Spring Ephemeral Wildflower Challenge Spring ephemerals are perennial wildflowers of the Eastern deciduous woodlands that bloom in the early spring on cool forest floors. All of these plants were photographed here in Guelph. Part One: How many plants can you identify? See next page for answers.
1 2 3
4 5 6
7 8 9 Part One Answer Key
Spring beauty Cut-leaf toothwort Round-lobed hepatica Claytonia virginica Cardamine concatenata Anemone americana Miner's lettuce family Mustard family Buttercup family
1 2 3
Large-flowered bellwort Bloodroot Dog violet Uvularia grandiflora Sanguinaria canadensis Viola conspersa Colchicum family Poppy family Violet family
4 5 6
Red trillium Wild ginger Yellow Lady's slipper Trillium erectum Asarum canadense Cypripedium Bunchflower family Birthwort family parviflorum Orchid family
7 8 9 Part Two: Match the plants to their descriptions. See answers below. A. The second part of my scientific name means "large flower" My drooping flowers are pollinated by native bees who hang on to the petals and crawl up inside White-tailed deer love to eat my young shoots, and they can also be cooked and eaten by humans I am ______.
B. my delicate flowers and heart-shaped leaves are edible and nutritious My flowers have tiny stripes to help lead pollinators towards my nectar Like my relatives, I make secret underground flowers in addition to my above-ground flowers. These secret flowers are self-pollinating and make tiny seeds that are dispersed by ants. I am ______.
C. one of my names is "wake robin", which comes from comparing the colour of my flower with a robin's breast I'm pollinated by carrion flies and attract them using both the colour of my flower and its fragrance, which is said to be reminiscent of rotting meat I am ______.
D. I have amazing neon pink anthers (the tip of the stamen, the filament in the centre of my flower, that bears pollen) I am a tiny flower growing low on the forest floor. I'm easy to miss, but my vibrant colour makes me worth looking for
I am ______. E. I am one of the very first flowers to open in hardwood forests in spring, providing food for the insects who are just waking up I have 6 sepals ranging from white to purple, and my stems are very hairy my common name comes from the Latin word for "liver" I am ______.
F. I have a highly distinctive basal leaf, which is large and deeply veined with 5-7 lobes I get my name from the red juice in my root that is used as medicine and dye My leaves also contain this juice, which deters mammals from eating me. However, many flies use my nectar as a food source. I am ______.
G. I love to grow in wetlands and forest edges indigenous peoples taught early settlers to use me as medicine to calm the nerves I have a very unusual flower that has earned me my name, as well as the name "moccasin flower" I am ______.
H. my name comes from my deeply cut, 3-lobed leaves My spicy roots look like a string of beads and are used as food and medicine I share my flavour with my relatives garlic mustard and radish I am ______. I. my heart shaped leaf, stem, and unusual flower are all fuzzy my flower is also pollinated by flies, and uses its colour and funky scent to attract them my name comes from the spicy, pungent flavour of my root which has long been cherished in traditional medicine for colds and flus I am ______. Note: Spring ephemerals grow slowly. Please don't harvest them unless absolutely necessary. Always confirm your identification with a trusted source before picking or preparing a plant for food.
Part Two Answer Key
A. Large-flowered bellwort F. Bloodroot B. Dog violet G. Yellow lady's slipper C. Red trillium H. Cut-leaf toothwort D. Spring beauty I. Wild ginger E. Round-lobed hepatica