Cinnamon Fern

The cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamomea) is quite possibly one of the most beautiful plants in the Back Woods. This showy fern is deciduous and produces distinct fertile and non fertile fronds above a dark wiry mass of roots (ever seen osmunda fiber at your garden store) that is characteristic of all members of the Osmundaceae family. The Osmundaceae family contains some of the oldest ferns documented. The cinnamon fern and royal fern (Osmunda regalis), also found in the Back Woods, could therefore be classified as living fossils, too cool!

Cinnamon ferns are named for their distinct fertile fronds that are dark cinnamon-y in color; the reduced modified leaflets appear like crumpled curled cinnamon bark. The sterile fronds start out curled tight in a fuzzy fiddle heads. The fuzz is purported to be a desired nesting material for hummingbirds, deer are fond of the fiddle heads for browse, and steamed or boiled fiddle heads are popular with wild foods crowd.

Cinnamon ferns are a characteristic plant of wet flatwood pine forests and can even be a dominant groundcover in wet hardwood hammocks. Remarkably, these plants are tolerant of fire and regenerate readily (even increase in cover) in frequently burned habitats. You can see cinnamon ferns all along the Flatwoods Trail (new shell trail) as well as near the boardwalk.

Florida Greeneyes

Look closely among the wonderful sprays of wildflowers popping up this spring for another one of our favorites, Florida greeneyes (Berlandiera subacaulis.) Native and endemic to Florida, Florida greeneyes are found in sandhill environments preferring deep sandy soils and plenty of sun.

In the aster family, Asteraceae, Florida greeneyes sports a pretty cool variation on the classic composite flower type. The flowers are surrounded by an attractive set of overlapping bracts that  form a cup or plate like structure behind the flowers. The ray flowers are in a sparse ring around the disk flowers. The disk flower buds form the “green eye” in the center but eventually open to a bright cheery yellow just like the ray florets. Butterflies, bees, and other connoisseurs of nectar and pollen find the flowers of Florida greeneyes irresistible.

After the pollinators have finished their job, the bracts (involucre) almost form a plate on which the  winged seeds are presented to the wind. Fortunately, Florida greeneyes spreads and propagates readily from seed so we only hope to see more of them as we continue our rehabilitation efforts in the sandhill!

The Sky is Blue and So Are You

Several fluffy silver lumps of beautiful skyblue lupine (Lupinus diffusus) dot the sands of the the Western sandhill and most all are covered in bloom right now.  Skyblue lupine are found commonly throughout the state of Florida in sandhills and dry open hammocks. Popular with bees, the flowers have a pale blue corolla with a creamy white central spot. Even when not in bloom, they are easily recognizeable by their silky silvery haired foliage. Lupine are a member of the Fabaceae family (formerly Leguminosae) known commonly to many as the bean family or legumes. Lupine are in a sub order of legumes described as papilionaceous or having flowers that resemble a butterfly.

Paw Paw Petals

 

Missing from our suite of species in the Back Woods is the Florida native dwarf paw paw, Asimina pygmea. Fortunately, they are found nearby on the westernmost undeveloped portion of the museum’s property. I captured a nice cluster of plants in bloom last week to share with our readers.

The flowers start out white then develop into a beautiful deep maroon color and are sometimes candy striped in between. The flowers are pendant along the stems developing at the leaf axis. The flowers are followed by an oblong edible yellowy green berry. Another common name for this species, gopher berry, may indicate that gopher tortoise make these an addition to their grassy diet. The larvae of Zebra Swallowtail butterfly feed on the foliage of many Asimina spp. as well.

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Plans are to capture the fruit and seed of these plants to cultivate and transplant them to the flatwoods areas of the Back Woods. That is if the Med Flys don’t beat us to them ;-)

Flora Bunda Indeed

The Habenaria floribunda are blooming up a storm in the Back Woods. We are seeing these lovelies in more locations than in previous years possibly due to some of the mechanical thinning (more light reaching the forest floor) we have done to control native and non native vines .

Also known as the toothpetal false reinorchid or mignonette orchid (etymology: dainty and green), this Habenaria sp. is common throughout much of Florida.

