MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 313

WILD PLANTS FOR SURVIVAL IN SOUTH FLORIDA

Julia F. Morton

Director, Morton Collectanea,

University of Miami

Coral Gables

The American Indians and early settlers, as

well as many more recent and contemporary

woodsmen, campers, adventurers and natural

ists, have provided ample precedent for the

utilization of our diverse and abundant indige

nous plant life to augment the diet as well as

meet many other human needs. Fortunately,

the varied food and other uses of the principal

wild plants of the United States as a whole

have been ably recorded in a number of well-

known works, chiefly Yanovsky's Food Plants

of the North American Indians, Saunders' Use

ful Wild Plants of the United States and

Canada, Medsger's Edible Wild Plants, the

"Edible Plants" chapter in Kephart's classic

Camping and Woodcraft, the two editions of

Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America

by Fernald and Kinsey, the last edition revised

by Rollins; also Harris' Eat the Weeds and

Coon's Using Wayside Plants, as well as others

of more limited regional scope, such as Gilles-

pie's Edible Wild Plants of West Virginia. All

of these include a few plants that range into

southern Florida, but the majority of edible

plants peculiar to this unique area are

omitted, as well as those species that we share

with other subtropical and tropical regions.

Dr. Raymond Bellamy of Florida State

University authored two articles, in the May

and June, 1951, issues of Florida Wildlife

entitled, respectively, "You Can't Starve In

The Woods," and "Nature's Cupboard,"

largely and frankly limited to the northern

portion of the state. The food uses of some

wild Florida plants are noted by Dr. William

Sturtevant in his thesis, The Mikasuki Semi-

nole: Medical Beliefs and Practices (1954),

but many of the species mentioned are not

found in South Florida. A few of our more

prominent species, such as the seagrape, are

commonly eaten and widely publicized but,

to the writer's knowledge, the only material,

heretofore published, discussing specifically

any appreciable number of South Florida's wild

plants that are wholly or in part comestible

is the article, "Those Bounteous Florida Keys,"

written for the June, 1954, issue of Everglades

Natural History by John D. Dickson III, based

on his personal experimentation while sta

tioned for 14 months on Big Pine Key.

Between 1944 and 1946, Dr. Richard A.

Howard, now Director of the Arnold Arbore

tum of Harvard University, was Chief of the

Survival Section, Air Force Tactical Air Center

at Orlando, Fla. In writing survival manuals

and in teaching survival and rescue techniques

for the U. S. Air Force, Dr. Howard (then

Captain Howard) and his "students" collected

native and introduced plant materials in

southern Florida, worked out ways of ex

tracting and preparing their edible portions,

and ate such dishes during week-long survival

training periods. The food habits of the

Seminoles and more recent "natives" were

examined and compared with the habits of

people of other tropical countries in the use of

such widespread plants as palms, papayas,

grasses, beach and marsh plants, and even sea

weeds. A palatable and varied vegetarian diet

from the wild plants of Florida was found to be

filling, sustaining, and enjoyable.

On a lesser scale, training for pilot survival

was given the Marines during post-war years

at their air base at Opa-locka and the aid of

the Morton Collectanea was sought in regard

to information on wild plant resources. Re

quests for such help are, from time to time,

received from Boy Scout leaders taking troops

on field trips, and the currently awakened

interest in Civil Defense has inspired numerous

inquiries for guides to the plants that might

fortify chances of survival if evacuation from

urban areas were necessitated by enemy attack.

While we can be sure that individuals adept

at hunting and fishing will depend largely on

game and fish, those not skilled in or equipped

for the capture of animals will find plant foods

more easily obtained and simpler to prepare,

in many cases consumable in their natural form.

In the following presentation, there are

assembled for the first time more than 115

species, native or naturalized in South Florida

and/or on the Florida Keys, that offer food,

drink, or, in a few instances, salt—, tobacco—

and soap—substitutes — or emergency means of;

314 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

cleaning the teeth, since Dr. Howard reports

in the Air University publication, 999 Survived,

that a toothbrush was one of the items most

sorely missed by jungle survivors.

No attempt has been made to include fungi,

lichens or algae. The plant descriptions are

deliberately non-technical and brief, and, be

cause of space limitations, it has been necessary

to omit the many medicinal and other economic

uses of many of the plants cited, as well as

the extensive geographical range which causes

some to be of interest far beyond the boundaries

of South Florida. The latter, while not a for

mally prescribed area, is, for the purpose of this

paper, defined as that part of the peninsula

south of an imaginary line extending from

Palm Beach on the east coast to Sarasota on

the west, though many of the plants covered

may occur as far north on the coasts as Clear-

water and Merritt Island, and some much

further.

Rather than classify the plants, as isv usually

done, as sources of edible fruits, roots, greens,

etc., I have chosen to group them according

to their primary habitats as "Plants of the

Seashore," "Plants of Inland Waterways and

Swamps," and "Plants of Woods and Fields," it

being understood that some species are not

limited strictly to any one environment. It is

believed that this "locality" grouping will aid

the layman who must resort to those food

sources occurring in the area in which he finds

himself, regardless of the type of edible sub

stance supplied. To the hungry seeker, the only

requirements are that a plant be recognizable,

accessible and, at least in part, comestible or

otherwise useful in survival.

The writer can personally attest the edibility

of over 50 of the following plants, or certain

of their products, which are so designated by

the letter "M" in parentheses. Those recorded

by Dickson as having entered into his natural

ist's diet are distinguished by the letter "D."

Seventy-six species tested as survival foods by

Dr. Howard are followed by the letter "H" and,

in many cases, brief comments on use or palat-

ability which he has generously contributed.

PLANTS OF THE SEASHORE

A triplex arenaria Nutt.

CHENOPODIACEAE

Beach Orach

Mainland and Keys; sandy beaches.

Annual herb, 6 in. to 1£ ft. tall, bushy. Leaves

alternate or opposite, oblong, oval or slender-

elliptic, £ to 1£ in. long, silvery-scurfy beneath;

male flowers in terminal or axillary spikes;

female in short axillary clusters. Fruiting bracts

wedge-shaped, toothed, | in. wide. Seed small,

reddish-brown.

Use: Salty leaves eaten cooked as greens;

were boiled with fat and meats by Indians of

Southwest. (D,H)

Avicennia nitida Jacq.

VERBENACEAE

Black Mangrove; Honey Mangrove; Saltbush

Mainland and Keys; coastal hammocks, sandy

shores or in brackish water.

