Plant Identification

[Shin]

I thought I'd share somethings I found while I was doing some plant identification.

See, I am slowly trying to identify the plants that are already here in this backyard. So I go around periodically with this.. really awful.. digital camera, and try to take pictures of them and identify them. It's quite something, because there are all sorts of clues you can look up. The shape of the leaf, the color of the bark, the number of petals of the flowers. .

It's rather like a riddle. In fact I think I will post some plants on this thread here and see if anyone can identify them. . . even when I already know the answer.. plant riddles.

However, here for a first plant is one I haven't had identified yet, and it is not from my backyard.

I found it because another fellow was asking for it to be identified and I liked it plenty. It grows down in TX. . .

Looking up information on plants is just an endless amount of fun, because there are always more plants you could think of trying to cultivate in your backyard. Each with its own possible benefits for health, Latin name, and even sometimes you can find a religious name for it. And even if you can't find a name you can find something of God's purposes for it and to find and remember Our Lord and His Church through it.

[Shin]

Now isn't that a fine looking plant? The only clues I have so far is that it's said to be a weed, found in pastures down in TX.

[whiterockdove]

That is a pretty one!   I like any plant that has verigated or two-tone leaves.
Please tell when you find out the name.

[Shin]

I will try to run it by some Texans. It looks like a windmill or a cross doesn't it? And then the two or three little daisy like flowers in the center..

[Shin]

I have been told the name! It has a few fine names. . .

[Shin]

One of the names is based upon how it looks, and a certain kind of ecclesiastic.

[Shin]

And here's a second plant that folks might recognize. The hint for this plant is that the leaves are very soft to the touch. . .



Can anyone here identify it? 

[whiterockdove]

Ahhhh....can't think of the name but I have seen a plant very similar, is it in the mallow family?
I always like to find out if they have medicinal properties or make good teas or poultices.

[Shin]

Ho ho, the first one is known to be called for something a certain ecclesastical type carries.

The second one, another hint is, that children love to touch it, and feel its soft white-wooly foliage.

[Shin]

Mallows? Never heard of them! Interesting! Reminds me of the time I tried to plant marshmallows as a child, thinking I could grow some. I tried that with a feather too. Then I had a dream I actually did grow a marshmallow plant and ate some and thought it had actually happened for awhile.

Yes I am learning about the health uses of everything! I bet the second plant makes good bandaids.

[whiterockdove]

Is it called mullein?  The one with the soft leaves...We had a plant in Colorado that looked similiar called fuzzy mullein.
An old Spanish healer named Alice told me to drink tea made from the leaves for my asthma.
It worked good but tasted like soap. Yuk.

[whiterockdove]

I planted an empty snail shell when I was a kid...I thought that's how the snail got into its shell...
I don't remember following up on that project, probably forgot and went off on another mission!

[Shin]

Fuzzy mullein, I had to look that up.. why it looks almost exactly like it! In fact I found a webpage dedicated to explaining the differences between the two..

[Shin]

I am going to reveal the answers next.. but it will be in invisible ink to begin with! 

[Shin]

If you wish to read the answers..

In invisible ink -- highlight with the mouse --

Plant # 2 is . . . lamb's ear!

Plant #1 Wait a bit more.

[Shin]

Dear me, I apologize, it looks like I got some of my hints wrong for the first plant.. there are two plants that are different but share one of the same names but not the others.

One of them is called bishop's weed as well as snow on the mountain, but this first one here I think is just called snow on the mountain.

Forgive me I'm just starting out with my plant identification riddles!