Pipsissewa, "Spotted wintergreen"; Chimaphila maculata. Wintergreen family. Although it is known as "spotted", the leaves are striped, not spotted. Also known as "Prince's Pine".
Identified by my favorite field guide for the Smoky Mountain area:
"Great Smoky Mountains Wildflowers" by Campbell, Hutson and Sharp (UTenn. Press, 1962, 1977, and still in print)
This interesting page on Wikipedia tells about a different species of Chimaphila, but most of the info remains true to this one, I believe. I was pleased to learn the source of the common name--a Cree Indian word. The Cree are mainly a Western people, and this is mainly an Eastern plant, so I'm not sure how that works. . . but perhaps the Cree originally lived in the East, as is often the historical case.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pipsissewa
And this about the species seen above.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chimaphila_maculata
Tags: root favorite memory Carolina medicinal wildflower wild plant native wintergreen
Lycopodium lucidulum.
A fascinating plant which I was struck by yesterday while taking a short woods-walk. This area had several patches, this size and larger, "shining" at me amongst the dry leaf litter! Came home and read about it. Our amazing world. Here's one good discussion, but you will find it listed in a number of plant databases. Hubbard Brook, below, is in New Hampshire, among the other highest mountains in the Appalachian chain, the White Mountains. Although we are in the upland South (Blue Ridge), our mountain ecosystems closely resemble those of upland NH--and we have the East's highest mountain (if you care), Mt. Mitchell; it vied with Mt. Washington in NH for that honor for many years.
www.hubbardbrook.org/w6_tour/herb-stop/club-moss.htm
Tags: club moss moss forest amazing shining Appalachia woods winter forest floor leaves lycopodium buncombecounty ncpedia forestlitter
I love these active spots like rotting stumps; who knows what's going on within!
Please view on BLACK.
Tags: silhouette woods forest stump tree nc mystuart sunshine leaves winter chilly hike
Hepatica (3-lobed leaf), club moss, and lichen (and, I think, toothwort in the upper right) peeking through the leaf litter on the forest floor!
Happy New Year to all Flickrites!
Tags: hepatica forest floor pisgah national forest nc usfs mystuart 2011. dryleaves lichen moss
Big Ivy, Pisgah National Forest (Coleman Boundary). At Corner Rock Creek.