Spring wildflower season is still in full swing.
Florida anise (Illicium floridanum) belongs to a group, along with Magnolias, of some of the most ancient lineages of flowering plants. It is not closely related to the culinary anise, but has the name because many species in the genus Illicium have an anise-like fragrance. (Star anise - from Illicium verum - is a spice from China). I was just reading that Illicium is derived from the Latin verb illicio, meaning "entice, seduce".
Florida anise, though cousins with the enticing star anise, is not itself enticing, at least fragrance-wise. The anise scent upon crushing the leaves has overtones of rotten fish that persisted on my fingers for quite some time. The flowers, however, are quite lovely. One finds these in the woods in damp shady areas and near streams.
 |
| Florida anise (Illicium floridanum) |
 |
| Florida anise, flower. |
 |
| Florida anise, close-up. |
Another spring beauty found in shady spots near streams is the Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina). It's a small tree that flowers in spring, followed by wing-like fruit in summer.
 |
| Carolina silverbell (Halesia carolina) |
 |
| Carolina silverbell - aptly named. |
Just over the bank from the silverbell I spotted a large colony of Atamasco lilies - the largest I've seen yet. I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants, and crossed to the other side. It was a magnificent sight for wildflower hunters like me.
 |
| Atamasco lilies (Zephyranthes atamasco) |
 |
| They were growing along what looked like an old creek bank, at the base of an oak tree. |
 |
| Atamasco lilies everywhere. |
 |
| I couldn't get enough. I filled my camera card. |
No comments:
Post a Comment