On the east side of the W&OD bike path, just across from the small picnic area south of the Dulles Toll Road, is this isolated little plant with compound flowers composed of a yellow disk in the center and pinkish white rays on the outside.
A close-up of some of the flowers - note the sheer number of small rays on each flower. This is a fleabane, and specifically appears to be a Philadelphia fleabane (
Erigeron philadelphicus), based on the pinkish coloration of the rays, the sessile leaves, and the rather hairy stems. See this
Missouri description, this
Connecticut discussion, and this
Illinois disquisition.
Cinnamon fern (
Osmundastrum cinnamomeum) on the north-facing southern slope of the W&OD bike path between Wiehle Avenue and Isaac Newton Square. Note the characteristic stick-like brown frond in the center, which bears the sori that will produce the reproductive spores, and the surrounding green fronds, which are sterile.
Another nearby clump of cinnamon fern. Compare to
this post from half a month ago showing the fronds still rolled up in fiddleheads.
A thicket of blackberries (
Rubus spp.) erupting into white-petaled bloom north of the W&OD bike path between the Oak Hill Christian School driveway and the pipeline easement. As this
Missouri site points out, arching
Rubus species can be extremely difficult to distinguish; thus, I will keep it to the generic "blackberry".
A beautiful meadow-effect created by the dispersion of innumerable buttercups (
Ranunculus spp.) in the grass that covers the pipeline easement where it crosses the W&OD gravel path (to the left) and W&OD bike path (to the right).
Finally, this little patch along the W&OD bike path across from the Fannie Mae Gardens just east of Old Reston Avenue features both ground ivy (
Glechoma hederacea) and red deadnettle (
Lamium purpureum), allowing the blue/purple flowers of these two ground-covering weeds to be compared. See
this post for an earlier discussion of these two species, as well as the buttercup and the dandelions also visible in this image.
