Long Branch Prairie

Hit Counter

Lon

Pioneer Prairie

Mesquite, Texas

Most of these photos were taken in during the first week of July, 2003. Plants seen included Purple Coneflower, Englemann Daisy, Common Sunflower, Drummond's Skullcap, Ratany, Yellow Puff, Little Blue Stem, Side Oats Grama, KR Bluestem, Johnson Grass, White Prairie Clover, Western Ironweed, American Germander, Redroot, Winecup, Prairie Acacia, White Heliotrope, Firewheel, Purple Horsemint, Narrowleaf Four-O'clock, Gayfeathers, Prairie Plantain, Showy Primrose, and many others. There were 2-3 kestrels, a red-tailed hawk, and other birds. Special thanks to James Rush for showing Derek & me the prairie that he has visiting over the last 2 years. Pioneer Prairie is bounded by Galloway Avenue, Republic Pkway, Columbia Pkway, Oates Dr., and Northwest Drive. The area is dissected by many off-road vehicle roads and a large powerline right-of-way. Due to the lack of periodic fire, there is much encroachment on the prairie by e. red cedar, honey locust, and other woody species. Plant list is at bottom of page.

2003 Update:

November, 2003

James Rusk reports for Pioneer Prairie:

They brought the bulldozers in last Thursday. I've enclosed some pictures:

1: This is where the road you went up last summer used to be.
2: This is looking north. I'm standing where some woods used to be. You can see
Northwest Drive in the background.

Everything west of the utility easement is still intact.

James

Note the above photos are typical of the continued destruction of remnant prairies in north central

Texas.

James Rusk submitted these 4 photos for identification. Please help identify these.

Upper Left: Redroot, New Jersey Tea (Ceanothus americanus)

Upper Right: White Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis albiflora) ?

Lower Left: Bull Thistle (Cirsium horridulum)?

Lower Right: Four-O'Clock (Mirabilis linearis)

Click on thumbnails below to enlarge...

Left to Right: Rattlesnake Master, Long Branch, Long Branch, Bluebell Gentians, Long Branch, clasping-leaf coneflower, white prairie clover

Left to Right: rattlesnake master, Long Branch, field of rough-stem rosin weed, purple prairie cover & basketflower,

mexican hat w. beetle, Texas star w. beetle, snow-on-the-prairie, Long Branch, yellow puff

Left to Right: rough-stemmed rosinweed, blue sage, rattlesnake master, wand milkweed, bluebell gentians, wild leek?, fiery skipper on prairie clover.

Left to Right: funereal skipper on purple prairie clover, maypop passion-flower, lance-leaf loosestrife, common sunflower, stream bed, power line right of way road, impacts from off-road vehicles (there are many of these roads

crossing the prairie).

Aerial photo with legend

Longbranch Prairie and environs – 8/1/03

James Rusk, Jack Hill & son, Jim Varnum

Plants listed in BRIT* order.

* BTIT = Shinners and Mahler’s Illustrated Flora of North Center Texas

No.	Mark	Scientific Name	Common Name	Plant	Family	Code	Page
1.	X	Juniperus virginiana	Eastern red cedar	Tree	Cypressaceae	c	203
2.	X	Ruellia humilis	Low reullia, Wild petunia	Forb	Acanthaceae	d	216
3.	X	Toxicodendron radicans subsp. ?	Poison ivy	All	Anacardiaceae	d	236
4.	X	Erynginium leavenworthii	Eryngo	Forb	Apiaceae	d	252
5.	X	Erynginium yuccafolium	Rattlesnake master	Forb	Apiaceae	d	252
6.	X	Torilis arvensis	Hedge parsley, Beggar’s lice	Forb	Apiaceae	d	262
7.	X	Asclepias viridiflora	Wand milkweed	Forb	Asclepiadaceae	d	282
8.	X	Asclepias viridis	Green milkweed	Forb	Asclepiadaceae	d	282
9.	X	Ambrosia artemisiifolia	Little ragweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	309
10.	X	Ambrosia trifida var. texana	Giant ragweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	310
11.	X	Arnoglossum plantagineum	Indian plantain	Forb	Asteraceae	d	314
12.	X	Aster ericoides (NEW Symphyotrichum ericoides)	Heath aster	Forb	Asteraceae	d	318
13.	X	Brickellia eupatorioides var. texana	False boneset	Forb	Asteraceae	d	329
14.	X	Centaurea americana	American basketflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	332
15.	X	Conyza canadensis var. =	Horseweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	341
16.	X	Echinacea angustifolia	Purple prairie coneflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	347
17.	X	Helianthus annuus	Texas sunflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	369
18.	X	Helianthus maximiliani	Maximilian sunflower	Forb	Asteraceae	d	370
19.	X	Iva angustifolia	Narrow-leaf sumpweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	379
20.	X	Liatris mucronata	Gayfeather	Forb	Asteraceae	d	384
21.	X	Silphium radula	Rough-stem rosinweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	406
22.	X	Solidago rigida	Rigid goldenrod	Forb	Asteraceae	d	414
23.	X	Vernonia baldwinii	Western ironweed	Forb	Asteraceae	d	428
24.	X	Catalpa speciosa	Catalpa	Tree	Bignoniaceae	d	443
25.	X	Heliotropium tenellum	Pasture heliotrope	Forb	Boraginaceae	d	450
26.	X	Rapistrum rugosum	NCN, bastard cabbage	Forb	Brassicaceae	d	476
27.	X	Symphoricarpos orbiculata	Coralberry	Shrub	Caprifoliaceae	d	510
28.	X	Ipomoea cordatotriloba var. ?	Morning-glory	Vine	Convolvulaceae	d	556
29.	X	Cornus drummondii	Rough-leaf dogwood	Tree	Cornaceae	d	561
30.	X	Curcubita foetidissima	Buffalo gourd	Vine	Cucurbitaceae	d	568
31.	X	Curcubita texana	Texas gourd	Vine	Cucurbitaceae	d	568
32.	X	Cuscuta sp.	dodder	Forb	Cuscutaceae	d	572+
33.	X	Chamaesyce nutans	Eyebane	Forb	Euphorbiaceae	d	596
34.	X	Croton monanthogynus	Prairie tea	Forb	Euphorbiaceae	d	600
35.	X	Euphorbia bicolor	Snow-on-the prairie	Forb	Euphorbiaceae	d	606
36.	X	Sapium sebiferum	Chinese tallow	Tree	Euphorbiaceae	d	612
37.	X	Chamacrista fasciculata	Partridge pea	Forb

X

Solidago rigida