BNW is an alien biennial species with the carrot-like taproot forming the first year. I pulled up a second year plant that had already gone by--its taproot was all dried out. A first year root will be more like the carrot we know. At that time, it's more like a storage device.
From the Handbook of Nature Study:
"The wild carrot is known in some localities as the "bird's nest weed" because the maturing fruit clusters, their edges curving inward, look like little birds' nests."
I watched a very moving and inspirational The National Parks: America's Best Idea Episode 1 by Ken Burns while finishing up this post. See PBS for more information on this series.
Comstock, Anna Botsford. Handbook of Nature Study. New York, 1911. 544. Web. Google Book Search. 27 Sep 2009.
I love that name, "bird's nest weed"- I have never heard it called that before.
ReplyDeleteDid you see the pages of John Muir's journals in the Ken Burns/Nat'l Parks special? Gosh I'd love a chance to look through those- I'll bet if i dig deep enough I can find them online somewhere; I'll link you if i do!
~gretchen
BINGO!
ReplyDeleteCheck this link out:
http://library.pacific.edu/ha/digital/muirjournals/
wow... this will keep me busy all winter!
~gretchen
Nice going, Gretchen! Thanks a bunch! :-)
ReplyDeleteBy the way, that moleskineus.com link--much better is my Amazon Prime. Free 2-day shipping, great selection, and less expensive.
Gretchen, I had the same idea about John Muir's notebooks and I wanted to grab that quote of his about sitting next to a plant for a few minutes or all day....I will look for it. - Joyce
ReplyDelete