Friday, April 26, 2013

Malabar Scrub Sanctuary, April 26, 2013

Found a coastalplain milkwort in the scrub and photographed an unusual fern on the way back home.
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Bay lobelia (Lobelia feayana, Campanulaceae)
Native, Florida endemic

The lobelia are the tiny blue flowers visible beneath the fleabane.
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Leavenworth's tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii, Asteraceae)
Native
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Fragrant eryngo (Eryngium aromaticum, Apiaceae)
Native

Found a large number of emerging fragrant eryngo in the dry, sandy trails on the east side of the main paved trail. The image on the right is spent seed capsules.
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 Helmet skullcap (Scutellaria integrifolia, Lamiaceae)
Native

Eastside ditch near sanctuary entrance.
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Candyroot (Polygala nana, Polygalaceae )
Native
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Coastalplain milkwort (Polygala setacea, Polygalaceae)
Native

An easily overlooked plant.
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Sandweed; peelbark St.John's-wort (Hypericum fasciculatum, Clusiaceae)
Native

Usually found near water. Stems have shredded and peeling bark.
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Largeflower rosegentian (Sabatia grandiflora, Gentianaceae)
Native

Found around edge of the pond.
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Yellow colicroot (Aletris lutea, Nartheciaceae)
Native

Many plants growing near the pond.
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Pink sundew (Drosera capillaris, Droseraceae)
Native

In moist sand around edge of pond.
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Piedmont blacksenna (Seymeria pectinata, Orobanchaceae)
Native

Dried up plant (left) was collapsed and flat on the ground. Empty seed capsules on the right.
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Whisk-fern (Psilotum nudum, Psilotaceae)
Native

Recently I found this unusual plant growing on a cabbage palm in Orlando Park, Indialantic. I photographed it on the way back home from the Malabar Scrub. It's a fern-like plant: has no roots, leaves, flowers, fruits, or seeds. It consists primarily of stems. Spores of Psilotum are housed in a 3-lobed structure called a synangium. The scientific name of this plant means "bare naked." This plant was used in the past as a small broom, made by tying a handful of its branches together.
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Wet Pinelands at Tosohatchee WMA, April 24, 2013

This was an early morning visit to Toso. It had recently rained a lot, so the woods were wet. All except one of the wildflowers pictured below are usually found in wet pinelands. The one exception was lyreleaf sage, which is found in dry areas, such as road shoulders.
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Views from Beehead Rd. Top, looking west towards the entrance. Left, recovering vegetation after a recent prescribed burn along north side of Beehead Rd. Right, a very recent prescribed burn on south side of Beehead Rd.
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Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata, Lamiaceae)
Native
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Leavenworth's tickseed (Coreopsis leavenworthii, Asteraceae)
Native

Bottom image: duckweed in the background.
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Hedge false bindweed (Calystegia sepium subsp. limnophila, Convolvulaceae) Native
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Dwarf St.John's-wort (Hypericum mutilum, Clusiaceae) Native
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Purple thistle (Cirsium horridulum, Asteraceae)
Native
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Atamasco lily; rainlily; zephyr lily (Zephyranthes atamasca, Amaryllidaceae)
Native, Threatened-State
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Mock bishopsweed (Ptillimnium capillaceum, Apiaceae)
Native
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Nutall's thistle (Cirsium nutallii, Asteraceae)
Native
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American bluehearts (Buchnera americana, Orobanchaceae)
Native
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Grasspink (Calopogon multiflorus, Orchidacceae)
Native

This wildflower is new to me and to this blog. It's a terrestrial orchid. Several plants were found in the wet woods on both sides of St. Nicholas Rd. It requires recurring ground fires to maintain its habitat, benefiting from a lack of competition with other plants. These specimens were found in an area that had recently been burned and opened up. "Calopogon" means "beautiful beard," referring to the bristles on the lip.
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Sensitive brier (Mimosa quadrivalvis var. floridana, Fabaceae)
Native
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Yellow colicroot (Aletris lutea, Nartheciaceae)
Native
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Helmet skullcap (Scutellaria integrifolia, Lamiaceae)
Native
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Pine-hyacinth (Clematis baldwinii, Ranunculaceae)
Native, Endemic
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