Konza PSA
       
     
Tallgrass Spikelet
       
     
Snakeroot Landscape
       
     
Stump and Wild Rye
       
     
Leaf on a Log
       
     
Scarred and Fallen
       
     
Leaf Among Sticks
       
     
Lichen that Rock on a Leaf
       
     
Flower Husk
       
     
Thistle Seed Head
       
     
White Goldenrod
       
     
Milkweed Seed
       
     
Leaf with Shadow
       
     
Stem Silhouette on Leaf
       
     
Daddy and Baby Tree
       
     
Stems and Seeds
       
     
Grass Shadow on Leaf
       
     
Dive Flag Stone
       
     
Leaf with Hard Shadows
       
     
Backlit Grass with Tufts
       
     
Leaves and Flower Husk
       
     
Blue Skies over Manhattan
       
     
Wild Rye
       
     
The Prairie Star
       
     
Arching Grass
       
     
Red Hip
       
     
Spiky Flower Ball
       
     
Still Alive!
       
     
Konza PSA
       
     
Konza PSA

Dear Visitor,

If you happen to come to Manhattan, Kansas, please come and see the wonders of the native tallgrass prairie. Just don’t bring your pets, or they are liable to close their doors to the public. The Konza is the largest unplowed tract of tallgrass prairie in the USA. It is a precious and delicate ecosystem, home to many endangered and threatened species. So, again, please leave the pets at home if you come to visit our tallgrass paradise.

Thank you,

Nicholas

Tallgrass Spikelet
       
     
Tallgrass Spikelet
Snakeroot Landscape
       
     
Snakeroot Landscape
Stump and Wild Rye
       
     
Stump and Wild Rye
Leaf on a Log
       
     
Leaf on a Log
Scarred and Fallen
       
     
Scarred and Fallen
Leaf Among Sticks
       
     
Leaf Among Sticks
Lichen that Rock on a Leaf
       
     
Lichen that Rock on a Leaf

An Obligatory Pun

Flower Husk
       
     
Flower Husk
Thistle Seed Head
       
     
Thistle Seed Head
White Goldenrod
       
     
White Goldenrod
Milkweed Seed
       
     
Milkweed Seed
Leaf with Shadow
       
     
Leaf with Shadow

This shot is one of my personal favorites from this photographical expedition.

Stem Silhouette on Leaf
       
     
Stem Silhouette on Leaf
Daddy and Baby Tree
       
     
Daddy and Baby Tree
Stems and Seeds
       
     
Stems and Seeds
Grass Shadow on Leaf
       
     
Grass Shadow on Leaf
Dive Flag Stone
       
     
Dive Flag Stone

An allusion to Kansas’ aquatic past. During thunderstorms, if you concentrate hard enough, you can still hear the cries of the mosasaurs carried upon the wind.

I know that it would be the reverse side of a dive flag, but that didn’t sound as good for a title. Besides, I was ascending a hill, at the time when I came across the rock formation.

Leaf with Hard Shadows
       
     
Leaf with Hard Shadows
Backlit Grass with Tufts
       
     
Backlit Grass with Tufts
Leaves and Flower Husk
       
     
Leaves and Flower Husk
Blue Skies over Manhattan
       
     
Blue Skies over Manhattan
Wild Rye
       
     
Wild Rye
The Prairie Star
       
     
The Prairie Star
Arching Grass
       
     
Arching Grass
Red Hip
       
     
Red Hip

Reminded me of a rose hip, hence the title, though it is not a rose by my reckoning. I will do some further research, and post the actual name of the plant here.

Spiky Flower Ball
       
     
Spiky Flower Ball
Still Alive!
       
     
Still Alive!

This was the only completely green plant I saw on this outing, save for some cedars. We even had our first snow before this outing. What a hardy little plant.