Hiking,  Outdoors,  Texas,  Travel & Places

September on the Lone Star Trail

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Whiteleaf Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum albescens

Digging back into some of my drafted posts, today we are going back to September and yet another jaunt on the Lone Star Trail. I really need to figure out what gaps we have left on this trail. We’ve very nearly finished a lot of the portion west of I-45 but there are some small gaps where we turned around and didn’t connect. This trip was after our yearly trip to a patch of beautyberries where we take birthday photos for Forest.

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A wine colored fruiting beautyberry.

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Violet Coral Fungus, Clavaria zollingeri
This may be one of the coolest fungi I have ever come across and we almost walked by it before Chris noticed it. It was practically in the middle of the trail but was quite small and we had to get on our bellies to get a good photo.

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I’ve come across this plant a couple of times in other areas we’ve hiked but never bothered to take photos. This time I stopped because I was curious but it has proved to be a stumper. I *think* it is Northern Spicebush, Lindera benzoin but I don’t know that I’m totally set on it being this. If anyone wants to chime in with an ID, feel free!

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Blue Mistflower, Conoclinium coelestinum

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Downy Lobelia, Lobelia puberula
This time of year the lobelias are popping and typically the red-cardinal lobelia is the showstopper, but I think downy lobelia may be a favorite to find.

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And an alba version of the beautyberry. It has been a few years since I’ve seen one this white. Usually they are that diluted wine color.

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Common Wrinkle-leaved Goldenrod, Solidago rugosa

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Coral Bean, Erythrina herbacea

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Perennial Wooly Bean, Strophostyles umbellata

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Southern Slender Ladies’-Tresses, Spiranthes lacera var. gracilis – another reason to love fall besides lobelia season–spiranthes season!

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Plains Snakecotton, Froelichia floridana

Now, when so much is dormant, I relish looking back at these photos and knowing that the growing season is coming soon. Just the last couple of weeks I’ve noticed leaf buds developing on trees. Spring is around the corner.

One Comment

  • shoreacres

    I was especially interested in your snake cotton. That’s the “other” version that grows here — different from the one I found at Sandylands. I’ve never seen this one. It was fun to look at your photos and see a few that I recognize now, like the lobelia. I’m with you on liking the lavender version!

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