The Tallgrass Prairie in Illinois
Images of Prairie Plants — Genera Beginning with the Letter "A"
Achillea millefolium (yarrow) [Asteraceae, Sunflower Family] — NOT a native plant, but sometimes found in prairies in Illinois.
- habit of plant in flower; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- habit of plant in flower; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- habit of plant in flower; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- inflorescence, composes of may small flower heads; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- finely divided leaves; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- detail of leaf; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Agalinis skinneriana (pale false foxglove) [Scrophulariaceae, Figwort Family]
Aletris farinosa (colic root) [Liliaceae, Lily Family]
Allium cernuum (nodding onion) [Liliaceae, Lily Family]
- Habit of plant in flower; Paintbrush Prairie Nature Preserve, Cook County, Illinois
- Plant in flower; Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois
- Characteristic nodding inflorescence; Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois
- Macro of inflorescence, which is an umbel; Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois
- Macro of flower in longitudinal section; Lockport Prairie Nature Preserve, Will County, Illinois
- Plant in fruit
- Fruits (loculicial capsules); units on ruler = 1 mm
- Fruits (loculicial capsules); units on ruler = 1 mm
- Fruits (loculicial capsules); units on ruler = 1 mm
- Fruits (loculicial capsules); units on ruler = 1 mm
- Seeds; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Seeds; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Ambrosia trifida (giant ragweed) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Amorpha canescens (lead plant) [Fabaceae or Leguminosae, Bean Family]
- Habit of plant in unburned prairie, plant a scraggly shrub; former graduate student Michael J. Moore, Savanna Army Depot /Lost Mound area, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
- Habit of plant in flower; Foley Sand Prairie Nature Preserve, Lee County, Illinois
- Tip of plant with young leaves; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- Closer view of stem tip with young leaves; Don Gardner Prairie Restoration, Ford County, Illinois
- Silvery, pinnately compound leaves; natural prairie remnant between old Route 66 and railroad tracts near O'Dell, Livingston County, Illinois County, Illinois
- Closeup of leaf
- Macro of leaflets showing upper and lower surfaces
- Macro of lower surface of leaflets
- Inflorescences; Foley Sand Prairie Nature Preserve, Lee County, Illinois
- Macro of inflorescence
- Macro of individual flowers. The flowers of lead plant are unusual for the legume family in that they only have one petal, the "banner" or uppermost petal; other petals are absent
- Dissection of flower
- Habit of plant in fruit; Foley Sand Prairie Nature Preserve, Lee County, Illinois
- Inflorescence in fruit (infructescence); Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Macro of whole and dissected fruits with seeds
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Amorpha fruticosa (false indigo) [Fabaceae or Leguminosae, Bean Family] – not a prairie plant, but rather found mostly along the banks of rivers and streams
Andropogon gerardii (big bluestem) [Poaceae or Gramineae, Grass Family]
- Habit of plant; degraded prairie remnant, Champaign County, Illinois
- Habit of a plant with a particularly silver/blue color ; the cultivar 'Prairie Chief', cultivated on the South Farms, University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign
- Habit of plant in autumn; Bonnie's Prairie Nature Preserve, Iroquois County, Illinois
- Photo of a tall plants showing fall color; prairie restoration, South Farm, University of Illinois
- Inflorescences at top of plant — can you see why this plant is called "Turkey Foot"?; degraded prairie remnant, Champaign County, Illinois
- More "Turkey Feet"; prairie restoration, South Farm, University of Illinois
- Closeup of "Turkey Feet"; near Sandoval, Marion County, Illinois
- Inflorescence or Turkey Foot in flower; degraded prairie remnant, Champaign County, Illinois
- Inflorescence or Turkey Foot; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Branch of inflorescence in flower; sand prairie at Big River State Forest north of Oquawka, Henderson County, Illinois
- Macro of flowers
- Macro of inflorescence in fruit
- Macro detail of inflorescence in fruit
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Andropogon scoparius, also called Schizachyrium scoparium (little bluestem) [Poaceae or Gramineae, Grass Family]
Anemone caroliniana (Carolina anemone) [Ranunculaceae, Buttercup Family]
Anemone cylindrica (thimbleweed) [Ranunculaceae, Buttercup Family]
Anemone patens, also called Pulsatilla patens (Pasque flower) [Ranunculaceae, Buttercup Family]
Antennaria plantaginifolia (Pussy-toes) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aquilegia canadensis (wild columbine) — strictly speaking, a woodland plant rather than a prairie plant, but you may enjoy the photos!
