St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park, September 2, 2015

Our destination today was the north side of the St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park. All of the following photos were taken near the horseman's headquarters, except for the swamp milkweed, which was found on the north side of the main road (unpaved) that runs parallel to the C54 canal.

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Pineland chaffhead (Carphephorus carnosus, Asteraceae)
Native, Florida endemic

Found only this one plant.

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

Most of the goldenrod was going to seed, which gave them a frosted look.

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Pitted stripeseed; piriqueta (Piriqueta cistoides, Turneraceae)
Native

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 Rose-rush (Lygodesmia aphylla, Asteraceae)
Native

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Giant orchid; non-crested eulophia (Eulophia ecristata, Orchidaceae)
Native, threatened in Florida

This was a new flower for me. This specimen was almost 3-ft tall, bare stalk with flowers at top. Flowers are green with lower lip brown or dark purple. Habitat is dry, sandy sites, pinelands.

 Roger Hammer in his book, Everglades Wildflowers, 2nd Ed., states, "Recent DNA work at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, has reinstated this species in the genus Elophia from Pteroglossaspis." Another common name for this species is "crestless plume orchid."

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 Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata, Apocynaceae)
Native

I have not been able to identify the beetle that was grazing on the flowers.

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