Typical "buttons" of prairie dock seedheads forming high in the air. Prairie dock is related to Compass Plant and Cup Plant, but has distinctive unmistakable leaves. The flowers themselves might easily be confused.

Images from the various remnants and restorations of tall grass prairies in the Midwest states. This includes not only the grasses found there, but wild flowers and wildlife. Everything from closeups to landscapes.

For now, the pictures are largely winter scenes from the prairie restoration at Secor Park, Toledo, Ohio.

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arctangent > Prairie dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum). Easily the tallest composite that blooms on the tall grass prairie, with stalks up to 10 ft tall.

In winter the large basal leaves take on a fascinating appearance, including a rich dark color and a polka-dot pattern. The stalk seen here towers over even the tallest of the tall grasses.

For a good discussion of this plant, see for example, http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/pr_dockx.htm

arctangent > Typical "buttons" of prairie dock seedheads forming high in the air.

Prairie dock is related to Compass Plant and Cup Plant, but has distinctive unmistakable leaves. The flowers themselves might easily be confused.

arctangent > Prairie dock closeup. Not all the blooms are 10 feet in the air, fortunately for the poor photographer!

arctangent > Hello, sunshine. A bloom of prairie dock just beginning to develop the sexual organs of the flower center.

arctangent > Prairie dock turned to face the sun.

arctangent > Prairie dock bloom with backlighting.

arctangent > Leaf, prairie dock, from last year. The huge basal leaves typically curl when they dry, exposing what once was the under side as the upper side, with its characteristic speckled or polka-dot patterning.

arctangent > Prairie grasses.

Tall grass prairie, Secor Park, Toledo, OH
August 24, 2009

arctangent > Delicate strength of tall grasses on the prairie.

Typical "buttons" of prairie dock seedheads forming high in the air.

Prairie dock is related to Compass Plant and Cup Plant, but has distinctive unmistakable leaves. The flowers themselves might easily be confused.