Shrub or tree to 70 ft. with spreading

branches. Bark dark-brown, flaking and expos

ing orange inner bark. Roots send up masses

of aerating, quill-like projections to 3 ft. tall.

Leaves opposite, elliptic, 2 to 5 in. long,

leathery, glossy above, downy-white below.

Flowers pale-yellow, tubular, 4-lobed, to \ in.

wide, in small terminal or axillary spikes;

fragrant; June-July. Fruit egg-shaped, flattened,

to 1£ in. wide, pale-green, leathery, 2-valved, 1-

seeded. Seed frequently germinates on tree.

Uses: As a famine food, the sprouting seeds

are edible if cooked. They are toxic when im

properly prepared or raw. (H) Dr. Howard

prefers the seedlings with the seed-leaves at

tached, rather than the seeds themselves. Leaves

may be coated with salt which can be collected

for use. In Nigeria, salt is obtained from the

leaves and roots and is said to be "better than

that from other mangroves." Flowers are chief

source of mangrove .honey.

Batis maritima L. BATIDACEAE

Saltwort; Pickleweed; Jamaica Samphire

Mainland and Keys; muddy shores and

coastal marshes, usually with mangroves.

Low shrub with creeping or spreading brittle

stems 1 to 4 ft. long, forming masses. Leaves

opposite, slim, fleshy, £ to 1 in. long, curved,

light-green, strong-scented, salty. Flowers tiny,

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 315

greenish or whitish, in short, axillary spikes.

Fruit, a fleshy, yellow cone, f to f in. long.

Uses: Leaves edible raw (D,M), cooked (H),

or pickled. Dr. Howard recommends boiling

and straining to remove "strings;" makes a salty puree.

Cakile fusiformis Greene

Sea Rocket BRASSICACEAE

Mainland and Keys; sandy beaches and dunes.

Low, fleshy herb. Leaves 2 to 6 in. long,

pinnately divided, with narrow lobes. Flowers

white or purple, 4-petaled, f in. wide. Seed-

pods thick, jointed, £ to 1 in. long, with 2 seeds in lower joint.

Use: Plant eaten raw or cooked, has mustard

flavor. (D) Young shoots or tips excellent. (H)

Casasia clusiaefolia Urban (syn. Genipa clusiae-

folia Griseb.) RUBIACEAE Seven-Year Apple

Mainland and Keys; coastal hammocks and dunes.

Shrub or small tree to 10 ft., with pale bark.

Leaves elliptic with edges recurved; 2 to 6 in.

long; leathery, very glossy; clustered at ends of

branches. Flowers tubular, 5-lobed, 1 in. wide,

white, often pink-tipped, heavily fragrant like

jasmine. Fruit seemingly ever-present on tree;

oval, 2 to 3 in. long; green and hard when im

mature, turning yellowish, often dark-spotted,

and finally entirely black. When fully ripe is

soft, wrinkled and prune-like, with black, jelly-

like pulp somewhat licorice-flavored, filled with small brown seeds. All year.

Use: A hole is made in one end of the ripe

fruit and the pulp is sucked out. (M, H)

Chrysobalanus icaco L. ROSACEAE

COCOPLUM

Mainland and Keys; on or near coast.

Shrub or tree to 30 ft., densely bushy. Leaves

alternate, nearly round or round-oval, indented

at tip, 1 to 3£ in. long, leathery, glossy; new

growth yellowish-green. Flowers small, white, in

short axillary clusters. Fruit usually pale-yellow,

more or less flushed with pink, rose or dark-red;

some forms entirely dark-purple; round, 1 to

1} in. wide, with thin skin; white, cottony but

juicy flesh adhering to an oval, pointed, ridged,

thin-shelled stone containing a nut-like kernel.

Flesh sweetish, somewhat astringent. June to November.

Use: Fruit and kernel eaten raw or cooked

(M, H) ; canned in Cuba and elsewhere in West

Indies and tropical America; best when pierced

right through stone to allow sirup to penetrate.

May also be made into jelly. (M)

See C. icaco var. pellocarpus under "Plants

of Inland Waterways and Swamps." J

Coccoloba uvifera Jacq. POLYGONACEAE

Seagrape; Shore-Grape

Mainland and Keys; beaches and coastal ham mocks.

Shrub forming clumps on exposed beaches, or

large tree to 25 or 30 ft., branched close to

ground and acquiring broad, massive, rounded

head. Bark light-brown, smooth, mottled with

light patches. Leaves alternate, nearly round,

heart-shaped at base, 4 to 8 in. wide, stiff,

leathery; veins prominent, often red. Broad

green sheath at base of leafstalk encircles

branch. Young leaves silky bronze; old leaves

turn yellow or red and fall a few at a time.

Flowers whitish, tiny, in "rattail" spikes 4 to

12 in. long. Spring. Fruit greenish-lavender

or reddish-purple, slightly velvety, plump-oval

or pear-shaped, j in. long, in compact, grape-

like clusters. Flesh thin, juicy, acid to sweet,

musky, covering single, plump, sharp-pointed, hard, brown seed with ivory tip. Fall.

Uses: Fruits ripen a few at a time; are eaten

raw (M, H) or used for juice, jelly (M), sirup

or wine. Leaves are useful as plates or, pinned

together with twigs or thorns, can be made into

hats, also serve as emergency "notepaper." (H)

Cocos nucifera L.

Coconut Palm PALMACEAE

Probably Asiatic in origin; naturalized on shores of mainland and Keys.

Palm, to 90 or 100 ft., with single, slender

trunk, bulged at base and usually curved or

leaning. Leaves, in terminal rosette, feather-

shaped, 10 to 20 ft. long, 4 to 6 ft. wide.

Flowers small, pale-yellow, in plume-like cluster. Continuously blooming. Fruit oval, 8 to 15

in. long; husk thick, fibrous, smooth and green

when immature; ridged, brown and dry when

mature. Usually split open by pounding on

sharp point of stake driven into ground. Nut

round, with brittle, hairy shell covering J in.

layer of white meat and cavity partly filled with

sweetish water.

316 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

Uses: Water from green or ripe nuts is re

freshing but may be laxative in quantity. Im

mature meat is soft and jelly-like and eaten

with spoon. Mature, hard meat eaten in chunks

or grated; or may be boiled to obtain coconut

oil for cooking or lubricating skin. (D,M) Re

peated slicing of tip of unopened flower cluster

will cause flow of sweet sap which may be boiled

down for sirup or sugar, fermented it is known

as "palm wine."

