Windwolf
Crex Meadows ... Host to a Multitude of Flowers and Plants
Birdfoot violet
Viola pedata
The Birdfoot Violet seems to be common throughout the meadows. The top left picture was taken at a burn area that has partial shading. The plant leaves show some withering in parts that could be due to the burn that was carried out earlier in the spring.
The remaining pictures were taken near the top of the hill at the north west corner of West Refuge road and North Refuge road.
These plants are located in a drier area of the Meadows and do not show withering in the leaves, leading me to the conclusion for the previously noted withering being due to the earlier burn.
The caterpillar of the Fritillary butterflies are known to eat violets as their food source. The Regal Fritillary (Speyeria idalia) prefers the Birdfoot for its caterpillar host plant.
Currently, there are no reports of the Regal Fritillary in Crex Meadows, but many other types of Frits' are found there.
Wetland Indicator Status
UPL
| Kingdom | Plantae | Plants |
| Subkingdom | Tracheobionta | Vascular plants |
| Superdivision | Spermatophyta | Seed plants |
| Division | Magnoliophyta | Flowering plants |
| Class | Magnoliopsida | Dicotyledons |
| Subclass | Dilleniidae | |
| Order | Violales | |
| Family | Violaceae | Violet Family |
| Genus | Viola L. | violet |
| Species | Viola pedata L. | birdfoot violet |
All three pictures were taken May 18, 2007