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# Prairie Phlox ( Phlox pilosa) 

 Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae) 



Woodland phlox, already mentioned, has bluish-purple flow- 

 ers. The prairie phlox, however, bears pink or rose-colored 

 flowers, often quite showy. Furthermore, the prairie habitat 

 would distinguish it from the woodland phlox. Prairie phlox is 

 rather hairy, and thus easily distinguished from a later- 

 blooming plant of our prairie marshes, Phlox glaberrima, the 

 marsh phlox. Prairie phlox occurs with shooting star, hoary 

 puccoon, yellow star grass, and blue-eyed grass, forming a 

 delightful prairie association in a number of our areas. 



# Yellow Star Grass ( Hypoxis hirsuta) 

 Amaryllis Family (Amaryllidaceae) 



This is our only locally native member of the Amaryllis Fam- 

 ily. Despite its name, it is not a grass, but rather has a delight- 

 ful, albeit small, yellow flower. It can be easily found by locat- 

 ing patches of shooting star in bloom. When not in flower, it 

 can be told from blue-eyed grass by the hairiness of its foliage. 

 Blue-eyed grass has smooth leaves. 



# Shooting Star (Dodecatheon meadia) 

 Primrose Family (Primulaceae) 



Although this is primarily a prairie plant with us, flower en- 

 thusiasts in other geographical areas see it primarily as a wood- 

 land plant. There are excellent places to see shooting star in 

 good abundance. One is at Illinois Beach State Park, in the 

 prairie portion west of the scrub-oak forest. Another fine 

 locale (flowering around Memorial Day) is the Chiwaukee 

 Prairie in southeastern Wisconsin, near Lake Michigan, north 

 of the Illinois town of Winthrop Harbor, in an area east of the 

 Northwestern railroad tracks. Here there are acres of fine 

 shooting star populations, associating with prairie phlox, 

 yellow star grass, blue-eyed grass, wood betony, and hoary 

 puccoon. 



$? Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium albidem) 

 Iris Family (Iridaceae) 



Despite the name, our plants are often white-flowered, 

 although beautiful blue or violet ones can also be found. The 

 plants have flattened winged stems, and associate with 

 another small member of the flora, yellow star grass, discussed 

 above. Again, we are not dealing with a true grass, but this 

 time with a member of the iris family. 



$? Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) 

 Birthwort Family (Aristolochiaceae) 



This curious plant grows along the flood plains of our wooded 

 streams, associating with swamp buttercup. The leaves are 

 large, somewhat heart-shaped or kidney-shaped, and hide the 

 curious flowers, which grow at ground level or slightly above 

 it. The flowers are three-parted, somewhat brownish-purple, 

 and much smaller than the leaves. Flowering plants are com- 

 monly not observed as such, because of the density of the 

 leaves. Pulling the foliage aside enables the observer to see the 

 flowers described above. The plants form low-growing circular 

 colonies, and when once learned, are unmistakable. They are 

 not even closely related to the true ginger used in cooking. 



Wild ginger 



While the wildflowers are the showpieces of the spring 

 woods, it is also true that sometime during spring most of the 

 trees bloom as well. Normally the flowers of trees are not 

 showy, and are missed by most spring hikers for this reason, 

 plus the fact that the flowers are usually some distance above 

 the observer. A challenge this spring would be to try to see the 

 common trees of our forest preserves when in flower, including 

 such common species as silver maple, American elm, white 

 ash, hop hornbeam, hackberry, sugar maple, white oak, and 

 red oak. FH 



Ninth Annual Spring Systematics Symposium 



Saturday, May 10, 8:50am to 4:30pm 



This year's symposium topic is "Evolution of Human Hunting" 

 and features ten speakers. The preregistration fee (until April 10) 

 is $10. Registration after that date is $15. Registration forms may 

 be obtained by writing Dr. H. M. Nitecki at Field Museum; they 

 may also be obtained at the Museum on May 10 before the talks 

 begin. 



