill Pond; 10/01
- Honey Locust — Gleditsia triacanthos; Water Tanks Tract; 10/02
- Bur Oak — Quercus macrocarpa; Valentine Mill Pond; 10/07
- Eastern Cottonwood — Populus deltoides; Valentine Mill Pond; 10/07
- Small Soapweed (yucca) — Yucca glauca; North Lake Shore Hills; noted on 10/07 though obviously present throughout the season, though flowering was not noted
- Skunkbrush Sumac — Rhus aromatica; Water Tanks Tract; 10/16
- Northern Red Oak — Quercus rubra; Lake Shore Drive; 10/27
- American Elm — Ulmus americana; Lake Shore Drive; 10/31
Additional early spring species could most likely be denoted if the Valentine City Park woodlands were visited early in the growing season.
Of the thousands of pictures taken, only about 10% were retained and suitably named and saved.