Rhynchelytrum repens thru Saururus cernuus

Species Name	Common Name
Rhynchelytrum repens	Natal Grass
Richardia brasiliensis	Tropical Mexican Clover
Richardia grandifolia	Erect Richardia
Richardia scabra	Rough Mexican Clover / Florida Pusley
Roystonea regia	Royal Palm
Ruellia blechum (formerly Blechum pyramidatum)	Green Shrimp Plant
Sabal palmetto	Cabbage Palm
Sagittaria lancifolia	Lance Leafed Arrowroot / Duck Potato
Salix caroliniana	Carolina Willow / Coastal Plain Willow
Salix floridana	Florida Willow
Salvia serotina	Littlewomen
Sambucus canadensis	American Elderberry
Sansevieria hyacinthoides	Mother-In Law’s Tongue / Snake Plant
Saururus cernuus	Lizard's Tail

 

 

Rhynchelytrum repens Natal Grass Rhynchelytrum repens is a non-native, annual grass that grows well in dry conditions. It is a member of Family Poaceae (The True Grass Family), introduced from South Africa as a forage species. Now, it is considered by the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council as a Category II invasive. Having this classification means it has increased in abundance, but has not yet altered Florida's plant communities to the extent shown by Category I species. Natal grass has slender, branching stems that root at the nodes. It grows in erect clumps that can reach 51 to 102 cm in height. The leaves are flat, elongated, and 20 to 30 cm long. Flowers are in panicles 10 to 20 cm long. As shown above, the inflorescence consists of branches covered in silky purple to pink spikelets. Natal grass is primarily propagated by seeds carried by the wind. Return to top

 

 

Richardia brasiliensis Tropical Mexican Clover Richardia brasiliensis is a non-native, annual or perennial, deep-rooted member of Family Rubiaceae (The Madder Family). The stems are branched, up to 40 cm long, covered with hairs, and grow prostrate or upright. The leaves are opposite, elliptic to oval in shape, and hairy on both sides. They may be up to 6.5 cm long and 2.4 cm wide. Flowers are arranged in terminal clusters to 1.5 cm in diameter and consist of twenty or more flowers. As shown in the first photograph, a flower cluster typically has two pairs of short, broad leaves underneath. The upper-most pair is usually much smaller and at right angles to the lower pair. As shown in the second and third photographs, the flowers have 6 white or pale pink lobes. Each flower is up to 3.5 mm wide. The lobes are joined at the base, forming a tube up to 1.5 mm long. Each flower usually produces three nutlets up to 3 mm long and 2 mm wide. A nutlet is a seed covered by a kernel. The nutlets are covered with short, thick hairs. Richardia brasiliensis flowers attract bees, butterflies and birds. Caterpillars of Samea ecclesialis (Assembly Moth / Stained-Glass Moth) eat the leaves. Roots are habitat for nematodes. In Brazil, tropical Mexican clover is used to treat nausea and diabetes. Return to top

 

 

Richardia grandifolia Erect Richardia Richardia grandifolia is a non-native, perennial member of the Family Rubiaceae (The Madder Family). As shown in the second photograph above, Erect Richardia has hairy stems and opposite, hairy, lance-shaped leaves. Leaves are 9.5 mm to 19 mm long. As shown below, flowers are in terminal and axillary clusters. Each flower is about 10 mm wide. It is trumpet-shaped with six light pink lobes and a white throat. The species name "grandiflora" means "large flowered. This refers to the large size of the flowers when compared to other species of Richardia.   Flowers close at night and open again the next day. The photo immediately left was taken early in the morning before the flowers had opened. Note the dew on the petals.   Erect Richardia flowers attract bees and butterflies.   Return to top

 

 

