This was a "Walk Around The Lake" at Sleeping Turtles (Koch) preserve. We had anticipated getting our feet wet but, instead, it was almost dry. We didn't see as many spring plants as we had expected, but that was due to the exceptionally cold winter we suffered through (Everything seems to be about three weeks late). We did, however have an unexpected large number of walkers shows up. The total walkers numbered thirty-six of which about a third were our Native plant members. The others were from the Peace River Butterfly Society and the general public that had seen the newspaper ads.
One of the walkers was Drew Shell who is from a California Native plant Society and has walked with us before. Fortunately, Al Squires and I drafted Jack Lyons to help us as we divided the group into two sections. We did see some spring plants including Rock Rose, Helianthemum nashi; Innocence, Hedyotis procumbens; and PawPaw, Asimina reticulata, which is one of our favorites. There seems to be a very good crop of Poison Ivy, Toxicodendron radicans this year, so watch where you walk. Along the roadside we also saw the early appearing Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium; Bay Lobelia, Lobelia feayana; Black Medic, Medicago lupulina and Peppergrass, Lepidium virginicum.
From left to right: Rock Rose, Helianthemum nashi; Innocence, Hedyotis procumbens; Paw Paw, Asimina reticulata; Blue-eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium; and Peppergrass, Lepidium virginicum
70 plant species listed
|
Common Name |
Scientific Name |
|
Alligatorflag; Fireflag |
Thalia geniculata |
|
Arrowhead or Duck Potato |
Sagittaria sp. |
|
Aster, Carolina ; Climbing aster |
Symphyotrichum carolinianum |
|
Bay, Loblolly |
Gordonia lasianthus |
|
Beautyberry |
Callicarpa americana |
|
Black Medic |
Medicago lupulina |
|
Blackberry |
Rubus sp. |
|
Brazilian Pepper |
Schinus terebinthifolius |
|
Bristlegrass ; Foxtail grass |
Setaria sp. |
|
Broom Sedge |
Andropogon glomeratus |
|
Caesarweed |
Urena lobata |
|
Carrotwood |
Cupaniopsis anacardioides |
|
Clover, sweet White |
Melilotus albus |
|
Cordgrass, Sand |
Spartina bakeri |
|
Cranesbill |
Geranium carolinianum |
|
Cudweed |
Pseudognaphalium sp. |
|
Dayflower |
Commelina sp. |
|
Dewberry, Southern |
Rubus trivialis |
|
Elderberry |
Sambucus nigra |
|
Eupatorium, Summer |
Eupatorium mohrii |
|
Fern, Boston |
Nephrolepis cordifolia |
|
Fern, Cinnamon |
Osmunda cinnamomea |
|
Fern, Maiden |
Thelypteris sp. |
|
Fern, Swamp |
Blechnum serrulatum |
|
Hop Clover |
Trifolium campestre |
|
Fireweed |
Erechtites hieraciifolius |
|
Floating Hearts |
Nymphoides aquatica |
|
Frogfruit ; Capeweed ; Matchweed |
Phyla nodiflora |
|
Gallberry |
Ilex glabra |
|
Golden Polypody |
Phlebodium aureum |
|
Goldenrod |
Solidago sp. |
|
Grape, Muscadine |
Vitis rotundifolia |
|
Grass, Crowfoot |
Dactyloctenium aegyptium |
|
Grass, Fakahatchee |
Tripsacum dactyloides |
|
Grass, Panic |
Dicanthelium sp. |
|
Green Shrimp Plant |
Ruellia blechum |
|
Guineagrass |
Panicum maximum |
|
Hawksbeard, Asiatic |
Youngia japonica |
|
Hydrilla |
Hydrilla verticillata |
|
Indigo, Hairy |
Indigofera hirsuta |
|
Nutsedge |
Cyperus sp. |
|
Oak, Laurel |
Quercus laurifolia |
|
Oak, Live |
Quercus virginiana |
|
Oak, Water |
Quercus nigra |
|
Palm, Sabal ; Cabbage Palm |
Sabal palmetto |
|
Pellitory |
Parietaria sp. |
|
Pennywort ; Dollar weed |
Hydrocotyle sp. |
|
Peppergrass |
Lepidium virginicum |
|
Pine, Slash |
Pinus elliottii |
|
Pokeberry |
Phytolacca americana |
|
Ragweed, Common |
Ambrosia artemisiifolia |
|
Rosary Pea ; Crab's Eye |
Abrus precatorius |
|
Saw Palmetto |
Serenoa repens |