Natives for Your Neighborhood has a nice description of the growing requirements of this native terrestrial orchid.

There are a few more photos from our highlight of this species last December http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=799.

http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=799

Narrowleaf Silkgrass

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Pityopsis

Species: graminifolia (Michx.) Nutt.

Synonym: Heterotheca graminifolia

Common: narrowleaf silkgrass, grassleaf golden aster

Lovely narrowleaf silkgrass (Pityopsis graminifolia) are adorned in dazzling yellow flowers this time of year for their part of the sandhill fall show. Those lovely yellow flowers about the size of a dime are visible from mid to late summer through late fall. Through out the rest of the year it often appears similar to a clump of grass but, the narrowleaf silkgrass is easily recognized by the silvery sometimes densely haired foliage for which it is named. Growing between one and three feet tall, this native Florida sandhill perennial prefers sunny open dry sites. They are often found in colonies spreading out by rhizomes and also propagate by seed. Some text note the narrowleaf silkgrass as an important food for gopher tortoise.

Coastalplain Palafox

The sandhill is putting on its annual fall show. Puffs of pale pink coastalplain palafox (Palafoxia integrifolia) dot the white sands in between lavender spires of blazing star (Liatris sp.). The palafox has a sweet fragrance and beetles of all kinds just seem to love it. Somewhat non descript much of the year, this pastel beauty is common in dry pinelands throughout Florida and most obvious during the fall bloom.

Plant Profile: Partridge pea

Common Name: partridge pea, sleeping plant

Scientific Name: Chamaecrista fasciculata (Michx.) Greene

Form:  Annual legume (bean)

Height/Spread: 1-3 ft tall, spread similar to height.

Leaves: Alternate, evenly pinnately compound olive green leaves with small (up to 2cm) spine tipped leaflets. Leaflets fold along the rachis when touched or in response to nightfall. Two permanent stipules and a small disc shaped extra floral nectary gland are at the base of each petiole.

Stems: Smooth and green becoming reddish brown more haired with maturity.

Flowers: Bright yellow 5 petaled flowers with red markings at the base of the petal. Stamens are sometimes red in color. One petal often folds in over stamen and anther. Flowers arise from leaf axil with the stem.

 

Fruit and Seeds: Flat 2-3 inch long legume (bean pod) producing dark brown flattened seeds.

Habitat: Partridge pea is characteristic of dry upland plant communities. Can be found along the edges of disturbed sites.

Range: Throughout the Eastern and Central United States.

Shade Tolerance: Somewhat tolerant.

Fire Tolerance: Habitat and establishment may be improved through fire.

Wildlife Use: Partridge pea is important as the larval host plant of several sulphur butterflies (Giant Cloudless, Little yellow, and Orange Sulphurs). (Check out Kristen’s Butterfly blog Lepcurious for a post on other host plants for sulphur butterflies) Seeds of partridge pea are important part of the diet of quail particularly in the Midwest. The plant as a whole is preferred white tailed deer browse.

Cloudless Sulphur larvae

Field ID: Partridge peas are in bloom throughout the summer months and are easily recognized by their bright yellow flowers and small pinnate foliage.

Information: Previously known as Cassia fasciculata, Chamaecrista fasciculata is a nitrogen fixing legume. It is commonly planted for soil stabilization and improvement projects. The small nectar gland at the base of each leaf attracts ant species which may in turn protect the plant from herbivores and plant damaging insects. Partridge pea has a long history in Native American culture as a medicinal plant but; partridge pea can be a purgative in humans and is toxic to livestock. So once again, let’s leave this one for the birds, bees, and butterflies.