Richardia scabra Rough Mexican Clover / Florida Pusley Richardia scabra is a native member of Family Rubiaceae (The Madder Family). It lives in sandy areas and grows low to the ground. As shown in photographs one through three, its leaves are opposite and egg shaped to lance-shaped. Leaves are up to 6.5 cm long, and 2.5 cm wide and connected by a sheath with several hair-like appendages from 2-5 mm in length. As seen in photograph four, stems are covered with coarse stiff hairs up to .8 mm long. The species name scabra is derived from the Latin word "scabr" meaning "rough", which refers to the stems texture. Rough Mexican clover flowers are white and consist of six narrow lobes that join at the base to form a tube. The petals are also united and are usually white to pink or lavender and shaped like a funnel. The tube ranges from 2 to 8 mm long and the lobes of the petals are from 0.5 to 2.5 mm long. The flowers are in a terminal clusters composed of twenty or more flowers, each about 7 mm in diameter as shown below. Just under a flower cluster are two pairs of leaves, positioned at right angles to one another. The upper pair of leaves are usually smaller than the lower pair. Richardia scabra blooms year round. Each flower usually produces three nutlets from 2 to 3.5 mm in length and 1.5 to 2 mm in width. Rough Mexican clover nutlets are oblong to egg-shaped. The outer surface of each nutlet is covered with wart-like protuberances, as shown in the photograph on the left. Richardia scarba resembles Richardia brasiliensis, but R. brasiliensis has much smaller flowers (3.5 mm in diameter) and hairy fruits (nutlets).   Return to top

 

 

Roystonea regia Royal Palm Roystonea regia is a native large palm that reaches a height of 20–35 m with a stem diameter of up to 61 cm. It is a member of Family Arecaceae (The Palmae Family). Populations of royal palms in Cuba and Florida were once thought to be separate species; they are now considered to be the same species. Roystonea regia has a trunk that is smooth and grey-white with a characteristic bulge.       Trees have about fifteen leaves which can be up to 4 m long. The flowers are white. The fruits are spherical to elliptical in shape and 8.9 to 15 mm long and 7 to 10.9 m wide. The fruits begin as green and turn red and eventually purplish-black as they mature. The fruit is eaten by birds and bats and fed to livestock. The flowers attract bees, birds and bats, and are considered a good source of nectar. The tree serves as a roosting site for birds, bats, and frogs. Roystonea regia is the host plant for Xylastodoris luteolus (Royal Palm Bug). Royal palm is a source of thatch, construction timber, and medicines.   Return to top

 

 

Ruellia blechum (formerly Blechum pyramidatum) Green Shrimp Plant Ruellia blechum is a non-native member of Family Acanthaceae (The Acanthas Family). It grows to 50 cm in height. Stems are slightly 4-angled and hairy. Plants root at nodes. As shown in the second photograph, leaf blades are egg-shaped, covered in soft hairs, and have five to eight secondary veins along each side of the midvein. The leaf shown here has five secondary veins. Green shrimp plant lives in hammocks, where it can be found in full sun to partial shade. As shown at left, each inflorescence is a terminal dense spike with green bracts that are leaf-like and hairy. Normal flowers have five white to pale blue petals. As shown in this photograph, cleistogamous flowers are sometimes present. They are smaller than the regular flowers, bud-like, non-opening, and self-pollinating. The flowers of green shrimp plant are attractive to bees, butterflies and birds. This plant is the host plant for Siproeta stelenes (Malachite Butterfly) caterpillars. Green shrimp plant is classified as a Category II invasive exotic. This classification indicates that it has increased in abundance or frequency, but has not yet altered Florida's plant communities.   Return to top

 

 

