Abrus precatorius thru Asclepias curassavica

Species Name	Common Name
Abrus precatorius	Rosary Pea
Acacia auriculiformis	Earleaf Acacia
Acalypha gracilens	Slender Threeseed Mercury
Acer rubrum	Red Maple
Aeschynomene americana	Shy-Leaf / American Jointvetch
Albizia lebbeck	Woman's Tongue
Aloe sp.	Aloe
Ambrosia artemisiifolia	Common Ragweed
Ampelopsis arborea	Pepper Vine
Andropogon glomeratus pumillus	Bushy Bluestem
Andropogon virginicus	Broomsedge Bluestem
Annona glabra	Pond Apple
Ardisia elliptica	Shoebutton Ardisia
Aristida stricta beyrichiana	Wiregrass
Asclepias curassavica	Scarlet Milkweed

 

Abrus precatorius Rosary Pea Also known as crab's eye because of its bright red seeds, Abrus precatorius is a non-native, very invasive vine that belongs to Family Fabaceae. The vine twists its way throughout trees and shrubs. It is a legume with pinnate leaves. As shown in the second photograph taken by Roz Katz (Conservancy of Southwest Florida volunteer), its flowers are white and its pods are green. Its seeds are poisonous to humans, but not to birds. Abrus precatorius is in Category I on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council List of Invasive Plant Species because it has the ability to invade and displace native plant communities. Whenever this plant is spotted in the Smith Preserve, it is removed.   Return to top

 

Acacia auriculiformis Earleaf Acacia Acacia auriculiformis is a non-native, invasive, weak-wooded, fast-growing, gnarly, evergreen tree that can grow up to 30 m tall. Leaves, like the 13 cm leaf below, are crescent-shaped and leathery with 3 to 8 parallel leaf veins. Flowers are yellow, and pods (shown in the 3rd photograph) are twisted and coiled. Pods hold the seeds. The common name of this species is derived from the shape of the pod, which resembles the external ear of animals. Acacia auriculiformis is in Category I on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council List of Invasive Plant Species. It is considered an ecological threat because it invades pinelands, scrub, and hammocks in south Florida, where it competes with native vegetation for space and shades native plants. Efforts are being made to eradicate this non-native, invasive tree in the Smith Preserve. Return to top

 

 

Acalypha gracilens Slender Threeseed Mercury Acalypha gracilens is an annual weedy herb that is a spurge (Family Euphorbiaceae). It is a native plant with alternate, elliptic, hairy leaves. Its leaf-like bracts have triangular teeth. Its pollen is a mild allergen.   Return to top

 

 

Acer rubrum Red Maple Acer rubrum is one of the most common deciduous trees in eastern North America. Its flowers, petioles, and seeds are all red. In autumn, its green leaves become scarlet. Mature red maple trees can attain a height of 15m. At left are red maple seeds photographed on February 10, 2018 on a maple tree growing on the southern edge of the Smith Preserve pond.   Return to top

 

 

Aeschynomene americana Shy-Leaf / American Jointvetch Aeschynomene americana is native, erect, and an annual or short-lived perennial (two to four years) member of Family Fabaceae (The Legume or Pea Family). It grows .5 to 2 m tall and 1 to 2.5 m wide. The stems are narrow and covered in bristles as shown in the second photograph. The leaves are pinnate, 3 to 8 cm long, and with 8 to 38 pairs of linear green leaflets tinged in purple. The leaflets fold at night and when touched. The first photo below shows a leaf before being touched; the second shows the same leaf after it has been touched. Note how it folded inward. Flowers are pinkish to pale mauve or yellow-orange with red or purple striations. The pod is slightly curved with 3 to 9 segments. Each segment is 3 to 6 mm long and 2.5 to 5 mm wide. At maturity, the segments break apart. Each segment contains one seed. Seeds are kidney-shaped, 2 to 3 mm long and 1.5 to 2 mm wide. They are grey-green to light and dark brown or black. Shy-leaf is the larval host of Eurema daira (Barred Sulphur Butterfly.) Return to top

 

 

Albizia lebbeck Woman's Tongue Albizia lebbeck is a deciduous tree that can grow to 30 m in height. It is usually multi-stemmed, as is shown in the photograph above of a young tree in the Smith Preserve. Leaves are alternate and twice compound with 2 to 5 pairs of pinnae. At the base of each leaf, the stem is enlarged and there is a nectary gland, as shown in the second photograph below. Each pinna has 3 to 10 pairs of leaflets. As shown at left, leaflets are oblong and elliptic, and asymmetrical at the base. Flowers are rounded, cream or yellowish white clusters. Fruits are flat, long pods reaching 30 cm in length. The tree is native to Asia, but has been introduced to many other areas of the world, including Florida. This plant is listed by the 2007 Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council as a "Most Invasive Species Category I Species." To quote their definition, "Category I: Species that are invading and disrupting native plant communities in Florida. This definition does not rely on the economic severity or geographic range of the problem, but of the documented ecological damage caused." When spotted growing in the Smith Preserve, this species is removed. Return to top

 

 

Aloe sp. Aloe Aloe sp. is a non-native member of Family Xanthorrhoeaceae. It has a rosette of large, thick, fleshy, lance-shaped leaves. The leaves of this particular species are green with light green spots. The tip of each leaf is sharp and its margins are spiny. Aloe have tubular flowers that are densely clustered at the apex of leafless stems. The genus Aloe contains about 500 species of succulent plants. Many members of this genus are cultivated for an assortment of pharmaceutical purposes for both internal and external use.   Return to top

 

 

