Citrus spp. thru Cyperus retrorsus

Species Name	Common Name
Citrus spp.	Citrus trees (various)
Cnidoscolus stimulosis	Tread-Softly
Coccoloba uvifera	Sea Grape
Cocos nucifera	Coconut Palm
Colocasia esculenta	Wild Taro
Commelina diffusa	Common Dayflower
Commelina erecta	Whitemouth Dayflower
Conoclinium coelestinum	Blue Mist Ageratum
Conyza canadensis	Dwarf Canadian Horseweed
Corchorus siliquosus	Slippery Hemp
Coreopsis leavenworthii	Tickseed
Crinum americanum	String-Lily / Swamp Lily
Crotalaria pallida var. obovata	Smooth Rattlebox
Crotalaria rotundifolia	Rabbitbells
Crotalaria spectabilis	Showy Rattlebox
Croton glandulosus	Vente Conmigo
Cupaniopsis anacardioides	Carrotwood / Tuckeroo
Cynodon dactylon	Bermudagrass
Cyperus croceus	Globe Sedge
Cyperus esculentus	Yellow Nutsedge / Chufa Sedge
Cyperus retrorsus	Cylindric Sedge

 

 

Citrus spp. Citrus trees (various) The genus Citrus is a group of non-native flowering plants in Family Rutaceae. Members of the genus were intentionally introduced to the Americas by Spanish explorers in the 15h and 16th centuries. Citrus spp. is actually native to southeast Asia and India. Because the Christopher B. Smith Preserve was once a citrus grove, there are a variety of feral citrus trees remaining on the property. The age of these trees is unknown, but many do produce fruit. Citrus trees are known to produce fruit for more than 50 years. Citrus species grow as large shrubs and small trees. Their leaves are alternate and evergreen leaves. Flowers are large, white, and aromatic. Since both male and female organs occur on each flower, both self-pollination and cross-pollination occur in the Smith Preserve. Honeybees are important cross-pollinators of these trees. Citrus spp. fruits are edible, aromatic, modified berries. They have tough, leathery rinds and fleshy interiors with seeds. Some pests and diseases affect Citrus spp. At this time, it is unknown whether the Smith Preserve's feral citrus have any of them. Return to top

 

 

Cnidoscolus stimulosis Tread-Softly Cnidoscolus stimulosus is a native, perennial herb with stiff stinging hairs on its stems and leaves. If touched, the stinging hairs inject a substance that causes intense pain. The leaves are alternate with three to five lobes. The white, tubular flowers have five calyxes and no petals. Flowers are in clusters, with male flowers above female flowers. When properly prepared, the leaves and tubers are edible. Return to top

 

 

Coccoloba uvifera Sea Grape Coccoloba uvifera is a native evergreen shrub/small tree that can grow to a height of 8 m. It is not a true grape (Family Vitaceae); instead it is in the buckwheat family, Polygonaceae. It has large, round, leathery leaves. As shown above, each leaf has a red vein extending from the base of the leaf to the opposite end. As the leaf ages, the entire leaf turns red. Coccoloba uvifera is dioecious, with male and female flowers on separate plants. Honey bees and other insects cross-pollinate the plants. In late summer, female plants produce green fruit in large grape-like clusters (shown in the middle photograph). Overtime, the fruit becomes purple, as shown in the last photograph above taken by Roz Katz, Conservancy of Southwest Florida volunteer. People have discovered a variety of uses for the sea grape plants. Wood is used for firewood and making charcoal and cabinets. Fruits are eaten raw and made into jellies, jams, wine, and vinegar. Sap is used In the West Indies and Jamaica for dyeing and tanning leather. Return to top

 

 

Cocos nucifera Coconut Palm Cocos nucifera is not native to Florida, but it is naturalized. A Smith Preserve coconut palm shown in these photographs can grow to a height of 30 meters with pinnate leaves 4–6 meters long. As the tree grows, old leaves fall off, leaving smooth scars. The palm has a fibrous root system and produces both the female and male flowers on the same tree. The fruit (coconut) is the seed and a drupe, not a nut. Interestingly, nearly every part of the coconut palm is used by humans and has economic value.   Return to top

 

 

