Is this purple milkweed, or not even milkweed? The thin leaves have me confused.

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Hi Dave:

More likely swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), based on the long, thin leaves.

Mike.

If we didn't have Mike on the LuLa Forum we would have to invent him! 

Thanks Mike, that makes sense; it's right at the edge of a reservoir.




Yeah, he's a wonderful resource. Everyone who get's a plant or animal identified should pitch in and we'll get him a Lula gift certificate!

Dave Chew

Not necessary, but thanks. Everyone here shares their knowledge and expertise in their own way...

Mike.

Hey Mike, I saw this post and wondered if maybe you could help me too. I have been photographing Florida wildflowers and have several field guides to assist me in identification, but these two still elude me:





Thanks for your time either way

Jack


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Hi John:

Well, I've never been to Florida and my Brittain and Brown books are in storage right now, so take this with a grain of salt... the first one looks lilke a type of cranesbill - maybe Geranium cinereum, but I'm not sure. Could also be an Episcia, but I don't think so. The second one looks an awful lot like spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe), just opening out. Hope that helps some...

Mike.

Thank you very much for your time. The first ones didn't pan out, but thank you just the same.

The second one I think is real close. I only had one specimen to shoot, and as you pointed out the flower was just opening, and so it is hard to tell compared to the photos I have seen online since your input. The coloration of the fully-bloomed specimens of Centaurea stoebe I have researched is spot-on. The buds, however, in almost all of the photos I've researched, are shaped differently though, as the photo below depicts:




In the above example of a Knapweed, the buds seem more oblong and egg-spaped than the photo I put up two posts ago (which seems longer and more purely cylindrical to my eye). Yet, again, the color and petals seem identical, as does the scalation.

I am going to keep researching Centaurea stoebe, and I suppose I am going to have to order yet another flower field guide too (LOL).

Thank you again,

Jack



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Hey Mike;

I was able to identify the first flower as a Violet Wood Sorrel ... however I am still stumped on the second one. I finally ran into another one (well, my girlfriend spotted it ) ... and I took a few different shots of it to characterize it better:





As you can see, it is actually some sort of parasitic vine. The photos depict the larger plant (flowerless) is being parasitized by this thinner flowering vine with the purple flowers. I still can't make out a positive ID on this flower, but I thought perhaps that more perspective on the nature of this flower might help you ID it for me, if you have the time.

Thank you either way,

Jack

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Hi Jack:

It's not one I'm familiar with, and I didn't find anything in a quick search. The vine is relying on the host plant for support, but from the almost complete lack of leaves, I'd say it's probably stealing nutrients from the host plant's roots as well. Some parasites have very specific hosts, so if you identify the host plant that might give you a clue. I did come across one site that has a long list of Florida flowers - unfortunately you need the name of what you're looking for, but it might be a good cross reference for you... Native and Naturalized Plants of Florida

Mike.