Monday, July 23, 2012

Cruickshank, July 22, 2012

On this visit I found a new species in Cruickshank: Polanisia tenuifolia. This was the first time I had seen it in Brevard. Previously I had seen it only in the Lake Wales Ridge area.
__________________________________________________

American white waterlily (Nymphaea odorata, Nymphaeaceae )
Native
 __________________________________________________





Catchfly, slenderleaf clammyweed (Polanisia tenuifolia, Brassicaceae)
Native

I found only four plants of this species. They were all growing in an open, disturbed, dry, sandy area about 10x10 ft., at the southwest corner of the first major intersection in the sanctuary. Nearby were blacksenna and partridge pea.
 __________________________________________________



Piedmont blacksenna (Seymeria pectinata, Orobanchaceae)
Native

Plants of this species turn black when they die, as shown in the upper right photo. Seymaria is parasitic on the roots of pines and other trees.
 __________________________________________________




Rough hedgehyssop (Gratiola hispida, Veronicaceae)
 Native

The top left photo shows the large G. hispida plant I found in the sanctuary. I had never seen it grow so large before.
 __________________________________________________



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



Yellow milkwort (Polygala rugelii, Polygalaceae).
Native, Florida endemic
 __________________________________________________



Scrub Jay

About a dozen scrub jays came to investigate us. One fearless jay perched on my cap for a few seconds.
 __________________________________________________

1 comment:

  1. the flowers are lovely, but ahh, the scrub jays! what beauties :)

    ReplyDelete