Long Branch Prairie

Lon

Pioneer Prairie

July, 2008 Bluebell Gentians

Mesquite, Texas

Most of these photos were taken in during the first week of July, 2003. Plants seen included Purple Coneflower, Englemann Daisy, Common Sunflower, Drummond's Skullcap, Ratany, Yellow Puff, Little Blue Stem, Side Oats Grama, KR Bluestem, Johnson Grass, White Prairie Clover, Western Ironweed, American Germander, Redroot, Winecup, Prairie Acacia, White Heliotrope, Firewheel, Purple Horsemint, Narrowleaf Four-O'clock, Gayfeathers, Prairie Plantain, Showy Primrose, and many others. There were 2-3 kestrels, a red-tailed hawk, and other birds. Special thanks to James Rush for showing Derek & me the prairie that he has visiting over the last 2 years. Pioneer Prairie is bounded by Galloway Avenue, Republic Pkway, Columbia Pkway, Oates Dr., and Northwest Drive. The area is dissected by many off-road vehicle roads and a large powerline right-of-way. Due to the lack of periodic fire, there is much encroachment on the prairie by e. red cedar, honey locust, and other woody species. Plant list is at bottom of page.

2003 Update:

November, 2003

James Rusk reports for Pioneer Prairie:

They brought the bulldozers in last Thursday. I've enclosed some pictures:

1: This is where the road you went up last summer used to be.
2: This is looking north. I'm standing where some woods used to be. You can see
Northwest Drive in the background.

Everything west of the utility easement is still intact.

James

Note the above photos are typical of the continued destruction of remnant prairies in north central

Texas.

James Rusk submitted these 4 photos for identification. Please help identify these.

Upper Left: Redroot, New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

Upper Right: White Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis albiflora) ?

Lower Left: Bull Thistle (Cirsium horridulum)?

Lower Right: Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis linearis)

Click on thumbnails below to enlarge...

Left to Right: Rattlesnake Master, Long Branch, Long Branch, Bluebell Gentians, Long Branch, clasping-leaf coneflower, white prairie clover

Left to Right: rattlesnake master, Long Branch, field of rough-stem rosin weed, purple prairie cover & basketflower,

mexican hat w. beetle, Texas star w. beetle, snow-on-the-prairie, Long Branch, yellow puff

Left to Right: rough-stemmed rosinweed, blue sage, rattlesnake master, wand milkweed, bluebell gentians, wild leek?, fiery skipper on prairie clover.

Left to Right: funereal skipper on purple prairie clover, maypop passion-flower, lance-leaf loosestrife, common sunflower, stream bed, power line right of way road, impacts from off-road vehicles (there are many of these roads

crossing the prairie).

Aerial photo with legend

Longbranch Prairie and environs – 8/1/03

James Rusk, Jack Hill & son, Jim Varnum

Plants listed in BRIT* order.

* BTIT = Shinners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Center Texas

