Enchanted Forest Sanctuary, October 8, 2010

I skipped photographing the flower gardens near the visitors center to concentrate on looking for new wildflowers along the many trails. Well, I did photograph a sunflower that was blooming in the garden since I didn't photograph it on my previous visit. (See Enchanted Forest, July 14, 2010.)

________________________________________

Narrowleaf sunflower, swamp sunflower (Helianthus angustifolius, Asteraceae)

Native

________________________________________

Frostweed, white crownbeard (Verbesina virginica, Asteraceae)

Native

A tall plant, rough leaves, winged stem.

________________________________________

Spanish needles (Bidens bipinnata, Asteraceae)

Native

This was a new wildflower to me. Several plants were growing along the east end of Tortoise Trail, near the intersection with Ridge Trail.

The leaves, which are unusual and diagnostic, are pinnately bisected. Flower heads small; ray florets pale yellow, few or absent. Disk florets yellowish. Seeds needlelike, with 3 or 4 barbed awns.

________________________________________

Leafless swallowwort (Cynanchum scoparium, Apocynaceae)

This previously unidentified vine has now been identified.  It is Cynanchum scoparium, common name leafless swallowwort. It's in the Apocynaceae family and is a relative of milkweed, twinevine, oleander, frangipani, allamanda, and periwinkle. Updated Dec. 5, 2010.

________________________________________

St. Andrew's-cross (Hypericum hypericoides, Clusiadeceae)

Native

These plants were found along Tortoise Trail in the dry, oak scrub area.

________________________________________

Bloodleaf, Juba's bush (Iresine diffusa, Amaranthaceae)

Native

Another new plant, found on the western leg of Ridge Trail, a short distance north of Tortoise Trail.

The genus name, Iresine, is from a Greek word meaning wool, a reference to the wooly or cottony appearance of the plant. The common name, bloodleaf, refers to the leaves that are often tinged with red. On this particular plant, the edges of some of the leaves are reddish.

Wind blowing through the plants causes them to dance, which is perhaps where the common name juba comes from. Juba is a dance that originally came with slaves from Western Africa to the Caribbean in 1500s, and to the U.S. in the 1600s. Juba is also the name of a supernatural being in some American Black folklore and became the popular name for a prolific weed, Juba's bush.

________________________________________