close-up Notice how the individual purple disk flowers bloom from the bottom up. The male parts (with the pollen) bloom first then the female parts bloom next. Click on the picture to enlarge the view.
Aster Family The unusual flowers don't make people sneeze, the name comes from an old "demon-exorcising" practice! Long before people understood that germs cause illness, they thought sickness was caused by evil spirits. The leaves of this plant were dried and sniffed up the nose which caused sneezing fits. The evil spirits were "blown out" with each sneeze! (And probably passed on to the others nearby!) Don't try this at home! I found these flowers blooming in Frozen Head State Park in late August. Note the flat wings on the stems. Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge, Frozen Head SP
Pea or Bean Family (INN) Rank 3 This non-native wildflower would have been considered a "weed" by the folks whose garden it had invaded! It is easy to identify once the long fruits start to develop. This was found in late August in Oak Ridge. There is another wildflower called Sicklepod (Arabis canadensis), it is in the Mustard Family. This is why scientific names are so important! Annual Perennial Where seen: Oak Ridge {Formerly known as: Cassia obtusifolia}
