Flora, Fungi, and Fauna along the Florida Trail in Bronson State Forest

Let’s wrap up my Florida trip with this final post from my hike at Bronson State Forest.

Sand Heath, Ceratiola ericoides

Rosemary scrub habitats in Florida are considered to be a particularly endangered habitat. It thrives in sandy, old inland dune habitats and prefers to have a good burn once in a while—and well, you can imagine that sandy habitats and burning can be in short supply when people build homes right on top of and up next to the perfect habitat.

A few sites with more information: Scrub Rosemary via UCF Arboretum, Endemic Florida Rosemary via Florida State Parks, and Rosemary scrub via Florida Hikes.

Deer Moss, Cladonia evansii

Sometimes the sand can be covered in deer moss and while the sand is fluffy and white, this makes it look even more like snow at times.

Sand Spike-Moss, Selaginella arenicola

This Selaginella just needs a bit of rain to plump up again! This species is also showing up as having a range into Texas.

Shelf Fungi, Order Polyporales

Christmas Lichen, Herpothallon rubrocinctum

Vanillaleaf, Carphephorus odoratissimus

Vanillaleaf is a plant I’ve only become familiar with in the last couple of years after seeing people post it online. Unfortunately it isn’t in its lilac blooming glory and I didn’t crush its leaves to get the signature vanilla scent. A bit more info here

Golden Polypody, Phlebodium aureum, with shoestring fern Vittaria lineata, at the bottom of the palm in the second photo. Gotta miss the epiphytic fern diversity.

Chocolate Tube Slimes, Stemonitis sp.

This was probably one of the cooler finds along the hike. Originally I thought it was a fungi, kinda like the ‘fungi’ I saw at Lake Livingston SP a few weekends ago, but turns out this was also a slime mold. Now I’m really on the lookout for slime molds!

Monk Orchid, Oeceoclades maculata

Monk orchids are terrestrial orchids that were originally from Africa, later naturalizing in Brazil and since the 1970s they have taken root in areas throughout Florida. I enjoy them but we’ve also been known to pull them up when we’ve found them in natural spaces.

Golden Silk Spider, Trichonephila clavipes

Always one to give you a giant leap back or a fumble on the trail if you stumble into their web at the last minute on the trail! So creepy and yet beautiful!

Lizard’s Tail, Saururus cernuus

Oyster Mushroom, Pleurotus sp.

Ground orchid, Habenaria sp.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum

Finding an early harbinger of spring—well, one that was right on time for this area of Florida—was a delight to find on the trail. We’re just coming into their season here in Texas.

Another ground orchid, Habeneria sp.