Colocasia esculenta Wild Taro Colocasia esculenta is a non-native, tropical member of Family Araceae (The Arum Family). Members of the family have flowers in an inflorescence called a spandix. The spandix is partially enclosed in a leaf-like bract called a spathe. The species name "esculenta" is Latin for "edible." Wild taro has an edible corm (short, swollen, underground stem). The plant is believed to be one of the earliest cultivated plants, grown by civilizations for food before 5000 BC. Corms must be carefully prepared before consumption because they are toxic in raw form. Leaves are triangular-ovate and reach a size of up to 40 cm X 24.8 cm. Wild taro is sold as an ornamental aquatic plant. The plants in these photographs are growing adjacent to the northern edge of the Smith Preserve filter marsh. Return to top

 

 

 

Commelina diffusa Common Dayflower Commelina diffusa is a non-native, creeping herbaceous member of Family Commelinaceae. Its stems grow along the ground, rooting at nodes when the stem makes contact with the soil. The leaves are oval-shaped with a tapering point and are 1.5 to 5 cm long and .5 to 1.8 cm wide. Flowers occur any time from spring to autumn and are a deep blue color. As shown, flowers are a little over 1 cm in diameter. Flowers are pollinated by bees and flies. After a flower blooms, a capsule forms. It contains five brown seeds, each 2 to 3 mm long and 1.4 to 1.8 cm wide. In China the plant is used medicinally to reduce fever and as a diuretic. Blue die is extracted from the flowers to make paint. Return to top

 

 

Commelina erecta Whitemouth Dayflower Commelina erecta is a native, perennial herb. The jointed stem is soft and stands upright if supported by other plants. The flowers, about 25 cm across, have three petals. There are two larger blue petals and one small white petal. Each flower blooms for one day only, but several buds on a plant will open three to four days apart. The leaves are sheathed, alternate, and linear. As shown in the first photograph, leaf venation is parallel and the leaf margins are often reddish. The flowers attract bees. Return to top

 

 

Conoclinium coelestinum Blue Mist Ageratum Conoclinium coelestinum is a native, herbaceous, perennial member of Family Asteraceae (The Aster Family). It grows to a height of .9 m and has leaves that are opposite. Leaves have a triangular shape and are bluntly toothed. The plant spreads by creeping rhizomes. Disk flowers are clustered at the top of the plant on short stems. They are bright blue or violet as shown below and about 6 mm in diameter. There are no ray flowers. Blue mist ageratum attracts bees and butterflies. Return to top

 

 

Conyza canadensis Dwarf Canadian Horseweed Dwarf Canadian horseweed is an annual, native, erect plant that grows to 1.5 m. It is a member of Family Asteraceae (The Aster Family.) The plant has many linear leaves surrounding hairy stems. Leaves are unstalked, alternate, and spiral up the stem. They are 2 to 10 cm long and up to 1 cm wide. Leaf margins are coarsely toothed. Flowers are in dense inflorescences. As shown below, individual flowers are 2.4 mm across and consist of white to pale purple ray florets and yellow disk florets. Conyza canadensis blooms year round and can be found in dry, sandy habitats. Its common name "horseweed" is used because horses like to eat the plant. Native Americans use a tincture made from the dried flowering parts of the plant to clot blood and treat rheumatic problems and gout.   Return to top

 

 

Corchorus siliquosus Slippery Burr The plant shown here was growing just north of Smith Preserve Way next to a Serenoa repens (Saw Palmetto) plant. The gopher tortoise fence and saw palmetto plant are shown in the first image. Slippery burr is a native, perennial, bushy plant that can grow to 1 m. The plant has a taproot. Plant stems are hairy, leaves are oblong-lanceolae with wavy edges. Leaves are 1.3 centimeters to 7.6 cm. Flowers are yellow, usually solitary, and about 1.3 cm in diameter. At 1:00 PM on the day when this flower was photographed, all flowers were closed, like the one shown in the previous photograph. By 2:00 PM all of the flowers had opened. Fruits (shown below) are at least three times longer than wide. Habitat of this plant includes hammock margins and disturbed areas. Plant leaves can be harvested to make a tea and cooked greens. Return to top

 

Coreopsis leavenworthii Tickseed Coreopsis leavenworthii is a native annual/short-lived perennial member of Family Asteraceae (The Aster, Daisy, and Sunflower Family). Any native species in genus Coreopsis, including leavenworthii, is recognized as Florida's state wildflower. Coreopsis leavenworthii has pinnate to bipinnate compound leaves that are oppositely arranged. The leaves are linear to oblong in shape. Plants typically grow 30 to 70 cm in height and bloom year round. As shown above, each flower is bright yellow with a dark brown center surrounded by a narrow orange ring. The flowers are at the top of tall, leafless stems. Flowers are 25 to 40 mm in diameter and attract butterflies. Return to top

