Wickham Park: Catching Up #3, October 28, 29, 2010

The first three wildflowers below were found along a ditch that runs east-west through the disc golf area, just north of the amphitheater. The remainder were found in the scrub north of the new Leisure Center.

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 Threeflower ticktrefoil (Desmodium triflorum, Fabaceae)

Not native

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 Orange milkwort (Polygala lutea, Polygalaceae)

Native

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 Florida tasselflower (Emilia fosbergii, Asteraceae)

Not native

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 Coastalplain palafox (Palafoxia integrifolia, Asteraceae)

Native

Aha! So this is where the palafoxes are. I couldn't believe it. There were hundreds of them. They're tall (4-5 ft.) with abundant, fuzzy, white blossoms on top. Easy to spot. It's almost a Florida endemic--it's found only in Florida and 4 counties in southern Georgia.

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 Hairy chaffhead (Carphephorus paniculatus, Asteraceae)

Native

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 Blazing star, dense gayflower (Liatris spicata, Asteraceae)

Native

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American bluehearts (Buchnera americana, Orobanchaceae)

Native

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Slender flattop goldenrod (Euthamia caroliniana, Asteraceae)

Native

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 Atlantic St.John's-wort (Hypericum tenuifolium, Clusiaceae)

Native

This species of St.John's-wort has tiny, needle-like leaves.

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 Narrowleaf bluecurls (Trichostema setaceum, Lamiaceae)

Native

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 Hairy jointweed (Polygonella ciliata, Polygonaceae)

Native, Florida endemic

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Seaside primrosewillow (Ludwigia maritima, Onagraceae)

Native

No flowers this time of the year, just the small seed boxes. These plants were in a ditch that ran diagonally through the scrub.

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Showy rattlebox (Crotalaria spectabilis, Fabaceae)

Not native

This was the first time I had seen this species in the park. I don't know of any others.

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Fragrant eryngo (Eryngium aromaticum, Apiaceae)

Native

This was a new wildflower for me. This is the only one I know of in Wickham Park. I can't say whether or not the plant is fragrant. When I found it, I didn't know it was supposed to be fragrant. I'll check next time I see it.

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