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July-October 2014Volume 8, Issue 6

The purpose of the Florida Native Plant

Society is to promote the preservation,

conservation, and restoration of the native

plants and native plant communities of

Florida.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS:President:

Jenny Welch..............mwelch@cfl.rr.com

1st Vice President:

OPEN ...................................Apply now

Secretary:

Sandy Webb....... slwebbzeit@gmail.com

Treasurer:

OPEN ...................................Apply now

Chapter Rep:

..............................................Apply now

Membership:

Susan Parent ..... sparent20@yahoo.com

Publicity/Newsletter:

Loret ..................PineLilyFNPS@aol.com

Visit us on the Web:

http://www.pinelily.fnpschapters.org/

October ProgramOur speaker this month will be Pine

Lily’s own Loret. The program is

“Embrace Your Bugs”.

Loret joined the chapter in late 2008

and became the publicity chair. In

May 2009 she took over the task as

Editor for The Lily Pad. She writes

for a national wildlife gardening blog

BeautifulWildlife.Com each Friday.

Since learning about the importance

of native plants and their role in the

environment Loret has taken up

entomology as a hobby.

Loret will share what she has learned

about the necessity of insects in the

food chain as well as some of the

native plants that serve as hosts for

these insects. The benefits of some

bugs may surprise you.

.

Meeting is Thursday

October 16th

6:30p.m.

First United Methodist Church101 W. Dakin Avenue, Kissimmee

Are you a member yet?Joining helps FloridaConservation efforts

The Lily Pad

“Scott wants voters to believe he has turned green. His record shows he has beenthe least environmentally sensitive governor in the last half-century, and there is noreason to expect there would be a sudden transformation in a second term.”

— Editorial: The Rick Scott record: an environmental disaster 09/05/14Tampa Bay Times http://t.co/AmKDaYozPn

Swamp n' Sweep & Invasive Plant Tagging!Swamp Girl Adventures

Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 8:30 AM to 11:00AM

Valencia College1800 Denn John Ln

Kissimmee, Florida 34744

Water, snacks, gloves and trash bages will be provided. You are welcome tobring your own rakes, sticks, or other tools to aid in the cleanup!

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Volunteers NeededHelp always needed at the Master Gardener’s Plant Sale. Let

Jenny know your availability.

Harmony School ConstructionChallengeAs mentioned in The May/June Lily Pad, Pine Lily chapter

is lending a hand to Harmony Community School to shape

the butterfly garden that is their “Construction Challenge”

project.

Attached at the end of this newsletter is a copy of the plant

list of what Pine Lily donated and photos of the work in

progress.

Research GrantsThe Florida Native Plant Society maintains an Endowment

Research Grant program for the purpose of funding research

on native plants. These are small grants ($1500 or less),

awarded for a 1-year period, and intended to support

research that forwards the mission of the Florida Native

Plant Society which is "to promote the preservation,

conservation, and restoration of the native plants and native

plant communities of Florida."

FNPS Conservation Grants support applied native plant

conservation projects in Florida. These grants ($5000 or

less) awarded for a 1-year period. These projects promote

the preservation, conservation, or restoration of rare or

imperiled native plant taxa and rare or imperiled native plant

communities. To qualify for a Conservation Grant, the

proposed project must be sponsored by an FNPS Chapter.

Application guidelines and details are on the FNPS Web site

(www.fnps.org), click on ‘Participate/Grants and Awards’.

Questions regarding the grant programs should be sent to

info@fnps.org.

Application deadline for the 2015 Awards is March 6, 2015.

Awards will be announced at the May 2015 Annual

Conference in Tallahassee. Awardees do not have to be

present at the Conference to receive award.

Call for Research Track Papers and

Posters: 2015 Annual ConferenceThe Florida Native Plant Society Annual Conference will be

held in Tallahassee, Florida, May 28-31, 2015. The

Research Track of the Conference will include presented

papers and a poster session on Friday May 29 and Saturday

May 30.

Researchers are invited to submit abstracts on research

related to native plants and plant communities of Florida

including preservation, conservation, and restoration.

Presentations are planned to be 20 minutes in total length

(15 min. presentation, 5 min. questions).

