Wildflowers: Please identify

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by troglophile, Jul 4, 2009.

  1. troglophile

    troglophile Active Member

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    This plant is about 100 cm tall, blooming near a stream in June on Vancouver Island.
     

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  2. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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  3. Mycos

    Mycos Active Member

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    Campanula rotundifolia (Common Harebell) looks good to me. The leaves vary quite a bit, with a tendency toward being broader with more moisture. These then, fit that pattern well, with several of my field guides depicting narrower leaves.
     
  4. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Last edited: Jul 4, 2009
  5. Mycos

    Mycos Active Member

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    Not sure where you get your ID from, but the first I look at (Audubon N.American Wildflowers) describes a plant 10 - 100 cm. tall with flowers 1/2 to 1 in. The next is Andy MacKinnon's Plants Of Northern BC. He describes a plant 10 -50 cm tall with flowers appearing on thin wiry stems. Could that be what you are referring to?

    In any case, the species epithet " rotundifolia " hardly suggests a small diminutive plant.
     
  6. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    Rotundifolia refers to the plant having round leaves. It might be a tiny leaf or a giant one . It is just describing the shape. I have added a second link above of the wild Harebells in the U.K. As described I believe by Andy Mackinnon. The flowers are just so cute and dainty.
     
  7. Mycos

    Mycos Active Member

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    Yes, the first thing I read in the "notes" of MacKinnon is "This is a very variable species". When I look at your link, including the measuring graphic, I do indeed see a much daintier specimen. Perhaps we're looking at a good example of regional and micro-site variation.
     
  8. Michael F

    Michael F Paragon of Plants Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    Ditto to Silver surfer, this is a Campanula, but not C. rotundifolia (a native species here which I'm very familiar with).

    Looks more like Campanula rapunculoides.
     
  9. Silver surfer

    Silver surfer Generous Contributor 10 Years

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    I perhaps should have made it clearer, that like Michael, I know the Harebell from many first hand encounters. Not just from something that I had read on the net.

    It is one of the flowers chosen by Cicily Mary Barker for one of her famous Fairy Flower painting. The Harebell Fairy. So dainty.

    http://images.google.com/imgres?img...en-gb:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7SUNA_en-GB&sa=N&um=

    It is also used as a pattern on certain china products in the U.K

    http://stock.tablewhere.co.uk/PatternImages/ROQ0055.jpg
     
  10. troglophile

    troglophile Active Member

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    Thank you all for your comments. From the photos on the Internet it appears that it is Campanula rapunculoides. Thank you Michael F.
    troglophile
     

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