The terminal bud, or "cabbage," of the coco

nut is eaten raw, cooked or pickled, and is

easily obtained from young seedlings. (H)

The spongy tissue that fills a sprouting coco

nut is eaten raw or, better still, sliced and

toasted. (H)

Dondia linearis Millsp. CHENOPODIACEAE

Sea Blite; Tall Sea Blite

Mainland and Keys; beaches and salt marshes.

Annual or perennial herb, to 3 ft. tall, much

branched, with succulent, pale-green or nearly

white stems. Leaves narrow, pointed, or some

what 3-angled, fleshy, Y2 to 2 in. long. Flowers

5-lobed. Fruit round, with minute, round

smooth, glossy, black seeds.

Uses: Leaves and tips of stems very salty but

cooked and eaten. (D) The Indians used

Dondia as flavoring for other greens; the seeds

they ground and made into mush or bread.

Hibiscus tiliaceus L. (syns. Paritium tiliaceum

Juss.; Pariti tiliaceum St. Hil.)

MALVACEAE

Mahoe; Sea Hibiscus

Mainland (especially Cape Sable region) and

Keys; coastal hammocks and dunes.

Shrub to large tree, in some areas reaching

40 to 50 ft. In wet ground the drooping

branches take root, forming thickets. Leaves

nearly round with short tip; 4 to 8 in. wide,

dark-green above, downy-white below; leathery.

Flowers cupped, 5-petaled, pure yellow turning

dark-rose or maroon when they fall at the end

of day, or the following morning. Seed capsule

oblate, f in. wide, capped with 10-pointed

calyx; velvety, greenish-brown, splits open, the

five 2-celled segments containing hard, brown,

£ in. seeds.

Uses: The flowers may be boiled as a vege

table or dipped in batter and fried. (H) Young

leaves edible. Australian aborigines eat the

root. In the South Seas, the mucilaginous bark

is sucked in times of famine. Bark is easily

peeled off in long strips; may be used for

fishing line with pieces of the corklike wood as

floats. Fire may be started by twirling a hard

wood stick on a block of dry mahoe wood

which ignites readily from friction.

Philoxerus vermicularis R. Br. (syns. Iresine

vermicularis Moq.; Lithophila vermicularis

Uline) AMARANTHACEAE

Beach Carpet; Salt-Weed

Mainland and Keys; damp coasts; dunes,

waste places; usually inshore from mangrove

thickets.

Herb, rather succulent, prostrate or creeping,

with branches 1 to 6 ft. long; resembling sea

purslane. Leaves opposite, spindle or club-

shaped, from very narrow to f in. wide, and

from \ to 1£ in. long; thick, fleshy. Flowers

silvery-white, in dense, round or oblong spikes,

£ to 1 in. long. Fruit ovoid, with round, flat,

dark-brown, glossy seed.

Use: Stems and leaves cooked and eaten.

(D, H)

Rhizophora mangle L. RHIZOPHORACEAE

Red Mangrove

Mainland and Keys; extensive stands in shal

low salt water and on muddy coasts, continuing

inland along waterways.

Shrub or tree to 20 ft. forming impenetrable

thickets because of aerial "stilt" roots arching

out from base. In brackish water (especially at

Cape Sable) may reach 60 or 70 ft. with straight

trunk and no prop roots. Leaves opposite, ovate

to elliptic, 2 to 6 in. long, leathery, dark-green

above, pale with fine black dots below. Flowers

pale-yellow, with 4 narrow petals, hairy within;

| to 1 in. wide, in stalked, axillary clusters of 2 or 3. Fruit rusty-brown, conical with persis

tent calyx, its single seed sending out a green,

brown-tipped, pencil-like sprout, 6 to 12 in.

long, which falls, lodges in the mud beneath

or floats till it anchors elsewhere, strikes root

at the apex and sends out leaves from its base.

Uses: The inner portion of the bitter green

sprouts, or radicles, is sometimes eaten as an

emergency food. Also, the dried radicles, with

ends trimmed, have been smoked like cigars.

Dried leaves make a most agreeable tea. The

writer drank it every day for 2 weeks. (M) The

tannin is not objectionable and might afford

some protection from the effects of atomic

fallout, since it sis reported that the tannin in

true tea absorbs Strontium 90 before it reaches

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 317

the bone marrow. Dried leaves have also been

smoked in pipes as tobacco. Mangrove twigs

are frayed at one end and used for cleaning the

teeth. Oysters may be found clinging to the

prop roots of mangroves growing in salt water.

Salicornia ambigua Michx. (syn. 5. perennis

Mill.) CHENOPODIACEAE

Woody Glasswort (from crunchy sound when

trod upon); Samphire

Mainland and Keys; beaches, salt marshes,

marl prairies inland.

Perennial herb with trailing stems and

branches 4 in. to 2 ft. long, forming mats on

ground; stems fleshy, succulent, crisp, jointed;

leaves are mere scales. Flowers minute, in

groups of 3 to 7, embedded in upper joints.

Fruiting spikes £ to 2 in. long. Seeds are tiny

and hairy.

Use: Salty stems cooked and eaten. (D, H).

Dr. Howard recommends straining to eliminate

"stringiness."

Salicornia bigelovii Torr. (syn. S, mucronata

Bigel.) CHENOPODIACEAE

Bigelow's Glasswort; Samphire

Mainland and Keys; salt marshes.

Annual herb, stout, green, erect, 4 in. to 2 ft.

tall, with thick branches. Leaves are merely

ovate or somewhat triangular scales. Fruiting

spikes £ to 5 in. long. Seeds nearly black with

short curved hairs.

Use: Salty stems cooked and eaten. (D).

Sesuvium portulacastrum L.

Sea Purslane

AIZOACEAE

Mainland and Keys; beaches, dunes and

muddy soil along coast or, rarely, inland.

Herb with fleshy, creeping stems 3 to 6 in.

long, sparingly branched. Leaves opposite,

smooth, fleshy, spatulate to oblong, £ to 2 in.

long. Flowers, single, axillary, £ in. wide, with

many stamens, no petals; the 5 sepals green

outside, pink within. Fruit, a capsule with

many glossy, black seeds.

