Space Coast Wildflowers: Dale Wimbrow Park, September 26-27, 2010

I went outside the box again, this time just across Brevard's southern border to Dale Wimbrow Park, on the south side of the St. Sebastian River. I photographed various marshy plants near the boat launch ramp, then moved into the exercise trail area, along the edge of the woods, then across a small bridge, where I followed a nature trail through the woods. Found three wildflowers (threeflower ticktrefoil, cinchweed and fringed meadowbeauty) that were new to me and one plant (guava) that is new to this blog. Of the 34 species included in this post, seven are non-natives, and two are Florida endemics.

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Dale Wimbrow Park

Boat ramp area.

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Peruvian primrosewillow (Ludwigia peruviana, Onagraceae)
Not native

This was the first of three species of primrosewillow I found at the park. This one is commonly found along borders of ditches. It has 4 or 5 petals, 4 or 5 sepals; seed capsule is short, thick. The plant is primarily herbaceous, shrubby, densely hairy; 3-ft tall, or more.

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Seven-sisters, string-lily (Crinum americanum, Amaryllidaceae)
Native

This lily has 6 stamens and 1 pistil, which is perhaps where the name "seven-sisters" comes from. Quote from www.wildflower.org : "Some authorities place this beautiful flower in the amaryllis family instead of the lily family. It differs from many lilies in that its floral parts are attached above the ovary rather than below."

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Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata, Pontederiaceae)
Native

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Virginia buttonweed (Diodia virginiana, Rubiaceae)
Native

Low-growing plant, found in wet places.

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Water hyssop, herb-of-grace (Bacopa monnieri, Scrophulariaceae)
Native

Found in marshy areas.

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Beggarweed, threeflower ticktrefoil (Desmodium triflorum, Fabaceae)
Not native

Found in disturbed sites.

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Beggarweed, zarzabacoa comun (Desmodium incanum, Fabaceae)

Not native

Found in disturbed sites.

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Largeflower Mexican clover (Richardia grandiflora, Rubiaceae)

Not native

Found in disturbed sites.

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Trailing indigo (Indigofera spicata, Fabaceae)
Not native

Found in disturbed sites. Coral-colored petals; lower petals (keel) with small, lateral pouches; leaves alternate, odd-pinnately compound; leaflets hairy.

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Starrush whitetop (Rhynchospora colorata, Cyperaceae)
Native

Found in moist pinelands and prairies; 4-20 in. tall; white portion usually less than 1 in.
(R. latifolia white portion usually longer than 1 in.).

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Spreading cinchweed (Pectis prostrata, Asteraceae)
Native

Found in open sites in deserts, grasslands, oak-pine-juniper woodlands, roadsides; AZ, NV, TX, LA, FL. Ray florets 5, disk florets variable. Plant matted, prostrate, branching from the base. Stem gland-dotted and hairy. Leaves: bristles occur at leaf bases. From www.efloras.org: "The development of roads and highways has created ideal habitats for Pectis prostrata. Its range appears to be expanding along the coasts of Florida; it was discovered in Louisiana relatively recently. It can be expected to spread along the Gulf Coast and perhaps northward along the Atlantic Coast as well."

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Vente conmigo (Croton glandulosus, Euphorbiaceae)
Native

Found in pinelands, scrub, and disturbed sites. Plant weedy, rough to the touch. Plant covered with tiny star-shaped hairs.

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Common wireweed, common fanpetals (Sida ulmifolia, Malvaceae)
Native

Found in disturbed sites.

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Strawberry guava (Psidium cattleianum, Myrtaceae)

Not native

Found several guava trees along the nature trail, all with delicious, sweet, fruit. The ripe fruit, however, was yellow, not red, which probably means that these were yellow strawberry guava (P. cattleianum var. lucidum). Guavas have escaped from cultivation and are now invasive in some places.

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Beggarticks, Spanish needles (Bidens alba, Asteraceae)
Native

Widespread, along roadsides, disturbed sites. Very popular with butterflies.

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Caesarweed (Urena lobata, Malvaceae)
Not native

Found in disturbed sites.

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Rosy camphorweed (Pluchea baccharis, Asteraceae)
Native

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Climbing hempvine (Mikania scandens, Asteraceae)
Native

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Oceanblue morning-glory (Ipomoea indica, Convolvulaceae)
Native

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Peppervine (Ampelopsis arborea, Vitaceae)
Native

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American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, Lamiaceae)
Native

A jelly can be made from the ripe berries; however, before you go eating the raw berries, heed this warning from one of my wildflower books: "Fruit edible raw but insipid and belatedly astringent, causing extreme dryness of mouth a few minutes after eating a small quantity. Best picked and eaten singly; the rank odor of the plant makes nibbling of bunches on the stem unpleasant." I like the phrase "belatedly astringent"--you don't notice its puckery effect until it is too late!

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Fringed meadowbeauty (Rhexia petiolata, Melastomataceae)
Native

This is one of only two meadowbeauties in this area that are pink and have short, straight anthers. Three separate plants are shown here.

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Orange milkwort (Polygala lutea, Polygalaceae)
Native

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

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Dahoon holly (Ilex cassine, Aquifoliaceae)
Native

The black objects on the right-hand side appear to be fruit on a dead guava tree.

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Rose-rush (Lygodesmia aphylla, Asteraceae)
Native

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Whitetop aster, pinebarren aster (Oclemena reticulata, Asteraceae)
Native

This plant seems to be one of the first to recover from fire.

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Mexican primrosewillow (Ludwigia octovalvis, Onagraceae)
Native

This species has long, cylindrical seed capsules.

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Seaside primrosewillow (Ludwigia maritima, Onagraceae)
Native

This species has cube-shaped capsules with recurved sepals. The USF/ISB does not show this species as found in Indian River County; however, all the counties adjacent to Indian River are shown as having this species.

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