When you think of Florida flowers, you think of the neighbor's bougainvillea.
Or the Spanish moss (epiphyte) on another neighbor's oak.
But my eye was fixed on the minor blooms of the 'lawn', which I have little gumption for identifying, though always worth cataloguing.
This flowering tree was responsible for a heady scent as you drive the highways at night.
These are its fruit.
The lantana in the shrubs.
A closeup.
Down at the edge of the pond.
A closeup.
Wow, that tree looks like what we called syringa in South Africa...the last ones, a linaria?
ReplyDeleteThe heady scent(like lilac) is from Melia azederach http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melia_azedarach
ReplyDeleteNot syringa(the true lilac), but sometimes called Persian lilac.And the closest I can get to lilac here!
The pink one in the lawn is an Oxalys. Pesky weed, though there is a better-tempered cultivar.
And, yes, linaria at the bottom.
Thanks for the legwork!
ReplyDeleteI knew that one was an oxalis because I had the purple leaf variety in the house, but the tree and the linaria -nope. I like the linaria, had a sweet quality in its place at the edge of the 'lawn.'
Anything that flavors the night driving experience, windows down, is okay by me too.
MIT,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the link. I've heard of Chinaberry, now I can put it all together. Also should let my sister know that aspects of the tree are poisonous. And yet another invasive species. Oy.
Frank, the fruits are poisonous to pigs and humans. Birds, apparently, can gorge with impunity. And a further note...it's in the species being trialled for all manner of "natural cures."
ReplyDeleteDina, it sounds confusing. I'll stick with poisonous.
ReplyDelete