Sabal palmetto Cabbage Palm Sabal palmetto is the state tree of Florida, a native palm, and a member of Family Arecaceae (The Palmae Family). The tree grows to 20 m, occasionally to 28 m, with a 60 cm diameter trunk. As shown in the second photograph, the tree has a distinctive fan-shaped palm frond with a petiole that extends as a center spine or midrib that terminates in a point. Leaflets extend out from the midrib. As a result of this arrangement, the leaf blade is arched backwards. Each leaf is 1.5 to 2 m long, with 40 to 60 leaflets, each up to 80 cm long. This leaf blade type is "costapalmate". "Costa" refers to the midrib, and "palmate" refers to the leaflets radiating from a common point. When a leaf dies, the leaf base usually stays attached to the trunk for a period of time. This structure is referred to as a "bootjack". Organic debris collects inside and it is a common sight to see epiphytes hanging from bootjacks. Bootjacks also provide habitat for small mammals, snakes, lizards, frogs, and insects. Sabal palmetto flowers are a creamy yellowish-white color, about 7 mm in diameter, and arranged in large panicles up to 2.5 m long. Fruits are black spherical berries (drupes), each about 1.3 cm long. Each drupe contains a single shiny brown seed. Squirrels, raccoons, other mammals, and birds eat the drupes and seeds. People have found a variety of uses for Sabal palmetto. The common name "Cabbage Palm" originated from people eating the terminal bud of the palm. This bud resembles the shape of a cabbage. It is the only point on the palm from which new leaves develop. When the terminal bud is harvested to sell as cabbage, aka heart-of-palm, the palm cannot form new leaves to replace old ones and the tree dies. Sabal palmetto trunks are durable and used for wharf pilings, docks, and poles. Young leaves are used to make brushes and brooms. Seminole Indians use the large mature leaves as thatch for buildings called chickees.   Return to top

 

 

Sagittaria lancifolia Lance Leafed Arrowroot / Duck Potato Sagittaria lancifolia is a native, wetland, perennial member of Family Alismataceae (The Water Plantain Family). It has elongated leaves with rounded leaf bases that spread from stems arising from submerged underground rhizomes. As shown in the first photograph, leaves taper toward the apex. A leaf blade can be 61 cm long and 10 cm wide. The flower stalks are tall and erect with flowers in whorls. Each flower has three round, white petals and three green sepals. The plant produces dried fruits called achenes. Each achene contains a single seed. Lance leafed arrowroot reproduces asexually through spreading rhizomes and sexually by achenes. Achenes are dispersed by animals, wind, water, and gravity. The achenes and potato-like corms on the rhizomes are eaten by waterfowl. The corms give Sagittaria lancifolia one of its common names, Duck Potato.   Return to top

 

 

Salix caroliniana Carolina Willow / Coastal Plain Willow   Salix caroliniana is a native, perennial, wetland shrub/tree and member of Family Salicaeae (The Willow Family). Its bark is gray and rough with ridges and furrows. Its multiple trunks are short and often leaning. Its leaves are deciduous and grow to a length of 20 cm. As shown in these photographs, the leaves are light green, long and narrow. In South Florida, Carolina willow grows 4.6 m to 9 m in height. Salix caroliniana requires moist to wet soils and is intolerant of long periods of drought. In the Smith Preserve, it lives along the southwestern edge of the filter marsh. It flowers in early spring with greenish-yellow flowers on catkins (dense, cylindrical, drooping clusters). The fruit is a capsule that contains seeds dispersed by wind. Carolina willow provides food and significant cover for wildlife. It is the larval host plant for Limenitis archippus (Viceroy butterfly) and Automeris io (Io moth.)   Return to top

 

 

Salix floridana Florida Willow Salix floridana is a native, perennial tree/shrub willow in the family Salicaceae (The Willow Family). It is a spindly plant that grows to a height of 4 m. Its bark is dark and brittle; twigs are reddish-brown. The leaves are deciduous, alternate, lance-shaped with rounded bases and pointed tips, each one is 5 to 15 cm long and 2 to 5 cm broad, with a margin that has fine serrations. The top of the leaves are bright green; the bottom is grayish-white with hairy, brown veins. Flowers are produced in catkins in early spring before the new leaves appear. Male and female catkins are on separate plants. Male catkins (as shown in the second photograph) are 3 to 8 cm long; the female catkins (as shown in the first photograph) are 2 to 2.5 cm long. The Florida willow female catkin is larger than the female catkin of the carolina willow. Also, Florida willow leaves are wider and more oblong than the carolina willow. As shown in the second photograph, flowers attract pollinators.   Return to top

 

 