Abstracts of not more than 200 words should be submitted

as a MS Word file by email to Paul A. Schmalzer

paul.a.schmalzer@nasa.gov by February 1, 2015. Include

title, affiliation, and address. Indicate whether you will be

presenting a paper or poster.

Vote for Money to Conserve Environmental Lands

To view the Title and Summary of Amendment1, as they will appear on the ballot thisNovember, visit: www.VoteYesOn1FL.org

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Community Outreach• Chapter President Jenny Welch taped her first Native

Plant informational TV segment for Access Osceola,

(Brighthouse Cable channel 199). It will air September

and October so be sure to tune in.

• Swamp 'n Sweep© & Invasive Plant Tagging!

Valencia College: November 1st 2014 8:30a-11a

1800 Denn John Ln, Kissimmee, FL 34744

Hosted by Swamp Girl Adventures®, in partnership

with Valencia College, Kissimmee Valley Audubon

Society and Pine Lily Chapter Florida Native Plant

Society in another group effort to sweep up the swamps

while tagging invasive plants on the Valencia College

Campus in Kissimmee. Details and Register at

https://swampnsweepinvasiveplants.eventbrite.com/

• Jenny Welch and Tom Palmer will be speaking to

Poinciana Residents for Smart Change on November

24th about the unique and diverse ecosystems of

Poinciana.

• Don’t forget to provide your thoughts and concerns

regarding Osceola County Landscape Development

Codes (LDC’s) to Jenny so she can organize them for

presentation to the County.

Copy of the revised ordinance on Landscaping for the

County:

http://pinelily.fnpschapters.org/data/uploads/miscellaneous/o

sceolalandscapedevelopmentartcle-4.8.pdf

Upcoming programsNovember: Brian Wheeler from Toho Water.

December: No meeting, Happy Holidays!

Mosquito AlertReminder that everyone needs to help to control the

mosquito population. Here’s some simple things you can

do:

• Empty bird baths every week or more.

• Empty bromeliad cups every week or more.

• Empty dog/pet water bowls every day.

• Empty any other outdoor containers that hold water.

From the EditorI apologize for the recent lack of issues of The Lily Pad. I

got sidetracked and the time I designate to the newsletter

was the loser. Hopefully I’m now back on track, but if

anyone would like to take over I’ll be more than happy to

turn over the reins. ~~Loret

Florida Native Plant Society Membership Application

Membership in the Florida Native Plant Society enables you to receive theirwonderful quarterly magazine The Palmetto. Joining the FNPS also entitles Check pertinent category:

you to membership privileges in the Pine Lily Chapter of the FNPS and a

subscription to their monthly newsletter The Lily Pad. □ Individual $35 □ Not-for-profit

□ Full time student $15 organization $50

□ Library subscription $15 □ Business or

□ Family or household $50 corporate $125

Name _____________________________________________________ □ Contributing $75 □ Donor $250

□ Supporting $100 □ Life $1000Business name or organization _________________________________

Make check payable to: FNPS

Address ___________________________________________________ Detach and mail to:

Pine Lily Chapter of

City, State and Zip ___________________________________________ Florida Native Plant Society

P.O. Box 278Home phone ____________________ Work phone _________________ Melbourne, FL 32902-0278

The Florida Native Plant Society is registered as a 501(C)3 non-profit organization.

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Harmony Community School Planting

All photos this page © 2013 Jenny Welch

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Details for plants donated and planted at Harmony Community School

Goldenrod/Solidago sp.

Goldenrod is a host plant for a number of beneficial insects and is used as a food source by a number of moth and butterflycaterpillars.With nearly 100 species of Goldenrod there are many to choose from.They paint the Fall landscape yellow and gold.Donated……….Goldenrod- 1 Seaside in 3 gallon potGoldenrod- 1 Unknown Variety in 3 gallon potGoldenrod- 2 Unknown Variety in 1 gallon pots

Frogfruit/ Phyla nodiflora

Donated 1 in 1 gallon pot-larval butterfly hostAlso called, turkey tangle fogfruit, capeweedLow growing groundcover. Can be used as a turf substitute/groundcover.Full Sun to Partial ShadeLarval host for Phaon Crescent (Phyciodes phaon), White Peacock (Anartia jatrophae) and Common Buckeye (Junonia coenia).Good nectar source for hairstreaks.

