Obolaria virginica
Gentianaceae

You know how birders keep “life lists” of their sightings? I have a life list of wildflower finds. I was delighted to add three new plants to it earlier this week, after visiting Rachel Carson Conservation Park: pinxter azalea, pennywort, and an orchid.

…and that’s about the most interesting thing I can say about pennywort. It’s a low-growing forb of moist woodlands, ranging from Texas northeast into Pennsylvania. There are no conservation issues. Obolaria is a monotypic genus (meaning there are no other species of Obolaria). I saw no other pennywort plants in the area.

“Pennywort”, by the way, is a popular name; there are quite a few plants (entirely unrelated to each other) that are called “pennywort”.

That’s all, folks. Tomorrow: the orchid. You can see a bud peeking up behind the pennywort in the photo above.