Nalle Bunny Run with Bill Carr 2020-10-31

Last weekend on Hill Country Conservancy's Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve I noticed that a certain plant on the sandy prairie area was blooming, covered in tiny white flowers. Over the years of leading group walks here, this plant would catch people's eyes since it's growing in a tight bunch with nothing else similar around. They'd ask me what it was, and I didn't know. Since plants are often much easier to identify when they're blooming, I took some photos. Here's one:

Yankeeweed (Eupatorium compositifolium) - 1 - 2

Back at home I posted it to iNaturalist and to the Texas Flora Facebook group. Pretty quickly Floyd Waller identified it as Yankeeweed (Eupatorium compositifolium). And pretty soon after that, Bill Dodd (@billdodd) realized it might be a new plant record for Travis County. He contacted Bill Carr, longtime Texas botanist who as been tracking plant species in Travis County since the 1980s. Bill Carr confirmed that yep, it was new for his county list! Here's part of the context he emailed us:

To cut to the chase, sandy-loving species are uncommon in our area simply because they don't grow on the limestones and clays that cover 95 percent of our landscape. Eupatorium compositifolium is one such species. It's common as dirt on the Eocene Sands in Bastrop County (and elsewhere in the southeastern US), but hasn't been reported here because of the paucity of sand. It will be really interesting to document its occurrence at Bunny Run and to find out what other sand-loving species might grow with it. Well, interesting to me, at least!

Well it was interesting to me, Bill Dodd, and Hill Country Conservancy too! So we made plans to visit the Bunny Run the following Saturday. We enjoyed a beautiful cool morning, starting at about 40 degrees at 9:00 AM and ending up in the mid-60s when we were done at noon. Bill Carr was impressed with the botanical diversity of the Bunny Run, and I can't wait to see his list and comments for the morning. I tried recording a few of the plants he pointed out, and they are attached to this journal entry below.

And of course we enjoyed seeing the Yankeeweed, which was still in bloom. Here are a few video highlights from the morning:

I kept an eBird list as well:
https://ebird.org/checklist/S75697262

And below are more attached observations, mostly plants that Bill Carr pointed out.

Posted on November 1, 2020 06:48 PM by mikaelb mikaelb

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Coastal Dog Fennel (Eupatorium compositifolium)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 24, 2020 10:19 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Hill Country Conservancy's Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

Any help identifying this plant is appreciated. It's growing in sandy soil in a tight bunch and has been there for years. I happen to catch it blooming today. It's 3-4 feet hight.

Photos / Sounds

What

Plateau Silverbush (Ditaxis simulans)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:03 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Prairie Tea (Croton monanthogynus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:07 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Oneflower Flatsedge (Cyperus retroflexus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:32 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Slender Snakecotton (Froelichia gracilis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:36 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Gummy Lovegrass (Eragrostis curtipedicellata)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:39 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Tall Dropseed (Sporobolus compositus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:53 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Curly-Mesquite (Hilaria belangeri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:56 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Lindheimer Shield Fern (Pelazoneuron ovatum var. lindheimeri)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:02 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Firethorns (Genus Pyracantha)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:10 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

American Coinwort (Centella erecta)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:13 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Velvet-leaf Mallow (Allowissadula holosericea)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:28 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Texas Fluffgrass (Tridens texanus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:33 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Flicker (Colaptes auratus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:39 AM CDT

Description

I recorded two distinct "keew" contact calls, with a Carolina Wren trilling call in the background.

Photos / Sounds

What

Tropic Croton (Croton glandulosus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:55 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Drummond's Leaf-Flower (Phyllanthus abnormis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:59 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Rough Buttonweed (Hexasepalum teres)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 11:01 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Purple Sandgrass (Triplasis purpurea)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 11:04 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Blue Mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 11:18 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

False Nettle (Boehmeria cylindrica)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 11:22 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Skunkweed (Croton texensis)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 11:36 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

House Holly-Fern (Cyrtomium falcatum)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 11:50 AM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Southwest Bernardia (Bernardia myricifolia)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 12:16 PM CDT

Photos / Sounds

What

Seaside Brookweed (Samolus parviflorus)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 10:06 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Hill Country Conservancy's Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

This was a special visit with Bill Dodd and Bill Carr to look at plants, specifically the Yankeeweed (Eupatorium compositifolium) that I accidentally discovered the previous weekend, which turned out to be a first for Travis County.

Photos / Sounds

What

Northern Mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos)

Observer

mikaelb

Date

October 31, 2020 09:35 AM CDT

Description

Taken on Hill Country Conservancy's Nalle Bunny Run wildlife preserve.

This was a special visit with Bill Dodd and Bill Carr to look at plants, specifically the Yankeeweed (Eupatorium compositifolium) that I accidentally discovered the previous weekend, which turned out to be a first for Travis County.

Comments

It was perfect weather for a morning of botanizing, and I really enjoyed the outing. Thanks, Mikael, for arranging for us to come out to the preserve. Looking forward to a return visit in the spring.

Posted by billdodd over 3 years ago

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