Stop #1. A quick stop at boat ramp on SR 60 at the Kissimmee River.
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Paraguayan purslane (Portulaca amilis, Portulacaceae)
Not native
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Virginia saltmarsh mallow (Kosteletzkya pentacarpus, Malvaceae)
Native
Native
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Stop #2. Lake Wales Ridge State Forest
Our first Lake Wales Ridge stop was at the Walk-in-the-Water Tract, Blue Jordan Hunter Check Station on Lake Walk-in-the-Water Road, between SR 630 and SR 6. We usually find a few wildflowers near the parking area and nearby roadsides.
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Roadside slope
Scrub buckwheat and piriqueta (shown below) and dawnflower (shown later) were growing on this roadside slope, opposite the sign above.
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Longleaf wild buckwheat; scrub buckwheat (Eriogonum longifolium var. gnaphalifolium, Polygonaceae)
Native, Florida endemic
Native, Florida endemic
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Pitted stripeseed (Piriqueta cistoides, Turneraceae)
Native
Native
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Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis, Acanthaceae)
Native
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American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, Lamiaceae)
Stop #3. A primitive campground off Lake Walk-in-the-Water Road.
Beautyberry has star-shaped hairs on its leaves and stems. The bottom photo is a close-up showing the starry hairs on the stem, which give it a soft, velvety feel.
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Garberia (Garberia heterophylla, Asteraceae)
Native, Florida endemic
Native, Florida endemic
This is a new species for me. I had photographed Garberia plants back in October 2011 at the Florida Wildflower Symposium in Wekiwa State Park, but they weren't in bloom then, and I was unable to identify them. Now that I know it, the paddle-shaped leaves readily identify this plant. Garberia is sticky, and the crushed leaves have a piney odor.
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Woodland lettuce (Lactuca floridana, Asteraceae)
Native
Native
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Pale meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana, Melastomataceae)
Native
Native
I photographed meadowbeauties along the edge of this tiny pond. The three close-up photos show various characteristics that help identify this as R. mariana, one of the most common of the meadowbeauties in Florida:
Petals pale purple, lopsided
Filaments flattened, twisted
Anthers yellow, curved, long (>5mm)
Leaves sessile, elliptic, and toothed margins
Stem branched, hairy, 4-sided, 1 side pair concave (grooved); presumably the hidden side is convex
Floral tube, urn-shaped, hairy
Petals pale purple, lopsided
Filaments flattened, twisted
Anthers yellow, curved, long (>5mm)
Leaves sessile, elliptic, and toothed margins
Stem branched, hairy, 4-sided, 1 side pair concave (grooved); presumably the hidden side is convex
Floral tube, urn-shaped, hairy
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Carolina redroot (Lachnanthes caroliana, Haemodoraceae)
Native
Native
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Scrub Jay Loop Trail
Stop #4. Scrub Jay Loop Trail a dry, sandy area in the LWR Forest.
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Hairy dawnflower (Stylisma villosa, Convolvulaceae)
Native
Native
This small, white morning glory was very abundant. The hairy sepals, leaves, and stems identify this as S. villosa. The meanderings of some plants in the open sand reminded me of writing.
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Myrtleleaf St.John's-wort (Hypericum myrtifolium, Clusiaceae)
Native
According to the USF Plant Atlas, there are 12 species of Hypericum in Polk County (where we were). Here are the characteristics (from the Wunderlin & Hansen guide) that support identification of this plant as H. myrtifolium:
Sepals and petals 5
Leaves of flowering stem well developed
Mature leaves flat, variously shaped, but not needlelike
Woody-stemmed perennial
Middle stem leaves ovate-triangular, subcordate to cordate at the base, somewhat clasping
Leaves of flowering stem well developed
Mature leaves flat, variously shaped, but not needlelike
Woody-stemmed perennial
Middle stem leaves ovate-triangular, subcordate to cordate at the base, somewhat clasping
Habitat: flatwoods and pond margins
Occurrence frequent
Blooms spring-summer
_______________________________________________Occurrence frequent
Blooms spring-summer
Sandweed; peelbark St.John's-wort (Hypericum fasciculatum, Clusiaceae)
Native
Native
The needlelike leaves and the habitat (bog) help identify this St.John's-wort, shown as the yellow-green plants running through the center of the bottom photo.
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Slenderleaf clammyweed; pineland catchfly (Polanisia tenuifolia, Brassicaceae)
Native
Native
This plant is tall, spindly, and as the name implies, sticky.
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Hairypod cowpea (Vigna luteola, Fabaceae)
Native
A very common, widespread pea.
Native
A very common, widespread pea.
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American bluehearts (Buchnera americana, Orobanchaceae)
Native
Native
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Leavenworth's tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii, Asteraceae)
Native
Native
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Butterflyweed; butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa, Apocynaceae)
Native
Native
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Shortleaf rosegentian (Sabatia brevifolia, Gentianaceae)
Native
Native
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Stop #5. Hickory Lake Scrub
A small patch of scrub off US 17, a few miles south of Frostproof.
From the Hickory Lake Scrub kiosk:
"Scrub is Florida's Version of a Desert--Scrub has helped to make the Lake Wales Ridge famous because it is home to a large number of rare plants. Clumps of shrubs, mostly oaks and blueberry relatives, cover the sandy knolls and are interspersed with open patches of bare sand. Through eons of time, plants have found ways to flourish in the heat and drought of the scrub. Plants like palmettos, oaks, and lyonias have stiff, leathery leaves; lupines have hairy leaves; and still other plants, like blueberries and hypericums, have extremely small leaves--all these features help the plants conserve water.
"More than 85 percent of these dry uplands have been converted to citrus cultivation and residential and commercial development. Only a few pristine tracts remain; the rest occur in small scattered parcels. Because of habitat loss, many of the Ridge's unique plants and animals are threatened with extinction."
