Plant List - Emerson Point Preserve - Palmetto
October 23, 2018
By: Andy Firk

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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