Uses: Stems and leaves eaten raw or pickled,

or cooked in more than one water to reduce

salty flavor and eaten as a vegetable. (D, H, M)

Considered antiscorbutic. Cultivated as a vege

table in Eastern Asia and sold in the markets.

Thespesia populnea Soland. MALVACEAE

Seaside Mahoe; Portia Tree; "Cork Tree"

Old World tropics; naturalized on mainland

and Keys (especially Key Largo); coastal ham

mocks, shores of bays and inlets.

Shrub or tree to 50 ft. with spreading

branches. Leaves heart-shaped, pointed, 2 to 5

in. long. Flowers hibiscus-like but cupped, to

3 in. wide, crinkled, pale-yellow in morning

with purple-red throat; dark-red in afternoon,

and remain on tree for several days. Spring and

summer. Seed capsule oblate, to 1J in. wide,

with persistent calyx, soft-woody and near-

black when mature; 5-parted, with 10, 3-sided, brown seeds, f in. long and \ in. wide.

Use: Young leaves, buds and flowers eaten

raw or cooked. Flowers may be boiled or

dipped in batter and fried. (H).

Uniola paniculata L.

Sea Oats; Beach Grass

POACEAE

Mainland and Keys; sandy beaches and dunes.

Perennial grass with creeping rootstock and

stout stems forming dense clumps 3J to 8 ft.

high. Leaf blades 1 ft. or more long, 3/16 in.

wide, tapering; the long, slender tips curling

like ribbons. Spikelets straw-colored, flat, oval,

clustered in showy, dense, nodding panicle 8

to 16 in. long. Seeds flattened, loosely enclosed.

Use: Seeds may be cooked and eaten as

cereal. Of good flavor. (H) Seeds of U. virgata

Griseb. are eaten in Puerto Rico, and those

of U. palmeri Vasey are eaten by Indians in

Mexico.

Yucca aloifolia L. LILIACEAE

Spanish Bayonet; Spanish Dagger

Mainland; ajong beaches, sand-dunes; also

cultivated.

Erect plant with thick central stem, 8 to 25

ft. tall, sometimes branched, thickly clothed

with rigid, dagger-like leaves. Leaves dark-

green, 1 to 3 ft. long, 1£ to 2£ in. wide, tapering

to a point; spine-tipped; minutely saw-edged.

Flowers tulip-like, white, waxy, 3 to 4 in. wide,

drooping, in erect cluster, 2 to 3 ft. tall. Fruit

cylindrical, to 5 in. long, with purple skin and

pulp and many small seeds.

Uses: Fruit edible raw when fully ripe but

bitter and rubbery. (M) Flower petals crisp

and eaten raw in salads when fresh. (M)

Flowers may be dipped in batter and fried.

(H) Buds are slightly bitter but may be

eaten raw (H) or boiled or roasted as a vege

table. Flower stalk is peeled, boiled and eaten.

318 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

PLANTS OF INLAND WATERWAYS

AND SWAMPS

Annona glabra L. (syn. A. laurifolia Dunal) ANNONACEAE

Pond Apple; Alligator Apple; Corkwood; in

correctly "Custard Apple"

Mainland and Keys; low hammocks, swamps,

canal banks.

Tree to 45 ft., somewhat swollen at base, with

pale bark; often laden with air-plants. Leaves

alternate, ovate or elliptic with pointed tip, 3

to 7 in. long, leathery, bright-green, glossy

above, pale below; aromatic. Flowers whitish or

greenish-yellow, 1 in. wide, conical with six

fleshy petals, the three outer ones red-spotted at

inner base, enclosing the three smaller ones.

Fruit heart-shaped, 3 to 5 in. long, yellow-

skinned, smooth or faintly reticulated. Flesh

salmon-colored, in dryish segments of resinous,

musky, subacid flavor. July to November. Seeds

numerous, light-brown, oval, flattened, winged,

hard, smooth, \ in. long; toxic; are seen in great

numbers floating in swamp water and appar

ently remain viable for some time before they

find lodgment and germinate.

Use: Fruit edible raw; usually unappealing

but some of fair quality. (M) Is improved by

boiling. (H) Can be made into an acceptable

jelly. (Mrs. Jack Davis, Miami)

Chrysobalanus icaco var. pellocarpus DC. (syn.

C. interior Small) ROSACEAE Inland Cocoplum; Small Cocoplum; Ever

glade Cocoplum,

Inland hammocks, canal banks; cypress

swamps.

Shrub or bushy tree to 30 ft. with grayish-

brown, white-speckled bark. Leaves oval, 2 to

3 in. long; apex notched or short-pointed; new

growth purplish or yellowish. Fruit oblong or

oval, 1 in. long, dark-purple with white, cottony

pulp, clinging to oval stone containing nut-like

kernel. Spring to late fall.

Use: Fruit and kernel edible raw or cooked.

(M, H)

Eichhornia crassipes Solms

PONTEDERIACEAE

Water Hyacinth

South American; naturalized in and often

choking fresh waterways.

Aquatic herb; multiplying rapidly (three

plants producing 3,000 in 50 days), forming a

floating mass and sending long roots down to

the bottom. Leaves roundish, 2 to 5 in. wide;

leafstalk cylindrical with a basal, balloon-like

swelling filled with light, crisp, spongy tissue.

When rooted on muddy shore, stalks are straight

and to 3 ft. high. Flower stem 5 to 16 in. tall,

topped by showy spike. Flowers 1 in. wide,

bluish-purple, 6-lobed, with upper lobe yellow

in center.

Use: Young leaves, leafstalks and flower

clusters may be thoroughly cooked and eaten.

(H) If eaten raw may cause itching, though

a Miami doctor has reported that a lady patient

liquefied water hyacinth leaves in her electric

blendor and partook of this regularly with no

apparent harm.

Dr. Howard says the boiled flowers are gela

tinous; the young inflated leaf bases, fried in

deep fat, are "crisp like pork rind or popcorn."

Harrisia simpsonii Small (syn. H. brookii Brit-

ton) CACTACEAE

Prickly Apple; Apple Cactus

Mainland and Keys (Cape Sable to 10,000

Islands) ; hammocks and mangrove swamps.

