Ridge Riches
(Click on images to enlarge, click again to zoom.)
Our timing was good.
Driving through the fringe of the city limits in the dark of pre-dawn is sometimes a harrowing experience. Drivers tail-gating, anxious to pass at the first opportunity, or in many cases, making their own (dangerous) opportunity. They either love their jobs so much they just can’t wait to get there, or they overslept again. We suspect the latter.
On this morning, however, we seem to have caught the leading edge of the commuting wave. The streets were not empty, but they were not nerve-wracking to navigate. City lights soon faded in the rearview mirror. It was dark enough that we could not yet make out the fields and pastures we knew from experience were now on either side.
More city lights ahead. The small town was not nearly the same congested experience of our own larger municipality. We turned eastward, crossed the river and left the village as the sky began to lighten.
Pastures were now replaced with citrus groves. After an hour-and-a-half of driving, the sun was just breaking the horizon as we turned onto the access road to our destination. Lake Wales Ridge State Forest.
This particular section of the State Forest is our favorite both because it is the nearest to us and due to the incredible diversity of natural treasure it contains. The 26,000 acre Arbuckle Tract is adjacent to the western shoreline of large Lake Arbuckle and runs along the ancient geological ridge of mid-Florida. Unique flora and fauna abound here.
Sounds of city traffic have been replaced by early summer Cicadas, calling Barred Owls, hammering woodeckers, songbirds belting out spring courting melodies and the wake-up screech of several Limpkins. As the sun begins to dry the drops of dew from leaves and flower petals, insects begin their day of trying to survive. Active insects signal predators its time for them to begin their day of trying to survive. All of the above indicates our day will be filled with adventure!
Come with us and let’s see what we can discover.
A small member of the pea family, Elliott’s Milkpea (Galactia elliottii), appears in several spots at the edge of the forest. It is the only native Florida pea to have white flowers.
The unique foliage and flower of Blackroot (Pterocaulon pycnostachyum) make this a very intersting plant. Several species of butterfly and other pollinators agree.
Characteristically perched horizontally atop a bare twig, the Red Saddlebags (Tramea onusta) is hoping for an early breakfast treat to appear. We hope it finds plenty of mosquitoes this morning.
As happens when exploring, we found a new flower species as we were heading to photograph something else we had spotted. We’ve been looking for these lovely spiraling orchids for quite some time. Today was the day for finding Grass-leaved Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes praecox)!
Thistles attract quite a variety of pollinators. Here, a Palamedes Swallowtail (Pterourus palamedes) enjoys the nectar the spiny plant offers.
One of the most prevalent bird calls we heard all morning long was the song of the White-eyed Vireo. They are quick to investigate trespassers in their forest and loudly announced our presence to all within earshot.
We like the symmetry of the tall (36+ inches) Pinebarren Aster (Oclemena reticulata). Although most of the blooms were past their prime, they still made an attractive display among the palmetto and pine tree setting.
They may be small, but it would be difficult to overlook the very bright blue flowers of the Whitemouth Dayflower (Commelina erecta). We were happy to find them sprinkled liberally along our route.
We love the simple beauty of Rose-rush (Lygodesmia aphylla). A tall (2-3 feet) stem usually only produces one flower at a time. The plant we found as a couple of buds waiting their turn. This species is nearly endemic to Florida, having been reported in only two counties in Georgia.
The prevalent sandy conditions of the Lake Wales Ridge provides a welcome environment for plenty of Prickly Pear (Opuntia spp.). Outstanding flowers could almost tempt one to pick a few for the dining room table. Almost – then you notice why it’s called “prickly”.
“Heeeeeere kitty kitty kitty.” The clear whistle and trill from the understory of the pine woods advertised the presence of a Bachman’s Sparrow. This fairly nondescript bird builds a cup-shaped nest on the ground in this type of habitat. The female will often weave a bit of grass to form a dome overhead. We were fortunate to have one pose as they are normally one of those “heard but not seen” species.
I like this scraggly plant. Grassleaf Lettuce (Lactuca graminifolia) often appears to be “dead” but then you find a few of the lovely lavender blooms on a branch. The billowy seed heads remind one of Dandelions.
Time for breakfast. Hope you brought something good. Next up: More Ridge Riches.
Enjoy your search for a natural place and come back for a visit!
Additional Information
https://www.fdacs.gov/Forest-Wildfire/Our-Forests/State-Forests/Lake-Wales-Ridge-State-Forest
Our Natural Places 
Most of these images are a piece of art.
