April 27: Bare woods, False Rue Anenome & Spring Beauty

Today is so beautiful that it's really hard to be inside. It's 67 degrees and there's not a cloud in the sky. The woods are still very sunny because there are no leaves or undergrowth yet.

A clear woods is good for flowers that like sunshine, though. The False Rue Anenome and Spring Beauty are starting to bloom. 

True Rue or False Rue Anenome?

I confess that I'm not always sure what's a Rue Anenome and what's a False Rue Anenome...Rue Anenomes have notched petals and False Rue Anenomes have lobed petals...but do the petals get more lobed as they get older? In this picture, it looks like there are lobed petals in the background. Plus False Rues always have just five petals whereas true Rues often have more. I hope it's a False Rue because they are endangered flowers in many states.

Also starting to bloom is the Spring Beauty. There's no mistaking this plant. The stripes on the blossoms lead insects to the nectar.

Spring Beauty

From http://www.naturepods.com/nature-field-guides/spring-wildflowers-of-the-southeast-naturepod/spring-wildflower-naturepod-fun-facts:

"Spring Beauty only opens on sunny days. Some old wives-tales used this behavior as a barometer to predict oncoming storms. Wildlife also relish spring beauty. Deer and wild hogs dig the starchy tuber for lunch. Some people say that the raw root tastes like a radish, but when it’s baked it tastes like a cross between a baked potato and roasted chestnuts."