# can anyone identify this plant ?



## LittleBelle (Dec 8, 2004)

is it poisonous to pets?<br>
<a href="http://img232.imageshack.us/my.php?image=im0027283wb.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/3135/im0027283wb.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>
<a href="http://img162.imageshack.us/my.php?image=im0027292tb.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://img162.imageshack.us/img162/610/im0027292tb.th.jpg" border="0" alt="Free Image Hosting at www.ImageShack.us" /></a>


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## Wildcrofthollow (Apr 20, 2005)

Hiya littlebelle,

I need a bit more info... Does this plant grow in dryish soil? Is it common along roadsides? Does it have a distinctive odor?
If so.... It looks a bit like horseweed before it flowers. Ours here in Va. is about at this stage maybe a bit later than yours. I would hate to stick my neck out and say for sure though.

IF it is horseweed, the scientific name for it is Erigeron canadensis. It will have teeny greenish white flowers. I don't know if it would hurt anything but I suspect not, it is ubiquitous, I know that it grows in cowpastures everywhere, and it gets eaten. But I am not sure.


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## bonnie lass (Nov 3, 2004)

That looks like something that grows in my yard (read:weed patch  ). Does it have yellow flowers with four petals? Are the sepals reflexed (bent backwards)? Is the stigma cross-shaped? If so, and it blooms during the day, it's called a sundrop. If it blooms at night, evening primrose.


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## bonnie lass (Nov 3, 2004)

Is this it?

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img138.imageshack.us/img138/912/10013780en.jpg" border="0" width="480" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" /></a>

Thanks to ImageShack for Free Image Hosting


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## birdie_poo (May 10, 2002)

That last one looks like a primrose, but I don't think that is what the original poster has.

I have those in my own yard and none of the animals touch it...don't know if it's because it's poisenous or just tastes bad.

I have some in one of the emu yards that is over 8' tall. IF I ever seen them flower, or I have the time,I may work them out in my Jepson, to see what they are.

They do extremely well in dry areas. No water gets back there, and the gophers don't touch them either.


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## birdie_poo (May 10, 2002)

I'm a little closer on this one. The ones in my yard just started to flower...from the looks of the buds, it appears as if this is in the sunflower family. I'll know more once the buds actually open. It will be fun to drag that 7 pound book out and go through the thousands of pages....what a lucky break, eh? It's not like this could be from a large family to sort through :stars:


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## birdie_poo (May 10, 2002)

Well, Cowboy Joe just saved me some time!!
As I surmised, it is in the sunflower family:

Asteraceae 

SCIENTIFIC NAME: Compositae Aster
TYPE: Broadleaf

LEAF:

SEED LEAF: Lance 
MATURE SHAPE: Lanceolate 
EDGE: Finely Serrated 
ARRANGEMENT: Alternately 
HAIR UPPER SURFACE: Some 
HAIR LOWER SURFACE: Some 
WIDTH: 1.1 - 1.5 to 0.5 - inches 
FLOWER:

FLOWER COLOR: White 
PETALS: Six 
DISPLAY: Separate 
PETIOLE: Short 
STRUCTURE: Very Small 
GROWTH HABIT: Erect

LIFE CYCLE: Annual

HABITAT: found along roadsides and in wasteplaces and wooded areas

COMMENTS: No comment available

MATURE


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## Wildcrofthollow (Apr 20, 2005)

Im confused.
:stars:

Which plant are we discussing?

The plant this thread is originally about doesn't look like one of the primrose family,and I don't think it is an aster.

Bonnie lass, is your plant evening primrose? on this thread I mean, or is it sundrops?

Birdie poo, I am not sure what you are talking about. I have never heard of a plant with the scientific name of Compositae aster.

the aster family is often called the Compositae family, it is also called the Asteraceae they are both the same thing.

Thanks :cowboy: 

David


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## bonnie lass (Nov 3, 2004)

The picture I posted is of sundrops. I thought the foliage looked the same as that in the original post. Sorry if I confused the issue


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## Wildcrofthollow (Apr 20, 2005)

NP bonnie lass, Wendy is quite right, plants can be VERY confusing. I am sure everybody here has spent quite a bit of time with a field guide open on one knee and a plant in their hands and a complete blank in their minds. Often caused by the fact that the field guide and the plant were not matching up, were not gonna match up, no matter what they did.

In fact, I pretty much live in a state of confusion  

This forum is a lot of fun for me. thanks to all of you who are interested.

David


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## birdie_poo (May 10, 2002)

Not to mention all the abnormalities and hybrids and genetic oops....

In our Botany class, there was a gentleman who was a rocket scientist (no kidding) from MIT, no less, who challenged LOTS of the plants that were listed in the Jepson Manual...so many in fact, he's offering to help fund a research tour to see if there aren't some new species that have genericly been lumped into broadstream plant categories.

He's even 'discovered' a new oak tree, simply based on the hairs on the leaves, which none of the other native species have.

I'd never get in that deep, but it sure is fun to try and key out a plant, even if you think you may know what it is, only to be dumbfounded!!!


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