 

 

Crinum americanum String-Lily / Swamp Lily Crinum americanum is a native perennial member of the Amaryllis Family. It grows in freshwater and blooms year round. This photograph was taken of an individual growing on the south bank of the Smith Preserve's filter marsh. String-lilies grow to a height of nearly 1 m and have deep-rooted bulbs and succulent strap-like leaves. Leaves are .3 to .9 m long and 3.8 to 6.4 cm wide. Crinum americanum flowers are white, fragrant and six-petaled. As can be seen in these photographs, each flower has six stamens, each with a pink filament and a yellow anther. Sphinx moths, attracted to the scent of the flowers, pollinate the plants during their nocturnal visits. String-lily leaves and bulbs are poisonous to humans because they contain alkaloids. However, the leaves are consumed by Romalea microptera (Eastern Lubber Grasshopper). It is these alkaloids that protect the grasshoppers from being eaten by birds.   Return to top

 

 

Crotalaria pallida var. obovata Smooth Rattlebox Crotalaria pallida var. obovata is not native, but has become naturalized. It was probably introduced because it, like other members of the pea/bean family Fabaceae, has roots that support nitrogen-fixing bacteria that improve soil quality. However, it was discovered that if ingested, all parts of the plant are poisonous and toxic to livestock. Today, smooth rattlebox is considered to be an invasive, noxious weed and is periodically removed from the Smith Preserve. The plant is an erect annual/short-lived perennial that can grow to 3 m in height. The stems and upper surfaces of its leaves have hairs. As shown above, leaves are trifoliolate with leaflets teardrop-shaped or somewhat oval. As shown below, up to 40 flowers are arranged on a stalk (raceme) up to 30 cm. long. Each flower is yellow with reddish brown veins.   The pods are 35–45 mm long with very short hairs. Rattlebox plants get their common name from the sound created when the pods are shaken and the seeds rattle inside. In the last photo, a seed can be seen inside a dried pod.   Return to top

 

 

Crotalaria rotundifolia Rabbitbells Crotolaria rotundifolia is a native, perennial member of Family Fabaceae (The Pea Family) that lives in pine flatwoods and sandhills. In the Smith Preserve, it grows in the Pinus elliottii (Slash Pine) needle debris at the base of the pines adjacent to Goodlette Frank Road. As shown in the first photograph, plants grow close to the ground. Stems are hairy. Leaves are alternate and oblong. The upper surface of each leaf is covered with hairs. Each flower is solitary and about 10 mm across. Rabbitbells blooms year round. Pods are green, ripening to brown, and about 1.9 to 2.5 cm long. Return to top

 

 

Crotalaria spectabilis Showy Rattlebox On March 1, 2018, the non-native plant shown here was in bloom beneath Pinus elliottii densa (Southern Florida Slash Pine) trees near the power lines in the southern portion of the Smith Preserve. Showy rattlebox grows in pinelands and dry disturbed sites throughout Florida. The plant is native to Indo Malaysia and it was purposely introduced in 1921 as a forage crop. This introduction was done before it was discovered that the plant is poisonous to grazing livestock and the seeds kill poultry. Showy rattlebox in an annual plant that grows to about 1.5 meters in height and has simple obovate leaves. The species blooms year round. As seen in these photographs, the flower spike is erect with flowers that are ~ 2.5 cm wide and ~2.5 cm long. When first formed, seed pods are green, cylindrical and inflated. They turn brown when mature. This plant species has been used as a herbal medicine to treat contagious skin infections. Return to top

 

 

Croton glandulosus Vente Conmigo   Croton glandulosus is a native, perennial spurge in Family Euphorbiaceae. All parts of the plant except the flowers are covered in coarse hairs. It's stems are erect and attached to a single base. Its leaves are alternate, elliptical to oval, and elongate with toothed margins. Its tiny flowers are only 6 mm wide. The tick-like seeds give Vente Conmigo its genus name, "Croton," the Greek word for "tick.   The species name, "glandulosus" describes the gland-like structures at the end of the leaf stalk.   Return to top

 

 

