July 13, 2007
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Identity Crisis
This week’s subject is suggested by Sagiscoobious:
I did not have the normal psychosocial identity crisis many teens go through, and I have chosen not to post a photo of something shown from a perspective that makes it hard to identify.
Instead, I am taking this opportunity to ask for help in identifying this woody shrub that grows in profusion in and around our muskeg:
UPDATE: THE CRISIS IS OVER!
gillwildflower suggested “alder” as an identification for this. I did a google image search and eliminated that possibility. Then, I tried a new search, “Alaska shrub round leaf catkin,” and found an image that is very close to this. I’m about 99.9% sure this is some subspecies of Betula nana, dwarf birch.
…and these weeds with tiny yellow flowers and three-lobed leaves resembling strawberry leaves:
AHA! butterflyxlife identified this as Norwegian cinquefoil, Potentilla norvegica.
This summer, I have found help online to identify a number of local plants, including some rare wild orchids. These two common and abundant species continue to elude me. Thus, the “crisis”.
Anyone whose expertise is insects is welcome to browse through my photoblog album, “bugs,” and see if anything looks familiar. I don’t know what I’ve been shooting.
Comments (26)
I don’t know what they are, but the yellow flowers are lovely!
I hope you get some answers. I have a whole load of wildflower photos I haven’t a clue about. Oh and one time I found a cool what I thought was a ladybug on my flowers, turned out it was a nasty plant munching beetle.
So in a nutshell, pretty plants but I don’t know diddly about them!
My word! All of us are not much help. I haven’t a clue either! Both are very attractive though.
hmmmmmmmm…. I love the flower petals…. but sorry havent a clue here either….
The book I have is currently an hour away at a friend’s cottage and I don’t know when I’ll have it back, but the flowers are lovely all the same.
Sorry… I have no idea.
no clue…but pretty
the top leaf looks a bit like Alder, with a catkin / pussy willow frondy flowering bit – the yellow flowers remind me of tormentil, we have in the UK….but as I live in the UK, these comments prob won’t help at all !!!!
I can’t help, but I love your entry!
Sorry no help here but great entry.
nice photos but i have no clue as to what they are named
Maybe Silverweed or Shrubby Cinquefoil?
The bottom one actually reminds me of Norwegian Cinquefoil–
Have you thought that perhaps you’ve discovered a new species of plant?
That was an identity crisis for real. Quite unique for the challenge and it worked. I have done a lot of plant searches, not always sucessful but fun to be on the hunt.
how clever is that spin on it!
so for everyone’s safety I stay away.
personally – I have the touch of death when it comes to plantlife
very cool that you found out what those two are. I can’t help you on the bugs. I just eat ‘em when they get too close.
Good post for a photo challenge, nice pics and we all learned something at the same time
I was a little worried about what I would find when I clicked your link…something dark and disturbing maybe. Instead it was plants! Good job!
I had never actually looked up Norwegian Cinquefoil before- and out of curiosity and a desire to learn more, I performed a google search to see what I would come up with.
What I found amused me. As I read the details of the Norwegian Cinquefoil, it reminded me more and more of you, and how fitting it was that you should find this plant, and take such beautiful photographs of it. In essence, this plant is strong like you, not entirely edible, but has medicinal purposes. It can grow in either acidic or alkaline soil, and be in shade or sun.
Great photos for the challenge .. and glad your identity crisis was solved!
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Please read my post today.
Bravo!! Nice take on the topic.
Glad you found out what it was!
You commented:
“You thought of everything, even the clock and a sample invocation.”
Thanks, Kathy. That is high praise coming from you. I guess you’ve taught me a thing or two over the past 5 years of information sharing. Call me sentimental, but I actually got a tear happening when I read your comment. Oy! Emotions overflowing already? What can I say, I’m sensitive.
Ah, another crisis averted. Thank you, internet.