Florida lady's nightcap facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Florida lady's nightcap |
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| Conservation status | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Genus: |
Bonamia
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| Species: |
grandiflora
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Bonamia grandiflora is a special flowering plant. It is often called the Florida lady's nightcap, Florida bonamia, or scrub morning glory. This plant is very rare and grows only in Central Florida. There are about 100 groups of these plants left. Many of them live inside the Ocala National Forest. The plant has become rarer because its home is being turned into towns and citrus farms. Because it is so rare, the plant was listed as a threatened species in 1987.
About the Florida Lady's Nightcap
What it Looks Like
This native Florida wildflower is a perennial vine. This means it lives for many years. It grows along the ground and can reach up to 3 meters (about 10 feet) long. It has a deep root and many stems that grow underground. The plant's stem is a bit hairy. It has tough, gray-green leaves that can be up to 5 centimeters (about 2 inches) long.
The plant produces a single, beautiful flower. This flower grows on a short, straight stalk. The flower opens in the morning. It can spread 7 or 8 centimeters (about 3 inches) wide and up to 10 centimeters (about 4 inches) long. The petals are pale to bright blue-purple. The center of the flower is white. Inside the funnel-shaped flower are five stamens. These have yellow tips called anthers. After the flower blooms, it forms a small fruit. This fruit is a capsule about a centimeter long. It holds a few seeds.
Where it Lives
The Florida lady's nightcap grows in a special place called Florida scrub habitat. This habitat has deep, dry, white sand. You can find these plants in open areas. They grow among sand pines (Pinus clausa) and other scrub plants. Other rare plants also live in this area. These include highlands scrub hypericum (Hypericum cumulicola) and scrub lupine (Lupinus aridorum).
How it Survives
This plant is very good at living through wildfires. Wildfires happen naturally in the scrub habitat. Fire helps the morning glory by clearing away thick bushes and tall tree canopies. These things can block the sunlight the plant needs. Fire creates the open spaces where the morning glory can grow.
Efforts to stop fires, called fire suppression, are usually bad for this plant. To help the plant, people use controlled burns. They also use other ways to clear out too much plant growth. These methods are part of the plan to help the plant recover. When the morning glory has the right home, it can grow very well. It can even become very common. It can start growing in new, sandy areas that have been cleared. However, once it starts growing, it does not like to be disturbed much.
