Flora Pittsburghensis

Author: Father Pitt

  • Oriental Bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus)

    Oriental Bittersweet
    Photographed October 31 with a Kodak EasyShare Z981.

    The brightly colored fruits are what you notice about Bittersweet. Two species of Celastrus, a native one (Celastrus scandens) and this invasive Asian import, are found wild in our area, but the invader has become much more common. It has rounder leaves than the native species, and the native bears its fruits in dangling clusters, whereas Oriental Bittersweet holds its fruits straight out from the stem. These vines were fruiting along the Montour Trail in Moon Township.

    Celastrus orbiculatus

    For a description of the species, see the Celastrus orbiculatus reference page.

  • Flax (Linum usitatissimum)

    Linum usitatissimum
    Photographed October 22 with a Canon PowerShot SX150 IS.

    The species name usitatissimum literally means that this is the most commonly used species of flax, and so it is—the source of real linen and flaxseed oil, as well as the source of the purest blue in the cottage garden. It has established itself as an occasional volunteer, especially in areas where it might have been grown commercially at one time: these plants were growing at the edge of a cornfield in Findlay Township.

    Flax

  • Spanish Needles (Bidens bipinnata)

    Bidens bipinnata flower head

    The flower heads look like tiny marigolds, but the seeds are what you are most likely to notice. They catch in your clothes (or in an animal’s fur, but they almost seem designed for human-made fabrics) and take a ride to some other location that, with any luck, will be hospitable to Bidens bipinnata. These plants were growing against a fence in Beechview.

    Seeds of Bidens bipinnata
    Photographed September 28 with a Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6.

    For a description of the species, see the Bidens bipinnata reference page.

  • Blue Wood Aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium)

    Symphyotrichum cordifolium
    Photographed September 26.

    Known as Aster cordifolius in most botanical literature, but the North American Asters have been separated into the genus Symphyotrichum by botanists who enjoy the challenge of a pentasyllabic Greek term. Identifying Asters is hard, because there are many species and they hybridize. This, however, is a very common one. Its generous clusters of small closely spaced blue flower heads decorate our roadsides and brighten woodland trails. The lower leaves are lanceolate with heart-shaped bases, giving the species its name and one of its other common names, “Heartleaf Aster.”

    These plants were photographed in Bird Park, Mount Lebanon, and in the Kane Woods Nature Area, Scott Township.

    Blue Wood Aster
    Heartleaf Aster
    Photographed September 25.
    Aster cordifolius
    Symphyotrichum cordifolium
    Blue Wood Aster
    Aster cordifolius

  • Chicory (Cichorium intybus)

    Cichorium intybus

    These cheerful sky-blue flowers are everywhere from summer into fall, but they are no less delightful for being common. These were blooming along the Montour Trail in Moon Township.

    Chicory
    Photographed September 24 with a Canon PowerShot SX150 IS.

    For a description of the species, see the Cichorium intybus reference page.