An Eclectic Floral Collection

Saturday, April 9, 2016

Plant communities thrive on diversity:

Wafer Ash (Ptelea trifoliata), Bee-brush (Aloysia gratissima), Prairie Spiderwort (Tradescantia occidentals), Prickly Pear (Opuntia engelmannii var. lindheimeri), Bush Sunflower (Simsia calva) and Roemer's Catclaw Acacia (Acacia roemeriana) are from six different plant families, but they grow in association with each other in our South Texas woodlands.

Wafer Ash is in the Rutaceae (Citrus) family. Bee-brush, aka White-brush, is a member of the Verbenaceae (Verbena) family. Prairie Spiderwort is from the Commelinaceae (Spiderwort) family. Prickly Pear is in the Cactaceae (Cactus) family. Bush Sunflower is a member of the Asteraceae (Aster) family. And Roemer's Catclaw Acacia is in the Fabaceae (Legume) family.

The greater the diversity of plant species forming a plant community, the greater the range of wildlife likely to be present and the healthier the ecosystem.

The Prickly Pear, appearing here in one of the photos with Bush Sunflower, is not blooming yet. They will be in full bloom by the end of May. Cacti are an important part of plant communities.

These photos were taken on a walk along Alpine Dr in Brackenridge Park on Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Click on the first photo in a post to open the photos in slideshow view.