Spines, Thorns, and the Plant Game

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Ok, to be frank, this is kind of a weird post.  For some reason, during the last month or so, my brain has paid attention to spines and thorns as I’ve walked through prairies.  Given the relative scarcity of other photographic subjects, I’ve taken pictures of spines and thorns.  As a result, you get to see pictures of spines and thorns too.  I’m sorry.  To make it up to you, I added a couple more Plant Game questions to the end of the post because people seemed to enjoy them last time.  I still haven’t come up with the perfect name for the Plant Game, though I did appreciate the suggestions many of you provided.

While spines and thorns might seem like odd photo subjects, I’m hoping you’ll see some of the beauty I saw.  Plants employ them to help prevent herbivory, but if you look closely, those sharp pointy things are kind of pretty too.

Osage orange (Maclura pomifera) thorns. Hamilton County, Nebraska.

Buffalo bur (Solanum rostratum) seed pods. Hamilton County, Nebraska.

Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) thorn.

Woods rose (Rosa woodsii). Hall County, Nebraska.

Well, there you go.  Spines and thorns.

Now…

PLANT GAME!

The rules are simple.  Just pick the fake plant name from each list.  Three of the names are official names of plants found in Nebraska.  The other is one that I made up.  Should be easy, right? GOOD LUCK.

 

Photo of the Week – March 2, 2017

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This week marks the 150th anniversary of Nebraska becoming a state.  Nebraska will be celebrating all year, but there were a number of events this past Wednesday, including one at which the U.S. Postal Service introduced a new postage stamp.  The stamp features a photo of sandhill cranes by my friend Mike Forsberg, a native Nebraskan and fantastic conservation photographer.

In honor of Nebraska’s Sesquicentennial (fancy word for 150th anniversary) celebration this week/year, I’ve put together a few of my favorite Nebraska photos from the last several years.  We live in a state of great ecological diversity, ranging from oak woodland and tallgrass prairie in the east to dry sparsely-vegetated rocky bluffs in the west.  It’s an honor to work on the conservation of those natural systems, along with many other conservation professionals, ranchers, farmers, educators, and nature enthusiasts.  I’ve tried to represent some of the ecological diversity of Nebraska in these photographs.

A bumblebee rests on a lanceleaf blazing star (Liatris lancifolia) in restored tallgrass prairie at Spring Creek Prairie near Lincoln.

A bumblebee rests on a lanceleaf blazing star (Liatris lancifolia) in restored tallgrass prairie at Spring Creek Prairie near Lincoln.

A panoramic look at the rocky landscape around Scotts Bluff National Monument in the Nebraska panhandle.

A panoramic look at the rocky landscape around Scotts Bluff National Monument in the Nebraska panhandle.

A male dickcissel sings its territorial song at The Nature Conservancy's Platte River Prairies.

A male dickcissel sings its territorial song at The Nature Conservancy’s Platte River Prairies.

Morning dew on spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis) in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Morning dew on spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentalis) in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Reflections of sky in a Sandhills wetland and meadow.

Reflections of sky in a Sandhills wetland and meadow.

Yellow lady's slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) in oak woodland at the Rulo Bluffs Preserve in southeastern Nebraska.

Yellow lady’s slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum) in oak woodland at the Rulo Bluffs Preserve in southeastern Nebraska.

Bison bulls in recently-burned prairie at The Nature Conservancy's Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Bison bulls in recently-burned prairie at The Nature Conservancy’s Niobrara Valley Preserve.

A bush katydid feeds on purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) in the Platte River Prairies.

A bush katydid feeds on purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) in the Platte River Prairies.

Fog and the Niobrara River at the Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Fog and the Niobrara River at the Niobrara Valley Preserve.

Sandhill cranes float gently to their overnight roost on the Platte River.

Migratory sandhill cranes float gently to their overnight roost on the Platte River.

A migratory dragonfly and morning dew at its overnight roost in a small prairie outside Aurora.

A migratory dragonfly and morning dew at its overnight roost in a small prairie outside Aurora.

Stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus) in mixed-grass prairie in Central Nebraska.

Stiff sunflower (Helianthus pauciflorus) in mixed-grass prairie in Central Nebraska.

Hay bales and windmill in the Nebraska Sandhills.

Hay bales and windmill in the Nebraska Sandhills.

 

A red-bellied woodpecker in a snowstorm in eastern Nebraska.

A red-bellied woodpecker in a snowstorm in eastern Nebraska.

A saltmarsh caterpillar in early morning light.

A saltmarsh caterpillar in early morning light.

Smith Falls, a well-known landmark and tourist stop along the Niobrara River.

Smith Falls, a well-known landmark and tourist stop along the Niobrara River.

Sunflowers and sunrise in the Platte River Prairies.

Sunflowers and sunrise in the Platte River Prairies.