Being Monday, we went on another Weeds and Seeds walk, this time it was held at the SCCF HQ, where there is a nice Interpretation and admin. Centre, as well as a series of walking paths.
Our docent was a former teacher with a great voice and superb attitude. She definitely got excited when faced with something unexpected; her enthusiasm was contagious and we all had a good learning experience.
The first thing we were told is to be very respectful of the poison ivy in the reserve: it grows as a vine, bush and small plant; it also has light or dark leaves, as well as yellow and bright red leaves. The usual three shiny leaves can be large or small, shiny or not. I'll tell you, that was a good way to keep people on the walking trail...
Here is a close-up of the cabbage palm showing construction details and beauty,
The reserve is essentially in a fresh water wetland and they have developed boardwalks through the wetter areas.
The core of this picture is a palm tree, the 'wrap around' is a Strangler Fig. Normally the strangler would kill its host over time, but since palms grow upward and not horizontaly [like me], the action of strangling is for naught.
The vegetation all along the walk is everywhere. It is difficult to imagine that in the distant past, this area might have all been covered in swamp grasses.
Here's is close-up of the very poisonous Rosary plant. You can see the black cap on some of the berries.
Somewhat aloof from the forest canopy, this PawPaw was standing proudly, head and shoulders above everything. It had to be close to 50' .
At the base of a dead and rotting pine, this mushroom [fungus] stood out in the dark understory.
Another boardwalk invited people in another direction. They have installed a wire mesh on the boardwalk to stop people from sliding when the wood is damp or wet. The unexpected benefit was that racoons will not do their business on the wire mesh, so they just use the edges of the boardwalk. Everyone is much happier.
I had to make a picture of this small [6"] natural native orchid just growing wild. It loves the shade in this area, and prefers the bark of this type of tree [I forgot what kind of tree].
There is a seed-pod just to the left of middle, near the top of this picture. We will definitely return in March to see if it blooms for us. There were many plants [12+] in a small area so they should be easy to find again. Our leader and others called it a butterfly orchid, but like all popular names, they mean different plants to different people. I suspect it might be Encyclia Tampensis
Epiphytes are very happy in Southern Florida: it is bright, damp, and windy. What more could a plant that lives in the air hope for?
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