Date: Mon, 15 Sep 1997 11:31:00 -0400 From: "Mellard, David" <dam7@cdc.gov> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg3543$foo@default> Subject: FW: Florida trip
While vacationing in Florida last month, I found a wonderful little bog
in the Florida panhandle a few hundred yards from the beach. The spot,
about 1 or maybe two acres, is in Miramar Beach, which is about an hour
west of Pensacola.
It has a wonderful variety of cp's. There are flavas (red tube and red
veined), beautiful, all red psittacinas (from being in direct
sunlight?),
D. filiformis traycii, D. capillaris, and a ping. The capillaris is
rather odd, though. There were normal ones while some seemed to be
growing rather upright, almost what I would imagine young intermedia
would look like, but I saw no mature intermedia. These different
capillaris seemed to grow more often submerge beneath water so it's
probably due to cultural adaptation. Oh, yes, and a yellow-flowered
Utricularia. That makes 6 species. It was interesting to observe how
different species occupied different parts of the bog. S. psittacinas
and capillaris grew in the wettest parts, often submerged, while the
flavas often grew right next to psittacinas but not in the standing
water where I often found psitts. The pings and D. filiformis tracyii
along with the D. caps grew in the drier areas, especially the pings
which were found close to spots where bushes started growing. The
flavas made some inroads into the areas but not much.
There were also numerous bog companion plants and a local friend who =
had
visited the bog in the Spring to rescue some plants (more on that =
later)
said that there were Spiranthes and Calopogon. He was very interested
to know exactly what species are there because he would like to have it
protected.
The flavas were fantastic. There were many all red tubes, almost
burgandy
and the remainder had varying amounts of red veins or red veins mixed
with
portions that were solid burgandy. Some plants had both tubes (veined
and
red), usually with the younger tubes being veined.
Now for the sad part. Unfortunately, there's development on both sides
of the bogs bordering the highway (the major one along the coast, =
either
90 or 98) and a housing development behind it (as close as 40 yards)
that's expanding. On one side facing the highway is a home improvement
store that put in an access road behind the store. The access road =
goes
right through the bog. That's where my friend's rescue effort came in.
He went there last spring to rescue Sarr that had been dislodge by the
bulldozer making the road.
I was saddened to think that the bog will not likely be there in a few
years. I have seeds, though.
Later, my friend and I drove along the coast road through Alabama to
Biloxi, Mississippi. The major coastal road in Mississippi (again
either 90 or 98) is alive with cp's. Since Sal isn't into botanizing =
in
wet, hot fields, the casino hotels seemed a perfect solution. While =
I'm
out in those sweltering fields with nose inches above the ground, he =
can
gamble, lay by the pool, people watch, eat, drink, (gawd, I must be a
fool to be out in those fields.) I must have OCD.
While botanizing, I saw my first S. alata in the wild, which was quite
the thrill. I invariable would find a field of pitchers across or
behind a Baptist church, which became a convienent place to park the =
car
and do some exploring. Having grown up in a Baptist church, I felt
comfortable that nothing would happen to me if the preacher came out. =
I
know all the songs <gr>
But now for the really fun part. While at the casinos, I was allowed
one day in the fields while Sal sunned and ate and drank and gambled. =
I
left in the morning, stayed gone too long, and returned to the hotel at
5:00. I knew I had been gone too long. Sure enough, as I went up the
escalator to get to the floor with an elevator to our room, I saw Sal
with this face that meant trouble. He'd been waiting in the lobby =
since
1:00 p.m. or so because we'd been KICKED out of our room. Sal kept
telling the front desk manager, "Dr. Mellard's going to be really upset
when he returns." I can't use that title to get me much of anything.
I knew that to be a futile attempt. And he had no way of reaching me
in the fields so he spent 3 or 4 hours in the lobby waiting for me..
Apparently, there was a screw up when we made our reservations. We
asked for two nights but the hotel only made them for 1 night. Well,
here I am covered in mud, sweaty, irritable trying to decide if I'm
going to accost the front desk manager in a desparate attempt to get =
our
room back. After deciding that I didn't look like a doctor in my
current condition, I decided not to. It's not like I could refuse to
leave because our luggage was already in some baggage room. Anyway,
they walked us to another hotel, I got on the phone, and they comped =
our
room that night. I was nice; but my persister mode kicked in.
And I thought I had found the perfect solution to getting all the time =
I
wanted to have in the fields. I can tell I'm going to have to plan
better next time. I'm starting to laugh about it, slowly. But I also
saw some great cp's.
David
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