morning procrastination

process

I've been collecting these lovely plant specimens without much explanation as to how I'm preserving them.  Well, here it is.  My homemade press, key, and workspace.

Plant press in it's storing place in our living room.  Two 24x36 pieces of wood with clamps.  When it gets full, I sit on it to get the clamp get it as tight as possible.  Also pictured are some gourds.  Oh how I love gourds.

Specimens are put between pages of newspaper and then squished (pressed) in above press.  If I was a better botanist I'd also place the specimens between sheets of corrugated cardboard.  Perhaps I can excuse it by saying cardboard is harder to acquire than newspaper.

The plant is then 'keyed' out.  Meaning I look up what it is based on certain characters and traits.  I'm wrong a lot, so I usually check myself using various internet databases.  I'm getting better at it.  Especially since I can usually tell what family something is in without the key.  It's a huge time saver.  Practice makes perfect.  I'm also expanding my anatomy vocabulary... so I can nerd out even harder.

For smaller samples I press them directly into my sketchbook.  I've found that I like the final product of this process slightly better than the larger press.  I think it's due to the paper in the sketch book.  The paper is thick, slightly absorbent, and has a moderate tooth.  The book is also kept closed using a strong elastic band.  I'm a bit picky about my sketch books...  I press plants and draw/paint/collage in them.

Where the 'magic' goes down.  My 'desk' is an old library table found in a relative's basement before I was born.  It's my favorite piece of furniture in my apartment.  

what's the story, morning glory

On my bike ride home from coffee the other day I came across this and felt the need to ID it.  I have successfully done so.  Many plants in the Convolvulaceae (Morning Glory) family appear to be in bloom now, hence all the pictures lately of this genera.

Merremia dissecta (Noyau vine)

Seed pods of M. dissecta

Happy June!

blueberry fields forever

Friday morning was magical.  I accompanied several friends out to Monteocha Gardens, a U-pick blueberry farm just ten miles north of Gainesville.  I was quite surprised to learn there were eight (yep 8!) varieties of blueberry found in Florida!  However, only two are cultivated; Vaccinium ashei (rabbiteye blueberry) and Vaccinium corymbosum (highbush blueberry).  To learn more check out this IFAS extension page.

The farm was beautiful.  Shady and tucked back off a country road.  I fell in love.  While the blueberries weren't exactly ready, most were still quite green/pink, if you patiently looked and danced with the plant ripe ones were there.  In addition to blueberries, the farm was home to several other plants interspersed here and there:  Tradescantia ohiensis (common spiderwort), Albizia julibrissin (Mimosa), Rubus cuneifolius (sand blackberry), Passiflora incarnata (purple passionflower), and Vitis rotundifolia (muscadine grape).

Vaccinium corymbosum

On the drive back into town, I was distracted by the beautiful roadside splendor.  A hazard of going anywhere with me, or my sister, is we continually check things out and make pit stops.  I yield to plants, she brakes for rocks, and we both stop for turtles.  We're quite a pair.  Luckily I drove myself so there was no one else to inconvenience.  I collected some specimens and geeked out over all the botanical treasures.

Rhychospora colorata (fine-leaved, white-top sedge)

Phlox drummondii (Annual garden phlox)

Phlox drummondii

 I know the post is called blueberry fields forever, but most of my blueberry pictures didn't turn out well... and I didn't take many because I was preoccupied with the eating/gathering of the blueberries.

ocala national forest part 2

This ecosystem happens to be one of my personal favorites, and has been for some time now.  Yet, it is highly endangered due to fire suppression, over grazing, urban sprawl, and timbering.  It is actually one of the most endangered ecosystems on Earth.  Florida is a very unique place not only for the Everglades in the Southern portion of the state, but also because of these Longleaf pine sandhills, which were once very prevalent in North/Central Florida.  These communities have been reduced to 3% of their original range.

 

Sandhills occur on hilltops and slopes of gently rolling hills of sand.  The soil is very sandy, dry, and nutrient poor.  These soils are composed of deep, marine deposited yellowish sand which is well drained and relatively sterile.  The leached nutrients are brought back to the surface by the burrowing habits of some animals.  Fires is a dominant factor in the ecology of this community.  They are a fire climax community, being dependent on frequent low-intensity ground fires to reduce hardwood competition and to perpetuate pines and grasses dominant in these habitats.  The dominant plant species in this community are dependent on fire every 2-8 years to induce flowering, such as in wire grass (Aristida stricta).  Without frequent fires, sandhills may eventually succeed to xeric hammock (dry, hardwood forests), and dominated by turkey oak (Quercus laevis).

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) Sandhill ecosystem

Longleaf pine Sandhill

Stylisma abdita (Showy dawn flower), Convolvulaceae (Morning glory Family)

This plant is extremely difficult to see if not in flower due to its thin, inconspicuous leaves.  It is also extremely rare due to habitat destruction.

Stillingia sylvatica (Queen's delight)

Croton argyranthemus (Healing croton)

*This plant exudes a clearish/yellow sap which can be used as an antiseptic on wounds.

Yucca flaccida (Adam's needle)

change, change, change

A friend moved away today.  The first of many.  Well, not exactly the very first.  Several have moved away before and while it was sad, it was oddly different.  This is a mark of the beginning of a transitional period for me.  Part of me would like to remain stagnant in this space I've created here.  

Niche.  

Home.  

Role.

Comfort.  

Yet, even if I remain still, the rest of the world will not.  It will continue to morph and transform into something new every second of every day.  Whether I participate in that transformation or not.  Coming to terms with this newness is going to be difficult.  And I often question if I'm strong enough to take on this challenge.  I'll have to be.  There is always something to learn from every experience.  The good.  The bad.  The ugly.  The profoundly beautiful.

It's happening.  Embrace it.  Play with it.  Make it into your own.  Be excited about the new experiments and discoveries lying just around the bend.  New surprises and adventures.  Words of wisdom I'm having a difficult time swallowing.

Hello, new stage of life.

Hello, new chapter.

Hello, first careers.  Real jobs.  Salaries.

Hello, friends' weddings.

Hello, children.

Hello, next phase of the journey.

World, please be patient with me.  I'm just a little scared.

ocala national forest

Cladina evansii ("deer moss" acutally a lichen)

Ceratiola ericoides (Florida rosemary)

Persea humilis (Scrub bay/silk bay) 

*edible

Quercus myrtifolia (myrtle oak)

Fun fact:  Q. myrtifolia acorns are the favorite food and the tree is the favorite nesting material of the Florida scrub jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens)

Rhynchospora megalocarpa (sandyfield beadsedge)

Sand pine (Pinus clausa) scrub ecosystem

Sabal etonia (Scrub palmetto)

Lyonia ferruginea (Rusty lyonia)

Fun fact:  The 'rusty' color of the leaves is actually due to small scale like hairs.