aka wild leek; Alium tricoccum; Liliaceae (lily family)

When I was growing up ramps were a delicacy mostly known to and eaten by poor people who lived and foraged in the Appalachians. Nowadays ramps are a delicacy loved by chefs and gourmets and trend-chasers, hard to avoid if you like that kind of restaurant (I do).  You can also find them at farmers’ markets, where you’ll pay a bundle for something once considered weeds.

I think they taste awful, like slowly sinking in a vat of onions in a nightmare and you can’t scream for help.

Whatever floats your boat.  The problem now is that the plants are in danger of being over-foraged.  Interesting article in the New York Times.  Remember that “sustainable” goes with “local” and “seasonal”.

These pictures were taken in a protected area, by the way.

Each plant bears a single stem and flower about two months after the emergent foliage has died away.  Here’s what you’ll see of the plants in early spring:

aka large bluets, Houstonia purpurea; Rubiaceae (madder family)

According to the USDA plants database, five species of Houstonia can be found in this area.  I’ve only ever seen azure bluets (FOTD 4/25), so I was pretty excited when I spotted these plants.  I’ve only found one small clump so far, along a section of the canal towpath that rarely fails to surprise me.

The plant stands about a foot and a half tall, though it can be somewhat weak-stemmed (the picture above is actually rotated 90 degrees; the plant was mostly horizontal).  The flowers are pretty tiny.

Elymus hystrix; Poaceae (grass family)

I find grass flowers every bit as beautiful and fascinating as all other flowers.  Really, really difficult to identify at times, but this inflorescence is pretty unusual.  I’ve been relying on Grasses of Washington, DC., downloaded from the Smithsonian Institution Scholarly Press.

Grasses are fascinating.  Recently evolved, highly adaptable (found in almost every climate), they appear simple but are stunningly complex.  And of course they were critical in the development of human civilization.

Argia apicalis.  I think.  I’m always saying that I’m not a botanist.  I’m not an entomologist, either.  But I like this picture.

Hydrangea arborescens; Hydrangeaceae (hydrangea family; older sources place it in the Saxifragaceae)

I was lucky to find this particular plant; it isn’t rare, but it is unusual to find a specimen with large clusters of the showy sterile flowers (actually bracts).  More typically in the wild you’d see an inflorescence of much smaller (and less spectacular) fertile flowers, with just a few of the sterile flowers around the edges.  Wild hydrangea is a small understory shrub that likes moist but well-drained soils.  It is listed as endangered in Florida and New York.  This one was found on the Cabin John Trail, not very far from the water.