Tosohatchee WMA, January 13, 2013

Found a few new Toso flowers: floating bladderwort, common blue violet, false garlic, and soldier's orchid.

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Blackeyed susan (Rudbeckia hirta, Asteraceae)

Native

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Smallfruit beggarticks (Bidens mitis, Asteraceae)

Native

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Floating bladderwort (Utricularia inflata, Lentibulariaceae)

Native

Found a lot of bladderwort in several ditches near Charlie Lake.

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Common blue violet (Viola sororia, Violaceae)

Native

First time I have seen blue violets in Toso.

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Crow poison; false garlic (Nothoscordum bivalve, Alliaceae)

Native

First time I have seen this in Toso. Found along east side of St. Nicholas Rd. According to the authorities, the flower has no scent.

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Lyreleaf sage (Salvia lyrata, Lamiaceae)

Native

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Wooly sunbonnets; pineland daisy (Chaptalia tomentosa, Asteraceae)

Native

Note the distinctive basal leaves.

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Stiff sunflower; rayless sunflower (Helianthus radula, Asteraceae)

Native

Another plant with distinctive basal leaves. These had gone to seed.

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Soldier's orchid; lawn orchid (Zeuxine strateumatica, Orchidaceae)

Not native

On the west side of Fish Hole Rd, near Power Line Rd.

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Thistle seeds

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Unidentified yellow flower

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Reflections in Charlie Lake

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Scrub Ridge Trail, November 25, 2012

The wildflowers shown here were found near the entrance to the Scrub Ridge Trail from SR 3, Merritt Island NWR.

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Juba's bush (Iresine diffusa, Amaranthaceae)

Native

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Simmonds' aster (Symphyotrichum simmondsii, Asteraceae)
Native

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Muck sunflower (Helianthus simulans, Asteraceae)

Not native

This sunflower is primarily distinguished from its close relative, swamp sunflower (H. angustifolius),  by the width of its leaves. According to Flora of North America (eFlora.org), H. angustifolius is 50-150 cm tall; leaves are 8-15 cm long and 0.15-0.5(-1) cm wide. H. simulans is 150-260 cm tall; leaves are 9-22 cm long and 0.7-4 cm wide.

The leaves shown here are about 11 cm long and 1.5 cm wide, thus identifying them as H. simulans.

Both species have leaves with margins rolled under; however, because of the very narrow width of leaves in H. angustifolius, the rolled margins nearly obscure the underside of the leaves.

See Muck Sunflowers, October 7, 2012, this blog.

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Cruickshank Sanctuary, November 21, 2012

A few early winter finds.

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Groundsel tree; saltbush (Baccharis halimifolia, Asteraceae)

Native

The seeds have all flown away...

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Narrowleaf blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium, Iridaceae)

Native

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Tall jointweed (Polygonella gracilis, Polygonaceae)
Native

A tentative identification.

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Feay's palafox (Palafoxia feayi, Asteraceae)
Native, Florida endemic

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Unidentified pea

These unidentified pea pods split into two spiral shells.

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Sebastian Preserve, October 21, 2012

Wildflowers near equestrian camp on north side of the preserve.

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American bluehearts (Buchnera americana, Orobanchaceae)

Native

This is a white variant; bluehearts are usually blue.

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Shortleaf gayfeather (Liatris tenuifolia, Asteraceae)

Native

Basal leaves are grass-like; stem leaves are short and lay against the stem.

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Liatris with skipper and swallowtail butterflies.

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Sensitive pea (Chamaecrista nictitans var. aspera, Fabaceae)

Native

Leaves sometimes sensitive to touch, folding when disturbed (these plants were not). Petiole gland stalked (bottom photo), positioned below the last pair of leaflets.

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Pitted stripeseed (Piriqueta cistoides subsp. caroliniana, Turneraceae)

Native

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Narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia, Asteraceae)

Native

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Slender flattop goldenrod (Euthamia caroliniana, Asteraceae)

Native

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Unidentified grass

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