Summer in Wickham Park, July 9, 2010

On this very hot, summer day I did a quick walk along my usual wildflower route through Wickham Park. It was too hot to crawl around on the ground, hunched over taking close-up photos, so all these photos were made with my regular 18-55 mm lens, mostly from a standing position. Some photos have been cropped to show close-up details.

A total of 40 species of plants are depicted in this post. At the end are two lists: plants seen but not photographed and plants known to be present but not seen--an additional 24 species.

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Loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus, Theaceae)

Native

The loblolly bay trees on the north side of the disk golf course are nearly bloomed out. Only a few blossoms were low enough to be photographed at close range. Grape vines are threatening to smother the bay trees.

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Roserush (Lygodesmia aphyll, Asteraceae)
Native

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Carolina yelloweyed grass (Xyris caroliniana, Xyridaceae)
Native

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Fourpetal St.John's-wort (Hypericum tetrapetalum, Clusiaceae)
Native

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Blackroot (Pterocaulon pycnostachyum, Asteraceae)
Native

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West Indian meadowbeauty (Rhexia cubensis, Melastomataceae)
Native

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Rough hedgehyssop (Gratiola hispida, Veronicaceae)
Native

This tiny plant is found throughout the park, especially in the grassy, mown areas and along the sandy trails. It is usually found with rustweed.

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Savannah milkweed (Asclepias pedicellata, Apocynaceae)
Native

This is a tentative identification based on the small size of the milkweed. I believe savannah milkweed has a slender seed pod like this plant. This was the only milkweed in this area. Later, in another area (see Part 4), I found a single, flowering, savannah milkweed.

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Rush (unidentified species)

I believe this is a species of rush. There were several plants in this dry, sandy area. There are too many rushes for me to sort this out.

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Coastalplain milkwort (Polygala setacea, Polygalaceae)
Native

This tiny, flowering plant was found in a dry, sandy area. I initially called it "Unidentified," but have since identified it as Polygala setacea. --July 4, 2012

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Swamp smartweed (Polygonum hydropiperoides, Polygonaceae)

Native

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Creeping oxeye (Sphagneticola trilobata, Asteraceae)

Not native

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Rosy camphorweed (Pluchea bacchari, Asteraceae)

Native

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Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia, Asteraceae)

Native

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Blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum, Asteraceae)

Native

It's always a delight to see this showy wildflower. This clump grows in the ditch along the west side of the unpaved road into the scout camping area. There is another patch of blue mistflower alongside the west ditch inside the scout area.

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Climbing hempvine (Mikania scandens, Asteraceae)

Native

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Chapman's goldenrod (Solidago odora var. chapmanii, Asteraceae)

Native

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Mohr's thoroughwort (Eupatorium mohrii, Asteraceae)

Native

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Virginia pepperweed (Lepidium virginicum, Brassicaceae)

Native

Back home in N. Florida, we called this plant "chicken pepper," and, as children, we would occasionally chew the seeds as a novelty. The seeds had a bite like a mild horseradish. This plant and horseradish are both members of the Mustard family.

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Caesarweed (Urena lobata, Malvaceae)

Non-native 

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Pricklypear (Opuntia humifusa, Cactaceae)

Native

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Rustweed (Polypremum procumbens, Tetrchondraceae)

Native

Widespread in dry, sandy areas.

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Gopher tortoise

A common sight in the park.

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Scrubland goldenaster (Chrysopsis subulata, Asteraceae)
Native, Florida endemic

This plant was previously misidentified as camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris). Roger Hammer correctly identified it as scrubland goldenaster (Chrysopsis subulata), June 3, 2015.

This wildflower is widespread along the trail on the east side of the scout camping area. The plants are beginning to bloom. Some are top heavy and have fallen over.

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Florida false sunflower (Phoebanthus grandiflorus, Asteraceae)

Native, Florida endemic

This is the first time I've seen this wildflower in Wickham Park (or anywhere, for that matter). I found three plants in three different areas. Each one was top heavy, with the flowering stalk parallel to the ground.