Dune Sunflower/ Helianthus debilis

Donated one 3 gallon pot and 2 in 1 gallon potLow growing perennial with sunny yellow flowers with a black center.Blooms almost all year.Full SunLoved by butterflies for nectar.

Firebush/Hamelia PatensDonated 1 in 3 gallon potFull Sun to Partial ShadeFlowers used by butterflies for nectarBerries used as food source by birdsFlowers used by hummingbirds

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Red Salvia/ Salvia coccinea

Donated 8 plants in 1 gallon potsFull SunRed Tubular Flowers most of the yearHummingbirds love the flowers.Butterflies love the flowers.Small birds like the small seeds.Easily reseeds.

American Beauty Berry/Callicarpa Americana

Donated Beauty Berry 2 plants in 3 gallon potsPink flowers in Summer loved by butterflies for nectar.Purple berries in Fall loved by birds.Berries have been used by people to make jams, jellies, pies, etc.Full sun to partial shade.

Mulberry/Morus rubra

Donated Mulberry tree 1 tree in 1 gallon potFull SunTree mature height 50 feetPurple berries loved by birds, gopher tortoise, and other wildlife.Especially loved by cedar waxwings, robins, cardinals, mockingbirds, catbirds.Edible for people right off the tree and used to make jams, jellies, wines, pies, muffins, etc.Will stain clothes.Larval host for the red admiral butterfly.

Purple Violets/ Viola sororia -4 in 1 gallon pots

Donated 4 plants in 1 gallon pots.Purple flowers in Spring.Easily reseeds.Prefers moist soils but easily adapts.Full sun to partial shade.Used as nectar by pollinators and butterflies.

Native Petunia/ Ruellia caroliniensis

Donated Native Petunias-3 plants in 1 gallon pots-Larval Butterfly HostsFull sun to partial shadePurple/Blue flowers Spring/Summer/Fall.Goes winter dormant but comes back in Spring.Seeds are explosive so will find plants far away from mother plantLarval Host for Buckeyes, Cuban Crescents, Malachites, Silvery Checkerspots, White Peacocks

Partridge Pea-1 in 1 gallon pot

Donated 1 plant in a 1 gallon pot.Partridge PeaYellow Flowers in late summer to fall.Full SunDrought tolerantPartridge pea also creates a dark brown bean pod and the seeds are eaten by birds.Larval Host for cloudless sulfur, gray hairstreak, orange sulfur, sleepy orange, little yellow and ceraunus blue.The ceraunus blue is one of the smallest butterflies in Florida, with a wing span of only three-quarters to one-inch wide.

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Blue Curls-3 in 1 gallon pot

Donated 3 plants in 1 gallon pots.Blue CurlsBlue flowers in late summer to early fall.Plant will be covered in small blue flowers.Full SunDrought tolerantButterflies love the flowers for nectarBirds love the small seeds.Easily reseeds.

Spiderwort- 3 in 1 gallon pots

Donated 3 plants in 1 gallon pots.Purple flowers most of the year.Full sun to partial sun.Drought tolerant.Easily reseeds.Butterflies love flowers for nectar.Also attracts pollinators.

Elephants Foot/ Elephantopus elatus

Donated 1 plant in 3 gallon pot and 2 plants in 1 gallon pots.Full sun to partial shade.Blooms late summer to early fall.Lavender to purple flowers.Named for the shape of the leaves that are said to resemble elephants feet.Butterflies use flowers for nectar.Also attracts pollinators.Small birds eat the seeds.

Walter’s Viburnum/ Viburnum obovatum 'Whorled Class')Donated 3 plants in 3 gallon pots.Full Sun.Drought tolerant.Blooms in Spring with white flowers.Plant will be covered in white flowers.Butterflies love the flowers for nectar.Plant is good for birds to nest in.

Monarda/ Monarda punctate

Donated 2 plants in 1 gallon pots.Also known as Dotted horsemint.Gets purple flowers in late summer to early fall.Every pollinator is attracted to this plant including butterflies.Leaves have a mint smell to them when they are crushed because this plant Is in the mint family.People make a tea from the leaves.