No.	Mark	Scientific Name	Common Name	Plant	Family	Code	Page
1.	X	Juniperus virginiana	Eastern red cedar	Tree	Cypressaceae	c	203
2.	X	Ruellia humilis	Low reullia, Wild petunia	Forb	Acanthaceae	d	216
3.	X	Toxicodendron radicans subsp. ?	Poison ivy	All	Anacardiaceae	d	236
4.	X	Erynginium leavenworthii	Eryngo	Forb	Apiaceae	d	252
5.	X	Erynginium yuccafolium	Rattlesnake master	Forb	Apiaceae	d	252
6.	X	Torilis arvensis	Hedge parsley, Beggar’s lice	Forb	Apiaceae	d	262
7.	X	Asclepias viridiflora	Wand milkweed	Forb	Asclepiadaceae	d	282
8.	X	Asclepias viridis	Green milkweed	Forb	Asclepiadaceae	d	282
9.	X	Ambrosia artemisiifolia	Little ragweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	309
10.	X	Ambrosia trifida var. texana	Giant ragweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	310
11.	X	Arnoglossum plantagineum	Indian plantain	Forb	Asteraceae	d	314
12.	X	Aster ericoides (NEW Symphyotrichum ericoides)	Heath aster	Forb	Asteraceae	d	318
13.	X	Brickellia eupatorioides var. texana	False boneset	Forb	Asteraceae	d	329
14.	X	Centaurea americana	American basketflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	332
15.	X	Conyza canadensis var. =	Horseweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	341
16.	X	Echinacea angustifolia	Purple prairie coneflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	347
17.	X	Helianthus annuus	Texas sunflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	369
18.	X	Helianthus maximiliani	Maximilian sunflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	370
19.	X	Iva angustifolia	Narrow-leaf sumpweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	379
20.	X	Liatris mucronata	Gayfeather	Forb	Asteraceae	d	384
21.	X	Silphium radula	Rough-stem rosinweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	406
22.	X	Solidago rigida	Rigid goldenrod	Forb	Asteraceae	d	414
23.	X	Vernonia baldwinii	Western ironweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	428
24.	X	Catalpa speciosa	Catalpa	Tree	Bignoniaceae	d	443
25.	X	Heliotropium tenellum	Pasture heliotrope	Forb	Boraginaceae	d	450
26.	X	Rapistrum rugosum	NCN, bastard cabbage	Forb	Brassicaceae	d	476
27.	X	Symphoricarpos orbiculata	Coralberry	Shrub	Caprifoliaceae	d	510
28.	X	Ipomoea cordatotriloba var. ?	Morning-glory	Vine	Convolvulaceae	d	556
29.	X	Cornus drummondii	Rough-leaf dogwood	Tree	Cornaceae	d	561
30.	X	Curcubita foetidissima	Buffalo gourd	Vine	Cucurbitaceae	d	568
31.	X	Curcubita texana	Texas gourd	Vine	Cucurbitaceae	d	568
32.	X	Cuscuta sp.	dodder	Forb	Cuscutaceae	d	572+
33.	X	Chamaesyce nutans	Eyebane	Forb	Euphorbiaceae	d	596
34.	X	Croton monanthogynus	Prairie tea	Forb	Euphorbiaceae	d	600
35.	X	Euphorbia bicolor	Snow-on-the prairie	Forb	Euphorbiaceae	d	606
36.	X	Sapium sebiferum	Chinese tallow	Tree	Euphorbiaceae	d	612
37.	X	Chamacrista fasciculata	Partridge pea	Forb	Fabaceae	d	642
38.	X	Dalea compacta var. pubescens	Showy prairie clover	Forb	Fabaceae	d	648
39.	X	Dalea multiflora	White prairie clover	Forb	Fabaceae	d	650
40.	X	Desmanthus illinoensis	Illinois bundleflower	Forb	Fabaceae	d	652
41.	X	Gleditsa traicanthos	Honey locust	Tree	Fabaceae	d	660
42.	X	Neptunia lutea	Yellow puff	Vine	Fabaceae	d	680
43.	X	Sophora affinis	Eve’s necklace	Tree	Fabaceae	d	697
44.	X	Eustoma russellianum	Bluebells	Forb	Gentianaceae	d	727
45.	X	Krameria lanceolata	Trailing rhatany	Forb	Krameriaceae	d	750
46.	X	Monarda citriodora	Lemon mint	Forb	Lamiaceae	d	765
47.	X	Salvia azurea var. grandiflora	Texas giant sage	Forb	Lamiaceae	d	774
48.	X	Teucrium canadense	American germander	Forb	Lamiaceae	d	782
49.	X	Lythrum alataum var. lanceolatum	Lance-leaf loosestrife	Forb	Lythraceae	d	802
50.	X	Cocculus carolinus	Carolina snailseed	Vine	Menispermaceae	d	824
51.	X	Maclura pomifera	Osage orange, Horse apple	Tree	Moraceae	d	831
52.	X	Morus rubra	Red mulberry	Tree	Moraceae	d	832
53.	X	Mirabilis linearis	Four o’clock	Forb	Nyctaginaceae	d	840
54.	X	Ligustrum quihoui	Quihoui’s privet	Shrub	Oleaceae	d	850
55.	X	Gaura parviflora	Lizard-tail gaura	Forb	Onagraceae	d	856
56.	X	Stenosiphon linifolius	False gaura	Forb	Onagraceae	d	866
57.	X	Passiflora incarnata	Passion-flower	Vine	Passifloraceae	d	878
58.	X	Prunus mexicana	Mexican plum	Tree	Rosaceae	d	949
59.	X	Rosa foliolosa	White prairie rose	Shrub	Rosaceae	d	956
60.	X	Hedyotis nigricans (NEW Stenaria nigricans)	Bluets	Forb	Rubiaceae	d	966
61.	X	Zanthoxylum clava-hercules	Hercules’-club, Prickly ash, Toothache tree	Tree	Rutaceae	d	974
62.	X	Salix nigra	Black willow	Tree	Saliaceae	d	978
63.	X	Cardiospermum halicacabum	Balloon vine	Vine	Sapindaceae	d	980
64.	X	Sideroxylan lanuginosum subsp. oblongifolium	Woolly-bucket bumelia, Chittamwood	Tree	Sapotaceae	d	982
65.	X	Physalis cinerascens	Ground-cherry	Forb	Solanaceae	d	1024
66.	X	Solanum dimidatum	Horse-nettle	Forb	Solanaceae	d	1028
67.	X	Solanum rostratum	Buffalo bur	Forb	Solanaceae	d	1030
68.	X	Celtis laevigata var. =	Hackberry, Sugarberry	Tree	Ulmaceae	d	1038
69.	X	Ulmus americana	American elm	Tree	Ulmaceae	d	1039
70.	X	Ulmus crassifolia	Cedar elm	Tree	Ulmaceae	d	1040
71.	X	Glandularia bipinnatifida	Prairie verbena	Forb	Verbenaceae	d	1050
72.	X	Verbena halei	Texas vervain	Forb	Verbenaceae	d	1056
73.	X	Cissus incisa	Cowitch	Vine	Vitaceae	d	1066
74.	X	Vitis mustangensis	Mustang grape	Vine	Vitaceae	d	1072
75.	X	Andropogon gerardii subsp. gerardii.	Big bluestem	Grass	Poaceae	m	1238
76.	X	Bothriochloa laguroides subsp. torreyana	Silver bluestem	Grass	Poaceae	m	1246
77.	X	Bouteloua curtipendulata var. =	Side oats grama	Grass	Poaceae	m	1248
78.	X	Cynodon dactylon	Bermuda grass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1259
79.	X	Elymus canadensis	Canada wildrye	Grass	Poaceae	m	1268
80.	X	Eragrostis sessilspica	Tumble love grass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1272
81.	X	Panicum capillare	Witchgrass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1296
82.	X	Panicum virgatum	Switchgrass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1302
83.	X	Paspalum dilidatum	Dallis grass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1305
84.	X	Schizachyrium scoparium	Little bluestem grass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1316
85.	X	Setaria parviflora	Knot-root bristlegrass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1319
86.	X	Sorghum halpense	Johnson grass	Grass	Poaceae	m	1324
87.	X	Smilax bona-nox	Catbrier	Vine	Smilaceae	m	1346

X

Solidago rigida