Shrubby cactus to 12 ft. tall, terrestrial or

epiphytic; stems sometimes vine-like, often

branched; 1 to 1£ in. thick, cylindrical, with 9

or 10 prominent flutes or ridges; spines } to

1 in. long, in groups of 6 to 12. Flowers

nocturnal, funnel-shaped, white, odorless; the

young, long-pointed buds covered with curled

white hairs. Fruit oblate, dull-red or yellowish,

2£ in. wide, spineless, smooth or warty, usually

with some adherent, narrow scales; flesh juicy,

containing numerous minute seeds.

Use: Fruit edible raw. (D, H)

Two lesser species, H. aboriginum Small,

SHELLMOUND APPLE CACTUS, and H.

fragrans Small, FRAGRANT APPLE CACTUS,

also furnish edible fruits.

Ilex cassine L. AQUILIFOLIACEAE

Cassena; Dahoon Holly

Mainland (from Miami northward); damp

soil; low woods; along waterways; swamps.

Small tree to 35 ft. with erect branches;

smooth, light-gray bark. Leaves alternate, vari

able, usually elliptic, pointed, often slightly

toothed, 2 to 4 in. long, dark, glossy above, pale

and, when young, even downy on the under

side. Flowers white, small, in axillary clusters;

male and female usually on different trees.

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 319

Fruit bright-red or occasionally yellowish,

round, 3/16 to 1/4 in. wide; flesh yellow, mealy,

enclosing 4 to 8 bony seeds, ribbed on one

surface. Fall.

Use: Dried, roasted leaves used to make

"tea" which, when tried by Dr. Howard and his

"students," produced some dizziness and a laxa

tive effect. The leaves of this species are not

as commonly employed as those of /. vomitoria

Ait., the yaupon, which ranges from Central

Florida northward. From the latter, the early

settlers enjoyed a harmless, mild brew, while

the "black drink" of Indian ceremonies was

very strong, from prolonged boiling, and was

both emetic and purgative, especially when

taken in quantity.

Ilex fruits are not edible; being emetic and

cathartic.

Maranta arundinacea L.

Arrowroot

MARANTACEAE

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

in low hammocks and wet ground.

Herb with erect, branching stems 2 to 6 ft.

tall; leaves ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, 1£

to 4 in. wide, 6 in. to 1 ft. long, pointed.

Flowers white, about 1 in. long, in loose clusters.

Fruits round, about \ in. wide. Rootstock scaly,

yellowish-white, f in. thick, 1 ft. or more long.

Uses: Rootstock, after peeling to remove the

ill-tasting skin, may be boiled and eaten. (H)

It is the source of true arrowroot starch, ob

tained by the usual crushing or grating, wash

ing and drying process. (H) The name "arrow

root" has been attributed to the use of the

fresh root as an antidote for the effects

of poisoned arrows.

Mariscus jamaicensis Britton

Saw Grass

CYPERACEAE

Mainland; Everglades, swamps, marshes, salt

or fresh.

Tall sedge, shallow-rooted, with clumps of

thin, tough, gray-green, semi-folded leaves rising

from a horizontal rhizome. Leaves 5 to 10 ft.

long, £ in. wide at base, tapering to a thread

like tip, with minute, upward-slanted teeth on

margins and back of midrib. Spikelets borne in

large clusters at top of triangular stalk 10 to

12 ft. tall.

Use: Unlike the edible, starchy, tuberous

rootstocks of some African and Asiatic species

of Mariscus, the rhizome of sawgrass is slim,

hollow and tough. However, the "heart," or

overlapping bases of the central leaves, is tender

for one to three inches and is much like a

nibble of palm cabbage. Care should be taken

in pulling it out, as saw grass can cut like a razor. (M)

Persea borbonia Spreng. LAURACEAE

Red Bay; Sweet Bay; Tisswood

Mainland; edges of hammocks and swamps; rarely in pineland.

Shrub or tree to 60 or 70 ft., with erect

branches forming compact crown. Leaves al

ternate, elliptic or oblong, often pointed at

both ends, 2 to 6 in. long, bright-green, glossy

above, with whitish, waxy bloom below; crisp,

pleasantly aromatic. Flowers small, yellowish,

bell-shaped, with 6-lobed calyx, no petals; in

axillary or occasionally terminal clusters. Spring.

Fruit deep-blue with thin grayish bloom, nearly

round with persistent calyx; f to £ in. wide;

leathery skin; scant, if any, pulp; 1 large, round,

dark-blue seed. Fall.

Uses: Leaves, fresh or dried, much used for

flavoring meats, poultry, soups and stews. (M)

The Mikasukis employed the leaves for "tea."

Pontederia cor data L. PONTEDERIACEAE

Pickerel Weed; Pike-Weed; Wampee

Mainland; in shallow water of canals and swamps.

Aquatic herb; leaves long-stalked, erect;

blades varying from heart-shaped or arrow-

shaped to linear-lanceolate; 3 to 10 in. long and

to 6 in. wide. Flowers £ in. wide, 2-lipped,

violet-blue, with two yellow dots on upper lip;

in compact spike at tip of 1 to 4 ft. stem. Fruits

densely clustered, £ in. long, winged, with

loose coat and starchy, nut-like seed. Late fall and winter.

Uses: Seeds may be eaten fresh out-of-hand,

boiled as a cereal (H), or dried and kept for

future use. The dried seeds can be ground

into flour for making bread. (H)

Saccharum officinarum L.

Sugarcane

POACEAE

Asiatic or East Indian; naturalized on main

land in moist, low areas; also found in aban

doned patches in Everglades. (Cultivated com mercially for sugar.)

Giant grass, 8 to 20 ft. high, somewhat re

sembling corn, with solid, jointed, juicy stalks,

320 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

1 to 2 in. thick. Leaves 3 ft. or more in length,

2 to 2£ in. wide, with thick midrib and fine,

sharp teeth on edges. The slender, white, hairy

spikelets are massed in plumelike clusters 2 to

3 ft. long.

Use: Stems are peeled and chewed for sweet

juice (M, H) or may be peeled, crushed and

boiled to obtain a sirup for use in cooking

other foods. (H) In southern China, 6- to 10-

inch lengths of stem are boiled and sold by

street vendors for chewing. Shorter pieces are

canned in sirup. Long stalks are seen in native

markets in West Indies and tropical America.

Sagittaria chapmanii C. Mohr.

ALISMACEAE

"Swamp Spaghetti" (as nicknamed by J.F.M.)

Mainland; shallow water; cypress swamps.

