kkucera's Favourites

Tiralongo F., Pillon R. (2019). First record of Vanderhorstia mertensi Klausewitz, 1974 from Greek waters: the westernmost record from the Mediterranean Sea. In: New Mediterranean Marine Biodiversity Records. Mediterranean Marine Science, 20(3): 645–656.

Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) Lake Michigan Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary Chicago Cook County IL November 2019 Week #46 Jeff Skrentny IMG_9217

My 378th Illinois bird species observed, and the 331st species of bird observed in Cook County

Ancient Murrelet (Synthliboramphus antiquus) Lake Michigan Montrose Point Bird Sanctuary Chicago Cook County IL November 2019 Week #46 PHOTO BY Michael Ferguson (used with permission)

Drier area within a wet prairie opening in a Northern Flatwoods with alkaline sandy soils dominated by bur and swamp white oak. Growing under a large Rosa setigera.

Acaulescent. Spurred petal with relatively dense beard (unlike typical V. sororia). All beard hairs longer and only very slightly clavate (short and clavate in V. cucculata). Leaves narrowly deltate to narrowly ovate (reniform or at least nearly as long as wide in typical V. sororia). Acute, eciliate sepals (more rounded and often ciliolate in V. sororia). Very minute, sparse pubescence on the adaxial leaf surfaces are an often cited characteristic for V. affinis that is visible here.

This was the only plant that so nearly fits V. affinis that I could find in the area. Other violets in the area varied with some fitting V. sororia well. Many keyed out well to V. septentrionalis. I posted an observation of one of these plants that keyed to V. septentrionalis: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/18837580. Some plants keyed out well to V. missouriensis. All were generally intermediate between V. sororia and V. affinis, although most were closer to the V. sororia end of the spectrum.