References and Additional Resources:

• Austin, Daniel F. Florida Ethnobotany. Boca Raton: CRC Press. 2004
• Miller, James H., and Karl V. Miller. Forest Plants of the Southeast and Their Wildlife Uses. Athens and London: University of Georgia Press. 2005
• Taylor, Walter K. The Guide to Florida Wildflowers. Dallas: Taylor Publishing Company. 1992
• NPIN Native Plant Database Chamaecrista fasciculata
• Illinois Wild Flowers Chamaecrista fasciculata
• USDA Plants Profile Chamaecrista fasciculata

Another Day in the Woods

I just knew today was going to be a little absurd. You know the feeling… you are sure everything is going to be slightly askew. With that thought in mind, a grin on my face, and loppers in hand I headed for the woods. My heart sank in the sandhill when I saw what appeared to be one of the larger adult gopher tortoise dead in the mouth of a burrow a little too small for it. The burrow was collapsed at the top and the apron and surrounding bare sand held imprints of dog paws. Reaching in to the burrow to retrieve the body I was treated to a hiss and flip of sand by a still kicking tortoise. Fortunately our little guy had survived but was obviously exhausted by the ordeal of escaping from a domestic dog and still with back to wall per se wedged in a too small burrow. I left it be and happy to find it recovered later in the day. Dealing with free roaming domestic animals, other feral non native animals, and even some native predator species are some of the greatest challenges to maintaining a natural area for native wildlife in urban areas. Gopher tortoises are susceptible to predation from dogs, cats, armadillo, opossum, and raccoons. All of these animals are known to predate juvenile tortoise and eggs while dogs pose the greatest threat to adult tortoise. Forgive me if I am repetitive in the message of being a responsible pet owner. Please do not allow your domestic animals to roam free. Most of the animals we consider as pets are predators and no matter how well fed will prey on any native wildlife they come upon. Never release unwanted pets in the wild. Domestic pets dumped in the wild are subject to injury and death from other animals and disease. Of course spay and neuter to prevent reproduction should your pet get out or get away. Preaching done, thanks.

How is it that a plant this pretty is such a pain in the back side?! My perpetual nemesis the air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) is on the come back after the treatments of last fall and spring. This PDF on Air Potato Management in Florida tells you all you need to know and more about air potato. Should you happen to feel the need to enact your own form of vengeance on this pernicious example of flora; I would welcome any assistance in maintaining control of this green monster in the Back Woods. Potential attacks could come in the form of air potato pick ups, hand pulling vines, or machete meets vine action and I’ll bring up the rear with the herbicides. In the process, you will hopefully come across a few examples of the resident wildlife, flowering native plants, and donate a few thimbles of blood to the mosquito population. Possibly you might find an interesting artifact or two.

What an odd little find. This strange little “bird” figurine almost looked like a mummified bird body when I first came across it in the leaf litter. A closer look around revealed several other old plastic toys and children’s items long ago discarded in another one of the Back Woods’ remnant trash heaps. All of this was beneath a very nifty toppled laurel oak (Quercus laurifolia), with a 10 foot diameter pancake of upturned root system, still happily growing horizontally.

Also beneath the oak was a smattering of Virginia chain fern (Woodwardia virginica) and even a clump of royal fern (Osmunda regalis). I really need to buff up on my ferns again. It’s all about venation and where the sori are! (LOL) A nice online key to ferns in southwest Florida can be found on the Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary website.

(plant nerd alert) And then I looked up to see a sprig of inequilaterally based, doubly serrate margined, distinctly parallel veined leaves and shouted to the sky, “It’s an elm!” To the west of the sinkhole complex there are several long dead snags of American elms (Ulmus americana) (now charred from the brush fire) but I have not come across a single live American elm anywhere on the property. Now, low and behold, one skinny little sapling was arching its way out of the weedy brush towards the light right in front of me. It had taken advantage of growing space provided by the falling of that big laurel oak mentioned earlier and was holding its own against the smother of elderberry and wax myrtle (Morella cerifera). Yay, new tree species to add to diversity of the site.

I leave with you the simple raceme of gopher apple (Licania michauxii). One of my favorite plants (aren’t they all). These petite blossoms will give way to a delicious ( to the peculiar palate) white egg shape fruit. The taste is some what reminiscent of the philodendron Monstera deliciosa and simultaneously of that of something overripe. A couple of fairly large patches of gopher apple are really putting on a show right now in the western sandhill. There should be lots of fruit for the gopher tortoise with maybe a few left over for me.

