Photo diaries about wildflowers and trees, birds and bugs, and maybe some critters as I wander and learn about the natural beauty of our world.
April 17, 2013
This day was spent wandering in the Lake Talquin State Forest with a state forest biologist and a Professor Emeritus from FSU Biology Dept -- Mike and LA. We were in search of a rare wild indigo and looking for samples for the Robert K. Godfrey Herbarium. There is some question about a Baptisia that was identified in 1933 and whether it was a subspecies or not. We did not find that one but we did see lots of others.
Lake Talquin is formed by the Ochlockonee River that flows down from Georgia and ends up at the Gulf. Here's a nice history of the river; the dam creating the lake, like most dams, has changed the river a lot. And a previous diary (with map) of this area.
Recent downpours flooded the wide wetlands along the river and its tributaries. The swampy area pictured below is maybe a quarter mile from the river. This depression may be deep enough to have water standing most of the year. It could have been a small stream ages ago.
More photos and notes downstream...
Primetime for blooms - Baptisia alba White Wild Indigo
Very similar but with a creamy white (not white) flower is Apalachicola Wild Indigo b.megacarpa found further west near the big river. The Plant Atlas has these old citations, places that are not far from me, for the subspecies we wanted:
Baptisia riparia.
FLORIDA: Leon Co.: Ochlockonee River 10 mi. W of Tallahassee, 20 Apr 1933, Totten s.n.
Baptisia riparia var. minima
FLORIDA: Gadsden Co.: Ochlockonee River, Havana, 15 Apr 1934, Griscom 21581
If you look at the genera for the Fabaceae family, there is also indigo and false indigo. Those common names can get confusing! One by one I try to learn the scientific names, the species, genera, family...but it's easy to forget them too. This comment from matching mole touches on pronunciations since it's hard to remember if you can't say it.
However LA said, just go for it with a firm voice.
Here are the pea pods. I'm looking to grab some for planting since I'd rather have these than weedy rattlebox Crotalaria
When I was poking around on the web I found Lurie Garden in Chicago - which has nice photos of their specimen Baptisia sprouting.
Staying in the Pea family, there is
American Wisteria Wisteria frutescens
To be sure this is not the imported wisteria gone wild, look for smooth pods on the native plant, not hairy.
Apocynaceae
Eastern Bluestar Amsonia tabernaemontana - not really sure about this one since it is not as blue as pictured. Yeah I know, uneducated me relies on picture books. So Wildflower.org has a list of species but only this and a. ciliata occur in Florida.
Redring Milkweed Asclepias variegata
Of the 28 genera in Apocynaceae, Milkweed is largest with 22 species in Florida. Next is Matelea, my favorite, with 5 species of milkvine or spiny pod. I have 2 in each genus growing around my woods. Blooms open real soon.
The sole representative in the large Asteraceae family is Soft Greeneyes Berlandiera pumila. These were scattered around in small colonies in the sunny, sandy spots.
Vines
We had a ongoing discussion about the various reds found in Coral Honeysuckle Lonicera sempervirens. My guess was the soil may have more to do with color intensity than any species variation. That is based on zero scientific knowledge. ((grin)) We were all happy to spot a few of these and not the invasive honeysuckle.
Crossvine Bignonia capreolata - widespread vine but not showy, one that is easily outgrown by its cousin Trumper-creeper.
Well that's it for this wandering. Here we are back by the place where we started. Hope y'all enjoyed this hike thru the Ochlockonee River floodplain. Mike and LA sure did and I am thankful for getting to tag along. I received this note yesterday as clarification on one of the finds.
I've decided the Calystegia we saw near the tallow tree is not the endangered C. catesceiana but rather a rather rare form (subspecies) of C. sepium with very hairy leaves. Mike and I went out the next day to look at it, and I took a sample. It had very tight flower buds on some of the vines, so will look in mid-May to see if it is flowering.
-- LA