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).

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 Views along trail

Left, looking north; right, looking south

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Camphorweed (Heterotheca subaxillaris, Asteraceae)
Native

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

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Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia, Asteraceae)
Native

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 Partridge pea ( Chamaecrista fasciculata, Fabaceae)
Native

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Pineland pinweed (Lechea sessiliflora, Cistaceae)
Native

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Rough hedgehyssop (Gratiola hispida, Veronicaceae)
Native

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Rustweed (Polypremum procumbens, Tetrachondraceae)

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Piedmont blacksenna (Seymeria pectinata, Orobanchaceae)
Native

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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.

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Firewheel; blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella, Asteraceae)

East coast dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis, Asteraceae)

Both native

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

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Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus, Malvaceae)
Native

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

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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.)

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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.)

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Firebush (Hamelia patens, Rubiaceae)
Native

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

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

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Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis, Acanthaceae)
Native

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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.

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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.

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Scarlet milkweed (Asclepias curassavica, Apocynaceae)
Not native

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Spanish needles (Bidens bipinnata, Asteraceae)
Native

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Partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata, Fabaceae)
Native

(Photo by J.)

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Creeping cucumber (Melothria pendulata, Cucurbitaceae)
Native

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Tropical sage (Salvia coccinea, Lamiaceae)
Native

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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.

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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.

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Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus, Malvaceae)
Native

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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.

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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).

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Southern amaranth (Amaranthus australis, Amaranthaceae)
Native

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

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Alligatorweed (Alternanthera philoxeroides, Amaranthaceae)
Not native

Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp.

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Unidentified

Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp. 

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Spatterdock; yellow pondlily (Nuphar advena, Nymphaeaceae)
Native

Near boardwalk at St. Johns River boat ramp.

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Virginia saltmarsh mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpos, Malvaceae)
Native

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

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

Tosohatchee WMA, along Power Line Road.

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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.

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