Aquatic herb; leaves 2 to 2J ft. tall with

cylindrical, hollow stems and narrow or lance

olate, pointed blades, 4 to 5 in. long, to 1J or

1£ in. wide at base. Leafstems often stained

deep-purple. Flowers saucer-like, 3-petaled,

white, £ in. wide, in small, loose sprays. Roots

form a compact mass of soft, succulent, slender,

mixed white and purple fibers.

Use: When freshly pulled from the soft

mud of the swamp bottom, the blanched base

of the plant with the stringy roots is eaten out-

of-hand. There is little flavor but the juiciness

is refreshing. (M)

Sambucus simpsonii Rehder CAPRIFOLIACEAE

Southern Elder; Gulf Elder; Florida Elder

Mainland; low hammocks, marshes; canal

banks; forms extensive thickets from Lake

Okeechobee south.

Shrub or small tree to 15 ft.; woody stems

contain white pith, become hollow when old.

Leaves opposite, pinnate, with 5 to 9 pointed,

toothed, leaflets, 1 to 3 in. long. Flowers white,

tiny, in large, flat-topped clusters; fragrant.

Fruit round, £ in. wide or less, glossy, black.

All year.

Uses: The fruits, when fully ripe, may be

eaten raw or made into pie, jam, jelly or wine.

(M, H) Their rank flavor is subdued by drying.

When gathering elderberries, beware of the in

sects that inhabit the dry, hollow stems littering

the floor of thickets. According to Sturtevant,

the Mikasukis regarded elderberries as "scarcity

food," only. Elder flower clusters are dipped

in batter and fried in deep fat, or the flowers

are shaken off and added to pancake mix. (H)

They are sometimes steeped in hot water to

make a "tea;" and are also made into wine.

Elder foliage is toxic to grazing animals; but

the young shoots may be cooked and eaten.

Thalia geniculata L. (T. divaricata Chapm.)

MARANTACEAE

Swamp Lily

Mainland and Keys: low ground, edges of

swamps and canals.

Giant herb with short rootstock and masses

of string-like roots. Leaves long-stalked, 5 to

9 ft. tall; blades lanceolate to oval, blunt-point

ed at apex, rounded at base, 1 to 3 ft. long, 9

to 10 in. wide at base; bright-green, smooth.

Flowers rose-purple, emerging from dark-purple,

downy bracts, dangling on slender, zigzag stems

from the widely separated branches of the up

right cluster, topping a reedlike stalk 6 to 10

ft. tall. Capsule oblong-oval or obovate, \ to f

in. long, single-seeded. Rootstock, whitish, 2 to

4 in. long, slightly curved.

Use: The rootstock of young plants, boiled,

becomes coral-pink inside, resembling shrimp.

The inner portion is eaten, but has only a

"swampy" flavor. (M)

Typha angustifolia L. TYPHACEAE

Narrow-Leaved Cattail

Mainland; shallow water, canals, marshes.

Erect herb, with clumps of stiff leaves, £ in.

wide and 6 to 7 ft. long, rising from a short,

starchy, horizontal rootstock. Flower stalk 4

to 9 ft. tall, bearing terminal spike of male

flowers and immediately below it the plumper

cylinder of female flowers which develop into

the well-known, brown cattail of the florist

trade, f to 1 in. wide and up to 10 in. long.

When mature, in early spring, this fruiting

body disintegrates into a mass of soft, silky

floss attached to very minute, brown seeds (one

spike may contain 300,000).

Uses: Rootstock may be peeled, boiled and

eaten as potatoes (H), or macerated and boiled

to yield a sweet sirup. When dried, grated and

ground to a meal, then boiled and drained,

and again dried, it yields a flour having more

protein than rice or corn flour; less than wheat

or potato flour. It resembles the latter in flavor

and has been found to make acceptable "cat

tail cookies." The pithy portion where the

rootstock joins the sprouting new stem is roasted

or boiled and eaten.

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 321

Young cattail shoots in spring are peeled

and eaten raw. Those of T. latijolia L., the

BROAD-LEAVED CATTAIL, which ranges

through temperate regions, are so popular

in Russia they are called "Cossack asparagus."

The young, green flower spikes, prior to the

development of pollen, are eaten raw or cooked

or made into soup, discarding the inedible

core. (H) The pollen, shaken from the male

spikes, can be made into bread or porridge. The

seeds, though "fine as dust," were reportedly

roasted and eaten by the Indians. Considerable

study was given the utilization of cattail at

Cornell and Yale Universities years ago, and,

more recently, at Syracuse University.

PLANTS OF WOODS AND FIELDS

Acanthocereus pentagonus Britt. & Rose (syn.

A. floridanus Small) CACTACEAE

Dildoe; Barbed-Wire Cactus

Southern tip of mainland and on Keys; ham

mocks near coast.

Cactus, upright or creeping, forming masses

of dark-green stems 10 to 30 ft. long, slender

at base, becoming progressively thicker, 3- to 6-

angled (mostly 3-angled when mature) with

tufts of stiff, sharp spines to 1£ in. long. Flowers

nocturnal, white, funnel-shaped, to 8 in. long

and 3 to 4 in. wide. Summer. Fruit scarlet,

glossy, round or oblong, 1£ to 2£ in. long, spiny;

red-fleshed, juicy, with numerous small, black

seeds.

Use: Ripe fruit is eaten raw. (D)

Achras emarginata Little (syn. Mimusops

emarginata Britton) SAPOTACEAE

Wild Dilly; Wild Sapodilla

Mainland (Cape Sable) and Keys; hammocks.

Shrub or small tree to 30 or 40 ft., with

milky sap, compact, rounded crown, gnarled

trunk. Leaves alternate, oblong to obovate,

notched or rounded at tip, 2 to 4 in. long,

leathery, with light, waxy bloom above, reddish-

brown hairs below; clustered at ends of twigs.

Flowers light-yellow, 6-lobed, £ to f in. wide,

in axillary, hairy-stemmed, drooping clusters.

Fruit round, 1£ in. wide, with brown, thick,

scurfy skin and brownish flesh containing a

milky sap until fully ripe and 1 to 4 flat, black

or brown seeds \ in. long. Summer to fall.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw, preferably when

latex has completely disappeared. (D, H)

Amaranthus hybridus L. AMARANTHACEAE

Green Amaranth; Rough Pigweed; Slender

Pigweed; Prince's Feather

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys in rich soil, cultivated fields, waste places.

