Last Few Days in western, NC

Turk’s-cap lily (Lilium superbum) 1

Female duck (Anas sp?)

and pink rose (Rosa sp?) 4

White and pink rose (Rosa sp?) 1

Pink rose (Rosa sp?)

Light pink rose (Rosa sp?)

White and pink rose (Rosa sp?) 2

Turk’s-cap lily (Lilium superbum) 2

Crimson colored rose (Rosa sp?)

White and pink rose (Rosa sp?) 3

Yellow and pink rose (Rosa sp?)

Yellow and pink rose (Rosa sp?) 2

I have a backlog of photos to upload. These are from one of my last walks around Lake Junaluska and it’s beautiful Rose Walk. Sadly, the roses do not have name plates (that I saw) so all I can hazard is that they’re all in the genus ‘Rosa’. Most ornamentals are hybrids bred for showy blooms, colors, scent, etc. Along the parkway there were still some of the native Turk’s cap lilies in bloom though it was foggy and overcast the day we were up there.

Year in Nature Photography – Day 137

Traveller’s palm (Ravenala madagascariensis) or Banana/Plantain (Musa acuminata/ balbisiana)

Close up fo Spanish-moss (Tillandsia usneoides)

Bromeliad (family Bromeliaceae) interior

Hibiscus most likely China rose (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis)

Possible mottled, Florida, or hybrid mottled-mallard duck (Anas sp?) with ducklings

Most likely blue plumbago (Plumbago auriculata)

Spanish-moss (Tillandsia usneoides)

Day 5 of Florida Trip (pictures are in random order)

Spanish moss (Florida moss, graybeard, etc.) is a common sight hanging from trees in the south eastern US. Despite the names, Spanish moss is actually related to pineapples in the bromeliaceae family (the bromeliads) and therefor not a moss at all. While many assume that it is parasitic it is actually an epiphyte or air plant and just wraps itself around branches. The worst it tends to do is weigh down branches causing them to break under stress and potentially shade leaves reducing photosynthesis. Spanish moss doesn’t actually have roots like some epiphytes which collect moisture and nutrients from air, instead the leaves are able to do this by gathering moisture in cup-like scales and retaining it. This moisture retention feature makes it useful for floral arrangements or orchids. It has also been used as packing material, insulation, and in bedding, among other uses.

Speaking of bromeliaceae I took a picture of a rather large bromeliad with a pool of water and flowers at its center. In some of the larger varieties found in the the rainforest, certain frogs will actually spawn in these pools of water. I am not familiar enough with bromeliad identification, but there are apparently 16 species native to Florida and sadly ten of them are listed as threatened of endangered, per the link to a site with information about the natives. This one is most likely an exotic variety. Speaking of exotic, the large leafed traveler’s palm comes from the island of Madagascar where it is endemic and is related to the bird of paradise plant. Endemic means that something is only found in a particular area or region. However it could also be a banana/plantain tree which originate in southeast Asia, but since I can not see the trunk I can not tell for sure what it is though there were definitely traveler’s palms at the resort. The last plant I have a picture of comes from South Africa and is called plumbago. The flowers, pictured are apparently a favorite for butterflies and for Floridian gardeners.

Lastly, we have the duck and ducklings floating in a pond. Apparently there are about 20 species in what is referred to as the Mallard Complex by the site I’ve linked to about the mottled duck. The mottled duck which is what I suspect this is consist of two populations, one of which lives in Florida and is considered a subspecies. Apparently there is a problem with mallards, which are brought down from further north by people, hybridizing with mottled ducks which may eventually eliminate the Florida mottled duck species in its pure form.