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Descriptive
Information
Time: 12:30-3 pm
Weather: hot and sunny
Observations
From the road running through it, the marl prarie appeared at first
glance to be a desolate dry grassland, with only a few shrubs and
scattered hammocks to break up the flat monotony. It seemed that there
was very little life at all. However, once we stepped off the road
into the saw grass, we saw the diversity of plant life present here.
The entire prarie was covered with water ranging from an inch to
more than a foot deep. The closer to the road, the less water there
was. The water was very clear and surprisingly cool, even in the blazing
sunlight. Every plant stem was surrounded by periphyton.
Periphyton
This algae grows on the marl praries and virtually covers most of
the ground, even in the deepest pools. When it dries,
like it did near the road, it is a crispy brown covering. In the wetter
spots, it exists as a brown, spongy covering, sometimes about
1.5 inches thick on some stems. This live periphyton is a light green
on the inside
and a chocolate brown on the outside.
Periphyton acts like a sponge, holding in a large amount of water.
Plant
Life
Grasses
This is the most abundant type of plant life on the marl prarie.
- Sawgrass
(Cladium jamaicense)-This was the most prevalent
type of grass. It ranged from 1-2 ft. high. The majority was shorter
than the normal height of sawgrass, probably because of environmental
stresses. The sawgrass next to the hammocks was taller, maybe because
the grass is more protected there. Sawgrass, as implied by its name,
has very small barbs all along the blades, pointing downwards. When
rubbed in the opposite directiion, with legs for instance, it can
inflict some nasty scratches.
Angiosperms
Though these most of these werenÕt evident from the road, a surprising
variety existed. These are a few of the varieties we saw.
- Arrowhead
(Sagittarie graminea) - white flower, 3 petals,
grasslike leaves, to 24 in. tall; grew near and in the pools of
water (Taylor, 27)
- Star Rush (Rhynchospora latifolia)
- white flower, smooth, shorter leaves, 12-28 in. tall; found growing
in the shallow water at the edges of the pools (Taylor, 29)
- Blueheart (Buchnera americana) - 5-lobed corolla,
white or purple; opposite, rough leaves; rough, hairy stem; grows
in pinelands, meadows, and disturbed areas; found growing amidst
the sawgrass next to the road, so probably not typical of marl prarie
flora
- Blue-Eyed-Grass
(Sisyrinchium angustidolium) - 6-petaled flower,
purple-blue, each tipped with long spike; grass-like leaves (Alden,
164)
- Red
Milkweed (Asclepias lanceolata) - 1/2Ó flowers in
flat-topped clusters; 5 orange cupped petals; sparse leaves with
long stem; to 3 feet tall or more; purplish stems (Alden, 168)
- Cowpea (Vigna
luteola) - bright yellow pea-shaped flower; 3 leaflets;
trailing, twining vine; grows in disturbed areas, ditches, roadsides,
tidal flats and marshes; found growing by roadside (Alden, 182)
- Dwarf
cypress (Taxodium distichum var. imbricarium) - found
growing all by itself in the middle of the prarie; needles
4 inches, consisting of overlapping sections; remains relatively
short due to harsh environment
- Grass
Pink (Calopogon multiflorus) - both Audubon and The
Guide to Florida Wildflowers say that this flower is bright pink,
however, the specimen we found is light pink; 2Ó butterfly-shaped
flowers; one or two leaves, slender stem (Alden, 175)
- Thistle (Cirsium
horridulum) - Extremely prickly; puple or whitish flowers
surrounded by spiny bracts; alternate, spiny, deeply lobed leaves;
found growing near the road
- Horned
Bladderwort (Utricularia cornuta) - Yellow flower;
small, subterranean leaves with minute bladders for trapping insects;
grows to 8 in. tall (Taylor, 167)
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