~The Natural State~......NORTH DAKOTA

[olena]

State Grass

Western Wheatgrass
Pseudoroegneria spicata (Agropyron spicatum)


Description Grows in large bunches, with stiff, straight flowering stalks; often blue-green.
Flowers: tiny, lacking petals, stamens 3, styles 2, not easily visible; flower clusters flat, arranged in narrow spikes 3 1/2—6” (8—15 cm) long; June—August.
Leaves: long, hairy on upper surface, green or blue-green.
Fruit: a small grain
Height: 20—40” (60—100 cm).
Habitat Dry slopes, plains, open woods.
Range Washington to California, east to Montana, New Mexico, also North and South Dakota.
Discussion A former dominant of the intermountain grasslands, this species is now much diminished in distribution due to competition from Downy Brome and Sagebrush.

 

[olena]

State Tree

American Elm
Ulmus americana


Description Large, handsome, graceful tree, often with enlarged buttresses at base, usually forked into many spreading branches, drooping at ends, forming a very broad, rounded, flat-topped or vaselike crown, often wider than high.
Height: 100' (30 m).
Diameter: 4' (1.2 m), sometimes much larger.
Leaves: in 2 rows; 3-6" (7.5-15 cm) long, 1-3" (2.5-7.5 cm) wide. Elliptical, abruptly long-pointed, base rounded with sides unequal; doubly saw-toothed; with many straight parallel side veins; thin. Dark green and usually hairless or slightly rough above, paler and usually with soft hairs beneath; turning bright yellow in autumn.
Bark: light gray; deeply furrowed into broad, forking, scaly ridges.
Twigs: brownish, slender, hairless.
Flowers: 1/8" (3 mm) wide; greenish; clustered along twigs in early spring.
Fruit: 3/8-1/2" (10-12 mm) long; elliptical flat 1-seeded keys (samaras), with wing hairy on edges, deeply notched with points curved inward; long-stalked; maturing in early spring.
Habitat Moist soils, especially valleys and flood plains; in mixed hardwood forests.
Range SE. Saskatchewan east to Cape Breton Island, south to central Florida, and west to central Texas; to 2500' (762 m).
Discussion This well-known, once abundant species, familiar on lawns and city streets, has been ravaged by the Dutch Elm disease, caused by a fungus introduced accidentally about 1930 and spread by European and native elm bark beetles. The wood is used for containers, furniture, and paneling.

 

[olena]

State Bird

Western Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta)
This bird's black "V" and yellow underparts are easy to see and its trilling flute-like song is joyous to hear. The meadowlark stands eight to nine inches high and perches on tall shrubs, fence posts or power lines. Found in grassy open areas, the meadowlark announces its spring arrival with loud cheerful melodious notes to define its nesting territory.
The male noisily protests intruders and chases them from nests built on the ground in grassy areas. The dome-shaped nest is completely hidden in tall grass with a concealed runway. A brood of 5 or 6 young may be raised in early spring. By June the pair may nest again and raise a second brood. This "double clutching" provides a greater chance of some surviving many predators that include skunks, raccoons, weasels, and hawks.
Meadowlarks feed on caterpillars, grasshoppers and cutworms, insects capable of great damage to food crops.
Montana, Oregon, Wyoming, Nebraska, Kansas, and North Dakota proclaimed the western meadowlark as their official bird, an indication of its widespread popularity. It is found in northern, central, and western United States and Canada. The western meadowlark prefers dry habitat and is generally paler and grayer than the eastern species. There is a distinct difference in song but hybrids occurring in overlapping zones of winter range make identification difficult. The range of the western meadowlark is expanding in the northeast.

 

[olena]

State Equine

Nokota Horse

Nokota Horses look much like the northern Plains Indian horse of the late nineteenth century, a type that was rangier and larger than the horses of the southern plains. The artist Frederick Remington painted many horses of this type. As a group, they are quite consistent in terms of conformation. Nokota Horses tend toward a square-set, angular frame, tapering musculature, V-shaped front end, angular shoulders with prominent withers, distinctly sloped croup, low tail set, strongly built legs, and "Spanish colonial" pigmentation. Their ears are often slightly hooked at the tips. Beyond such commonalities, there exists a range of variation, creating several different subtypes.
One of the most interesting and arresting characteristics of the Nokota is their color patterns. The Nokota population is characterized by an unusually large number of blue roans, which is a rare color. The other most common colors are black and grey. These colors are all associated with Spanish and Indian breeding. Less common colors include red roan and bay, while chestnut, dun, grulla, and palomino occur occasionally. Blue eyes and the accompanying overo and sabino colorations are not uncommon. According to Dr. Philip Sponenberg, an authority on Spanish Colonial horses, overo is a pattern of white markings controlled by a recessive gene that is commonly found among New World horses of Spanish Descent. Typically, the overo pattern consists of one or a few irregular white body spots and bold white facial markings. Tobiano patterns do not occur.
The foundation lines of Spanish colonial horses and related breeds (including the Quarter Horse) are attracting increasing attention from breeders and horse enthusiasts who have encountered health and soundness problems with specialized modern horses. Nokota horses are extremely hardy and agile, and have good minds and dispositions.
Like other wild horses, they also have extremely strong legs and feet. Researchers have become increasingly interested in this characteristic, and farriers and horse owners are beginning to utilize what they are learning about wild horse legs and hooves to promote soundness in domestic horses.

 

[olena]

State Fish

Northern Pike
Esox lucius


Description To 4'4" (1.3 m); 46 1/8 lbs (20.9 kg). Long, head one-fourth total length, tail forked; back dark olive-green to greenish-brown, sides lighter, with irregular rows of small, oval, yellow spots and small, gold spot on exposed edge of each scale; belly creamy-white. Lower jaw protruding, 5 large sensory pores on each side; cheek and upper half of opercle scaled; 14-15 branchiostegal rays; median fins green to white, occasionally reddish-orange, with dark markings; lateral line complete, 105-148 scales.
Habitat Lakes, reservoirs, and large streams with little current and abundant aquatic vegetation.
Range From Alaska south throughout Canada to Missouri; New York, Pennsylvania west to Nebraska and Montana.
Discussion Because of its large size, the Northern Pike is a desirable sport fish and used to be a commercial fish as well. It is the most widely distributed freshwater fish in the world.

 

[olena]

State Flower

Wild Prairie Rose
Rosa setigera var. tomentosa


Description A climbing, sprawling or trailing shrub, 3-4 ft. high, or in the open, an erect shrub, up to 15 ft., with arching stems. Flowers are deep pink, fading to white. Fall colors are combination of bronze-purple, orange and yellow.
Habitat Mesic to dry prairies; open woods; roadsides.
Range S. Ontario, Wisconsin, and Nebraska south to Texas, east to New York and Florida.
Discussion Susceptible to fungal problems.

Previous Natural States
Alabama
Alaska
Arizona
Arkansas
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
Florida
Idaho
Iowa
Kansas
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Montana
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Oklahoma
Oregon
Rhode Island
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Washington
West Virginia


Previous Natural Provinces
Alberta
British Columbia
Manitoba
New Brunswick
Northwest Territories
Ontario
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Saskatchewan
Yukon Territory

 

[Snowwark]

Interesting info, Olena, especially about the Nokota horse! Fabulous picture, too!

It's so sad how Dutch Elm disease ravaged so many stately trees.

As always, a wonderful job! Thank you, Heather.

 

[nativetxn]

That Nokota horse doesn't look very happy, huh?

Thanks for the great info and photos, Heather.

Katholyn