After the Rains, Wickham Park, June 4, 2010

Yesterday afternoon's heavy rains resulted in a profusion of blooming wildflowers. My favorite boggy trails were especially pretty. I returned primarily to investigate the two mystery plants from my visit on June 2. But now, another mystery: the two plants have disappeared (or I forgot where they were located). So, I'll have to make another trip to search further. I found two more Florida beargrass plants, with one of them having a few open blossoms. I think the other beargrass plants I had found prior to the wildfires were victims of the wide fire breaks that were plowed down some of the trails.

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A small, boggy meadow of wildflowers:
Yellow-eyed grass, yellow milkwort, rosegentian, meadowbeauty, thoroughwort, St.John's-wort

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Rustweed (Polypremum procumbens, Tetrachondraceae)
Native; found throughout most of eastern US.
A very tiny flower.

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Oblongleaf twinflower (Dyschoriste oblongifolia, Acanthaceae)
Native; found in Florida, LA, AL, GA, and SC.
(But this one has lost its twin.)

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Rough hedgehyssop (Gratiola hispida, Veronicaceae)
Native; found in Florida, LA, MS, AL, and GA.
Another very tiny flower.

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Adam's needle (Yucca filamentosa, Agavaceae)
Native; eastern US.

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Florida beargrass (Nolina atopocarpa, Ruscaceae)
Native; Florida endemic; rare and endangered.
Left: stiff, grass-like leaves, about 1-ft long. Right: a few blossoms are open.

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Gopher tortoise, the major resident of Wickham Park.

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