Helianthemum Study & Curious Otter, Cruickshank Sanctuary, March & April 2012

This post combines two trips to the Cruickshank Sanctuary, one on March 21 and a followup on April 6. The highlight of the March visit was an otter we found in the ditch. The April visit focused on getting good photos of frostweed/rock-rose and making a positive identification of the particular species.

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Florida scrub frostweed; rock-rose (Helianthemum nashii, Cistaceae)
Native

This interesting plant is almost a Florida endemic--it is found only in Florida and one coastal county in southern NC. In Cruickshank Sanctuary, the plants are found in open, dry, sandy soil. A large patch of the plants are near the north end of the main entrance "road" where it intersects the east-west cross road. Plants are also scattered along the trail just beyond the bridge.

Six species of Helianthemum are found in Florida, only two of them in Brevard: Pinebarren frostweed (H. corymbosum) and Florida scrub frostweed (H. nashii). I've identified the species in Cruickshank Sanctuary as Florida scrub frostweed, H. nashii, based on the following characteristics from Wunderlin and Taylor:

Flower clusters in elongated panicles
Lower leaf surface covered in dense, soft, star-shaped hairs
Sepals 5 hairy, inner ones oval or oval-elliptic.

As its common name implies, H. nashii is found in scrub habitats. Its occurrence is Frequent. Blooms spring-summer.

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Pineland scalypink (Stipulicida setacea, Caryophyllaceae)

Native

 

A strange, spindly, little plant, found in dry, sandy soil.

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Netted pawpaw (Asimina reticulata, Annonaceae)
Native

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Wild pennyroyal (Piloblephis rigida, Lamiaceae)
Native

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Florida scrub roseling (Callisia ornata, Commelinaceae)
Native, endemic

 

These plants can usually be found on the banks of the ditch.

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Sand live oak (Quercus geminate, Fagaceae)
Native

 

New leaves emerging.

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Skyblue lupine (Lupinus diffusus, Fabaceae)
Native

 

These were near the end of their blooming time.

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American white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata, Nymphaeaceae )
Native

 

I used a telephoto lens to get these shots.

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Scrub Jay

 

You're almost guaranteed to find scrub jays in Cruickshank.

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Otter

 

We found this otter in the ditch that runs along the west side of the main "road" into the area. The otter seemed to be curious about us, kept popping his head up and staring at us. Too bad I didn't have my large telephoto lens on.

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