Phillip's Natural World

02/23/2022

Strobili of Zamia furfuracea L.

05/29/2020

Florida Hemlock Superbloom
In rivers and swamps across Central Florida Cicuta macualata (Florida Hemlock aka spotted water hemlock) is in bloom.
Hemlock is perhaps the most toxic plant found in Florida and quite beguiling when in bloom.
Read more about the 2020 Hemlock Superbloom in Florida at:
https://majikphil.blogspot.com/2020/05/florida-hemlock.html

05/29/2020

Florida's Most Ph***ic Flowers
#1 Split-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron bipinnatifidum).
My pick for late May because they are in bloom now. This non-native is naturalized across the Florida peninsula and sports an incredibly large and ph***ic bloom. But will it get pollinated?
To read more and for more photos:
https://majikphil.blogspot.com/2020/05/floridas-most-ph***ic-flowers.html

03/29/2018

Late afternoon crossing El Barranco (the cliff) on Genovesa Island, under a cloudless sky and intense equatorial sun is an extreme experience. Add a slow, mile-long hike (each way) through a Red-footed and Nazca b***y colony and you have a very memorable afternoon. Read more description at:
http://majikphil.blogspot.com/2018/03/galapagos-prince-philips-steps-and-el.html

02/19/2018

Galápagos giant tortoises (Chelonoids nigra) lunching on taro. The dominant tortoises push the others out of the way for food. Nothing happens too fast with these giants. But why be in a hurry? They are known to be among the longest-living vertebrates with a life span of over 150 years.

12/27/2017

Manatees crowd into Florida's Blue Spring in advance of cool weather. The spring water is about 72° F (22° C) discharging about 150 cubic feet per second or about 13 million cubic feet of water per day (just under 100,000,000 gallons of water per day) based on current flow rate data. This vast supply of warm water keeps the manatees safe and warm during Central Florida's brief periods of cool weather. Unfortunately there is very little plant life in the spring or the spring run (stream) so manatees have to exit the warmth of the spring and forage in the St. Johns River then return once they've had their fill of food and cool water. Many more photos available at http://majikphil.blogspot.com/2014/01/238-florida-manatees.html

12/09/2017

Christmas Lichen (Cryptothecia rubrocincta) found in a 3 mile radius between the Black Hammock Wilderness Area (Lake Jesup) and the Little Big Econ State Forest (Econlockhatchee River) near Oviedo, Florida, an eastern suburb of Orlando.

Cryptothecia rubrocincta or "Christmas Lichen" is a species of lichen in the Arthoniaceae family of fungi. The species is prominent in Central Florida wilderness areas this month. It is distributed in subtropical and tropical locations throughout the southeastern United States, as well as Central and South America.

10/05/2017

The elusive Clitoria fragrans (or is it?) now showing at Blue Spring State Park near Orange City, FL – Government. Also known as "Pigeon Wings" or "Butterfly Pea" this endangered legume species is endemic to . A park ranger explained that this was one of only 60 occurrences known to currently exist. To me it appears identical to C. marinara which is less threatened and more widespread. Most occurrences of C. fragrans are in the Lake Wales Ridge area.
More about this and other species endemic to on my blog http://majikphil.blogspot.com and my website http://phillipsnaturalworld.com

10/05/2017

Trying to lose weight? Try eating native . Hamelia patens (aka Firebush, Scarlet Bush, Butterfly Bush) is one of my favorite Autumn snacks. The berries are ripe, tasty, and full of beneficial bioactive chemicals including ephedrine, flavanone glycoside, and oxindolic alkaloids. Throughout its range, the fruits are utilized by people fresh from the plant or fermented into a drink. Here, I collect a brown bag full for a late afternoon snack. Only problem really is that the fruit will stain your hands and mouth with grape-like colors but the sap of the leaves and the juice from the berries is super-beneficial to the skin curing everything from sores, rashes, burns, itching, cuts, fungus, to insect bites.
More on Firebush on my blog http://majikphil.blogspot.com

08/28/2017

Florida's Purple Natives

08/25/2017

Bieli Rocks near Gagarin Island in Sitka Sound, Alaska. I've returned here several times to check out the memorial and there is always at least one Bald Eagle sitting on one of the crosses.

Bieli Rocks near Gagarin Island in Sitka Sound, Alaska. I've returned here several times to check out the memorial and there is always at least one Bald Eagle sitting on one of the crosses. Alaska Alaska Sitka Sitka, Alaska Baldeagle

06/22/2017

Sailing aboard the Regent Seven Seas Cruises Mariner in the Gulf of Alaska for the solstice 2017

Summer solstice in Alaska means endless sunsets and sunrises with only a few hours of twilight each night. More photos and description at this link: http://majikphil.blogspot.com/2017/06/alaskan-summer-nights.html