Weeds and Other Wildflowers Along the Bike Path, April 2, 2013

I'm in a group of retired folks that ride bicycles three times a week, mostly along A1A. Distances range from 20 to 30 miles, depending on where each person starts from. Occasionally I get asked for the name of a particular wildflower along our bike route. Here is a display of some of the most common ones found along the A1A bike path from Satellite Beach to Publix in Melbourne Beach. Most of the flowers are fairly small, so you have to look closely to see them. All plants are native, unless otherwise noted.

____________________________________________________

Punctureweed; goatheads
Not native

This is the most important weed that cyclists need to know about.

This weed is believed to be propagated by bicycles!

Its scientific name is Tribulus terrestris. Tribulus refers to a medieval weapon called a caltrop that was thrown during warfare to stop enemy horses from advancing. Today it keeps bicycles from advancing, or at least, slows them down.

An extract made from this plant is claimed to increase the body's natural testosterone levels; however, such claims have not been proven.

____________________________________________________

Whitemouth dayflower

The small, third petal is white

____________________________________________________

Common dayflower 

Not native

The small, third petal is blue. In spite of its name, this species is much less common in this area than its native cousin, whitemouth dayflower.

____________________________________________________

Southern beeblossom

____________________________________________________

Largeflower Mexican clover
Not native
____________________________________________________

Tropical Mexican clover
Not native

____________________________________________________

 

Capeweed; frog fruit

____________________________________________________

Coastalplain goldenaster

____________________________________________________

Prostrate globe amaranth
Not native

One of the most common weeds along the bike path, especially near the Spessard Holland golf course.

____________________________________________________

Virginia pepperweed

Back home in north Florida, we called this "chicken pepper." The flattened seeds have a bite like horseradish.

____________________________________________________

Fire-on-the-mountain; wild poinsettia

____________________________________________________

Spanish needles

____________________________________________________

Powderpuff

____________________________________________________

Pricklypear cactus

____________________________________________________

Common sowthistle

Not native

This thistle is not prickly.

____________________________________________________

Mohr's thoroughwort

____________________________________________________

Love vine

A parasitic vine.

____________________________________________________

Hercules-club; toothache tree

Thorny limbs and aromatic leaves. Supposedly, native Indians chewed the leaves to relieve toothache.

____________________________________________________

Saw palmetto

____________________________________________________

Wireweed

____________________________________________________

 

Blanket flower; firewheel

____________________________________________________

Creeping cucumber

____________________________________________________

Tallow wood; hog plum

This particular plant had misshapened fruit.

____________________________________________________

Pennsylvania cudweed

Not native

____________________________________________________

Virginia plantain

____________________________________________________

Walter's groundcherry; husk tomato

____________________________________________________

Lantana

Not native

____________________________________________________

Groundsel tree

____________________________________________________

Florida tasselflower

Not native

____________________________________________________

Balsampear

Not native

____________________________________________________

Blackroot

____________________________________________________

Oriental false hawksbeard

Not native

____________________________________________________

Dune sunflower

____________________________________________________

Cutleaf evening primrose

____________________________________________________

Chandelier plant

Not native

____________________________________________________

Coralbean

____________________________________________________

Gopher apple

____________________________________________________

Simpleleaf chastetree
Not native

Common along dune line, mixed in with seagrape.

____________________________________________________

Stinging nettle; tread-softly; finger-rot

Nasty plant; don't touch it!

____________________________________________________