Mangrove Chapter, Florida Native Plant Society

On Saturday the 28th of August twelve people joined for the walk along the Myakka River at Lygon, one of the Sleeping Turtles Preserves along Boarder Road. It was a pleasant day, a bit cooler than it had been, and nature presented its summer growth for all to admire.

Elephant's foot, Elephantopus sp., with its triangular shaped bracts and purple flowers, was flowering in profusion. Spanish moss, Tillandsia usneoides, and other forms of Tillandsia were seen in the trees along with Resurrection ferns, Polypodium polypodioides, and PolyPody ferns, Phlebodium aureum. The white bloom of a Leather Flower caught our eye. It was vinelike and we weren't sure of the species so we labled it Clematis sp. Partridge pea, Chamaecrista fasciculate (pictured above), was seen along with the purple blossoming Ironweed, Vernonia blodgettii. Small plants such as Spermacoce remota and S. verticillata were identified. Another interesting low-growing plant seen was Chamberbitter, Phyllanthus urinaria. This is an unusual plant because it produces seeds on the bottom surfaces of its leaves.

70 plant species listed