Annual herb, 1 to 3£ ft. tall; stems usually

slender, branched; not spiny. Leaves alternate,

long-stalked, lanceolate, ovate or elliptic, usually

pointed, 1 to 6 in. long, often red-tinged.

Flowers small, with green or pink bracts, in

spikes to J in. long, forming dense terminal

clusters. Seeds dark-brown or black, glossy, minute.

Uses: Young shoots and leaves widely eaten

cooked like spinach, or used in salads. (D, H)

Amaranthus spinosus L.

AMARANTHACEAE

Spiny Amaranth; Thorny Amaranth

Native of India; naturalized on mainland

and Keys, along roadsides, waste places, culti

vated ground.

Annual herb, to 4 ft. tall; stem stout, much

branched, often red; rigid spines in pairs in

leaf axils. Leaves ovate or lanceolate, pointed

at both ends, £ to 3 in. long on slender, red

dish stalks. Flowers tiny, yellowish-green; male

in long terminal spikes; female in globular,

axillary spikes. Seeds glossy, red-brown to black,

roundish, flat, minute.

Use: Young soft-spined shoots and leaves

widely eaten cooked like spinach. (D,H,M)

Ardisia escallonioides Schiede & Deppe (syn.

Icacorea paniculata Sudw.)

MYRSINACEAE

Marlberry; Marbleberry; Dogberry

Mainland and Keys; common in pinelands

and hammocks.

Shrub or small tree to 25 ft. with whitish,

scaly bark and purplish branch tips. Leaves

alternate, oblanceolate to elliptic, 2 to 7 in.

long, leathery. Flowers small, white or pink

with purple lines and dots; bell-shaped, 5-

lobed; spicily fragrant; in showy terminal clus

ters. Autumn. Fruit round, dark-purple, glossy,

\ in. wide, mealy, juicy, sweet, 1-seeded, in

dense clusters. Early spring.

Uses: Fruit edible raw but unappealing. (H)

According to Sturtevant, the Mikasukis called

this the "black tobacco seasoning tree"; they

mixed the leaves with tobacco to make the latter go further.

322 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

Bidens pilosa L. (syn. J3. leucantha L.) COMPOSITAE

Spanish Needles; Shepherd's Needles

Mainland and Keys; very common on road

sides, in waste places, cultivated fields.

Perennial herb with quadrangular stems 1

to 4 ft. tall. Leaves mainly opposite, 1 to 4 in. long, oval, pointed, toothed, soft-textured;

simple or divided into 3 to 7 leaflets. Flower

heads daisy-like, f to 1 in. wide; rays white, disk

yellow. The small, black seeds are tipped with 2 to 4 barbed spines or "needles" that adhere

to clothing.

Uses: Young leaves, cooked as greens (D),

somewhat resemble beet greens, with a faintly

resinous tang; do not really require salt and

do not become flabby like spinach. (M) In the

Philippines, the plant enters into a wine

called "sinitsit." The warmed juice of the fresh plant is said to stop bleeding if applied

to a cut.

Bourreria ovata Miers BORAGINACEAE

ovalleaf strongbark or strongback;

Bahama Strongbark

Keys and adjacent mainland; hammocks, in

moist rich soil.

Shrub or tree to 30 ft. (or sometimes 40 to

50 ft.) ; buttressed at base, with narrow crown

and reddish-brown bark. Leaves alternate,

broad-oval, to 4£ in. long, rounded or notched

at tip; yellow-green, glossy above, pale below

with orange-tinged midrib. Flowers white,

bell-shaped, 5-petaled, | in. wide, in open ter

minal clusters. Fruit nearly round, | in. wide,

with persistent calyx; changes from green to

yellow and finally orange or scarlet. All year.

Uses: Ripe fruit edible though not very

desirable. (H) "Tea" made from bark by

Bahamians.

Bumelia celastrina HBK (syns. B. angustifolia

Nutt.; B. spiniflora A.DC.) SAPOTACEAE Saffron Plum; Downward Plum; Antswood

Mainland (especially Cape Sable) and Keys;

coastal hammocks.

Shrub or tree to 25 or 30 ft. with thorny

branches. Leaves narrow-oblong, or spatulate,

1 to 1| in. long, smooth, sometimes spine-

tipped; often densely clustered along branches.

Flowers tiny, white, 5-lobed, in axillary clus

ters; fragrant. Fruit oblong or cylindrical, J

in. long, dark-purple or black. Nearly all year.

Use: Ripe fruit eaten raw. (D)

Byrsonima lucidum DC. (syn. B. cuneata P.

Wils.) MALPIGHIACEAE

Locust Berry

Mainland and Keys; rocky pinelands and

hammocks.

Shrub or rarely a small tree, 10 to 25 ft.

high, with smooth, light-brown bark. Leaves

opposite, spatulate to obovate, 1 to 2\ in.

long, thin; glossy above, dull below. Flowers

white or pink changing to yellow or rose, 5-

petaled, £ in. wide, in erect, open, terminal

clusters to 1J in. long. Fruit dark-brown, round,

\ in. wide, with thin, dry or sometimes juicy,

light-colored flesh and a pointed seed in a

rough, woody stone. All year.

Use: Ripe fruit edible but of "soapy" flavor.

(D,H,M)

Callicarpa americana L. VERBENACEAE

American Beautyberry; French Mulberry

Mainland; hammocks and pinelands.

Shrub, 3 to 7 ft. high, with slender, spread

ing branches. Leaves, opposite on \- to 1-inch

stalks; oval to elliptic, pointed at both ends,

finely toothed; 3 to 6 in. long, slightly rough.

Flowers lavender or bluish, small, 4-lobed, in

axillary clusters. Spring. Fruit light-purple,

round, | in. wide, thin-skinned, with white,

moist, mealy pulp and 3 or 4 minute, bony,

yellow seeds; borne in showy, compact axillary

clusters surrounding the stems. Fall.

Use: Fruit edible raw but insipid and be

latedly astringent, causing extreme dryness of

mouth a few minutes after eating a small

quantity. Best picked and eaten singly; the

rank odor of the plant makes nibbling of

bunches on the stem unpleasant. (M)

Calonyction aculeatum House (syn. Ipomoea

bona-nox L.) CONVOLVULACEAE

Moonflower; Moonvine

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and canal

banks; roadsides; fields; growing rapidly after

fire.

