index_of_prairie_plants_and

Index of Prairie Plants and Wildlife

The following is a list of the species of prairie plants and wildlife found at the ECBP's site.*

We have linked to various sites for photographs and detailed descriptions, and for this we are deeply appreciative. Our intention is to provide quality information to aid in identification and appreciation of species.

****************************************************************************************************************

Ferns Horsetails Sedges & Rushes Grasses

Forbes Shrubs Trees Fish Reptiles

Amphibians Mammals Insects Birds Misc.

****************************************************************************************************************

Ferns
(Filicinophyta) Ferns represent the second step in the evolution of plants. While they still reproduce by spores (like mosses) they have the addition of a vascular system - transporting fluids throughout the plant.

Sensitive Fern (Onoclea sensibilis)

Horsetails
(Sphenophyta) Paleozoic "trees" distinguished by their straight stems with branches in regular whorls. Equisetum, is the only remaining genus with about thirty living species known worldwide. Most living species are small, weedy plants - known as horsetails, foxtails, or scouring rushes.

Common Horsetail (Equisetum arvense)

Sedges & Rushes
"Sedges have edges and rushes are round, they grow near the water where willows abound."
(Cyperaceae) Grasslike plants having solid stems, leaves in three vertical rows and spikelets of inconspicuous flowers - each flower subtended by a bract.
(Juncus) Clump forming and colonial with stems round, unbranched and green to gray in color; absent of leaf blades or narrow-flattened or cylindrical blade; sheaths at stem bases open; inflorescences stalked, usually open, with branches and branchlets; spikelets on the branches have small green, brown or reddish flowers; fruit a capsule.

Green Bog Sedge (Carex brunnescens)

Common Tussock Sedge (Carex stricta)

Path Rush (Juncus tenuis)

Grasses

Any of various plants with narrow leaves, jointed stems, and spikes or clusters of minute flowers.

Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii)

Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium)

Sideoats Grama (Bouteloua curtipendula)

Rough-leaved Rice Grass (Oryzopis asperifolia)

Forbs

A broad-leafed plant, other than a grass, that does not have a woody stem and usually dies back at the end of each growing season.

Sand Milkweed, Blunt-leaved or Clasping Milkweed (Asclepias amplexicaulis)

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Whorled Milkweed (Asclepias verticillata)

Spring Cress (Cardamine bulbosa)

Spotted Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium maculatum)

Wild Strawberry (Fragaria virginana)

Blunt-leaved Bedstraw (Galium obstusum)

Jewelweed or Touch-me-not (Impatients)

Round-headed Bush Clover (Lespedeza capitata)

Rough Blazingstar (Liatris aspera)

American Bugleweed (Lycopus americanus)

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa)

Violet Wood Sorrel (Oxalis violacea)

Poor Joe ()

Purple Milkwort (Polygala sanguinea)

Common Cinquefoil (Potentilla simplex)

Small-Flowered or Abortive Buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus)

Early Buttercup (Ranunculus fascicularis)

Cursed Buttercup (Ranunculus sceleratus)

Cup Plant or Indian Cup (Silphium perfoliatum)

Catbrier or Common Greenbrier (Smilax rotundifolia)

Venus' Looking-glass (Specularia perfoliata)

Marsh Hedge Nettle (Stachys palustris)

Germander (Teucrium occidentale)

Ohio Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana)

Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata)

Culver's Root (Veronicastrum virginicum)

Arrow-leaved Violet (Viola sagittata)

Bird's-foot Violet (Viola pedata)

Shrubs

A low woody plant having several stems arising from the base, but lacking a single trunk.

Gray or Panicled Dogwood (Cornus racemosa)

American Hazelnut (Corylus americana)

Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina)

Common Dewberry (Rubus flagellaris)

Elderberry (Sambucus canadensis)

Trees

A perennial woody plant with a main trunk, and usually a distinctive crown.

Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)

Black Oak (Quercus velutina)

Basswood or Linden (Tilia americana)

Fish

(Superclass: Pisces) Any of numerous cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates having fins, gills, and a streamlined body and including specifically: a. any of the class Osteichthyes, having a bony skeleton; b. any of the class Chondrichthyes, having a cartilaginous skeleton.

Stoneroller (Campostoma anomalum)

Johnny Darter (Etheostoma nigrum)

Northern Redhorse (Moxostoma aureouim)

Red-bellied Dace or Southern Redbelly Dace (Phoxinus erythrogaster)

Blunt-nosed Minnow (Pimephales notatus)

Reptiles

(Class: Raptilia) Any of various cold-blooded, usually egg-laying vertebrates, having scales or horny plates and breathing by means of lungs.

Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Northern Brown Snake or DeKay's Snake (Storia dekayi)

Amphibians

(Class: Amphibia) A cold-blooded, smooth skinned vertebrate that hatches as an aquatic larva with gills, then transforms into an adult having air-breathing lungs.

American Toad (Bufo americanus)

Spring Peeper (Pseudacris crucifer)

Western Chorus Frog (Pseudacris triseriata)

Green Frog (Rana clamitans)

Northern Leopard Frog (Rana pipiens)

Mammals

(Class: Mammalia) Any of various warm-blooded vertebrate animals, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin, and in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young.

Beaver (Castor canadensis)

Plains Pocket Gopher (Geomys bursarius)

White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus)

Insects

(Class: Insecta) Any of numerous usually small arthropod animals, having an adult stage characterized by three pairs of legs and a body segmented into head, thorax, and abdomen and usually having two pairs of wings.

Water Strider or Pond Skater (Gerris argentatus)

Damselfly or Common Blue Damselfly (Enallagma cyathigerium)

Meadow Fritillary ()

Monarch ()

Viceroy ()

American Copper ()

Tiger Swallowtail ()

Question-mark ()

Buckeye Butterfly ()

Great Spangled Fritillary ()

Red Admiral ()

Birds