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Study Names Three New Species of Lupines in Florida

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A newly published study of lupines in Florida names three new species, all of which are endemic. The rigorous, exhaustive study also raises the rank of one species variation to the species level, a move that may help conservation efforts to protect the species. Authors Edwin Bridges and Steve Orzell focused on the unifoliate group of the genus Lupinus in Florida for their study published in Phytoneuron . (Unifoliate species have a type of compound leaf that consists of a single leaflet.) This unifoliate-leaved group is also known to be a clade, meaning its members share a common ancestor. Bridges and Orzell obtained DNA sequencing data of the unifoliate Florida clade of Lupinus using RADseq, short for restriction-site DNA sequencing. RADseq is a relatively new, cost-effective technology that allows for comparisons of populations at the genetic level. The researchers combined their genetic data with morphologic, geographic and ecologic data — an approach known as “integrative taxonomy”
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Call for Nominations - Officers & Board of Directors

We are nearing the time of year when we elect our Officers and Board of Directors. As members of the 2024 Nominating Committee, we encourage you to nominate yourself. You can also nominate others if they agree that they want to run. Nominees must be FNPS members. We are extremely interested in individuals who are organized, motivated, and share our vision of a future where people have greater knowledge of and appreciation for Florida’s natural environment. This year FNPS will be electing a President , Vice President for Finance , a Secretary , and two (2) Directors .   See the Standard Operating Procedures for FNPS Officers in the Handbook for more information. The President is the principal officer representing FNPS, the president shall (1) preside at all meetings of and make reports to members and the Board, (2) acting as the organization's CEO, have general supervision of FNPS affairs, and (3) perform all such other duties that are either incidental to the office or delegated
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Blue Toadflax / Linaria canadensis

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It’s No Mow Monday! This is our spring series on the native plants that are often considered “weeds” but can play an important ecological role in the urban landscape if allowed to grow. These early spring wildflowers provide nectar and pollen to native bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects. Blue Toadflax / Linaria canadensis in bloom on a roadside in urban Orange County. Photo by Mary Keim. Today we are highlighting Linaria canadensis , Blue Toadflax. While neither particularly blue nor a member of the flax / Linaceae family, this lithe wildflower has delicate, bumpy flowers that are attractive to smaller butterflies and bees. Its small lavender and white flowers start blooming from top to bottom in February and March with the ornamental golden seedheads blowing in the breezes now. Blue Toadflax is found throughout Florida and is a common volunteer in lawns and roadsides, as well as in intact native habitats. Blue Toadflax / Linaria canadensis at the Orlando Wetlands Park. P
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Welcome to the team, Cherice!

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In her words: As a native Floridian, I have long been drawn to Florida’s natural communities. I first became enamored by our state’s rich biodiversity on Girl Scouts camping trips throughout Central Florida. This interest led me to complete a B.S. in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, and later a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Ecology, from the University of Florida. During my masters program I studied the diversity of native bees in fire-maintained pine savannas, which deepened my understanding of the critical role of native plants in our ecosystems and cemented my passion for conserving them. Over the years I have worked in several different capacities within the fields of ecological research and conservation, including as an environmental monitor on the BP oil spill response, a native pollinator researcher with the UF Honey Bee Research and Extension Lab, and as a field biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Research Institute. Before joining FNPS, I worked
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Ponce de Leon Springs State Park Field Trip by Lizzy Jenny Dunn

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Photo 1. Longleaf Pine and Sweet Bay Chapters joint field trip to Ponce de Leon Springs State Park. In November 2021, Longleaf Pine Chapter and Sweetbay Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society conducted their first-ever combined Chapter field trip in an attempt to reach out to more folks interested in experiencing native plants in the panhandle. Organized by Longleaf Pine Chapter Vice President, Kimberly Bremner, and Sweetbay Chapter President, Jody Wood-Putnam, and led by Jim Burkhalter, curator of the University of West Florida Michael I. Cousens Herbarium, the group convened on Ponce de Leon Springs State Park in Holmes County. Photo 2. On the group hike on the Ponce de Leon Springs State Park Field Trip. With 22 people in attendance, the group identified approximately 108 different species on the excursion. The park boasts nine distinct habitats across the 406 acres of land; and from the beautiful Sandy Creek amongst the mixed hardwood forest (Magnolia grandiflora, Vaccinium ar
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[Policy] SB 1084 update + thank you

We also want to share an important success story resulting from FNPS engagement in the legislative process. A bill that would have allowed state-owned conservation lands located within the Florida Wildlife Corridor to be sold back into private ownership, while simply retaining a conservation easement designed to promote agricultural usage of the lands, was inserted into SB 1084 THE NIGHT BEFORE IT WAS TO BE DEBATED by the Senate Appropriations Committee and Agriculture, Environment and General Government. This last-minute move did not allow sufficient time for us to mobilize our members with an Action Alert, though we did send out an email and make social media posts with the letter we submitted explaining FNPS' objections to the so-called "Surplus Lands" provisions. Despite this tight turnaround, your Policy Committee members and several highly-motivated members (thank you Adam Arendell, Yvonne Beckman, Keith Spencer, and CeCe Friskey!) made phone calls to the members
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Places to Visit: Angus K. Gholson, Jr. Nature Park

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Visit Angus K. Gholson, Jr. Nature Park in Chattahoochee to experience some of Florida's rarest plants in the unique ravine ecosystems along the Apalachicola River. This region of the Florida Panhandle is one of the top biodiversity hotspots in the nation, home to several species at their southernmost range, as well as several endemic to just this region. Many of these rare species can be viewed from the meandering trails that follow along the clear, spring-fed stream in the park, and up the ravine slope. The Nature Park was named after a renowned botanist from the region, Angus K. Gholson, who grew up nearby and played there as a child. Angus frequently botanized the area as an adult and built the park trails, which he stewarded until his death in 2014. A dedicated group of FNPS Magnolia Chapter members have since become the caretakers of the park, battling invasive species, and maintaining the trails. They have also worked hard to restore the park and trails after the region was
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