Happy weekend. Get outside!

Flora and Fauna of the Back Woods

A current listing of plants and animals documented in the Back Woods. Do you have something to add please let us know!

One Man’s Weed

Lots of lovelies are peeking out some blossoms in the Back Woods. You may be familiar with some of these as common roadside weeds though they are shining here as welcome color in the woods. Here are just a few our spring early birds.

Shiny lyonia (Lyonia lucida) or one of the many plants called fetterbush. Shiny lyonia is the Ericaceae family commonly known as the heath family. You will find blueberries and and St John’s wort in this family as well. Notice how the flowers are similar to blueberries. In a previous post we pointed out the notable lateral vein on the outside edge of the leaf. This shot captures both the flowers and that distinguishable characteristic.

Florida greeneyes (Berlandiera subacaulis), a lovely little weed in the making it’s presence known in the sandhill.

Some dew laden toadflax (Linaria canadensis) flowers. The family is a real mouthful…Scophulariaceae…gotta love it! Couldn’t you guess that common snapdragons are also found in this family. This diminutive flower is found in disturbed sites everywhere.

One of Kristen’s favorites is about to explode across the Back Woods. Spiderwort (Tradescantia ohiensis) really can’t be beat for putting on a spring show. The flower color is sometimes hard to capture (blues and purple often do not photograph true) but, I think we came pretty close here.

Sandhill Expansion

Saturday was an absolutely wonderful day spent with old friends and new. Members of the Caribbean Chapter (all of central to southern Florida and Puerto Rico) of the Society of American Foresters held their annual volunteer service day in the Back Woods @ MOSI. New volunteer Forest Stewards, George and Brian, joined us to learn some chainsaw skills and help in the cleanup.

Priority of the day was to tackle the hardwoods (mostly sand live oak [Quercus geminata] and some black cherry [Prunus serotina] that are encroaching on the sandhill plant community. Commonly the canopy of trees in a sandhill community in our area might be dominated with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) with a mix of a little turkey oak (Quercus laevis) , bluejack oak (Quercus incana), sand live oak, and others depending on the amount of disturbance (fire) the system is exposed to. Typically these systems are very open and subject to frequent low intensity fires that keep all but the fire resistant longleaf pine from dominating the canopy.

Needless to say their were some hardwoods shaking in their roots on Saturday. To the task; professional foresters (Sam), land managers (Stu), forestry consultants (Eric), and forestry students (Walter) broke out their chainsaws and starting clearing. Many thanks to SAF member Sam for sharing chainsaw skills with our volunteer Brian (we might even make him a forester). Some serious progress was made in the western sandhill. Unwanted hardwoods were cleared in the center and around the perimeter. This section is one of the few open areas in the forest still able to support  herbaceous sandhill species and gopher tortoise.

In addition to clearing trees, we cleared a serious amount of garbage from the sandhill. Volunteer George meticulously collected bags and bags of broken glass, mattress coils, and miscellaneous construction debris buried in the sandhill and more  revealed by the clearing activities. There is still a disturbing amount of buried material throughout the forest but with our volunteers concerted efforts, the task is most definitely surmountable!

SAF members Mindy and Erin took on the task of recording GPS coordinates and conditions of the over 100 trees planted in January for MOSI’s Florida Arbor Day Celebration. Fortunately both Mindy and Erin participated in the January plantings and were familiar with the scattered locations of all the trees. Following the field collection, Mindy is collating all the data and producing GIS documents to analyze the data spatially(Thanks Mindy!). With this data, we hope to track the success of the planting and the future growth of the trees.

We closed out the day hot and dusty. I thanked my friends for all their help and wished them well on their way home (some traveled over a hundred miles to join us for the day). I captured one last photo in the woods as everyone left. A honey bee on poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) blossoms signaling to me Spring is on the way and all is well with the woods.

