Flora Pittsburghensis

Author: Father Pitt

  • Yellow Hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)

    Yellow Hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)
    Photographed May 29.

    A common weed of lawns; it closely resembles the more spectacular Orange Hawkweed (H. aurantiacum) in everything but color. This one has many common names, some of which it shares with the orange species, including King Devil, Devil’s Paintbrush, Yellow Paintbrush, and Fox-and-Cubs. Many current botanists place both in the genus Pilosella, so that (making the adjective agree in gender) it becomes Pilosella caespitosa; but there are still arguments about that, and old Pa Pitt will stand back and let the professionals sort it out. These plants were blooming in a field near Farmington.

    Yellow Hawkweed (Hieracium caespitosum)

  • Blue-Eyed Grass (Sysirinchium angustifolium)

    Photographed May 29.

    The plants are invisible in the grass until they bloom, and even then it is easy to miss the little flowers. Once you see them, though, you will probably spend a while admiring them. These plants were blooming in a field near Farmington.

    For a description of the species, see the Sysirinchium angustifolium reference page.

  • Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

    Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
    Photographed May 26.

    One of the ancestors of our domestic strawberries. These plants were blooming at the edge of the woods in a field near Farmington.

    Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)
    Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginiana)

  • Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)

    Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
    Photographed May 29.

    An adaptable weed also extensively planted as forage. The tiny flowers are easily missed in a weed patch, but a close look reveals that they are perfect miniature sweet peas. Ants seem to love it, and we have several pictures here of ant guests enjoying the plant and probably pollinating the flowers. These vines were all blooming on the grounds of Fallingwater in Mill Run.

    Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
    Ant on Vetch
    Ant on Vetch
    Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
    Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
    Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
    Common Vetch (Vicia sativa)
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  • Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)

    Photographed May 29.

    A common woodland plant, but being common does not make it any less weird. The common name seems a good description: the spadix really does look like a black-cloaked preacher standing in an old-fashioned pulpit with a sounding board above. This plant was blooming on the grounds of Fallingwater in Mill Run.

    For a description of the species, see the Arisaema triphyllum reference page.