Scrub Part 2 Snapshot Information and Images
This is the 2nd page of Lesson 4. The first page is accessed by selecting "Lesson 4" on the maroon menu bar above.
This is the 2nd page of Lesson 4. The first page is accessed by selecting "Lesson 4" on the maroon menu bar above.
Butterfly Weed
Asclepias tuberosa (ah-SCLEEP-ee-us tube-er-OSE-ah)
Butterfly weed is a bright orange-flowered milkweed in open sandy areas, including sometimes scrub. You do not see it often locally, but it is scattered across South Florida to points far north. The species has capsule fruits containing silk-parachute seeds.
Asclepias tuberosa (ah-SCLEEP-ee-us tube-er-OSE-ah)
Butterfly weed is a bright orange-flowered milkweed in open sandy areas, including sometimes scrub. You do not see it often locally, but it is scattered across South Florida to points far north. The species has capsule fruits containing silk-parachute seeds.
False-Rosemary
Conradina grandiflora (con-rah-DINE-ah grand-ah-FLOOR-ah)
This common scrubby mint has linear opposite leaves resembling conifer needles, or resembling those of Florida-Rosemary which is larger and woodier with very different flowers. False-Rosemary herb stands 1-3 feet tall on hot dry sand. The flowers are 2-lipped with the stamens and style under the top lip. Flower color is near-white to lilac, and spotted.
Conradina grandiflora (con-rah-DINE-ah grand-ah-FLOOR-ah)
This common scrubby mint has linear opposite leaves resembling conifer needles, or resembling those of Florida-Rosemary which is larger and woodier with very different flowers. False-Rosemary herb stands 1-3 feet tall on hot dry sand. The flowers are 2-lipped with the stamens and style under the top lip. Flower color is near-white to lilac, and spotted.
Hogplum
Ximenia americana (zie-MEAN-ee-ah ah-mer-eh-CANE-ah)
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This root-parasitic shrub often has yellow-green leaves, and is thorny. The white flowers are fuzzy on the inside. The fruit is a golden yellow plum, not for eating. The similar thorny shrub tough bully has the leaves distinctively brown underneath. The name "Hogplum" is applied also to species that are not native to Florida, including members of the genus Spondias.
Ximenia americana (zie-MEAN-ee-ah ah-mer-eh-CANE-ah)
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This root-parasitic shrub often has yellow-green leaves, and is thorny. The white flowers are fuzzy on the inside. The fruit is a golden yellow plum, not for eating. The similar thorny shrub tough bully has the leaves distinctively brown underneath. The name "Hogplum" is applied also to species that are not native to Florida, including members of the genus Spondias.
Honeycomb Head
Balduina angustifolia (bal-do-INE-ah an-gust-ah-FOAL-ee-ah)
This bright sunny yellow scrub wildflower is easy to recognize because the fruits from the dried flower heads look like a honeycomb. The linear leaves are essentially hairless in contrast with the somewhat similar “Silk Grass” or Camphorweed in the same habitat. Both of these latter species do likewise have bright yellow flowers.
Balduina angustifolia (bal-do-INE-ah an-gust-ah-FOAL-ee-ah)
This bright sunny yellow scrub wildflower is easy to recognize because the fruits from the dried flower heads look like a honeycomb. The linear leaves are essentially hairless in contrast with the somewhat similar “Silk Grass” or Camphorweed in the same habitat. Both of these latter species do likewise have bright yellow flowers.
Prickly Pear Cactus
Opuntia sp. (oh-POONT-ee-ah)
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Prickly Pears are cacti in the genus Opuntia characterized by the stems appearing as flat pads with bristly spine clusters. Don’t touch! The smallest fuzzy spines called glochidia (glow-KID-ee-ah) are painful. The bright yellow flower looks like a rose, and the edible purple fruit protects itself with spines and glochidia. Local opuntias often host white sticky masses formed by purple cochineal insects hiding in the white goo.
Opuntia sp. (oh-POONT-ee-ah)
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Prickly Pears are cacti in the genus Opuntia characterized by the stems appearing as flat pads with bristly spine clusters. Don’t touch! The smallest fuzzy spines called glochidia (glow-KID-ee-ah) are painful. The bright yellow flower looks like a rose, and the edible purple fruit protects itself with spines and glochidia. Local opuntias often host white sticky masses formed by purple cochineal insects hiding in the white goo.
Reindeer-Moss
Cladonia sp. (claw-DOAN-ee-ah)
Lichens are not typical plants, and are not mosses. They are a symbiotic combination of a fungus and alga growing together as one. Many live on tree trunks, and some live on the ground, especially on scrub soils. Lichens can dry out into suspended animation and resume growth when moistened. They poison surrounding vegetation.
Cladonia sp. (claw-DOAN-ee-ah)
Lichens are not typical plants, and are not mosses. They are a symbiotic combination of a fungus and alga growing together as one. Many live on tree trunks, and some live on the ground, especially on scrub soils. Lichens can dry out into suspended animation and resume growth when moistened. They poison surrounding vegetation.
Sandyfield Beaksedge
Rhynchospora megalocarpa (ring-KOSS-spore-ah meg-ah-low-CAR-pah)
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This large dryland sedge is easy to spot. There are not many sedges in the scrub, especially big like this, and Sandyfield Beaksedge makes large blue to brownish beaked “seeds” (achenes) on long flexible wands bending over and sometimes arching back to the ground.
Rhynchospora megalocarpa (ring-KOSS-spore-ah meg-ah-low-CAR-pah)
See the Blog
This large dryland sedge is easy to spot. There are not many sedges in the scrub, especially big like this, and Sandyfield Beaksedge makes large blue to brownish beaked “seeds” (achenes) on long flexible wands bending over and sometimes arching back to the ground.
Skyblue Lupine
Lupinus diffusus (LEW-pah-nus deh-FEW-sus)
Few wildflowers are prettier than Lupines. This legume having palmately compound leaves is one of the few blue local wildflowers. The flowers are in vertical spikes, and the fruits are furry bean pods
Lupinus diffusus (LEW-pah-nus deh-FEW-sus)
Few wildflowers are prettier than Lupines. This legume having palmately compound leaves is one of the few blue local wildflowers. The flowers are in vertical spikes, and the fruits are furry bean pods