5/24 -- Forbs

The second tour today was about forbs, which are herbaceous flowering plants. We were told that all wildflowers are forbs, but forbs includes many other types of flowers other than wildflowers. Washington has the most amount of diversity when it comes to wildflowers. They grow all over, but most notably on meadows high up on Mt. Rainer. There is an estimated amount of 200 to 600 wildflowers on campus, with half being non-native. One type of common forb that can even be found on campus is the skunk cabbage. It has roots that resemble worms, and can generate heat. This is a rare quality among forbs, but has allowed the skunk cabbage to become one of the most resilient and long-lasting of all forbs. This heat allows it to melt through snow, helping it survive in the colder winter months. The forb is also quite pungent, and smells of garbage if one goes close enough. It spreads through pollination, which is done by beetles who fly from skunk cabbage to skunk cabbage in search of food. One non-native plant is the common vetch, which comes from Europe. It is a nitrogen-fixing plant and is formed in association with ants. The thimbleberry, a native plant found from Alaska to Mexico, is a member of the rose family. Although widespread, this flower flourishes even better after forest fires. Its fruits ripen in late September, and can be used along with other parts of the plant for medicinal use such as healing wounds and burns. There is a huge variety of forbs in Washington as I learned today, but I wonder how big of a role they play in nature. I imagine forbs that fruit are a common food for many animals, but what about forbs without? Do they only give nectar to bugs? This is a huge characteristic, no doubt, but does anything eat the flowers?

Posted on June 5, 2012 03:52 AM by beardendb