More Spring Ephemerals in Oconee County, South Carolina — 2014-03-21

This past Friday, I met an old flickr friend, Kelvin Taylor (KT) and his cousin Cathy Howell to show them a couple of my favorite haunts which I had visited about a week previous. We had plans to visit both Devil’s Fork State Park and Oconee Station State Historic Site in Oconee County, South Carolina.

Just as last weekend, the day broke bright and sunny — not exactly what I would hope for. I prefer cloudy days so that the light is diffused, relieving the photographer from having to adjust for harsh shadows. Anyway, since the Shortia galacifolia or Oconee Bells would not be open early in the morning, I suggested that we head on over to Oconee Station to see the tens of thousands of Trillium cuneatum or Little Sweet Betsy that should be in perfect shape. There are a number of other wildflowers that are also growing along the trail to the 60-foot (18-meter) Station Cove Falls. Here is a shot of the falls at the end of the trail as it appeared on Friday.

Even using a polarizer and shooting ISO 100 at f/22, I was not able to get a slow enough shot to give the proper effect to the water. In this shot, it almost looks like there are icicles hanging from the rocks…

We arrived and gathered our gear and snacks and headed down the trail. Soon, we began to see Trillium cuneatum next to the trail. I showed them the odd one that I had found last week, and this time it was almost in full bloom:

What’s odd about this particular plant is that it has five leaves and four sepals and four petals. Normally, Trillium species have three leaves, three sepals, and three petals. That’s how the genus acquired its name. In any case, this particular plant is quite a rarity.

I had mentioned to KT to keep an eye out for a plant species that I’ve seen fairly regularly at Oconee Station, but I did not see it on my previous trip, last week. It is Obolaria virginica or Pennywort. “Wort” is the old Middle-English word for “plant”. I had spent a good bit of time looking for it in places along the trail where I had found it last year, but to no avail. It’s always good to have another pair of eyes along on the hike, and sure enough, KT said, “Is this what you are looking for?” He had found a couple of the best examples of this plant that I had ever seen!

The plants in the above images are about 3 inches (~7.5 cm) tall and have green and purple leaves and tiny white flowers. This is what is called a spring ephemeral.

While KT and Cathy were admiring and photographing the different color forms of the Trillium cuneatum, I was looking for some color forms that I had not previously photographed. That is diffcult, since I have photographed them on many trips to this location over the years. Here is an image of a color form that I have not seen before:

Apparently, it’s a combination of the dark red (typical) form and the yellow-green form.

Continuing down the trail, we soon found ourselves in the midst of yellow and purple violets. These are two separate species, and they seem to prefer different growing conditions. Here are a couple of images of the yellow one, Viola hastata or Halberd-leaf violet, which usually grows in clusters of several plants:

KT, with his “eagle-eye”, spotted a curious purple violet nestled in the knot of tree. This is Viola sororia or Wood violet:

There were other plants that were stretching toward the sunlight. One of these is the fiddle-head of Polystichum acrostichoides or Christmas fern:

Another plant we had seen as we started down the trail is Sanguinaria canadensis or Bloodroot. But earlier, the flowers had not yet opened. However, we had spent enough time with the Trilliums that the Bloodroot was now open. We saw quite a few of them scattered along the open forest floor:

One other species that we saw in profusion is Thalictrum thalictroides or Rue Anemone:

These delicate white flowers resemble a number of other species that grow in the same area, but the shape of the leaves is a good factor to use in determining the differences.

It was now getting to be time to head back down the road to Devil’s Fork State Park to see the Oconee Bells. So we proceeded up the trail to our vehicles, packed our gear and headed east.

The best population of Shortia galacifolia or Oconee Bells is down the trail and only a short distance from the parking lot. Soon, we were standing in front of them — quite a sight for KT and Cathy, both of whom had not seen this plant species. But before we spent any time photographing them, KT wanted to see the Monotropsis odorata or Pygmy Pipes. Devil’s Fork State Park is a good habitat for them. They prefer to grow in the open, Oak/Hickory forest near Kalmia latifolia or Mountain laurel. The notation of the latter species is from personal observation only, since I’ve not read of that association in the literature.

After crossing the creek several times, we ended up in a fairly dry ravine, on whose embankments were scattered a dozen or so clumps of Pygmy Pipes. Even before we saw them, the fragrance coming from the tiny purple flowers literally filled our noses with the aroma of sweet cloves. Once you have the chance to smell this fragrance, it is difficult to erase it from your memory. Sometimes when I’m driving home after photographing these beautiful little plants, I can still sense the fragrance. Perhaps it is just my memory playing a trick on me…

Here are a couple of shots of the Pygmy Pipes we found. To see more of this species and of Oconee Bells, I refer you to photographs found here and here from earlier visits to this location:

While at the Pygmy Pipes location, we met a couple of people who had previously read my blog entry from last week and wanted to see the plants for themselves. Fortunately, we were there when they came down the trail, or else they probably would not have spotted the plants on their own. We spent an hour or so with the Pygmy Pipes, then retraced our path back to the Oconee Bells. The light was getting better for photography, with the sun beginning to lower in the sky.

However, on the way back, I spotted a Thamnophis sirtalis or Garter snake warming up in the sun. Now, I’m not a herpetologist, so if I have gotten this identification all wrong, please let me know so I might correct it. In any case, it was a neat diversion from photographing plants all day:

Now, back at the Oconee Bells spot, we proceeded to get up close and personal with the plants. I’m really glad that KT and Cathy had the opportunity to catch these in perfect bloom, because in a week or so, there won’t be any flowers left — just the evergreen leaves:

Here is a shot of KT and Cathy as we discussed the day’s events at the Oconee Bells location:

Having gotten our fill of these beauties, we packed our gear and headed back to the parking lot. What a great day for botanizing in the Southern Appalachian Mountains! The weather held out and the companionship was special — both being ingredients for a fulfilling trip out into the woods. While we were saying our goodbyes, a fellow who KT knew drove up and parked just next to our vehicles. It just goes to show what a small world it is when the blooming of a tiny white flower can bring people from all over to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of the open woods…

–Jim