Native Plants
Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?
A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.
Did you know you can access the Native Plant Information Network with your web-enabled smartphone?
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
Ask Mr. Smarty Plants is a free service provided by the staff and volunteers at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.
rate this answer
Tuesday - May 31, 2011
From: South Salem, NY
Region: Northeast
Topic: Plant Identification
Title: Identification of small plant
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
Hi, Mr. Smarty Plants, We are doing a biology project where we have to identify certain plants found in our area. We encountered a infinity symbol-shaped light green plant, about 4 cm high, and light green. There are two leaves on the top making a T shape. We were thinking maybe it was a small sapling of some kind. Any idea as to what it could be? Thank you! From the frustrated biology studentsANSWER:
Dear Frustrated Biology Students: I am afraid you are going to continue to be frustrated because, from your description, I don't know what your plant could be. You should realize (and probably do) that tiny plants without flowers are incredibly hard to identify—especially from a description alone. Also, I'm not sure what about the plant is 'infinity shaped'. Is it the arrangement of the two leaves? Or, are they shaped like the letter T? From its size and the fact that it only has two leaves, it sounds like a seedling of some sort. There is a British database, Seedling Images, that shows hundreds of seedlings. Most are European species, but there is a good representation of North American species as well. Virginia Tech has a Weed Identification Guide that has seedling photographs for many of the species. If you have a photo of the plant, you could consider submitting it for identification to one of the forums listed on our Plant Identification pages.
More Plant Identification Questions
Identification of a Globe Mallow
March 14, 2008 - Mr. SP,
Two or three years ago I purchased a mallow at the Wildflower Center that (I was told) had not yet been identified. I have looked at your pictures of Sphaeralcea hastulata which has the same ...
view the full question and answer
Possible identification of Hydrocotyle bonariensis
July 01, 2007 - I went to Pedra Island two years ago I saw a plant that grew around the beach. It has a perfectly round leaf that has the stem in the middle of the back side of the leaf. It has small yellow flowers. ...
view the full question and answer
Who was Salvia clevelandii named for?
May 12, 2009 - Where does the term "clevelandii (as in the Salvia I recently saw for the first time) originate?
view the full question and answer
Difference between invasive Chinese and Japanese wisterias and native wisteria
September 12, 2014 - Dear Mr or Ms Smarty Plants,
Is there any way I can tell for sure if my wisteria is native? I bought it at a place when it was in bloom that sold a lot of native plants. I Would like to know for sure...
view the full question and answer
Identification of old plant called pinks
February 28, 2008 - For years my mother had a pretty pink flower in her yard. It was in a little cluster of green leaf like bush. She just called them pinks. They would close in the sun and open in the morning or afte...
view the full question and answer
| Support the Wildflower Center by Donating Online or Becoming a Member today. |