Corky Stem Passion Vine/ Passiflora suberosaDonated 2 plants in 1 gallon potsFull sun to partial sun to full shade.Informal groundcover or low-climbing vine.Does not require any supplemental water once established.Flowers all year. Flower is small.Blackish/purple berries are edible by people, birds, and wildlife.Larval host plant for gulf fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), julia (Dryas iulia) and zebra longwing (Heliconius charitonius)-if plant is insemi to full shade butterflies.

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Butterflyweed, Butterfly milkweed, Tuberosa Milkweed/Asclepias tuberosa

Donated 1 plant in 1 gallon potFlowers with bright orange flowers all year.Extremely drought tolerant.Full sun.Low growing milkweed.One of many of our native milkweeds.This milkweed puts down a taproot so do not plan to move this plant once it is planted.Larval host for Larval host plant for monarch (Danaus plexippus) and rarely queen (Danaus gilippus) butterflies; possible larvalhost of soldier (Danaus eresimus) butterflies.Nectar plant for monarch (Danaus plexippus) and other butterflies. Also provides nectar for other insects.

Holly/ Ilex Vomitoria

Donated 2 plants in 3 gallon pots- 1 female (will get berries and 1 male (will not get berries).Full sun.Bright red berries loved by birds.White flowers loved by pollinators and butterflies for nectar.Great plant for nesting birds.

Itea/ Itea virginicaDonated 2 plants in 1 gallon potsFull sun to partial shade but blooms better in full sun.Moist to wet areas but adapts to dry soils.White fragrant flowers in Spring.Pollinators and butterflies attracted to flowers for nectar.

Simpson Stopper/ Myrcianthes fragrans

Donated 3plants in 3 gallon potsFull Sun.Drought tolerant.White fragrant flowers in Spring/Summer.Bright red berries after flowering.Flowers loved by pollinators including butterflies for nectar.Bright red berries loved by birds.Plant loved by birds for nesting.

You already have coontie/Zamia growing very near the garden so include it in your design because it is the larval host for the atalahairstreak butterfly.

Those helping included:Pine Lily Chapter Florida Native Plant SocietyOsceola County Master Gardeners

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SPECIAL SECTION:

Jenny’s 2014 Conference notes:Growing Native was the theme for this year’s Florida Native Plant Society conference held at Florida Gulf Coast University inFort Myers. The lodging was at the University’s dorm rooms. The University requires all students to take a course onsustainability.

Some of the great exhibitors included All Native Garden Center, Sweet Bay Nursery, Hawthorn Hill Nursery, FANN, FloridaWildflower Foundation, Florida DEP, and others. Sandy and I came home with some beautiful new plants.

There were great field trips to choose from. On the Barrier Island Tour: Matanzas Pass and Lover’s Key Beach we were able tolearn about Florida’s different types of mangroves, we saw several new plants growing in their natural habitat, and severalendangered plants growing in their natural habitat.

Our other field trip was to Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park where park ranger Mike Owens led us on a swamp walk.Luckily for us there was not four feet of water to walk through. We were able to see more endangered species growing in theirnatural habitat. We saw several orchids, bromeliads, trees, and even a large cotton mouth snake!

Thursday evenings social was a down home BBQ where a rousing game of native plant jeopardy was played.

The jeopardy questions included What was Henry Flagler’s plant? Railroad Vine of course!

The council of chapters had their first official meeting, elected officers with Julie Becker elected chair, Neta Vilalobas-Bell electedVice Chair, and Scott Davis for secretary. Some of the items the council is working on include promoting public use of nativeplants, educational field trips, land use planning, speakers list, advocacy, and others.

The next meeting will be an online meeting (goto) on Sunday June 22, 2014 at 1915 or 7:15pm.

Follow along at http://council.fnpschapters.org/

Speakers included Dr. J.C. Cahill, professor of Ecology, University of Alberta, Edmonton. He spoke about his PBS movie “WhatPlants Talk About”. A fascinating study of how plants communicate to find food, water, nutrients, and other things important to aplants survival. Dr. Cahill thinks of plants as living organisms. This field of study, plant behavior is a new field. Plants changetheir smell to attract what it needs. The more nutrients used the less roots will grow so we waste fertilizer because the morefertilizer that is applied the less a plant will uptake the fertilizer. If you have not seen this movie you can go online to view it athttp://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/what-plants-talk-about/video-full-episode/8243/ It is an eye opening account of howplants really do communicate.