I like how the milk pea twines into a loop. Reminded me of our sweet pea trellises at home, when I was growing up. 🙂
As always an enchanting walk into the woods.
Heading over to read part 2.
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Let’s face it, Natasha. Nature is THE master (mistress?) artist! The rest of us are just tourists on our journey through the ultimate gallery.
Thank you for the kind comments.
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I simply love Rose-rush (Lygodesmia aphylla). We also have Comelina erecta and Opuntia here. Lots of nice wildflowers on this post!
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Thank you, Maria.
We really like finding the Rose-rush. Usually a tall bare stem with a single lavender flower. Beautiful.
Hopefully, more wildflowers on the way!
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I hope we can visit that area but I’m not good in the traffic any more. But it would be worth it….I keep telling myself! I love the little dayflower and rose rush. There are so many different wildflowers to enjoy here in FL. I added a couple of IDs to my photos today, thanks to you! I appreciate your help! Enjoy your weekend. Diane
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Not sure if there is a decent “less-traveled” route to that spot from where you are. Taking U.S. 27 south is slower but less busy than the Interstate option. (Dense near I-4, but not bad south of there.)
Happy to help on i.d. when I can. Hope it never comes across as an offensive sort of thing.
The weekend will be great!
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How ’bout that loop in the second picture of the milkpea? Some vines are born to go around in circles. Maybe some people, too.
In Lygodesmia aphylla, the species name aphylla means ‘leafless.’ That similarly would work as a descriptor of Lygodesmia texana, which is known colloquially as skeleton plant, given its seeming lack of leaves.
Your dragonfly appears to be in (or partly in) the so-called obelisk position, which some sources say minimizes the surface area exposed to solar radiation and therefore keeps the dragonfly from getting too hot. I don’t think that would work for us humans.
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As you well know, it is not always just the flower of a plant which grabs our attention. Vining species offer many opportunities for artistic discovery.
Our respective Lygodesmia species seem so similar I would be hard-pressed to tell a difference. That leafless aspect, plus the tendency of the plants to be a couple of feet tall, sure help highlight the beautiful bloom.
I’ve tried many strategems to keep from becoming too hot in summer. Alas, in my current state of advanced seniority within the corporation of humans, attempting to assume the obelisk position shall not be on my agenda.
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‘Arbuckle’ stopped me. I’ve often crossed the Arbuckle Mountains in Oklahoma, and I wondered if there might be some connection with your Arbuckle tract. It seems there is. The Oklahoma mountains were named for Brigadier General Matthew Arbuckle, an Oklahoma fort commander. According to this article, the U.S. Army established a fort near the eastern shore of Lake Arbuckle on January 23, 1850. That fort also was named for General Arbuckle, and it’s probable that the lake took its name from the fort. Cool!
One of my favorites is our Lygodesmia texana; I could have mistaken yours for ours, although it seems as though the stamens might be slightly different. The pine barren aster seems truly different. I don’t remember seeing any aster with that sort of form: all that leafiness with the flowers clustered at the very top.
The Ptero- in Pterocaulon gave me pause. It seemed familiar, so I went a-looking and sure enough; it was in the Pterodactyl’s name where I’d seen the prefix. Once I remembered it meant ‘wings’ or ‘winged,’ and I looked at the plant’s leaves, it made sense; it seems that another common name for the plant is ‘wingstem.’
The ‘hoop’ in the second photo of the Elliott’s milkpea seems perfectly designed for a pickup game. As for the Bachman’s sparrow, do you suppose if it whistled and trilled long and loudly enough, we could say it was an example of Bachman Sparrow Overdrive?
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Very interesting history about General Arbuckle. Seems like I should have known that.
Your Texas version of Lygodesmia certainly does look like L. aphylla. A beautiful bloom in any state.
You are right about that Pinebarren Aster being different. (AKA Whitetop Aster). Apparently, not too long ago, The entire Aster genus was rearranged. Most “American Asters” were replanted into the genus Symphyotrichum. A few species were placed into a separate, small genus, Oclemena. The form you mention is “different” and blooming season is not like other Florida “asters”, as it blooms in early summer instead of the fall.
I like the idea of Blackroot’s similarity to a flying dinosaur.
Nature’s artistry again on display with that hooped milkpea.
The shy Bachman’s Sparrow might fly away to take care of business deeper in the forest upon hearing BTO. Me, I’m happy to listen to both.
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Greek pteron meant the same as its native English cognate feather.
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