BABY JUMP-UP

This tiny yellow-flowered native creeping herb is often overlooked by most Floridians. I must have seen this little fella a hundred times, not knowing exactly which species it was. Then, I remember the first time that I really took the time to sit with this cute little herb. It was at Colt Creek State Park on a plant walk with my friend Mycol Stevens, and I made up my mind to key it out later that week with a sample of it in hand. Well, it turned out to be a Mecardonia species, procumbens to be specific. Thanks again to Prof. Wunderlin's keys in his comprehensive book on Florida's wild plants, "A Guide to the Vascular Plants of Florida." One note of interest... in Mexico, where this plant is known as Metatera, the whole plant is traditionally boiled and placed on external wounds to heal them. Oh, one more thing, certain butterflies like to nectar at the flowers.