Remembering Sacred Reason: Global Warming-Sense of Place and Native Species by Dr. Ronald B. Toll, FGCU provost andVice President for Academic Affairs discussed why he feels we are down to the wire confronting climate change and we should belistening to the landscape because it is telling us it is in trouble.

Restoration of Rare and Extirpated Native Orchids at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park by Dennis Giardina,Everglades Region Biologist, Florida FWC and Mike Owen Park Biologist at Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park.

Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is at times referred to as "the Amazon of North America" and “Grand Canyon of theEverglades”. It has 5000-7000 royal palms, the most in the US. Every year since 1999 a census is done to detail where everyorchid is in the park. Dennis and Mike have traveled to Cuba where they have attempted to obtain seeds for two extant species oforchids. They gave a humorous talk of their adventures in Cuba. Fakahatchee is well known for its ghost orchid but did you knowCuba has 6 species of ghost orchids? They hope to bring the International Native Orchid Conference to Florida soon.

Bartram’s floating fields: Fossil data indicate water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes L.) is a Florida native by Jason M. Evans with theUniversity of Georgia. This was quite fascinating to learn how errors of the past influenced whether water lettuce would beclassified as a Florida native plant or an exotic invasive species. Currently, water lettuce is listed on the FLEPPC list of invasiveplants as a category 1 invasive plant. To view the information about this go to www.fleppc.org

Variables influencing germination and initial survival of two critically endangered plants: Warea amplexifolia and Lupinus

aridorum by J. Rynear, Cheryl Peterson, and M. Richardson. Clasping warea is an annual. Seeds were collected from 2 sites inPolk County and Lake County. Their studies included what type of pot the plants germinated better, the site where seed wascollected seems to make a difference, seed soaking or not, temperature was a factor, type of soil used. Native soil works the best.Frozen seeds germinate better. It is a fire dependent species. 6000 seeds were collected with a yield of only 50 plants.

Lupine Lupinus aridorum does not produce seed every year. Light scarification is needed then soaking in water for two hourshelps seeds germinate. Collection site did not influence seed germination.

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Quantifying spatial structure among native cacti and their specialist herbivores by K. Sauby and R. Holt.

An exotic invasive moth Cactoblastis cactorum is having an impact on our native cacti. This invasive moth was first found in1989 via Bahia Honda State Park in the Florida keys. Florida has several species of Opuntia cacti that this moth is affecting.Prickly pear is an invasive species in Australia where it is not native. Australia introduced this moth from South America asbiocontrol. The moth has been spreading ever since. It has already spread into South Carolina and Louisiana and there is concern itwill spread to Mexico where Opuntia is a staple in their diet. This moth usually attacks large plants but the smaller the cacti thegreater the chance of death of the cacti. These moths are gregarious and feed together. They lay their eggs in a chain. Difficultywith the study included the fact that Opuntia has its own native moth that affects it. It is difficult to tell the difference on a cactibetween the native moth and the invasive moth because the damage is similar. The native moth and invasive moth are related butnot closely related. This study was done in Flagler county and will continue.

Living on the edge: disease, population declines and conservation efforts of the Florida torreya (Torreya taxifolia) by J.Smith, T. Spector, J. Crouse-Sanders, R. Pruner, M. Friel, K. O’Donnell, and J. Bente of the University of Florida.

The torreya is critically endangered. The torreya is also commonly called Florida nutmeg, stinking cedar, and gopherwood. Thetorreya tree grows in association with croomia. A home in Madison Florida has the largest known torreya tree with a 30 inchcircumference. As far back as 1962 the torryea tree were going extinct. History of their rapid decline shows that in 1940 multiplelarge healthy trees were common. By the 1950’s the torreya was in rapid decline. In the 1980’s the only trees found were short andsickly. Asia and China have relatives of our torreya tree. Are the trees declining because of Fungi, disease, insect? This is as yetunknown. What is known is that the trees become covered in cankers to the point that the canker girdles the tree killing it. A newtype of fungus has been discovered and named fusarium torreye. It is unknown at this time if this is a beneficial fungus or if it iscausing the cankers. Of 645 trees that were inventoried 93% had cankers. The larger the tree the more it is affected. Torreya StatePark has the majority of torreya trees.

