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 2015, Chattahoochee, FL
Well, another volunteer day out in my favorite piece of woods. I'll be honest, it may be a workday but mostly I'm out there deep in the woods to explore and see wonderful plants in bloom. So, let's jump right into the photos with one of the most beautiful, endangered plants: Fringed Campion
This plant (Silene catesbaei) is endemic to South Georgia/North Florida. Its endangered status is because of loss of habitat like so many others. It doesn't take kindly to clearcutting timber or burning or disturbance or any number of things we do to the land and call it progress. This plant's little bit of territory is on the slopes by the Apalachicola River.
much more below the fold....
It may be endangered but we saw dozens of them; "locally abundant" as my friend Leigh would say. Next up, also endangered, is the Florida Flame Azalea. Again I saw dozens. Closeup view of one that is a bit lighter than the usual orange. Rhododendron austrinum
and then a cluster of them. At one point I walked into a thicket to check and didn't realize I was surrounded by them. They were the thicket.
Terminology
Endangered: A species of plants native to the state that are in imminent danger of extinction within the state, the survival of which is unlikely if the causes of a decline in the number of plants continue, and includes all species determined to be endangered or threatened pursuant to the Federal Endangered Species Act of 1973, as amended.
Threatened: Listed as Threatened Plants in the Preservation of Native Flora of Florida Act. Defined as species of plants native to the state that are in rapid decline in the number of plants within the state, but which have not so decreased in such number as to cause them to be endangered.
On the way out, dried off with fresh clothes and about to leave, I got called back to see this beauty, also endangered. Baldwin's milkvine or Matelea baldwyniana, again limited in range to the slopes around the river. If I remember correctly, it prefers this soil with the underlying limestone and occasional outcrops.
Getting to this area we had to walk from the park entrance along power lines. It's not mowed much so it was full of scrubby plants - this Baptisia was one of them. Note the mess of blackberries in bloom surrounding it.
B. alba - Wild White Indigo - there was a brief discussion about B. megacarpa that is endangered and looks a lot like the alba but creamy in color - or so people say.
Another common plant in bloom was Indian Pink (Spigelia marilandica)
It was everywhere and blooming like crazy. Not endangered but its range is limited in Florida to the Panhandle
Here's a common flower along our roadsides - Phlox. I'll guess Wild Blue Phlox. This was the only one I saw which I thought was funny because you usually see big beds of them. Guess it couldn't compete in the woods.
phlox
One more plant from the Carrot family and guessing, it's a Meadow-parsnip in the genus Thaspium. Or it could be one of the Alexanders in the genus Zizia - your choice. It is trifoliate but I didn't know enough to look closer for certain details; next time tho.....
Ending my day, hosting Second Sunday tours at Spring House - Florida's only Frank Lloyd Wright designed private residence - we were treated to a Luna Moth newly emerged and not yet in flying shape. It was out about 2-3 hours when I took this photo.
Look how wrinkled the tail is. Host plants include Hickory, Sweetgum, Persimmon, & Sumac - all common trees in the Southeast.
Our next workday for Gholson Nature Park will be in early May - I can't wait to see what beauties are blooming.
Photos talken with an iPhone 5S; cropped where needed and resized to 1200 pixels wide; uploaded in Lightbox format.
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