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Netted pawpaw (Asimina recticulum, Annonaceae)

Native

Pawpaws are scattered throughout the woods in Wickham Park. They are past flowering and are now in the fruiting stage.

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Adam's needle (Yucca filamentosa, Agavaceae)

Native

This plant was in full bloom on June 20, but has now turned to seed. I've found only this one plant in the park.

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Coastalplain palafox (Palafoxia integrifolia, Asteraceae)

Native

I'm not sure I have correctly identified this plant. There are two palafoxia in Brevard Co. The other one is Feay's palafox (Palafoxia feayi), which is a Florida endemic. However, the white, fuzzy flower heads of this one appear more like coastalplain palafox. Coastalplain palafox is found only in Florida and a few counties in extreme southern Georgia.

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Coastalplain honeycombhead (Balduina angustifolia, Asteraceae)
Native

I've only recently discovered this tall wildflower. There are about ten plants, all in one small area.

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Yellow milkwort (Polygala rugelii, Polygalaceae)
Native, Florida endemic

Yellow milkwort is widespread throughout the park woods, especially in areas with moist soil.

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Coastalplain St.John's-wort (Hypericum brachyphyllum, Clusiaceae)
Native

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Carolina redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana, Haemodoraceae)
Native

Usually found in areas of wet or moist soil.

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Largeflower rosegentian (Sabatia grandiflora, Gentianaceae)
Native

Common in areas of moist soil.This specimen is unusual in that it has only four petals; they usually have five petals. Maybe one petal was lost to insects.

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Yellow colicroot (Aletris lutea, Nartheciaceae)

Native

Basal leaves shown on the left; flowering stalk on right, which has now turned to seeds. I've found only two or three colicroot plants, all in a normally boggy area. At one time the roots of this plant were collected and used medicinally to treat colic.

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Button rattlesnakemaster (Eryngium yuccifolium, Apiaceae)

Native

Leaves are edged in sharp, upward-pointing spines.  It is said that Native Americans once used parts of the plant as an antidote for snake bite.

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Tarflower (Bejaria racemosa, Ericaceae)

Native

Tarflower has almost finished blooming. There are probably a dozen or more of these showy plants scattered throughout the woods. They remind me of wild azaleas.

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Florida beargrass (Nolina atopocarpa, Ruscaceae)

Florida endemic, rare and endangered

On this day I found six clumps of beargrass in two different areas, both dry and sandy. They appear to be at their flowering peak, with many tiny, pretty white flowers opening along the flowering stalk.

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Tall elephantsfoot (Elephantopus elatus, Asteraceae)

Native

This plant is widespread and can be found in the grassy mown areas and along the sandy trails. The fuzzy, basal leaves are easily recognized. I think they generally flower later in the year. I found one with a flower stalk about to flower. I recall seeing elephant toes, a relative of this plant, on a guided nature hike in Western Georgia. Our guide said she loved the musical scientific name, "Elephantopus tomentosus."

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Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata, Fabaceae)

Native

Most of the partridge peas have already bloomed out.

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Hairypod cowpea (Vigna luteola, Fabaceae)

Native

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Savannah milkweed (Asclepias pedicellata, Apocynaceae)

Native

This is a very small milkweed, only about 6 inches high. This is the first time I've seen it in the park since before the wildfires in 2006. I found only this one plant (plus the one earlier in this post that had one seed pod, but no flowers).

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Plants seen but not photographed during this visit: 

wiregrass, gallberry, saw palmetto, cattail, beeblossom, pennywort, Spanish needles, falsefennel, hatpins, starrush whitetop, primrosewillow, rusty staggerbush, pennyroyal, winged sumac, milkpea, shiny blueberry, pink sundew, silkgrass.

Plants known to be present but not seen during this visit:
mock bishopsweed, buttonweed, bluehearts, white violet, twinflower, fetterbush.

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