Summer in Tosohatchee, August 3, 2012

On the morning of August 3, I took Joe G., a volunteer guide at the Orlando Wetlands Park, on a tour of Tosohatchee roadside wildflowers. We spent the morning there, mostly just doing a census of the wildflowers. It was too hot to linger long for "glamour" photos or to make firm identifications. We entered from Taylor Creek Rd, then Beehead Rd, St. Nicholas Rd, Power Line Rd, and Fish Hole Rd to Charlie Lake. We returned via Long Bluff Rd to the east end of Power Line Rd, and then back to the entrance. Perhaps the best spot was the area along Fish Hole Rd, where there had been a recent prescribed burn. That area was now a tall grass meadow with many wildflowers.

Some of the photos included here were from a July 27 quick preview visit.

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Barred Owl

We saw this owl on July 27 as it flew to this spot and perched.

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Bladderwort (Utricularia sp., Lentibulariaceae)
Native

Yellow bladderwort was growing on a surface filled with duck weed.

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Blue mistflower (Conoclinium coelestinum, Asteraceae)
Native

This was a widespread plant, growing on both sides of the roads.

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Turkey tangle fogfruit; frogfruit; capeweed (Phyla nodiflora, Verbenaceae)
Native

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Leavenworth's tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii, Asteraceae)
Native

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Seaside primrosewillow (Ludwigia maritima, Onagraceae)
Native

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Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata, Pontederiaceae)
Native

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Semaphore thoroughwort (Eupatorium mikanioides, Asteraceae)
Native

I had initially misidentified this plant as hammock snakeroot (Ageratina jucunda). Both E. mikanioides and A. jucunda have distinctive stalked, toothed, triangular leaves; however, the leaves of the plant shown here are thickish, slightly succulent, which is a characteristic of E. mikanioides (Aug 7, 2012).

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Fourpetal St.John's-wort (Hypericum tetrapetalum, Clusiaceae)
Native

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Southern beeblossom (Gaura angustifolia, Onagraceae)
Native

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Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis, Rubiaceae)
Native

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American bluehearts (Buchnera americana, Orobanchaceae)
Native

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Woodland false buttonweed (Spermacoce remota, Rubiaceae)
Native

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Coastalplain goldenaster (Chrysopsis scabrella, Asteraceae)
Native

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Walter's groundcherry (Physalis walteri, Solanaceae)
Native

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Hairypod cowpea (Vigna luteola, Fabaceae)
Native

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Pitted stripeseed (Piriqueta cistoides subsp. caroliniana, Turneraceae)
Native

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Dwarf Canadian horseweed (Conyza canadensis var. pusilla) Asteraceae)

Native

The was initially incorrectly identified as smallhead doll's daisy.

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Blackeyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta, Asteraceae)
Native

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Savannah milkweed (Asclepias pedicellata, Apocynaceae)
Native, Florida endemic

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Whitemouth dayflower (Commelina erecta, Commelinaceae)
Native

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Tall elephantsfoot (Elephantopus elatus, Asteraceae)
Native

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

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Pale meadowbeauty (Rhexia mariana, Melastomataceae) Native

Most of these meadowbeauties were found along St. Nicholas Rd.

 The lower-right close-up photo shows a couple of tiny spurs at the base of the anthers. I found one online reference that mentioned the spurs as a feature of R. virginica. The stamens were described as: "eight, with slender twisted filaments, and golden-yellow, 5 - 7 mm long, single-chambered, elongate-linear, curved anthers with a short, fragile, spur-like appendage underneath, on opposite side of filament attachment point." I don't know yet if the spurs are found only on R. virginica.

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American beautyberry (Callicarpa americana, Lamiaceae)
Native

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Starrush whitetop (Rhynchospora colorata, Cyperaceae)
Native

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Axilflower (Mecardonia acuminata subsp. peninsularis, Plantaginaceae)

Native, Florida endemic.

Note (Aug 4, 2014): I had previously incorrectly identified these plants as Savannah false pimpernel (Lindernia grandiflora).

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Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata, Lamiaceae)
Native

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Nuttall's meadowbeauty (Rhexia nuttallii, Melastomataceae)
Native

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Tarflower (Bejaria racemosa, Ericaceae)
Native

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Dwarf live oak (Quercus minima, Fagaceae)
Native

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Orange milkwort (Polygala lutea, Polygalaceae)
Native

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Clustered bushmint; musky mint (Hyptis alata, Lamiaceae) Native

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Skyflower (Hydrolea corymbosa, Hydroleaceae)
Native

The genus name "Hydrolea" comes from hydr + olea olive, from the watery habitat and the resemblance of the leaves to those of the olive. We found several large patches of skyflower in the wet ditch alongside Power Line Rd.

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Frostweed, white crownbeard (Verbesina virginica, Asteraceae)
Native

Identified by its rough leaves and winged stem. It blooms in the fall.

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Purple thistle (Cirsium horridulum, Asteraceae)
Native

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Elderberry (Sambucus nigra subsp. canadensis, Adoxaceae)
Native

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Beggarticks; Spanish needles (Bidens alba, Asteraceae)
Native

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Unidentified

Member of the pea family.

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Rosy camphorweed (Pluchea baccharis, Asteraceae)
Native

It is separated from similar Pluchea by its sessile, clasping leaves.

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 Carolina wild petunia (Ruellia caroliniensis, Acanthaceae)
Native

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Zarzabacoa comun (Desmodium incanum, Fabaceae)
Not native

A type of ticktrefoil or beggar tick.

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Creeping oxeye (Sphagneticola trilobata, Asteraceae)
Not native

This plant is more commonly known as "wedelia." It forms low-growing mats and can become an invasive nuisance.

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American snowbell (Styrax americanus, Styracaceae)
Native

A partially opened seed capsule is shown. This shrub was in bloom in March.

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Thoroughwort (Eupatorium sp., Asteraceae)
Native

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Unidentified

 Seed receptacles

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Vente conmigo (Croton glandulosus, Euphorbiaceae)
Native

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Bulltongue arrowhead (Sagittaria lancifolia, Alismataceae)
Native

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Chapman's goldenrod (Solidago odora var. chapmanii, Asteraceae) Native

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 Sabatia

Too far away to identify the particular species of Sabatia.

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Tenangle pipewort (Eriocaulon decangulare, Eriocaulaceae)
Native

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Fewflower milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata, Apocynaceae)
Native

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Carphephorus sp.

Possibly C. carnosus or C. odoratissimus.

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Virginia buttonweed (Diodia virginiana, Rubiaceae)
Native

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Tievine (Ipomoea cordatotriloba, Convolvulaceae)
Native

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Charlie Lake

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Brazilian verain (Verbena brasiliensis, Verbenaceae)
Not native

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Swamp rosemallow (Hibiscus grandiflorus, Malvaceae)
Native

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Scarlet rosemallow (Hibiscus coccineus, Malvaceae)
Native

This was the only scarlet rosemallow we found. It was across a ditch full of water, so this was as close as we could get.

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Smart weed (Polygonum sp., Polygonaceae)
Native

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Common wireweed, common fanpetals (Sida ulmifolia, Malvaceae)
Native

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Wood sage; Canadian germander (Teucrium canadense, Lamiaceae)
Native

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