We went to a beautiful prairie trail in Minnesota before driving to the Badlands in South Dakota. The trail at the prairie was called Upper (and Lower) Cliffline Trail. There we’ve found Goatsbeard or Salsify, which is scientifically called Tragopogon dubius, from the Asteraceae family. This species has a subtle difference that separates it from another plant in the same genus: the Tragopogon pratensis has bracts or sepals that are shorter than its rays, while the T. dubius species has bracts longer than its rays. Yet, both are known as goatsbeard.
I chose it because its seeds structure (ready for wind dispersal) reminds me of my childhood, when my cousins and I would search tirelessly for plants/seeds with a similar structure (mostly dandelions), so that we could make a wish and blow them into the wind. Plus, I just find such seeds gorgeous! The flower is nice, but the seeds are almost mystical in a way.
In any case, we’ve found the goatsbeard on the prairie, where it received a lot of sunlight, being warm and moist. I didn’t really see any animals interacting with it. If they did, I guess it would be only to use them as food, as they wouldn’t really help spreading seeds since they are dispersed through the wind, or to pollinate them maybe.
It was interesting to go to the prairie in any case to see the contrast between it and farm lands, which were right next to it. For me, it’s quite appalling how much land has been destroyed and transformed into monocrops. The prairie we visited was a ridiculously small percentage of what it used to be. There’s only so much left now, and I hope it doesn’t decrease further, although I’m sadly pessimistic on this regard. I deeply resonate with Kingsnorth when he talks about the downfall of civilization. I don’t know how much we as a species can keep pushing other species aside - plants and animals - until something breaks beyond repair. It’s a sad reality, as places like this prairie should only be extended for the sake of all its resident beings.
Journal entry by Deborah
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