ANDY'S NOTE: This is one beautiful park that includes seven distinct habitats. Natives lived on this peninsula for at least 4,500 years. Around the year 800 AD natives began to construct what is the largest indigenous mound in the Tampa Bay area, the Portevant Mound. Special plants to note here include the abundant Doctor Bush, our only native Plumbago species, that seem to pop up everywhere near the main mound. There is also the ancient protograin Huauzontle which grows along the far beach trail at the northwest end of the 365-acre preserve. The massive Moreton Bay Fig tree that is well known to visitors here, with its large buttress roots, has been doing poorly as of late. Storms and fungal infestation is taking a toll on this massive tree that is native to eastern Australia. Australian aborigines made fishing nets from the tree's fibers. In its native land it may reach 200' tall. The small purple fruits are typical syconiums, with flowers located within the fruits. The ripe fruits are edible but "unpalatable and dry." There is a nice nature center that is open during limited hours. Some beautiful blue-flowering Skyblue Clustervines, Jacquemontia pentanthos - Convolvulaceae, has been planted on the side of the nature center. It is a Florida state-endangered species native to the four most southern counties only.
AMARANTHACEAE - Amaranth Family
Chenopodium berlandieri - HUAUZONTLE, PIT-SEEDED GOOSEFOOT - Native
ASTERACEAE - Aster / Composite Family
Mikania scandens - CLIMBING HEMPVINE - Native
Mikania cordifolia - FLORIDA KEYS HEMPVINE - Native
Pectis prostrata - SPREADING CINCHWEED - Native
Sphagneticola trilobata - CREEPING OXEYE - Not native, invasive
BORAGINACEAE - Borage Family
Bourreria succulenta - BAHAMA STRONGBARK - Native, endangered.
CLUSIACEAE
Hypericum hypericoides - ST, ANDREW'S CROSS - Native
CUCURBITACEAE - Gourd Family
Momordica charantia - BALSAM PEAR, CERASEE - Not native
CYPERACEAE - Sedge Family
Cyperus ligularis - SWAMP FLATSEDGE - Native
FABACEAE - Pea Family
Desmodium incanum - ZARZABACOA COMUN, BACUIPAKPAK - Not native
GOODENIACEAE
Scaevola taccada - BEACH NAUPAKA - Not native
MYRSINACEAE
Ardisia elliptica - SHOEBUTTON, SHOEBUTTON ARDISIA, CORAL ARDISIA - Not native, invasive (fruit pulp stains finger deep purple. "In Thai traditional medicine, the fruits are used to cure diarrhea with fever." and in "Southeast Asia - to treat intestinal worms." In Malaysia the leaf paste is applied to treat measles and herpes.)
Ardisia escallonoides - MARLBERRY - Native - Fruits are edible.
MYRTACEAE - Myrtle Family
Syzygium jambos - ROSE APPLE - Not native
PHYLLANTHACEAE - Leafflower Family
Phyllanthus tenellus - MASCARENE ISLAND LEAFFLOWER - Not native
Phyllanthus urinaria - STONEBREAKER, CHANCA PIEDRA, CHAMBER BITTER - Not native
PLUMBAGINACEAE - Plumbago Family
Plumbago zeylanica - DOCTORBUSH - Native (Florida's only native Plumbago) - Very common at the park
POACEAE - Grass Family
Eragrostis species - a LOVEGRASS
Oplismenus setarius - BASKETGRASS, WOODSGRASS - Native, widespread, with pinkish-white on red flowers. NOTE: Florida is home to two other Oplismenus species. One is in Broward only (hirtellus), the other is not native (burmannii, common but not reported from the panhandle or far south Florida, with gold on green flowers)
Setaria macrosperma - CORAL FOXTAIL, CORAL BRISTLEGRASS - Native
TETRACHONDRACEAE
Polypremum procumbens - RUSTWEED, JUNIPERLEAF - Native
VERBENACEAE - Verbena Family
Phyla nodiflora - FOGFRUIT, TURKEY TANGLE FOOT, MATCHWEED - Native
COMMON NAMES - TO BE CATEGORIZED BY SCIENTIFIC NAME LATER
Acalypha
Air Plant, Cardinal
Air Plant, Giant
Air Potato
Arroz Con Toda
Bahama Cassia
Bala
Ball Moss
Bay Bean
Bayberry, Southern (Southern Wax Myrtle)
Beach Sunflower
Beautyberry, American
Bedstraw
Black Mangrove
Blackberry, Sand
Bloodleaf, Juba's Bush - Iresine diffusa - Amaranthaceae
Brahmi (Herb of Grace)
Brazilian Pepper
Brooklime - Samolus species
Bullrush
Buttonwood
Buttonwood, Silver
Carolina Cherry Laurel
Carrotwood
Cattail
Caesar Weed
Cedar, Southern Red (actually a juniper)
Century Plant
Chinaberry
Citrus (wild seedling with large thorns)
Coinvine
Coontie
Creeping Cucumber
Crinum Lily
Cuban Jute - Sida rhombifolia
Danglepod
Dayflower
Dewflower, Naked Stem
Dog Fennel
Dollarweed
Dragonfruit
Eupatorium, Large
Fabaceae - an unknown small yellow flowered climbing pea with small leaves
Fakahatchee Grass
False Mallow - There is an abundant False Mallow at this park, a Malvastrum species. It may be M. corchorifolium, our native FALSE MALLOW. M. americanum, INDIAN VALLEY FALSE MALLOW, another native reported from only two counties, or M. coromandelianum, the non-native THREELOBE FALSE MALLOW (this species is known as Chirubenda in Indian where the tender leaves are eaten as a vegetable. Also, in India, the fresh crushed leaves are applied to relieve pain and the flowers are taken as a diaphoretic.).
