Wickham Park, July 22, 2011

My main objective on this visit was to look for palafox and summer farewell. However, the recent widening of the firebreaks appears to have obliterated those two wildflowers from where I had previously found them. I did find a plant I had not previously seen in Wickham Park: Piedmont blacksenna (Seymeria pectinata).

________________________________________

 Views along trail

Left, looking north; right, looking south

________________________________________

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.

________________________________________

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

________________________________________

Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia, Asteraceae)
Native

________________________________________

 Partridge pea ( Chamaecrista fasciculata, Fabaceae)
Native

________________________________________

Pineland pinweed (Lechea sessiliflora, Cistaceae)
Native

________________________________________

Rough hedgehyssop (Gratiola hispida, Veronicaceae)
Native

________________________________________

Rustweed (Polypremum procumbens, Tetrachondraceae)

________________________________________

Piedmont blacksenna (Seymeria pectinata, Orobanchaceae)
Native

________________________________________

Enchanted Forest, July 17, 2011

Julie and I made a brief visit to the Enchanted Forest, mostly taking photos around the gardens near the visitor center. We walked a short ways down one of the trails, but the mosquitoes were vicious, so we turned back.

_______________________________________

Firewheel; blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella, Asteraceae)

East coast dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis, Asteraceae)

Both native

This large patch of color greets visitors. (Photo by J.)

_______________________________________

Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus, Malvaceae)
Native

Also seen in this photo are Virginia saltmarsh mallow (the pink flowers) and pickerelweed.

_______________________________________

Giant ironweed (Vernonia gigantea, Asteraceae)
Native

Distinguished from V. angustifolia by being very tall (to 6 ft.) and having elliptic to lanceolate, sharply toothed leaves. (Left photo by J.)

_______________________________________

Bluejacket; Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis, Commelinaceae)

Native

 Spiderworts are normally blue, but occasionally you find one that is nearly white. Although spiderwort is a common roadside flower, this is its first appearance in this blog. The name of the genus honors the English naturalists, John Tradescant the Elder and John Tradescant the Younger; they were gardeners to Queen Henrietta Maria of England (17th c.). (Photo on right by J.)

_______________________________________

Firebush (Hamelia patens, Rubiaceae)
Native

_______________________________________

Spotted beebalm; dotted horsemint (Monarda punctata, Lamiaceae)
Native

_______________________________________

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

_______________________________________

Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis, Acanthaceae)
Native

_______________________________________

False nettle, bog hemp (Boehmeria cylindrica, Urticaceae)
Native

This is a strange plant; its greenish flowers are borne on spaced clusters on spikelike branches. It is found in wet woods, bogs, and marshes. I first encountered this plant at the south end of the storm water ponds at Wickham Park.

_______________________________________

Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata, Apocynaceae)
Native

This is a tentative identification of this pretty pink milkweed growing in the garden. A. incarnata is the closest match I could find based on the appearance of the flowers and leaves.

_______________________________________

Scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica, Apocynaceae)
Not native

_______________________________________

Spanish needles (Bidens bipinnata, Asteraceae)
Native

_______________________________________

Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata, Fabaceae)
Native

(Photo by J.)

_______________________________________

Creeping cucumber (Melothria pendulata, Cucurbitaceae)
Native

_______________________________________

Tropical sage (Salvia coccinea, Lamiaceae)
Native

_______________________________________

Rosemallows, July 2011

On July 10, 13, and 19, my wife and I visited several areas looking for fields of rosemallows at their peak blooming.

__________________________________________

Swamp rosemallow (Hibiscus grandiflorus, Malvaceae)
Native

The top photo shows masses of swamp rosemallow in bloom along the east side of I-95 a few miles south of SR 520. The other photos were taken along farm roads on the west side of I-95, near Lone Cabbage Fish Camp on the St. Johns River, and in the Tosohatchee WMA. A PhotoShop "artistic effect" was applied to the bottom photo.

__________________________________________

Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus, Malvaceae)
Native

__________________________________________

Fauna

Along one of the farm roads west of I-95, near SR 520, a doe with her fawn cautiously crossed the road while being watched by a cattle egret, a large grasshopper landed on our windshield, and a pair of red-shouldered hawks perched nearby.

__________________________________________

St. Johns River Scenes

New boardwalk at the boat ramp on St. Johns River, across SR 520 from the Lone Cabbage Fish Camp; an airboat zipping past; and cows standing in the river (a hazard for airboats rounding blind curves in the river).

__________________________________________

Southern amaranth (Amaranthus australis, Amaranthaceae)
Native

Near St. Johns River boat ramp. These robust plants are very tall, sometimes over 10 ft.

__________________________________________

Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Amaranthaceae)
Not native

Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp.

__________________________________________

Unidentified

Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp. 

__________________________________________

Spatterdock; yellow pondlily (Nuphar advena, Nymphaeaceae)
Native

Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp.

__________________________________________

Virginia saltmarsh mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos, Malvaceae)
Native

 Blossoms resemble swamp rosemallow, but are much smaller. Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp.

__________________________________________

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

Tosohatchee WMA, along Power Line Road.

__________________________________________

Wild turkeys

We saw several wild turkeys in the Tosohatchee WMA along Power Line Road. As I walked along the road I flushed a half-dozen, or so, turkeys. Several of them took to the air. I was surprised at how well and how high they could fly. One flew up and over the tree tops.

__________________________________________