There is no history of the torreya tree in the Appalacian mountains yet a group of people (Torryea Guardians) are convinced thatthe decline of the torreya is due to climate change and are actively planting them anyway.

There is no way to tell if the trees this group is planting are not diseased when they plant them thus leaving them to die or worseyet spreading the disease to other species that are affected by this disease. Frasier Fir/Abies fraser, Red Spruce/Picea rubins,

balsam fir/Abies balsamea, and torreya/Torreya taxifolia are all related.

Also, The Nature Conservancy is actively burning in areas that have not historically had wildfires such as the ravines in NorthFlorida. The goal at this time to save the Florida torreya is based on reducing stress to the tree by using deer fencing, mulchingplants, removing other plants near them to allow more sunlight to reach the torreya, and continuing the research.

Current research on the biology and management of laurel wilt in the United States by J. Smith, R. C. Ploetz, J. Huler, J.McCutcheon, T.J. Dreaden, M.A. Hughes, D. Spence, K. Shin, S. Inch, J. Riggins, and A. Campbell.

The damage being caused by laurel wilt is unprecedented. Until 2002-2003 laurel wilt had never been heard of.

The non-native ambrosia beetle carries a fungus that kills the tree. The ambrosia beetle is the size of Lincoln’s nose on a penny.This is the first known ambrosia beetle to cause systemic vascular wilt. A large native bay tree can be killed within 2 weeks ofinfestation. 426,988,027 bay trees have died since 2002 as a result of this. It is believed that the transportation of firewood isresponsible and Florida now discourages people from moving firewood. It arrived in Southeast Georgia first then spread toJacksonville, Alabama, and Louisiana. Plants in the Laurel family (Lauraceae) are all prone to this infestation. There are no reportsof laurel wilt in Asia where this comes from. Eight other beetles are now carrying this fungus to other plants and they are studyingthis. Laurel wilt affects swamp bay/Persea palustris, silk bay/ Persea borbonia var. humilis, pond berry or SouthernSpicebush/Lindera melissifolia, pondspice (Litsea aestivalis), sassafras/Sassafras albidum, pond spice/Litsea aestivalis,

lancewood/Ocotea coriacea, gulf liceria/ Licaria triandra avocado/Persea americana and camphor tree/Cinnamomum camphora.For some reason the camphor tree does not seem to be as susceptible to laurel wilt. This ambrosia beetle is unique because itattacks healthy trees whereas other ambrosia beetle’s attack dead or dying trees. There is no genetic diversity in these beetlesbecause they reproduce by cloning. There is also the very real possibility of secondary affect by destroying the bay trees it mayhave an impact on our swallowtail butterflies that use it as a host plant. There is also the secondary effect on Native Americanswho use swamp bay for medicine and tribal rituals. The University of Florida is looking for resistance among live trees. They have90 cloned bay trees that are growing then inoculated with the fungus to study which plants have resistance. Their study question,does the beetle not recognize the resistant tree?

It is ironic that so much information about laurel wilt was given to us at this conference because we had just been to anotherconference two weeks before where the University of Florida informed us that all the research being done concerns avocadobecause it is a “high value” crop and maybe they would learn something about the avocado/laurel wilt to eventually help the baytrees.

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To see where the beetle is located in Florida and when it was detected by county go herehttp://www.freshfromflorida.com/content/download/23817/485815/lw_county_year.pdf

To learn more about laurel wilt go herehttp://www.freshfromflorida.com/content/download/4725/30121/redbay_firewood_poster_FL.pdf

The Good, Bad & Ugly of Algae by Dr. Serge Thomas, Assistant Professor, Florida Gulf Coast University.

Dr. Thomas explained the differences between the types of algae in Florida.

Light, temperature, nutrients, and competition with other algae’s are what controls algae and their growth.

Too many nutrients cause algae to over compete and over grow. When algae decompose it creates a slab of limestone.

Dyes can be used to manage ponds where too many nutrients have caused it to over grow. 43 % of algae is scum forming algae. Ifound this statement interesting, aerators are better for aerating the water than fountains.