Cupaniopsis anacardioides Carrotwood / Tuckeroo Cupaniopsis anacardioides is an non-native, invasive member of Family Sapindaceae (The Soapberry Family). It is native to eastern and northern Australia, and was introduced to Florida as an ornamental tree in 1968. In 1999, the tree was listed on the Florida Noxious Weed List – Rule 5B-57.007, making it “. . . unlawful to introduce, multiply, possess, move, or release." In 2013, it was listed as a Category I Invasive. A Category I Invasive "alters native plant communities by displacing native species, changing community structures or ecological functions, or hybridizing with natives." Within the Smith Preserve, these trees are removed when discovered. Carrotwood is a small, slender tree that is usually single-trunked. It grows to 10 meters and has a stem diameter of 50 cm. It gets its common name, "carrotwood," from the orange color of its inner bark. The outer bark is grey or brown and smooth with raised horizontal lines. As shown in these photographs above, leaves are compound, pinnate, and alternate with 4 to 12 leaflets. Leaflets are leathery, shiny, and yellow-green. Leaflet margins are without teeth and the petioles are swollen. Leaflets are oblong and up to 20 cm in length. Leaflet tips are rounded or slightly indented. Veins in the leaflets are pronounced. Trees flower from May to July. Flowers are greenish-white; fruits are orange to yellow capsules with three lobes. Each lobe contains a black seed, surrounded by a yellow-red aril (a specialized outgrowth of the attachment point of the seed). Seeds are dispersed when birds feed on the fruit and excrete the seeds. Return to top

 

 

Cynodon dactylon Bermudagrass Cynodon dactylon is a non-native member of Family Poaceae. Some members of genus Cynodon, especially the fine-textured species, are among the most widely planted warm-season grasses used in commercial landscaping. As seen in these photographs, Cynodon dactylon leaves have a grey-green color. Blades are usually 2 to 15 cm long with rough edges. One way the grass spreads is with runners. Wherever a node on a runner makes contact with the ground, it roots. Below, the 1st photograph shows a runner that was 6 cm long between two nodes. As shown in the photographs below, the seed heads are produced in clusters of two to six spikes at the top of a slightly flattened stem that can grow 1 to 30 cm in height. There are many of these grasses in the Smith Preserve, where they are growing well in full sun. Return to top

 

 

Cyperus croceus Globe Sedge Cyperus croceus is a common, native, perennial member of the sedge family Cyperacea. It normally grows in dry to moist sandy habitats. The plants in these photographs were living at the edge of the Smith Preserve filter marsh. As with all sedges, the stem is three-sided. Globe sedge has alternate, yellowish-green, flat, smooth leaves. As shown in the first photograph above, the flowers, which are greenish-yellow occur in a cluster of spikelets that form a globe-like structure at the top of the erect stem. The last 3 photographs show the brown globular seed heads.   Return to top

 

 

Cyperus esculentus Yellow Nutsedge / Chufa Sedge Cyperus esculentus is a member of Family Cyperaceae (The Sedge Family). Native to most of the Western Hemisphere as well as many other regions of the world, it grows in most areas as a wild weed. But, in some countries, it is cultivated for its edible tuber called a tiger nut. Yellow Nutsedge was one of the oldest cultivated plants used for food by prehistoric cultures. The plant reproduces with seeds, creeping rhizomes, and tubers. The distinctive spikelets (shown in the first two photographs) have clusters of flat oval seeds surrounded by leaf-like bracts, and numerous tiny florets. The spikelets are straw to gold-brown in color. Each plant can produce 2,420 seeds. A single Yellow Nutsedge plant grows to 90 cm in height with a solitary, triangular stem (see photograph 3), growing from a tuber. One plant can produce several hundred to several thousand tubers in a single growing season. Return to top

 

 

 

Cyperus retrorsus Cylindric Sedge Cyperus retrorsus is a native, erect, perennial member of Family Cyperaceae (The Sedge Family). It grows in most sandy habitats and is extremely common. It grows to a height of 51 cm. Its stem is very hairy; its roots are fibrous. The leaf blades are bright green, flat, and smooth. As shown in the 2nd photograph viewed from above, a seed head consists of three to seven leaf-like bracts at the top of a stem. There are several branches of tightly clustered cylindrical spikelets. These spikelets begin green and turn to a brown or black color at maturity. Cyperus retrorsus (Cylindrical Sedge) is nearly identical to Cyperus croceus (Globe Sedge) except for the shape of the seed heads. Return to top

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

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