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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