vegetable

Brazilian jasmine

Key West Field Guide, vegetable

Jasminum fluminense

Previously, this invasive plant was recognized as one of two different species in Florida, (J. azoricum and J. bahiense) based on minor appearances and geographic distributions, but the current accepted name is Jasminum fluminense.

  • Brazilian jasmine
  • 5-7 petals
  • tube is longer than petals and slightly curved

Black nightshade

Key West Field Guide, vegetable

Solanum chenopodioides

  • nodding flowers
  • multiple flowers
  • unripe green berries
  • ripe berries
  • underside of leaves
  • flowers, leaves, and fruits

Black nightshade (Solanum chenopodioides) growing curbside in Key West. The features that differentiate it from other nightshade species:

  • all surfaces with simple hairs
  • no stellate hairs
  • no prickles
  • black fruits when ripe

Find more info here.

Tearshrub

Key West Field Guide, vegetable

Vallesia antillana

  • Vallesia antillana flowers
  • Vallesia antillana fruit
  • Vallesia antillana fruit

An endangered species in the Florida Keys, this individual is being nurtured by the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden. Someday, I hope to find a wild specimen.

Find more info here.

November Wildflowers in Key West – 2018

Key West Field Guide, vegetable

Click on the flower names at the bottom of this post for more images and links to species information.

  • Citron zephyrlily
  • Creeping sourgrass
  • Sleepy morning
  • Bitter melon
  • Straggler daisy
  • Least snoutbean
  • Pencilflower
  • Bracted fanpetals
  • Jamaican feverweed
  • Common purslane
  • Snow squarestem
  • False shrubby buttonweed
  • Yellow joyweed
  • Santa Maria feverfew
  • Pillpod sandmat
  • Virginia pepperweed
  • False daisy
  • Coatbuttons
  • Erect spiderling
  • Turkey tangle fogfruit
  • Spanish needles
  • Silverhead
  • Seaside heliotrope
  • Beach naupaka
  • Coastal sea rocket
  • Goatweed
  • Tex-Mex tobacco
  • Shoreline purslane
  • Guinea hen weed
  • Whitemouth dayflower
  • Grannybush
  • Powderpuff
  • Railroad vine
  • Baybean
  • Lilac tasselflower
  • Beggar’s-ticks
  • Scarlet spiderling
  • Creeping indigo
  • Painted leaf
  • Carry me seed
  • ID pending

Unidentified wildflower #2

Key West Field Guide, vegetable
Still working on identifying this one. Please comment if you have any ideas. I know it is in the dayflower family, but it doesn’t have the translucent lower petals of Commelina erecta, but I didn’t get a good enough picture of the other parts to narrow the ID down. Luckily, I can revisit this plant tomorrow.

Carry me seed

Key West Field Guide, vegetable

Phyllanthus amarus

This is a sneaky weed. I’ve walked past it dozens of times, always waiting for it to flower. It wasn’t until a friend brought me specimen from her yard that I discovered that the tiniest flowers dangle underneath the leaves. Find more info here.

Phyllanthus amarus fruits

Phyllanthus amarus flowers (calyx less than 1mm wide)