Plant ID du Jour.... Tall Grass Prairie Seeds Collected

October 30, 2018 5:56 AM

I collected these seeds in field in a pheasant habitat improvement area in the Maple River Game Area in Mid-Michigan. I would assume the field had been planted with native tall-grass prairie seeds and plants. The plant stood out in that I only recall seeing this one specimen.

It was tall. Like 6ft tall. These are obviously the seed pods, but I'm wondering if anyone here recognizes what the plant might be just by seeing the pods.

Thank you!

Photo 1

Photo 2

posted by bricksNmortar to Home & Garden (4 answers total)

It reminds me a bit of cup plant (silphium), but I can’t find any good comparable photos of the dried seed heads at the moment, and I think they have square stems, so probably not.

Can you recall anything about the skeleton? Lots of stems or few, size of clump, size or shape of any leaves left? Also what’s the scale here, are they ~1/2” diameter.
posted by SaltySalticid at 6:05 AM on October 30, 2018

Response by poster: Pods are 1/4" in diameter, maybe 5/16".

Seeds seem to be the tiny, dust-like things in photo 2.

I don't recall much about the plant itself. It was quite skeletal.

Most of the other plants in the field were shoulder-high too.
posted by bricksNmortar at 6:17 AM on October 30, 2018

Response by poster: pretty sure it's moth mullein..

https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/252900/#b
posted by bricksNmortar at 7:03 AM on October 30, 2018

Best answer: Field botanist in Illinois here, I would agree with Verbascum blattaria. Depending on your seeding plans, I would just mention it's a non-native species, if not necessarily invasive, generally sticks to weedy roadsides and disturbed areas.
posted by Ornate Rocksnail at 3:41 PM on October 30, 2018