Floating mats of native wetland plants such as native canna and cat tails/Typha are being used to get nutrients out of the water. Theolder the wetland plant the fewer nutrients they will take up.

The best control is a healthy balanced wetland system. We need algae to have healthy water and wetland systems.

The Scientific Basis for Climate Change: Understanding the Most Important Findings of the 2013 IPCC Report by Dr. DonChambers, Associate Professor, College of Marine Science, University of South Florida.

Oceans absorb 93% of carbon from the atmosphere.

Exploring the causes of narrow endemism in two imperiled Florida sunflowers: a combined population genetics & niche

modeling approach by Chase Mason, University of Georgia.

Florida has eight native sunflower species with several endemic sunflowers. His field of study involved observing how plants reactto stress. Lakeside sunflower/Helianthus carnosus is quite rare and listed as state endangered species. Lakeside sunflower isendemic to Florida. Lakeside sunflower is a perennial with a long lifespan. It is slow growing and its leaves are full of water. Itlikes plenty of sun and plenty of moisture. It original habitat is now fragmented due to development. It is now commonly foundgrowing in sunny wet ditches. It likes find sandy loam soils with more acid than most sunflowers. When not in bloom the plantalways has basal rosette of leaves. Mowing is a big deterrent for lakeside sunflowers as they are often mowed before they can setseed. It sets seed and blooms in summer with our rainy season.

Pineland False Sunflower/Phoebanthus tenuifolius is a perennial that spreads by rhizomes. Its habitat is pine savannahs.

It likes fine sandy loam clay soil. It likes more acidic soil than most sunflowers. This also blooms during the rainy season where itgets the extra moisture it needs. This sunflower species does not have any inbreeding like most sunflowers.

For both species climate change will have a profound effect on them because they will lose their habitat with the rising oceanlevels. The dryer the area, the fewer plants that will grow. Both of these species are related to the common garden sunflower asevidenced by a study of their DNA.

He compared both of the Lakeside sunflower/Helianthus carnosus and ineland False Sunflower/Phoebanthus tenuifolius to ournative rayless sunflower/Helianthus radula. Rayless sunflower do not have any petals, live a long time, have slow growth pattern,with significant inbreeding. It likes sand, silt, and clay for its soil. Rayless sunflower has significant inbreeding.

Policy and Legislation Committee by Gene Kelly is made up of Scott Davis, Dave Feagles, Karen Moser. FNPS has theirlobbyist by the name of Sue Mullins with vanguard partnership. 17.62% of the state budget goes toward natural resources, growthmanagement, and transportation. 10.1 billion dollars is for transportation while less than 1 billion goes to the environment. FloridaForever was granted 57.5 million dollars and has been extended for another ten years.

However, only 12.5 million is dedicated to purchasing conservation lands, 5 million goes to the Rural and Family easements, and50 million has to come from the sale of non-conservation lands. Broken down it looks like this: 30 million for springs, 240,000 forrare and endangered plant program, 13.7 million for citrus greening, 8.9 million for oyster mats, 2.5 million for apiary research andextension lab, 2 million for Florida horse park in Ocala, 3 million for wildfire equipment and replacement, and 5 million for therural and family lands protection program. FNPS supported the money for rare and endangered plant program and 5 million forrural and family easements. FNPS opposed HB (house bill) 703/SB (senate bill) 1464 dealt with environmental permitting. Thebill died.

HB 7023 gives an extension of two years of any state environmental permits issued in 2014/2015.

FNPS supported SB 1576 which was a Springs bill. This bill would have allowed local government to adopt fertilizer ordinancesamong other things. SB 1576 was altered but still failed. Andy Gardiner (R-Orl) still supports this bill so maybe we will get itpassed next year.

The Lily Pad

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Conservation Committee by Juliet Rynear is looking for someone with HTML skills. Each committee needs a work plan done.The conservation committee has their work plan ready. FNPS will give out more money as grants. They would also like to expandoutreach to other organizations such as colleges, DEP, Agristarts, and Bok Tower. FNPS wants to advertise their conservationgrants. The plant rescue policy is being updated by Jackie Rolly. At this time there is no policy for where rescued plants should belocated. Endangered plants from rescues go to Bok Tower or Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden.

So, the take home message here is to support and vote for Florida Water and Land Conservation Initiative, Amendment 1!