Lake Wales Ridge, June 12-13, 2011

We revisited some of the places in the Lake Wales Ridge area that we visited in September 2010. It's well outside of Brevard County, but that area has some unique wildflowers. As we did last year, our first stop was the Blue Cypress Recreation Area on CR 512, south of Fellsmere. Lake Walk-in-the-Water in Polk County was our next stop, then Hickory Lake Scrub on US 17 south of Frostproof,  and finally, Lake June-in-Winter Scrub State Park near Sebring.

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Winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum, Lythraceae)
Native

This wildflower was found at the Blue Cypress Recreation Area and was a new species for me.

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Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis, Acanthaceae)
Native

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Florida greeneyes (Berlandiera subacaulis, Asteraceae)
Native, Florida endemic

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Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia, Vitaceae)
Native

Very early autumn color.

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Unidentified

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American bluehearts (Buchnera americana, Orobanchaceae)
Native

Right: Bluehearts seed capsules are shown with some other species' seeds that have parachuted in. Plant turns black when dried.

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Longleaf wild buckwheat; scrub buckwheat (Erigonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium)
Native; Florida endemic

This unusual plant is found only in the central ridge of Florida.

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Hairy dawnflower (Stylisma villosa, Convolvulaceae)
Native

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

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Carolina redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana, Haemodoraceae)
Native

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Pale meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana, Melastomataceae)
Native

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Golden trumpet; brownbud allamanda (Allamanda cathartica, Apocynaceae)
Not native

This is the common landscape plant allamanda, which I assume has escaped cultivation and now grows wild in some places. This and the following species were found in Hickory Lake Scrub.

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Coastalplain honeycombhead; yellow buttons (Balduina angustifolia, Asteraceae )
Native

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Sandlace (Polygonella myriophylla, Polygonaceae)
Native; Florida endemic; endangered

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Marsh

In Hickory Lake Scrub.

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Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis, Rubiaceae)
Native

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The remaining part of this post consists mostly of wildflowers found in Lake June-in-the-Winter Scrub State Park, near Sebring. Especially abundant in the park were alicia, meadowbeauty, dayflower, roseling, and palafox.

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Swamp azalea (Rhododendron viscosum, Ericaceae)
Native

Along short loop trail on south side of the park.

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Longleaf pine & loblolly bay

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Tarflower (Bejaria racemosa, Ericaceae)
Native

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Cottontail rabbit

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Florida alicia (Chapmannia floridana, Fabaceae)
Native; Florida endemic

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Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta, Commelinaceae)
Native

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Grassleaf roseling (Callisia graminea, Commelinaceae)
Native

When this was first posted, I labeled it as C. ornata; however, I now see that it is C. graminea (7/23/12). Clues: It is growing in a clump and the leaves extend above the flower stalks.

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Feay's palafox (Palafoxia feayi, Asteraceae)
Native; Florida endemic

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Park Views

Left: Looking east towards Lake June-in-the-Winter. Right: Looking west towards parking lot.

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Loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus, Theaceae)
Native

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 Pale meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana, Melastomataceae)
Native

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

Near Paynes Creek Historic Park.

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Leavenworth's tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii, Asteraceae)
Native

Near Paynes Creek Historic Park.

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Fighting a small wildfire

US 441, south of Holopaw

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