Ambrosia artemisiifolia Common Ragweed Ambrosia artemisiifolia is a native, annual species, which begins its growth in the late spring. Leaves are compound with many hairs on their surfaces and margins. The stems are also covered with dense hairs. Under ideal conditions, a plant can grow to about one meter in height by the end of its growing season. Flower heads are small and green with male and female flowers in separate heads on the same plant. The male flowers droop from the top of the plant, while the female flowers are in the upper leaves and bases of leaves. The third photograph shows both male and female flowers. In late summer and early fall, the seeds are set and the wind-dispersed pollen fills the air. The allergy "hay fever" is attributed to ragweed pollen.   Return to top

 

 

Ampelopsis arborea Pepper Vine   Ampelopsis arborea is a native member of the grape Family Vitaceae. This vine can grow along the ground, as shown in the first photograph, or climb a tree, as shown in the second photograph. Often found in sunny, disturbed areas of the Smith Preserve, its young leaves and stems are red / orange. Leaves are compound and coarsely toothed. The last photograph below shows a close-up of roots holding a vine to tree bark. Red bellied woodpeckers, cardinals, and raccoons enjoy eating the fruit, which look like peppercorns. These berries are toxic to humans. American Indians used tea made from the leaves to treat jaundice and diarrhea and as an astringent. Return to top

 

 

Andropogon glomeratus pumillus Bushy Bluestem Andropogon glomeratus pumillus is native to Mexico, Central America, the West Indies, and much of the Southern United States, including Florida. It is a perennial grass, belonging to Family Poaceae. Bushy bluestem is a successful terrestrial colonizer of permanently disturbed sites, like the Smith Preserve, where it grows in moist or semi-moist soils in full sun. Its fluffy flower heads resemble cotton candy. In summer, the foliage is blue-green. In winter, it takes on a copper color as shown in these photographs. Bushy bluestem flowers are sessile spikelets clustered on the top portion of the 60 to 150 cm stems. As seen at left, in the fall and winter, fine silk-like hairs of the feathery racemes seem to sparkle in the sunlight.   Return to top

 

 

Andropogon virginicus Broomsedge Bluestem Broomsedge bluestem is a native, perennial, ornamental member of Family Poacea. The plant is shallow-rooted and grows well in sandy soil. The plants shown in these photographs are growing in the Smith Preserve adjacent to the parking lot fence behind the maintenance building. As seen in these images taken on November 17, 2014, the leaves turn a pale reddish-orange in fall. Bluestem grows 0.6 to 1.2 meters in height. Leaves are flat to partly folded, 25.4 to 38.1 cm long, and 32 mm wide. Plants produce a lot of seeds on the upper half of the plant. Seeds are distributed by wind and utilized by birds in the winter when food supplies are limited. Ground-nesting birds use the grass for cover. Return to top

 

 

Annona glabra Pond Apple Annona glabra is a native perennial tree in Family Annonaceae. At the Smith Preserve, there are several growing in moist soil bordering the filter marsh. Pond apple typically grows in swamps. It can tolerate saltwater, but not dry soil. Trees grow 10 to 12 m tall. Trunks are thin and bark is dark reddish brown. As shown in photographs 2 and 3, leaves are leathery, alternate, shiny green, egg-shaped to oblong with sharp tips. The leaves are 8 to 15 cm long and 4 to 6 cm wide and usually folded upward to form a V from the axis. Photographs 4 and 5 are flowers. They are 2.54 cm in diameter, cup-shaped, nodding, and white to pale yellow. Photograph 5 is a fruit (apple). Fruits are oblong to spherical, yellow with brown spots, and 12.7 cm in diameter. The fruit is food for many animals and it is used to make jam. Pond apple provides cover for wildlife and is often covered with bromeliads.   Return to top

 

 

Ardisia elliptica Shoebutton Ardisia Ardisia elliptica is an invasive species listed on the Florida Noxious Weed List and in Category I on the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council List of Invasive Plant Species. As such, every effort is being made to eliminate it from the Smith Preserve. It is native to Southeast Asia and was introduced into the United States as an ornamental in the late 1800’s. It grows as a small evergreen shrub that can become a 6 m tall tree. Its stems are smooth, new foliage is often red, leaves are leathery, and berries are black. It is a threat to the environment because it forms dense understories and crowds out native plants. Return to top

 

 

Aristida stricta beyrichiana Wiregrass Aristida stricta beyrichiana is a drought-tolerant, perennial, native grass in Family Poaceae. Its foliage is evergreen, herbaceous, and chartreuse/yellow in color. It blooms in late spring and early and mid summer. Its blossoms attract bees, butterflies, and birds. This photograph shows a Smith Preserve wiregrass plant in the winter. Note the stiff bristles. Another name for wiregrass is pineland three-awn. An awn is a stiff bristle that grows from many grasses like Aristida stricta beyrichiana.   Return to top

 

 

Asclepias curassavica Scarlet Milkweed Asclepias curvassavica is a non-native (naturalized), perennial member of Family Apocynaceae (The Dogbane Family). Like other milkweeds, the sap is milky. Scarlet milkweed grows .6 to 1.2 m tall in full sun or partial shade. Leaves are alternate, simple, entire, and oblong with parallel veins. Each leaf blade is 10 to 20 cm long. As shown above, 10 to 20 red and orange-colored flowers are in clusters (cymes) at the top of the plant. At left an individual flower has a diameter of over 1 cm. The fruits (shown below) are 5 to 10 cm long, wide in the middle and tapering at both ends. These pods contain egg-shaped, brown flat seeds with silky hairs. When the pod splits open, seeds float in the air. Scarlet milkweed is the host plant for monarch and queen butterfly caterpillars and it is a favorite nectar provider for many butterflies. Aphids commonly infest these milkweed plants. Return to top

© Photographs and text by Susan Leach Snyder (Conservancy of Southwest Florida Volunteer), unless otherwise credited above.

Return to Plant Directory

Return to Christopher B. Smith Preserve