K & P Flora - MULLEIN Traditional Cache
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(small)
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We so enjoyed putting out the K & P Ticket and Fauna series, that we thought we would continue along the trail. This time, the theme is the FLORA. If you see any of the trees or flowers mentioned, please feel free to take pictures and post them at the appropriate cache – but please, NO PHOTOS OF EACH CACHE (sure, the log if you have to).
BIKING is possible for the whole trail. This trail is NOT recommended for thin tires! Puddles may need to be crossed after wet weather.
If you don’t see any flora, then you are caching way too fast and not seeing the trees for the forest! Enjoy the ride and enjoy the diverse plant life.
MULLEIN - Verbascum thapsus
Mullein are biennial or perennial plants, rarely annuals or subshrubs, growing to 0.5–3 m tall. The plants first form a dense rosette of leaves at ground level, subsequently sending up a tall flowering stem. Biennial plants form the rosette the first year and the stem the following season. The leaves are spirally arranged, often densely hairy, though glabrous (hairless) in some species. The flowers have five symmetrical petals; petal colours in different species include yellow (most common), orange, red-brown, purple, blue, or white. The fruit is a capsule containing numerous minute seeds.
It is a hairy biennial plant that can grow to 2 metres tall or more. Its small yellow flowers are densely grouped on a tall stem, which bolts from a large rosette of leaves. It grows in a wide variety of habitats, but prefers well-lit disturbed soils, where it can appear soon after the ground receives light, from long-lived seeds that persist in the soil seed bank. It is a common weedy plant that spreads by prolifically producing seeds, but rarely becomes aggressively invasive, since its seed require open ground to germinate. It is a very minor problem for most agricultural crops, since it is not a very competitive species, being intolerant of shade from other plants and unable to survive tilling. It also hosts many insects, some of which can be harmful to other plants. Although individuals are easy to remove by hand, populations are difficult to eliminate permanently.
PARKING: One or two cars can park where the trail intersects roads, but pay attention to NO parking signs so as to not block entrances. A nice place to leave your car in Calabogie is at the end of the trail (N45 17.916 W76 43.033) which is at the local beach and Tourist Information spot. You may want a quick swim?
Additional Hints
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