Panhandle, June 26, 2018

This is a record of an early summer visit to the Florida panhandle to check out the wildflowers along SR 65 south of Hosford.

Six new species were added to my list of photographed wildflowers:

Mohr’s coneflower (Rudbeckia mohrii)

Grassleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia graminifolia)

Fringed bluestar (Amsonia ciliata)

Rushfoil; michaux’s croton (Croton michauxii)

Barton’s rose gentian (Sabatia decandra)
Toothachegrass (Ctenium aromaticum, Poaceae)

Roger Hammer, author of the book, Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers, identified the above species for me. He also confirmed my identification of several others.

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Lake Panasoffkee WMA

On our way to the panhandle, we first stopped at Lake Panasoffkee WMA, mainly to see if the milkvine (Matelea) from May 2018 was still there. It wasn't. No evidence that I could find of the Matelea. Roger Hammer speculated that since Matelea serves as larval food for monarchs, the Matela plants may have been eaten to the ground.

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Hercules-club; toothache tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis, Rutaceae)

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Southern beeblossom (Gaura angustifolia, Onagraceae)

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Cottonweed; plains snakecotton (Froelichia floridana, Amaranthaceae)

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Queensdelight (Stillingia sylvatica, Euphorbiaceae)

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Fringed bluestar (Amsonia ciliata, Apocynacae)

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Rushfoil; Michaux's croton (Croton michauxii, Euphorbiaceae)

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Purple passionflower (Passiflora incarnata; Passifloraceae)

Passionflower is a larval food plant for Gulf fritillary butterflies.

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FR-103

Forest Road 103 was our first stop headed south along SR 65.

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Savannah meadowbeauty (Rhexia alifanus, Melastomataceae)

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White meadowbeauty; Apalachicola meadowbeauty (Rhexia parviflora, Melastomataceae)

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Savannah primrosewillow (Ludwigia virgata, Onagraceae)
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Bluejacket; Ohio spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis, Commelinaceae)
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Yellow pitcher plant; trumpets (Sarracenia flava, Sarraceniaceae)

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Bartrams's rosegentian (Sabatia decandra, Gentianaceae)

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Toothache grass (Ctenium floridanum, Poaceae)

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Titi (Cyrilla racemiflora, Cyrillaceae)

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Carolina redroot (Lachanthes caroliana, Haemodoraceae)

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Pineland false sunflower (Phoebanthus tenuifolius, Asteraceae)

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Mohr's thoroughwort (Eupatorium mohrii, Asteraceae

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Hairy chaffhead (Carphephorus paniculatus, Asteraceae)
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Pine flatlands view

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Button rattlesnakemaster; button eryngo (Eryngium yuccifolium, Apiaceae)

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Rosy camphorweed (Pluchea baccharis, Asteraceae)
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Blazing star; dense gayfeather (Liatris spicata, Asteraceae)
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Love vine; devil's gut (Cassythia filiformis, Lauraceae)

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Mohr’s coneflower (Rudbeckia mohrii, Asteraceae)
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Prairie milkweed; fewflower milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata, Apocynaceae)

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Winged loosestrife (Lythrum alatum var. lanceolatum, Lythraceae)

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Pale meadow beauty (Rhexia mariana, Melastomataceae)

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Grassleaf coneflower (Rudbeckia graminifolia, Asteraceae)

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Fogfruit; capeweed (Phyla nodiflora), Verbenaceae)

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

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Lanceleaf tickseed (coreopsis lanceolata, Asteraceae)

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Eastern Black Swallowtail

The butterfly was sipping moisture from the road, probably to get needed minerals.

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Redroot and Pines

This was an unusual sight as we drove along US 98 on our return home. Thousands of redroot plants (Lachanthes caroliana) growing among young pines.

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