Technorati Tags: sandhill,volunteer,volunteers,SAF,restoration,vegetation management

Beautiful Brambles

The highbush or sawtooth blackberries (Rubus argutus [syn. betulifolius]) are starting to show some color (a little early it seems) in the Back Woods. And, of course we all know what follows is a juicy aggregate of drupelets we call a berry. Yum! This particular blackberry species is found throughout the Southeast in wet or dry areas and is commonly found in disturbed areas. Blackberries of all species are a very important group of plants to wildlife. The fruit is eaten by mammals and birds, the foliage is browsed deer and rabbits, and the thickets are refuge and nesting sites to many kinds of animals.

Skyblue Beauty

A solitary skyblue lupine (Lupinus diffusus) is gracing us with bloom in the western sandhill. Skyblue lupine are found commonly throughout the state of Florida in sandhills and dry open hammocks. Popular with bees, the flowers have a pale blue corolla with a creamy white central spot. Even when not in bloom, they are easily recognizeable by their silky silvery haired foliage. Lupine are a member of the Fabaceae family (formerly Leguminosae) known commonly to many as the bean family or legumes. With a nod to Kristen over at the Lepcurious blog, lupine are in a sub order of legumes described as papilionaceous or having flowers that resemble a butterfly. Check out the MOSI Outside Flickr group for more pictures of the lupine and other great shots from the Back Woods, BioWorks butterfly garden, and the Richard T Bowers Historic Tree Grove

Nice Notation

Our current restoration work is being funded through a Pollution Recovery Fund Grant from the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission. The EPC puts out a newsletter to inform the public about how Pollution Recovery Fund dollars are being spent. There is a nice little blurb at the bottom of page four about our project with a couple of nice before and after pictures.

Looking to the NW over the drainage from Buttonbush pond to the Big Sink the change is dramatic. The first composite taken in August '08 shows the drainage completely covered in air potato (Dioscorea bulbifera) and skunk vine (Paederia foetida). More noticeable in the second composite taken in December '08, the non native invasives were also making their way into and competing with the canopy of the longleaf pines (Pinus palustris).
Even though most of it appears brown and crunchy; there are many native shrubs and herbaceous species that even in the midst of winter are actively filling in the new growing space where the non natives were treated. Yay!

Types of Trees Planted

Pat from Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful is fortunately keeping me on my toes. How could I have forgot such a detail. Would you like to know what we planted? Check out the list below.

Trees Planted:
Qty. 10 3-gallon loblolly bay (Gordonia lasianthus)
Qty. 10 3-gallon dahoon holly (Ilex cassine)
Qty. 3 15-gallon dahoon holly (Ilex cassine)
Qty. 10 3-gallon Simpson’s stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans)
Qty. 3 15-gallon Simpson’s stopper (Myrcianthes fragrans)
Qty. 20 3-gallon redbay (Persea borbonia)
Qty. 3 15-gallon redbay (Persea borbonia)
Qty. 50- 3-gallon longleaf pine (Pinus palustris)
Qty. 10 3-gallon Walter’s viburnum (Viburnum obovatum)
Qty. 3 15-gallon Walter’s viburnum (Viburnum obovatum)

Additionally we never got to another 10 3 gal black gum (Nyssa sylvatica biflora) and a member of the SAF student chapter donated some 3 gal basswood (Tilia americana). The black gum (I call them tupelo) will find a home in the depths of the wetlands and the bass wood will find a home somewhere in the flatwoods transition.

After the planting a volunteer asked why I chose the species I did. We didn't exactly get our first choices due to the time of year and availability from the nursery industry. But, the thought behind all the choices was the same. I wanted to find species that were commonly found in the habitats exhibited in the Back Woods (sandhill, flatwoods, hardwood wetland, transitions). And, I tried to find species that would increase the diversity of plant species and provide resources for wildlife.

More soon on some of those individual tree species...

Tree Planting Photo Album

More pictures of all the happenings at MOSI in celebration of Florida Arbor Day

Florida Arbor Day

If you can help me place names to faces please check out the album on picasa and email me the info at crhodes@mosi.org

Florida Arbor Day Tree Planting Event

This past Saturday January 10th 2009, we celebrated Florida Arbor Day with a volunteer tree planting and an outdoor exhibition. The trees for the planting were provided by a grant to MOSI through a partnership of the USDA Forest Service, the Florida Division of Forestry and the National Football League to promote urban reforestation in the Tampa Bay Watershed in conjunction with Super Bowl XLIII in Tampa Bay.