Asclepias amplexicaulis (sand or clasping milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias hirtella (green or tall green milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias incarnata (swamp milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias meadii (Mead's milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias stenophylla (narrow-leaved green milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias sullivantii (Sullivant's or prairie milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
- Habitat; original prairie west of Lawrence, Kansas
- Habit of plant in flower; Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Iroquois County, Illinois
- Milky sap; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Closeup of leaves; cultivated at the Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois
- Inflorescence; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Leaves and fruits (follicles); Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Fruits open releasing hairy seeds ; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Fruits open releasing hairy seeds ; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Asclepias syriaca (common milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed, butterfly milkweed, chigger weed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
- Habitat; Roberts Cemetery Savanna Nature Preserve, Montgomery County, Illinois
- Habitat of plant in sand prairie; Illinois Beach State Park, Lake Co., Illinois
- Habit of plant in flower; Loda Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Iroquois County, Illinois
- Inflorescence; cultivated at the Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois
- Macro of inflorescence
- Flowers and Aphrodite fritillary butterfly
- Macro of flowers
- Fruits, the one on the left open and releasing fluffy seeds; Hooper Branch Savanna Nature Preserve, Iroquois County, Illinois
- seed, seeds with fuffy hairs that carry them along on the wind
- seed, tuft of hairs removed
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Asclepias verticillata (horsetail or whorled milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asclepias viridiflora (short green or comet green milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
- Habit of plant in flower; Savanna Army Depot /Lost Mound area, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
- Another plant in flower; Big River State Forest north of Oquawka, Henderson County, Illinois
- Leaf; LaBahn Prairie, Bureau County, Illinois
- Monarch butterfly larva feeding on leaf; Savanna Army Depot /Lost Mound area, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
- Inflorescence; Savanna Army Depot /Lost Mound area, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
- Macro of flowers
- Plant with unopened fruits in sand prairie; Savanna Army Depot /Lost Mound area, Jo Daviess County, Illinois
- Fruits releasing seeds, front side; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Fruits releasing seeds, back side; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Seeds, hairs removed; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Asclepias viridis (green antelopehorn milkweed) [Asclepiadaceae, Milkweed Family]
Asparagus officinalis (wild asparagus) [Liliaceae, Lily Family] — NOT a native plant! However, sometimes wild asparagus can be found in prairies as birds spread the seeds produced from cultivated plants
Aster azureus or Aster oolentangiensis (sky-blue aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster ericoides (heath aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster laevis (smooth or smooth blue aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster linariifolius or Ionactis linariifolius (flax-leaved aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster novae-angliae (New England aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
- Habit of plant in flowerWest Chicago Prairie, DuPage County, Illinois
- Another plant in flower; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Leaves; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Flower heads; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Flower heads; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Flower heads with monarch butterflies; prairie area near Lake Park subdivision, Champaign, Illinois
- Flower heads; prairie restoration area, Illinois Natural History Survey, Champaign, Illinois
- Closeup of flower head; Prospect Cemetery Prairie Nature Preserve, Ford County, Illinois
- Flower head in fruit; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Flower head in fruit, some achenes already having blown away, leaving the receptacle of the head exposed; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Receptacles after most of the achenes have been dispersed; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Several "seeds", which are actually achenes, each with featherly hairs, the pappus, to aid in wind dispersal; units on ruler = 1 mm
- Click here for a distribution map in Illinois from the Illinois Plant Information Network
Aster oblongifolius (aromatic aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster pilosus (hairy aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster sericeus (silky aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Aster shortii (Short's aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family] — this is a species more of dry woodlands than prairies, however these photographs show the structure of the flower heads in asters
Aster umbellatus or Doellingeria umbellata (flat-top aster) [Asteraceae or Compositae, Sunflower Family]
Astragalus canadensis (Canadian milk vetch) [Fabaceae or Leguminosae, Bean Family]
Astragalus crassicarpus (large ground-plum) [Fabaceae or Leguminosae, Bean Family], which is listed as "Endangered" in Illinois
Alphabetical by Genus:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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Created November 1997; updated 25 October 2004