"Scrub is Florida's Version of a Desert--Scrub has helped to make the Lake Wales Ridge famous because it is home to a large number of rare plants. Clumps of shrubs, mostly oaks and blueberry relatives, cover the sandy knolls and are interspersed with open patches of bare sand. Through eons of time, plants have found ways to flourish in the heat and drought of the scrub. Plants like palmettos, oaks, and lyonias have stiff, leathery leaves; lupines have hairy leaves; and still other plants, like blueberries and hypericums, have extremely small leaves--all these features help the plants conserve water.
"More than 85 percent of these dry uplands have been converted to citrus cultivation and residential and commercial development. Only a few pristine tracts remain; the rest occur in small scattered parcels. Because of habitat loss, many of the Ridge's unique plants and animals are threatened with extinction."
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Golden trumpet; brownbud allamanda (Allamanda carthartica, Apocynaceae)
Not native
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Sand spike-moss (Selaginella arenicola, Selaginellaceae)
Native
Native
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Paper nailwort; papery whitlow-wort (Paronychia chartacea, Caryophyllaceae)
Native, Florida endemic
This is a tentative identification.
Native, Florida endemic
This is a tentative identification.
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Small's jointweed; woody wireweed; sandlace (Polygonella myriophylla, Polygonaceae) Native, Florida endemic, Endangered-State, Endangered-US
I like the name "sandlace" for this pretty flower. Here is what the Hickory Lake Scrub kiosk says about this plant:
"This sprawling bonsai-like shrub has clusters of white-to-cream-colored flowers and is one of the most distinctive and easily recognized plants of the Florida scrub."
"This sprawling bonsai-like shrub has clusters of white-to-cream-colored flowers and is one of the most distinctive and easily recognized plants of the Florida scrub."
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Coastalplain honeycombhead; yellow buttons (Balduina angustifolia, Asteraceae)
Native
Native
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Florida alicia (Chapmannia floridana, Fabaceae)
Native, Florida endemic
A tall, sticky plant.
Native, Florida endemic
A tall, sticky plant.
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Florida lady's nightcap; Florida bonamia; scrub morning-glory (Bonamia grandiflora, Convolvulaceae)
Native, Florida endemic
Native, Florida endemic
The outer surface of the corolla is hairy. The bottom photo shows the hairy stem of this plant
Here is what the Hickory Lake Scrub kiosk says about this plant:
"This morning glory vine thrives in open sand patches. Its large bluish-lavender flowers bloom in summer and open during the cool of the morning."
Here is what the Hickory Lake Scrub kiosk says about this plant:
"This morning glory vine thrives in open sand patches. Its large bluish-lavender flowers bloom in summer and open during the cool of the morning."
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Grassleaf roseling (Callisia graminea, Commelinaceae)
Native, Florida endemic
Native, Florida endemic
Roselings were abundant. Beautiful blue, delicately beaded hairs are attached to the filaments. I wonder what is the purpose of these hairs? Maybe they slow down insects and increase chances of pollination.
When I first posted this, I labeled it as C. ornata. However, I now believe it is C. graminea (7/23/12). Clues: It was growing in a clump and the leaves extended above the flower stalks.
When I first posted this, I labeled it as C. ornata. However, I now believe it is C. graminea (7/23/12). Clues: It was growing in a clump and the leaves extended above the flower stalks.
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Bluejacket; Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis, Commelinaceae)
Native
Native
Like roselings, spiderworts also have beaded hairs attached to the filaments.
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Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta, Commelinaceae)
Native
Native
An abundant plant in this area.
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Cottonweed; plains snakecotton (Froelichia floridana, Amaranthaceae)
Native
Native
The joints are frequently tinged with red.
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Lantana; shrub verbena (Lantana camara, Verbenaceae)
Not native
Not native
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Puncturevine (Tribulus terrestris, Zygophyllaceae)
Not native
Not native
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Rough Mexican clover (Richardia scabra, Rubiaceae)
Not native
Not native
This is a very common, spreading, roadside weed. It's a relative of the showier Mexican Clover (R. grandiflora).
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False rosemary; short-leaved rosemary (Conradina canescens, Lamiaceae)
Native
Native
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Bigflower pawpaw (Asimina obovata, Annonaceae)
Native, Florida endemic
Native, Florida endemic
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Partridgepea (Chamaecrista fasciculata, Fabaceae)
Native
Native
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Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus, Apocynaceae)
Not native
Not native
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Stop #6. Bok Tower Gardens
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Britton's beargrass (Nolina brittoniana, Ruscaceae)
Native, Florida endemic, Endangered-State, Endangered-US
Native, Florida endemic, Endangered-State, Endangered-US
This plant is shown on the kiosk at Hickory Lake Scrub as being one of the rare plants found there; however, I've never seen it there. Several of them were growing in the native plant garden at Bok Tower Gardens.
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Firebush (Hamelia patens, Rubiaceae)
Native
A lady bug nymph can be seen to the left of center.
Native
A lady bug nymph can be seen to the left of center.
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Southern magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora, Magnoliaceae)
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And lastly, some critters found along the way.
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Robberfly
A predatory insect. Frequently goes after insects larger than itself. Sometimes, sits patiently on the ground, as this one did, while waiting for prey to come near. Doesn't bother people, but can inflict a painful bite if handled roughly.
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Beetle on Coreopsis
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Green lynx spider
Left: on redroot; right: on alicia.
Lynx spiders are hunting spiders that chase their prey over vegetation or lie in wait and leap out.
Lynx spiders are hunting spiders that chase their prey over vegetation or lie in wait and leap out.
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Millipede tracks
The open, white sand provides a good record of the previous night's activities--if you know how to read the tracks.
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