Nearctica - Biomes - Eastern Deciduous Forest

Wildflowers of Eastern Deciuous Forest 3

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	Canada Mayflower is one of the commonest wildflowers of the northern half of the Eastern Deciduous Forest. Its range stretches northward into the Northern Boreal Forest and westward into the Prairie biome as well. The plants are spring wildflowers appearing in late April and May. Canada Mayflower is easily recognized by the tear-drop shaped leaves and the flowers are in clusters on the end of a thin stalk. The berries are white. The entire plant ranges in height from 3 to 6 inches and much shorter than related species it might be confused with. The species occurs in woods and clearings and is very tolerant of different soil types.
	The orchid family is possibly the most diverse group of plants in the world. Several species occur in the Eastern Deciduous Forest, some quite showy (as the one in the picture), but many others with flowers not nearly as extravegant as we might expect orchids to be. The species pictured is one of the most showy flowers of the Eastern Deciduous Forest; Pink Lady-slipper (Cypripedium acaule). The Pink Lady-slipper occurs in both the Eastern Deciduous Forest and the Northern Boreal Forest. and ranges from Newfoundland and Alberta southward to Indiana and New Jersey. It continues southward along the Atlantic coast and the Appalachian Mountains to Georgia. The species is found on acid soils, in particular sphagnum bogs or upland forests with very acid soils. Orchid seeds are very small. The seeds have a unique mutualistic relationship with various soil fungi. Without the fungi the seeds cannot germinate. Wildflowers, in general, should never be picked for conservation reasons. The Pink Lady-slipper and its other showy relatives are particulaly vulnerable.
	Go down to the muddy river banks, swamps, and ponds of the Eastern Deciduous Forest in the early spring and you will undoubtedly find the flowers of Skunk Cabbage beginning to emerge. The flowers are the first to emerge in the spring with a distinctive red, globular shape containing a knobby "spadix" inside. The red "spathe" has a hook at the top. Later in the spring the broad leaves appear. The leaves when crushed have a very disagreable smell, not doubt the reason for the name Skunk Cabbage. Skunk Cabbage occurs throughout the northern two-thirds of the Eastern Deciduous Forest and goes even further south in the Appalachian Mountains.
	The genus Viola comprises the violets of woods and fields. There are many different violet species with different habitat requirements. The one pictured on the left is Wooly Blue Violet (Viola sororia) and is possibly the most common violet in eastern North America. This violet occurs in woods, fields, waste places, and lawns. The most common colors of violet species are violet, white, and yellow, other all possible shades of these colors occur. The visible flowers of many violet species are sterile and reproduction occurs in small flowers without petals arising from the base of the plant and almost never seen unless you happen to look for them. These obscure flowers are called "cleistogamous". Violets are the preferred foodplant of the group of butterflies called fritillaries.