Early this spring, I began noticing a plant that stood apart. Like so many other wild plants, it grows on vacant properties and path edges. However, this plant has some peculiarities:<\/p>\n
Seeing the plant, I knew I hadn’t come across its picture in my field guide. Yet, I trust the local plants to be in there. I’d re-examine the plant when I passed, hoping to find a new characteristic to help me identify it. Then, I’d search the guide again without success. The pattern continued for weeks.<\/p>\n
Keying descriptions of the plant into the web browser didn’t help, either, until one query yielded the response “nettle”. I realized the mystery plant could resemble a nettle, though not one I’d seen in the guide.<\/p>\n
Querying “nettle”, I quickly got an image that led me to identification: the red (or purple) dead-nettle. It’s a plant from Eurasia that has established itself here.<\/p>\n
Having identified the plant, I checked the field guide’s index for it; indeed, it’s in there, though without a picture. It’s mentioned in a paragraph as related to the common dead-nettle.<\/p>\n
I’m excited about this identification, and will be sharing more as they evolve.<\/p>\n
Source:<\/p>\n
wikipedia<\/a><\/p>\n Pojar, Jim and Andy MacKinnon. Plants of Coastal British Columbia<\/u>. Vancouver:<\/br> BC Ministry of Forests and Lone Pine Publishing, 1994.<\/p>\n