Invasive Plants in Florida’s Natural Areas

Mike Bodle, SFWMDJennifer Possley, FTBGMay 2011

Skunk vine, Sewer vine Paederia cruddasiana, P. foetida

P. crudd

P. foet

Skunk vine, Sewer vine Paederia cruddasiana, P. foetida

Rubiaceae (coffee family) – opposite leaves, interpetiolar stipules

Woody climbing vines Horrific sulfur smell from leaves Invades hammocks, disturbed areas Fruit = inconspicuous brown capsule,

bird-dispersed Leaf shape, size can vary widely

3% roundup foliar

10% G4 basal bark

LantanaLantana camara

LantanaLantana camara

Verbenaceae- squarish stems, very fragrant (stinky), opposite leaves

Simple, opposite, itchy/hairy leaves Small multi-colored flowers in clusters Multi-stemmed clumps to 6’ or more Frequent in pinelands, dunes, forms thickets in

disturbed areas like pastures Bird-dispersed fruit Toxic to livestock 100s of cultivars, some sterile Looks very similar to endangered native

Lantana depressa Contaminates native Lantana gene pool Plants at big box stores not pure native

Cut-stump w/ 50% Garlon3A or 10% G4; basal bark with 10% G4

Oyster plant, Moses-in-a-boatTradescantia spathacea

=Rhoeo spathacea

Oyster Plant

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Commelinaceae (dayflower family)-succulent herbs, alternate leaves with basal sheath,

Roots at nodes Grows in soil, on rocks, walls, logs Invades hammocks, disturbed areas Regrows when pulled up or broken Juice causes skin irritation (?)

Several other Tradescantia spp. and similar Callisia in Florida, some native, some non-native cultivated only, some naturalized

Oyster plant, Moses-in-a-boatTradescantia spathacea

=Rhoeo spathacea

Latherleaf Colubrina asiatica

Latherleaf Colubrina asiatica

Rhamnaceae – inconspicuous flowers with nectar disk, petals clasp stamens, drupe with rim

Scandent shrub with very shiny, alternate leaves

Coastal hammocks of Florida Keys and Everglades N.P.

Native Colubrina spp. in South Florida are trees

Management plan on www.fleppc.org

Cut-stump w/ 50% Garlon3A; basal bark w/ 10% G4; foliar w/ 3% G3A

Jasmines Jasminum fluminense, J. dichotomum

Jasmines Jasminum fluminense, J. dichotomum

Oleaceae (olive family) – opposite leaves, no stipules, only 2 stamens, same family as Ligustrum

Woody, high-climbing vine Invades hammocks Very fragrant white flowers Seeds dispersed by birds, raccoon

poop Introduced by David Fairchild!

Cut-stump w/ 50% Garlon3A or 10% G4; basal bark with 10% G4

Cat-claw Macfadyena unguis-cati

Cat-claw Macfadyena unguis-cati

Bignoniaceae – Flowers with bilateral symmetry, compound leaves (same family as Tabebuia)

Woody, high-climbing vine with “cat claw” tendrils

Invades hammocks, sandhill, scrub, disturbed areas

Seedlings can look very different from adults, esp. in shade

Large woody tuber Fruit a long skinny pod full of wind-

dispersed seeds

Tuberous sword fern, Asian sword fernNephrolepis cordifolia, N. brownii

Tuberous sword fern, Asian sword fernNephrolepis cordifolia, N. brownii

Clump-forming fern on other plants, rocks, soil to 3’

Densest growth in part/full shade, drained soils

Blunt pinnae tips Overlapping pinnae conceal stem Spores wind-borne http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ag120 Natural

Area Weeds: Distinguishing Native and Non-Native "Boston Ferns" and "Sword Ferns" (Nephrolepis spp.)

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N. exaltataN A T I V E

N. biserrataN. cordifoliaN A T I V EN O N –

N A T I V EN O N –

N A T I V E

Tuberous sword fern, Asian sword fernNephrolepis cordifolia, N. brownii

N. brownii (=N. multiflora)

Mile-a-minute vineMikania micrantha

Mile-a-minute vineMikania micrantha

Asteraceae – Mikania is closely related to Eupatorium

Found in several square miles of “The Redland” south of Miami

In disturbed areas AND in nature preserves

Jan 2010 – FDACS pest alert Seeds are wind dispersed Looks very similar to natives

Mikania scandens (wetland vine) and Chromolaena odorata(shrub)

Mile-a-minute vineMikania micrantha

• Leaves pale green or yellow green, • Flowers white• Inflorescence branches glabrous • Nodal appendage an irregularly toothed flap• Plants growing rampantly in disturbed habitats

FDACS Pest Alert

NATIVEMikania scandens

NOT-NATIVEMikania micrantha

• Leaves medium green• Flowers white or pinkish• Inflorescence branches hairy• Nodal appendage a low ridge with hairlike projections• Plants of restrained growth in moist natural habitats

www.freshfromflorida.com/pi/pest_alerts/mikania-micrantha-pest-alert.html

Lumnitzera racemosa

Lumnitzera racemosa

Discovered at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden (Miami) in 2008

Thought to be contained to ~20 acres Looks very similar to native white

mangrove, in same family (Combretaceae) Fruit = flattened 1-seeded drupe Differs from white mangrove: lack of true

petiole, notch at leaf tip, and orange vertical fissures in bark of larger trees

Laguncularia racemosa

Cut-stump with Renovate

Lumnitzera racemosa

Incised halberd fern Tectaria incisa

Incised halberd fern Tectaria incisa

Large pinnate fronds to 90cm Grows in soil or on rock Invades rockland hammocks Displaces rare native ferns Large plants look different from

younger ones Looks very similar to native broad

halberd fern, T. heracleifolia

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