Morning of August 6, 2010

The western-most pond in the Fannie Mae gardens is fringed by these extremely showy plants with large leafs that float on the water and flap lazily in the wind.  Given that the leaves are entirely round, rather than bearing one deep notch, these are lotus (Nelumbo spp.) rather than water lilies.  Interspersed with the lotuses at this particular location are cattails (Typha latifolia).

Another view, which clearly shows the very characteristic seedpods left behind when the petals drop away.

Given that many of the flowers have a pinkish rather than a yellow core, these appear to be not the American lotus (Nelumbo lutea, see this Wikipedia article), but rather a hybrid with the pink Indian lotus (Nelumbo nucifera, see this Wikipedia entry).

Along the eastern edge of the pond, between the lotus pad and the shore, one can find this dense mat of aquatic plants with alternate leaves and showy five-petaled yellow flowers.  This is a form of water primrose (Ludwigia spp), and appears to be creeping water primrose (Ludwigia peploides, see this Wikipedia article and this Alabama description), which is a noxious weed.  Like other primroses, the flowers are open in the morning but have disappeared by late afternoon.

This pond, like many others in Reston, is also ringed by graceful weeping willows (Salix babylonica, see this Virginia Tech fact sheet and this Wikipedia article), an ornamental introduced from China.  In this shot, a cardinal can be spotted resting on a branch in the middle of the image.

Along the W&OD bike path, as here opposite from the Fannie Mae Gardens, one frequently encounters large patches of Japanese stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum, see this National Park Service description and this photo gallery), which is highly invasive.  The grass superficially resembles deer-tongue grass (Dichanthelium clandestinum, compare this blog entry from a couple of months ago), but is smaller, and the leaves are less clasping of the stem.

In the broad weed-covered opening where the W&OD bike path crosses the pipeline easement, once can find this morning glory vine, whose flower is marked by five light pink splotches separated by white spokes.  This appears to be a variety of hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium);  see the picture of a pink variety at this Missouri description.  Note also the very characteristic arrowhead-shaped leaves.  Other instances of this flower that I have seen along the W&OD path have been white rather than pink;  see, for example, this post from last October.

Morning of October 8, 2009

At sunrise on this beautiful morning, the very red sunlight playing on a tulip tree (Liriodendron tulipifera) at Charter Oak Court.

This vine can be found in the fence at the southwestern corner of the intersection of the W&OD bike path with Michael Faraday Drive.  I believe this is hedge bindweed (Calystegia sepium);  see Virginia Tech weed ID sheet and this Missouri wildflower page.  A bit difficult to see, but the big leaf to the left of the flower is in fact triangular with deep notch and "dog ears" at its base.

Another shot of a nearby flower about to open, with a better view of the leaf shape to the lower left.  Also clearly visible in this shot is the green cup covering the calyx, at the base of the flower, which gives this plant its generic name.  The bindweeds are part of the Morning Glory family;  each individual flower only blooms for a day or so.

More red berries!  These belong to the very thorny/prickly vine stems that run vertically in the left portion of the image.  I believe these are the fruit of the multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora).  See this Virginia Tech fact sheet, and this indictment from the National Park Service.  I have found them most noticeable along the W&OD gravel path near the top of the rocky slope east of Michael Faraday Drive, interspersed with autumn olives and honeysuckles.

This image shows some of the small, pinnately compound leaves with small, toothed leaflets.  Somewhat out of focus but still visible near the bottom right is the characteristic fringed stipule of a leaf.