FREE INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE 



VEGETATION OF SOUTH FLORIDA 



L., and two species of groundsel, Baccharis angustifolia Michx. and B. glomer- 

 uliflora Pers. The tall fern, Acrostichum aureum L., fronted this hammock on 

 the water side. A single vine, Ampelopsis (Parthenocissus) quinquefolia (L.) 

 Planch, was in evidence. 



Still smaller stream hammocks consist of small groves of trees, such as: 

 custard-apple, Annona glabra L., draped with pepper-vine, Ampelopsis arborea 

 (L.) Rusby ( = Cissus bipinnata (Michx.) Nutt.), Quercus virginiana Mill, 

 and pop-ash, Fraxinus caroliniana Mill. At other turns, the elder, Sambucus 

 canadensis L., forms rounded clumps, as does the waxberry, Cerothamnus 

 (Myrica) ceriferus (L.) Small. At the head of navigation for small boats the 

 hammock vegetation closes down on the river, so that the branches of the trees 

 form an arch over the swiftly flowing water. The trees form such a close 

 growth that it is impossible for a motor boat to ascend the creek at this point. 

 Here the important trees are laurel-oak, Quercus laurifolia Michx., swamp- 

 bay, Tamala (Persea) pubescens (Pursh.) Small, Spanish-stopper, Eugenia 

 buxifolia (Sw.) Willd. and pop-ash, Fraxinus caroliniana Mill., associated 

 with which were small trees and shrubs, such as: Cornus (Svida) stricta Lam., 

 Rapanea guyanensis Aubl. The mistletoe, Phoradendron flavescens (Pursh.) 

 Nutt., occurs as a parasite on the upper limbs of the pop-ash trees, while as 

 epiphytes were gathered Tillandsia tenuifolia L. with narrow wiry leaves in 

 such abundance as to be a character plant together with the large and con- 

 spicuous bird's-nest-like bromeliad, Tillandsia utriculata L., and the orchid, 

 Epidendrum tampense Lindl. ( = Encyclia tampense (Lindl.) Small. Here and 

 there, Sabal palmetto (Walt.) R. & S. occurred with a large tropic fern, Phle- 

 bodium (Polypodium) aureum (L.) R. Br., perched in the axils of its lower 

 leaves. Several lianes add to the inextricable confusion of the growth. They 

 are Smilax sp., the poison-ivy, Toxicodendron (Rhus) radicans (L.) Kuntze, 

 pepper-vine, Ampelopsis arborea (L.) Rusby, and an asclepiadaceous vine, 

 Philibertella clausa (Jacq.) Vail. 



Occurrence of Hammocks and Other Vegetation along Caloosahatchee River. 

 About 9.6 kilometers (6 miles) above Ft. Myers, the river changes abruptly. 

 The banks are steep and the stream narrows to a width of about 54.7 meters 

 (60 yards) with a deep strong current. Upcohall is a river landing, or back- 

 woods settlement, beyond which the hammocks that line the river begin to 

 form a conspicuous part of the river vegetation. The complexity of the ham- 

 mock vegetation can be appreciated only by describing a cross-section of the 

 6 



