(Remember that clicking on any  thumbnail image will bring up a larger image)

We saw a lot of thistles.  At first we thought there might be more than one species, because some of the heads were longer than tall and some were short and wide.  However, after collecting and keying several, it turns out that everything we saw was Texas Thistle (Cirsisum texanum--Asteraceae.)  This species has very prickly leaves that are wooly-white beneath.  The heads are a bright pinkish purple, right down to the long, slender styles.  The first image shows the plants in their habitat, along with Mexican Hat (Ratibida columnifera.)

Another member of the Asteraceae that is common on the ranch is Orange Zexmenia (Wedelia texana.)  This used to be treated as Zexmenia hispida or Wedelia hispida, but it looks as if the nomenclatural dust will settle on Wedelia texana.  The flowering branches are long and straight, and the foliage is covered with minute, appressed hairs.  This makes the leaves soft when stroked base to tip, but scabrous (scratchy) when stroked tip to base.

Sundrops (Calylophus berlandieri--Onagraceae) were quite conspicuous.  These flowers are insect-pollinated and show a number of interesting adaptations that help pollinators zero in.  Some species have markings visible under ultraviolet light, which many insects can see.  The type we saw, C. berlandieri subsp. pinifolius, often has some pigment visible to humans as well.  Some of the flowers are solid yellow, but many have a black stigma to mark the center of the flower.  Still others have a striking black throat in addition to the black stigma.

One plant we wish he had taken more photos of is Hermannia texana (Texas Hermannia--Sterculiaceae.)  At first glance, this plant could be mistaken for a member of the Malvaceae (Mallow Family), because all the stamens are united.  However, there are some subtle differences in the rest of the flower and in the fruit.  The petals of this species are usually red-orange, but they can be orangey-yellow.  It's hard to believe that this plant is in the same family as cocoa!

Low Menodora (Menodora heterophylla) is another plant that might stumped the inexperienced when it comes to family placement.  It's a member of the Oleaceae or Olive Family.  Temperate Zone botanists are used to thinking of members of this family as shrubs or trees with drupaceous (fleshy and single-seeded) fruits.  Olives, for example, are in the Oleaceae.  Menodora heterophylla, though,  is a low, nearly completely herbaceous plant.  It has odd, bicolored, two-lobed fruits.  This was the first collection of this species for the TAMU Herbarium--it certainly does not grow anywhere around College Station!

Gray Bindweed (Convolvulus equitans--Convolvulaceae), on the other hand, is a snap to place properly in the Morning-glory Family.  It's a low, sprawling or twining vine with funnel-shaped blossoms that are up to about 2 cm across.  The throat of the corolla is often wine-colored.  There's a bit of variation in the shape of the limb (the expanded portion of the fused corolla.)  Some flowers are rounded and some have pointed lobes.  The leaves may be lobed or unlobed.  This species is found in all parts of the state except the deep Pineywoods of East Texas.

Another member of the Convolvulaceae is Evolvulus sericeus (Silky Evolvulus).   This is a smaller plant than the Convolvulus. The little white  Morning-Glory flowers are only about 1 cm across.  Keying to genus in the family usually requires a good look at the number and shape of styles and stigmas.  You can see that Evolvulus has two long, slender styles that are completely separate.  Tip: It's a good idea to check the styles and stamens of  members of the Convolvulaceae before pressing them. It can be awfully hard to examine them later.  A clear photograph is a big help, too.

The genus Cuscuta (Dodder) used to be placed in the Convolvulaceae as well.  Now, however, most authorities place it in its own family, the Cuscutaceae.  These leafless, rootless plants lack chlorophyll and are parasitic on other plants.  We found several patches of Cuscuta pentagona var. pubescens (left, on Thelesperma) and Cuscuta pentagona  var. glabrior (right, on Salvia texana.)  This species is not fussy as to host, but some species have very narrow preferences.  While some Dodders can be pests of crop plants, most don't do too much harm.  A notable exception is Cuscuta japonica, which is capable of covering and killing trees in a very short time.  This exotic pest has recently become a problem in Houston--you can see images here.

There are at least two species of Gilia (Polemoniaceae--Phlox Family) on Winston Ranch.  Gilia incisa (Splitleaf Gilia) has pale lavender-blue flowers and leaves that look as if they have been snipped with scissors.  Gilia rigidula subsp. rigidula  (Prickleaf Gilia) has more intensely-colored flowers and very narrow leaves.  The plants are very easy to tell apart, but you can see that the floral structure is the same for both.  The flowers in life are less than half as large as those in the thumbnail images below.

Another tiny gem is Knotweed Leaf-flower (Phyllanthus polygonoides--Euphorbiaceae.)  This little member of the Spurge Family has tiny, unisexual flowers that nod from the stems.  There are no petals and the sepals are green--but isn't it lovely in close-up?  It would be easy to walk right past this plant and never see these miniature stars--even the thumbnails are several times lifesize.  Note the three-lobed ovary of the female flower--typical of most members of the family.

The flowers of Nyctaginia capitata (Scarlet Muskflower, Devil's-boutonniere, Devil's-bouquet--Nyctaginaceae), on the other hand, are much bigger and absolutely impossible to miss, especially since they occur in big clusters.  Nothing else that was flowering on the ranch during our trip was quite the same color.  It's an annual, so you would have to plant it every year, but it would be fantastic in a garden.  Note the similiarity to the closely related Four-o'clock (Mirabilis jalapa).

Perhaps the most unusual, and most photogenic plant that we saw along the roadsides, though, was Bat-wing or Spread-lobe Passionflower (Passiflora tenuiloba--Passifloraceae.)  The viney stems have tendrils and leaves with wide-spreading lobes. The flowers are small--about 2 cm across--and the calyx is green and somewhat petaloid.  There are no true petals, but there is a double corona of narrow, striped appendages.  The stamens are recurved and there are three arching styles with big stigmas.  The ovary sits on a little stalk or stipe.  The fruit is a berry.  See the Digital Flora of Texas Image Gallery for more great Passiflora pictures.