False Mastic
Firebush
Fishtail Palm
Florida Privet
Frostweed
Goldenrod
Goldenrod, Seaside
Grape, Wild
Grass-Leaved Euphorbia
Ground Cherry (angustifolia?)
Groundsel Bush
Gumbo Limbo - there are some whoppers to be found at this preserve.
Hairy Indigo
Hairypod Cowpea
Hickory
Hog Plum
Horseherb
Indian Fig Cactus
Ironweed
Japanese Clover
John Charles
Leather Fern, Giant
Licorice Weed
Lindernia
Live Oak
Mahoe
Mango
Mascerene Island Leafflower
Milkpea, Eastern
Moonflower
Moreton Bay Fig - Ficus macrophylla
Morning Glory, Oceanblue - Ipomoea indica - Native
Mother-in-Law's Tongue
Muhly Grass
Myrsine
Necklace Pod
Nicker Bean, Gray
Nopal Cactus, Spineless
Oriental False Hawksweed - Youngia japonica (formerly Crepis japonica)
Panic Grass - Panicum species
Papaya
Partridge Pea
Passionflower, Corky-Stemmed
Peppervine
Phasey Bean
Pickerel Weed
Pine
Pink Purslane
Poison Ivy
Pokeweed
Potato Tree - Solanum erianthum - Native - Leaves used to clean grease from dishes in the Philippines. Fruits can cause nausea and worse and have been used to make arrow poison, however, the fruits are cooked into curries in Southeast Asia according to Mansfield's Database - THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED.).
Pothos
Pouzoul's Bush
Primrosewillow, a medium-sized species
Primrosewillow, Peruvian
Ragweed, Common
Railroad Vine
Rattlebox
Rattlebox, Showy
Red Bay
Red Mangrove
Red Maple
Ressurection Fern
Richardia, Small
River Sage
Rosary Pea
Royal Palm, Cuban
Sabal Palm (Cabbage Palm)
Saltwort (Batis)
Sandspur, Coastal
Saw Palmetto
Scorpion's Tail
Sea Blite
Sea Grape
Sea Lavender
Sea Oats
Sea Oxeye
Sea Purslane
Shrubby False Buttonweed
Shyleaf
Sideroxylon (?Saffron Plum)
Simpson's Stopper
Skyblue Clustervine - Jacquemontia pentanthos - Convolvulaceae - A Florida state-endangered species native to the four most southern counties only.
Smartweed
Snowberry
Snowy Squarestem (Salt-n-Pepper)
Soapberry, Florida
Southern Beeblossom
Spanish Bayonet
Spanish Moss
Spanish Needles
Rougeberry
Spurge, Tall
Sugarberry
Surinam Cherry
Swamp Fern
Sweetscent
Tassleflower, Lilac
Tassleflower, Red
Tickseed
Tievine - Ipomoea cordatotriloba - Convolvulaceae - Native
Tropical Chickweed (Drymary)
Tropical Sage, Red
Turk's Cap Hibiscus - Malvaviscus penduliflorus - edible red flowers are quite yummy (minus the green calyx).
Turkeyberry? - Solanum
Virginia Buttonweed - Diodia virginiana - Rubiaceae - Native
Walter's Viburnum
Washington Palm
White Mangrove
White Stopper
Wild Coffee
Wild Lime
Wild Poinsetta
Winged Sumac
Woodbine