The real stars of the day were 80 plus volunteers who pre-registered to help us plant 120 trees in the Back Woods and Bioworks Butterfly Garden. (Many of our volunteers found out about us through the great efforts of the folks at Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful.)

The volunteers stepped up to the challenge of matching names and color codes of half a dozen different species of trees and finding pre-flagged locations in the Back Woods to plant them.

The volunteers made short work of their individual planting tasks, returning to the staging area again and again looking for more plants to get in the ground.

Scout Pack 78 St Francis of Assisi single handedly tackled 10 15 gallon trees in the butterfly garden. Those young men and their leaders did an absolutely awesome job! Hopefully we will be working with these powerhouses in the future in the Back Woods.

Volunteers found many other ways to make an impact in addition to the planting. New friend to the Back Woods, volunteer Rich, brought an entire collection of tree and brush cutting tools. Rich undertook felling a massive invasive exotic tree in the forest that had been killed by herbicide treatments. (pictures soon) Thank you Rich! Another group offered clean-up service in the Back Woods. A pile of 40 plus tires along the trail pulled from the brush is proof of their days work, awesome (pictures soon)! Another new friend to the Back Woods, volunteer David, has offered to outfit our gator with a water tank to help establish all the trees planted. WOW, thank you David! And can not forget to thank regular MOSI volunteers Hands On Tampa Bay who staffed our volunteer check in and helped with the event set up and staffing.

Exhibitors for the celebration included Keep Hillsborough County Beautiful (KHCB), Florida Division of Forestry (FLDOF), University of Florida Plant City, Society of American Foresters(Caribbean Chapter), A-1 Assets, and One Source.
Pat DePlasco of KHCB had t-shirts for all of our volunteers and spent the day sharing information on litter prevention and clean-up. Carrie Kotal, Polk County Forester, represented the Florida Division of Forestry bringing with her Smokey the Bear and another forester on call for wildfire situations with his cool ride. Dr. Martin Wortman was on hand from UF to share info that the University of Florida has a satellite campus in Plant City where you can pursue a 4 year degree from UF in Natural Resource Conservation or Agriculture Education without ever going to Gainesville. Certified arborist Annie from One Source was on hand to discuss tree maintenance. One Source Management, Inc, our grounds company, also graciously sponsored the materials to offer a bird seed craft for our littler guests. A-1 Assets was on hand to offer small electronics recycling for our guests. And the Caribbean Chapter of the Society of American Foresters offered a selection of native tree seedlings for sale as part of their annual scholarship fundraising.

Special thanks also go out to many who helped by lending us the tools to make the day possible. MOSI employees contributed a nearly a dozen shovels to the task. Landscape design firm Plant Adoption Landscape, Inc lent out their entire compliment of shovels to us for the day. And the real heroes were the Special Events Team of Hillsborough County Parks and Recreation who filled in the gap by bringing enough shovels and rakes to put a tool in every volunteer’s hands. Park Ranger Charles Moss also kept track of all our tools and resupplied volunteers with materials throughout the day.

Additional thanks go out to some special friends who helped make this day possible; Mindy Moss (Consulting Forester: NRPS) who was invaluable in helping me promote and stage this event, Erin Givens (Continuing Education Coordinator Hillsborough Community College - Plant City Campus) who was my crack photographer for the day, Walter Givens who tackled all my last minute staging craziness with a smile, Lisa Leonard MOSI Events and Promotions Coordinator who helped turn a planting into an event, Kristen Gilpin MOSI Bioworks Butterfly Garden and her volunteers, T.J. Couch and his "deuce and a half", and Will Moriaty of T.R.E.E. Inc. who has worked diligently to coordinate the all the parties involved in the NFL tree planting initiative and has promoted reforestation in Tampa Bay for over 20 years.

I am sure there are many more I may have missed unintentionally; Thank you all for participating and contributing to habitat restoration in the Back Woods.