What is this woodland plant?

Discussion in 'Plants: Identification' started by kbaumle, May 24, 2005.

  1. kbaumle

    kbaumle Member

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    I have been trying to find out what this woodland plant is for several weeks now. No one seems to know. I live in northwest Ohio, and it is all over the woodland floor. I don't know if there is a flower associated with it, because I've not seen any...yet. It has a fern-like appearance, but I doubt it's actually a fern. I love the painted markings on it. Any help identifying it is appreciated!

    I know the other prominent plant in the picture is a trillium.
     

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  2. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    First I have to warn you that this one is an oldie. The inquirer has probably long given up or found the answer somewhere else.

    This plant always bothered me, as I looked for it for some time and never found it. On a recent thread in the Indoor Plants Identification Marn mentioned a website that dealt almost exclusively with variegated leaf plants. On their website Randy and Sherm say they even went so far as to bring home a variegated leaf version of poison ivy.

    I dropped them an email and they responded immediately with Hydrophyllum macrophyllum or H. appendiculatum. I think it most probably is H. macrophyllum as H. appendiculatum according to at least one source has fewer leaflets in the beginning leaves.

    Harry
     
  3. Daniel Mosquin

    Daniel Mosquin Paragon of Plants UBC Botanical Garden Forums Administrator Forums Moderator 10 Years

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    I think it's perfectly acceptable to answer "oldies" in the ID forums, because sometimes it takes a long, long time for the answer to stew. Hopefully, kbaumle has an email subscription to this thread!
     
  4. kbaumle

    kbaumle Member

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    Absolutely, I DO! :-)

    Thank you VERY much! I found this plant again and dug up a small bit of it to plant in my garden, but unless it's ephemeral (I haven't read the information on it yet), it didn't survive the transplanting.

    I'll check out your links! I really appreciate your making the effort and taking the time to find this out for me!

    Kylee
     
  5. kbaumle

    kbaumle Member

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    Looking at the images, I'd say it was H. macrophyllum, as well.
     
  6. wrygrass2

    wrygrass2 Active Member 10 Years

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    Many wildflowers such as this have special requirements that aren't met in the typical garden setting. It does have flowers, so you might try and collect some seed or take a cutting and some soil local to it, to try to get a start that way. But my suggestion (especially for plants that aren't as prolific as H. macrophyllum appears to be) is to enjoy it in it's natural setting. That way it will be there for the next sojourner to enjoy. Harry
     
  7. Ron B

    Ron B Paragon of Plants 10 Years

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    Hydrophyllum species native out here characteristic of damp woodlands.
     
  8. kbaumle

    kbaumle Member

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    Good advice! And I gave that a thought, but I found that it grows profusely here; I just had never noticed it before, because it's been just in the last couple of years that my husband and I spend a lot of time in the woods. I would never ravage an area of anything, and would not take something that wasn't plentiful in that area to begin with (or that I knew to be prohibited).

    Our property is very similar in soil type and growing conditions, as it is a wooded area also, that had been somewhat cleared when this house was built. I had placed the plant in a full shade area, hoping to put it as close to its natural setting as possible, yet allowing us to enjoy it. We'll see if it comes back this spring. :-)

    Kylee
     
  9. silver_creek

    silver_creek Active Member

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    My husband and I found a varigated waterleaf locally about 12 years ago and transplanted a small piece to our yard. It is a very sturdy plant and has spread quite alot, but because we do not irrigate at all, it usually disappears by late July, early August, reappearing the following spring. A piece I gave to a friend with an irrigated garden continues to grow through the summer, only going dormant in the fall. In our local woods, waterleaf seems to go dormant late summer if it is dry; perhaps that is what happened to your plant.
     
  10. kbaumle

    kbaumle Member

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    That's what I meant when I said ephemeral, which is how my trillium is. I hope you're right! I'll be very happy if it makes an appearance in the next month or so!
     
  11. silver_creek

    silver_creek Active Member

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    A little looking through past garden photos, and I found a picture of our variegated waterleaf. This patch is 4'-5' wide (probably 8-10 years of spreading). It usually disappears completely by late summer.
     

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  12. kbaumle

    kbaumle Member

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    Though it's not the same as what I found, it's lovely!
     

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