Salvia serotina Littlewomen Salvia serotina is a native, upright, perennial member of Family Lamiaceae (The Mint Family). It grows to a height of 46 cm. Like other members of the mint family, it has a square stem. As can be seen in these photographs, this plant has many hairs covering its leaves and stems. The leaves are opposite, simple, and egg-shaped with scalloped edges. They are aromatic and grow to a length of 5 cm. As shown in the photograph at left, each flower has a hairy calyx and a bluish-purple blossom with white markings. The blossom has a two-lipped lower portion (farthest from the calyx ) and a three -lipped upper portion (closest to the calyx.) The middle lobe of the upper portion protrudes, providing a landing platform for bees. When a bee lands, the two stamens are tipped, and the bee is covered with pollen. As shown in the third photograph above, flowers are whorled on a long terminal spike. In the Bahamas, Littlewomen is used to treat gastrointestinal problems, colds and fevers, and dermatological problems. Return to top

 

 

Sambucus canadensis American Elderberry Sambucus canadensis is a native, deciduous member of Family Caprifoliaceae (The Honeysuckle Family). It grows three meters or taller. Its stems are hollow and its leaves are compound with five to nine leaflets. Each leaflet is 10 cm long and 5 cm wide. In the summer, American elderberry has flowers arranged in flat compound umbels that are 10 to 15 cm in diameter above the foliage. Each tiny white flower is 5 to 6 mm in diameter and has five petals. The fruits (berries) are dark purple to black and drooping in clusters. The ripe berries and flowers can be eaten, but other plant parts are poisonous because they contain cyanogenic glycosides and alkaloids. The berries are used to make medicines, wine, jelly and dye. The leaves and bark are used to make insecticide and dye. American elderberry provides food for many different kinds of wildlife. Its pollen attracts bees, flies, and beetles. Some moth and beetle larvae bore into its stems and roots. Some beetles and sawfly larvae eat the foliage and flowers. Songbirds, squirrels, and mice consume its berries.   Return to top

 

 

Sansevieria hyacinthoides Mother-In Law’s Tongue / Snake Plant Sansevieria hyacinthoides is a non-native, erect, perennial member of Family Asparagacea, originally from Africa. Mother-In Law’s Tongue grows from thick underground rhizomes and can be one meter tall. Its leaves are basal, clumped, flat, erect, waxy, thick and .4 to 1 m long. As seen in these photographs, its leaves are mottled with light and dark green cross bands. The leaf margins are yellowish-green. The flowers are tiny (about 4 mm long), greenish-white, and arranged as an inflorescence on a cylindrical, unbranched spike. The fruit is a round, red, fleshy berry, about 8 mm in diameter. Sansevieria hyacinthoides is an ecological threat. The Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council has identified it as an Invasive Exotic, Category II plant. This classification means the species has increased in abundance, but has not yet altered Florida plant communities to the extent that Category I species have.   Return to top

 

 

Saururus cernuus Lizard's Tail Saururus cernuus is a native, perennial, member of Family Saururaceae (The Lizard's Tail Family). Both the scientific name and common name are derived from its drooping flower clusters that resemble lizards' tails. Saururus is Greek for "lizard tail" and cernuus means "drooping" or "nodding." Lizard's tail is a wetland plant that grows into small colonies from underground runners. At the Smith Preserve, plants are growing on the north bank of the filter marsh adjacent to the observation gazebo. Lizard's tail is an erect plant that grows .3 to .6 m in height. As seen in these photographs, plant stems are bronze-colored. As shown in the third photograph, the petiole (leaf stalk) has a groove on its upper surface. Leaves are alternate on the stem, arrowhead-shaped or heart- shaped, and 3.8 cm wide and 7.6 to 10.4 cm long. The leaves are aromatic when crushed. Lizard's tail blooms in the summer with a bottlebrush spike of white flowers that are 15 to 20 cm or longer. As seen in the first photograph, the flower spike arches above the leaves. Individual flowers are 6 mm long and have 6 to 8 creamy white stamens. After the flowers mature, nutlets form. Each nutlet is a seed covered by a kernel. All photographs shown were taken in mid November. The last photograph shows a close-up of nutlets. 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