OUT!! #25: Herbarium

Recently in my quest to become the best naturalist ever (well that's not strictly true. I'm trying to learn other things natural that don't have feathers, fly, and possess the terminal velocity necessary to carry a coconut.), I've decided to start a herbarium. For those unfamiliar with the practice, it involved collecting, pressing, and preserving plant specimens for personal or scientific consumption. I'm making one so that I can sharpen my pressing skills (in case I get crafty and bedazzle a lampshade one of these days) and to increase my plant identification skills. Below, I've included a few photos of plants and wildflowers I've found so far.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum) buds sprouting in the late evening at Bombay Hook NWR. The flowers are bunched together

Lesser Celadine (Ranunculus ficaria) carpets the ground in many places. They are an alien species that originally comes from Europe and Asia.

Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) just starting to sprout in the moist woods on the SBMWA property. These pictures were taken along the Stony Brook Trails.

Magnolia spp. Probably a cultivar or some sort. Very pretty blooms that only last about a week unfortunately

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is another alien species that is familiar to most people as the nemesis weed. The weed that people despise to have upon their monotonous greenscapes.

Spring Beauty (Claytonia spp.) is a common springtime bloom to be found on the quiet lawns and field edges of New Jersey.

Onion Grass (Allium spp.) is also a common springtime plant that can be distinguished from regular lawn grass by their tubular structure, their tall green stems, and strong onion smell when crushed in hand.

Puffballs aren't plants, but they are cool to find. These spherical fungi can be poked or prodded slightly. When you do you will notice that "smoke" appears to billow out of them. These are spores and when released from the body of the fungi will settle nearby and sprout during the next growing season.

With such a variety out there, it makes one wonder what other amazing plants there are to find out in the woods and fields in the months to come. I can't wait to see what I can find.