Pityopsis graminifolia
Asteraceae
And thank you to John Lampkin for the cranefly ID
Today John and I worked inside on our upcoming wildflower atlas. I proudly say “our,” but I’m just the assistant, while John’s wildflower photos are the value. Of these, one of my alltime fave is Grassleaf Golden Aster, aka Silkgrass, with big bright yellow flower heads and its silvery silky leaves.
Some of its points of interest are:
1. It likes fires, recovering quickly after a burn, and suffering from competition in the absence of fire to clear the ground. Its presence in open sandy scrub no doubt comes from the minimal competition there.
2. The leaves have long silky hairs that fuse into a network. The silk is no doubt protective…from sun, from wind, from herbivores, and the silk has an extra surprise role in the environment: “Wool Carder Bees” (Anthidium maculifrons in the present case) harvest the “wool” and use it to “feather” their nest.
3. Today’s flower belongs to a complicated complex of intergrading variants where lines separating distinct species are tough to discern. The different members of the complex have different appearances, different habitats, and even different chromosome numbers.
That is all well and good, but the reason it deserves attention tonight is a less common floral visitors, a crane fly.
Here is a very short video clip of one “going at it” today: CLICK
Photos taken today show a little pollen on the flower-visiting cranefly, so, well, maybe he/she helps the plant.
John Bradford
George Rogers
George Rogers
Dee Staley
Treasure Coast Natives 
Annie Hite
December 3, 2021 at 8:58 pm
It’s great to learn something every day but this is really surprising! I had no idea that mosquitoes feed on nectar and can be pollinators. Thanks for opening up the world another bit for me.
George Rogers
December 5, 2021 at 6:43 am
Thanks Annie, Better feeding on nectar than un us!
theshrubqueen
December 4, 2021 at 2:36 pm
How interesting, I wonder if the mosquitoes do that because the scrub areas are so dry??
George Rogers
December 4, 2021 at 6:10 pm
Good idea! I wonder. The skeeter-flower interface remains very poorly studied, Somebody could have a great time exploring….but would need expertise in flowers, mosquitoes, travel, expensive equipment and fancy techniques.
theshrubqueen
December 4, 2021 at 6:21 pm
I live on the scrub..fewer mosquitoes here than summer in Atlanta. More dragonflies too.
beth
December 6, 2021 at 1:13 pm
Hi George and John,
Once again, cool!!!
Bees making nests with hairs from silk grass. That’s cute!!
Beth
PS. Thanks!
George Rogers
December 10, 2021 at 10:43 pm
Hi Beth! Would love to have camera handy and catch the hair harvest, but so far not achieved!