Plants of Florida
At the Plant Identification station, each participant will be given a list of plants (in alphabetical order by common names), and be asked to match those names with plant specimens presented indoors, on tables. Juniors will be asked to identify 10 plants; Intermediates will be asked to identify 15 plants; and Seniors will be asked to identify 20 plants.
To prepare for this station, participants should study the plants in the chart below, marked with an "X" under their age group showing an "X" under their age group. Students must be able to identify those plants by leaf, flower, or fruit. Select the common name of the each tree to learn more.
Note: Plants in bold and a light pink background, are considered invasive in Florida.
| Common Name | Scientific Name | Juniors (ID 10 of 21) | Intermediates (ID 15 of 31) | Seniors (ID 20 of 37) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air potato | Dioscorea bulbifera | X | X | X |
| Beautyberry | Callicarpa spp. | X | X | X |
| Blackberry | Rubus spp. | X | X | X |
| Bracken fern | Pteridium aquilinum | X | X | |
| Buttonbush | Cephalanthus occidentalis | X | X | |
| Cabbage palm | Sabal palmetto | X | X | X |
| Cogongrass | Imperata cylindrica | X | X | X |
| Coontie | Zamia pumila | X | X | X |
| Coral Ardisia | Ardisia crenata | X | ||
| Coralbean | Erythrina herbacea | X | X | X |
| Fetterbush | Lyonia lucida | X | X | |
| Ceratiola ericoides | X | X | ||
| Gallberry | Ilex glabra | X | X | X |
| Greenbriar | Smilax spp. | X | X | X |
| Ground blueberry | Vaccinium myrsinites | X | X | |
| Japanese climbing fern | Lygodium japonicum | X | X | |
| Japanese honeysuckle | Lonicera japonica | X | X | |
| Kudzu | Pueraria montana var. lobata | X | X | X |
| Lizard’s tail | Saururus cernuus | X | X | X |
| Muscadine grape | Vitis rotundifolia | X | X | X |
| Poison ivy | Toxicodendron radicans | X | X | X |
| Poison-oak | Toxicodendron pubescens | X | X | X |
| Pricklypear | Opuntia humifusa | X | X | X |
| Primrose willow | Ludwigia peruviana | X | ||
| Resurrection fern | Pleopeltis polypodioides var. michauxiana | X | X | X |
| Saltbush | Baccharis spp. | X | ||
| Saw palmetto | Serenoa repens | X | X | X |
| Saw-grass | Cladium jamaicense | X | ||
| Spanish moss | Tillandsia usneoides | X | X | X |
| Switchcane | Arundinaria gigantea | X | ||
| Tread softly | Cnidoscolus stimulosus | X | X | X |
| Virginia creeper | Parthenocissus quinquefolia | X | X | |
| Water hyacinth | Eichhornia crassipes | X | X | X |
| Wild azalea | Rhododendron canescens | X | ||
| Winged sumac | Rhus copallinum | X | X | |
| Wiregrass | Aristida stricta | X | X | X |
| Yellow jessamine | Gelsemium sempervirens | X | X |