I would greatly appreciate any leads on the identity of this vine
I saw in flower today, in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/sideview.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/diagview.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/headon.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/buds.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/leaf.jpg

The flower was a little under an inch long. Most of the flower buds
had yet to open. The leafs were very variable in size; the one I
show was about 2.5 inches across (smaller ones are visible in the
buds.jpg). Hopefully the pictures show the white "fuzz" or hair
inside the flower (whatever flower part it is, it looks fuzzy),
and the black anthers (I am assuming they are anthers).

I have spent a fair amount of time in the references and this one really
has me stumped.

Aconitum reclinatum A.Gray, "Wolfsbane".

The flower color probably threw you because most Aconitum are blue flowered.


"David Hamilton Cox" wrote in message
...
I would greatly appreciate any leads on the identity of this vine
I saw in flower today, in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/sideview.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/diagview.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/headon.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/buds.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/leaf.jpg

The flower was a little under an inch long. Most of the flower buds
had yet to open. The leafs were very variable in size; the one I
show was about 2.5 inches across (smaller ones are visible in the
buds.jpg). Hopefully the pictures show the white "fuzz" or hair
inside the flower (whatever flower part it is, it looks fuzzy),
and the black anthers (I am assuming they are anthers).

I have spent a fair amount of time in the references and this one really
has me stumped.

Have a look at Trailing Wolfsbane: Aconitum reclinatum
(Ranunculaceae), which has trailing stems. I'm having trouble finding
images on the web, but it matches the picture in Rickett's Wild Flwers
of te United States, Northeastern States.

M. Reed
Texas A&M

David Hamilton Cox wrote:

I would greatly appreciate any leads on the identity of this vine
I saw in flower today, in the Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/sideview.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/diagview.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/headon.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/buds.jpg
1. http://www.nyx.net/~dhcox/park/leaf.jpg

The flower was a little under an inch long. Most of the flower buds
had yet to open. The leafs were very variable in size; the one I
show was about 2.5 inches across (smaller ones are visible in the
buds.jpg). Hopefully the pictures show the white "fuzz" or hair
inside the flower (whatever flower part it is, it looks fuzzy),
and the black anthers (I am assuming they are anthers).

I have spent a fair amount of time in the references and this one really
has me stumped.

Thanks for the id. I did look briefly at that in one book, but
discounted it because the monkshood seemed to have this distinct
separation between the flower parts, and the one I saw seemed
all of a piece; and this may be due to how early in the unfolding
process the flower I saw was. I get fooled often by forgetting
this variable of the developmental stage, like the time I posted
a picture of a monarda after all the actual flowers had fallen
off.

Thanks again!

-David

Sorry to piggyback my own post, but I did finally find an image:

http://aa.uncw.edu/digilib/biology/p...ers/WF122b.jpg

Looks like this is a rareish plant--you found a little treasure!

Monique Reed