Twining vine to 20 ft., often prickly, and

with milky sap. Leaves somewhat heart-shaped,

3- to 5-lobed, pointed, 2 to 8 in. long, thin and

soft-textured. Flowers delicate, white with

greenish ridges radiating from center; flaring

4 to 6 in. wide from slender tube 3£ to 6 in.

long; fragrant, nocturnal. All year. Fruit a

flattened capsule 1 to \\ in. wide, at first

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 323

enclosed in calyx lobes which later turn out

ward and become leathery.

Uses: Young leaves and fleshy calyces cooked

as vegetables. In India, the young seeds are

eaten. Dermatitis may result from handling vine

or contact with sap.

C. tuba Colla, found in brackish coastal

hammocks, has thicker leaves and an ovoid,

pointed capsule extending beyond the calyx

lobes.

Capsicum baccatum L. and C. frutescens L.

SOLANACEAE

Bird Pepper; Red Pepper; Cayenne Pepper

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys; hammocks, waste places, cultivated

grounds.

Shrub, 3 to 10 ft. tall. Leaves ovate to ovate-

lanceolate, pointed, J to 2 in. long, or sometimes

to 4 or 5 in. Flowers white, yellow-green or

lavender; 5-lobed, to \ in. wide. Fruit round,

conical or elongated and pointed, | to 1 in.

long, may change from white to yellow then

purple and finally red, nearly hollow, with few

small seeds; exceedingly pungent in flavor.

Uses: Ripe fruit used sparingly for seasoning,

fresh or dried (H); too "hot" for Dickson's

taste. Handling or biting into the raw fruits

may cause stinging irritation of skin and mouth.

In the Philippines, the leaves are commonly

cooked and eaten as greens; are said to be

pleasantly piquant, rich in calcium and a good

source of phosphorus and vitamins A and B.

In Africa, the fruits or leaves are taken as

antidotes if poisonous fish has been eaten.

Cardiospermum halicacabum L.

SAPINDACEAE

Balloon Vine; Heart-Pea; Heartseed

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys; waste places and cultivated ground.

Annual or biennial vine climbing by ten

drils. Leaves alternate, twice divided in three's;

leaflets lanceolate to ovate, pointed, toothed.

Flowers white, 4-petaled, f in. wide, on long,

wiry stalks. Capsule balloon-like, three-sided

with 6 ridges, 1 to If in. wide, straw-colored

when dry, containing 3 seeds, round, black, £

in. wide, with heart-shaped, white aril. All year.

Use: Young foliage may be cooked and eaten,

as is commonly done in India and Africa.

C. microcarpum HBK, SMALL BALLOON

VINE, a native, in hammocks, pinelands and

swamps, has smaller, more pointed, leaflets and

conical, lobed, \- to f-inch capsule, and smaller

seeds.

C. keyense Small, native on the Keys, in

hammocks, has downy twigs, ovate leaflets,

more or less lobed, and covered with fine hairs;

oval to nearly round capsule, f to 1 in. wide.

Carica papaya L.

Papaya

CARICACEAE

Tropical American; naturalized near south

ern coast of mainland, along roadsides, and on

Keys.

Giant herbaceous plant, 10 to 20 ft. tall,

with thick, fleshy stem and milky sap. Leaves,

on long, hollow, mostly horizontal stalks, are

1 to 2 ft. wide, deeply divided into 7 to 9

major lobes which, in turn, are subdivided.

Flowers whitish or pale-yellow, funnel-shaped,

5-petaled, 1 in. long; male in long-stemmed

clusters; female clusters short-stemmed, usually

on separate plants. Fruit melon-like, yellow

when ripe, only 1 to 6 in. long on wild plants,

much larger in cultivation; borne close to stem

among or below the leaves. Skin thin; flesh

thick, soft, juicy, sweetish, musky, turning

from pale-green to yellow, orange-yellow, or

reddish; the hollow center coated with numer

ous black, soft, glistening, round, peppery

seeds.

Uses: Wild fruits may be very inferior; if of

fair quality, the ripe fruit is eaten raw or

cooked and is good source of vitamins A and

C. Green fruit is boiled or baked as a vege

table (D,H,M) or sliced fine in vinegar as

"mock cole slaw". (H) Young leaves and

flowers may be cooked and eaten as greens

(H); older leaves require cooking in two or

more waters to remove the bitter alkaloid, car-

paine. Mature leaves, wrapped around meat for

a few hours, will tenderize it. (M) The pithy

interior of the stem of the plant may be eaten

raw. (H) The boiled root resembles parsnip

in flavor, according to Dr. Howard.

Papaya leaves are sometimes smoked as a

substitute for ordinary tobacco or to relieve

asthma. The leaves have been used by Mexi

cans and West Indians as a laundry soap

substitute. The milky latex of the plant and

unripe fruit contains the pepsin-like enzyme,

papain, and may affect sensitive skin if not

washed off quickly; it is very irritating to the

eyes.

324 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

Cassia occidentalis L. (syn. Ditremexa occi-

dentalis Britt. & Rose) LEGUMINOSAE Coffee Weed; Coffee Senna; Negro Coffee;

Magdad Coffee; Florida Coffee; Styptic

Weed; Stinking Pea

Native of tropics; naturalized on mainland;

pinelands, cultivated grounds.

Annual plant, 2 to 6 ft. tall, with brownish-

red young stems. Leaves up to 8 in. long,

compound with 8 to 12 ovate to lanceolate,

somewhat pointed leaflets, 1£ to 1} in. long; un

pleasant in odor when crushed. Flowers yellow,

J to 1 in. wide, in short, axillary clusters.

Seedpod 3 to 5 in. long and 3/16 to 3/8 in.

wide, thin, slightly curved, with thickened edges; containing 40 brown, flat seeds, £ in.

long.

Uses: Raw seeds purgative; roasted, ground

seeds widely used, and sometimes sold in West

Indies and elsewhere, as coffee substitute or

adulterant. Those analyzed in Puerto Rico have

shown no caffein-like content. Young leaves

and pods cooked as greens; young pods used

in salads. The plant is considered toxic to

grazing animals.

Cassytha filiformis L. LAURACEAE

Love Vine; Woe Vine; Laurel-Dodder;

Devil's Guts

Mainland and Keys; pinelands, hammocks,

coastal dunes.

Parasitic vine forming conspicuous masses

of yellow, string-like, trailing stems, carpeting

the ground or covering shrubs and trees.

Leaves are merely minute scales. Flowers

whitish, tiny, in very small spikes of 3 to 6. Fruit white, round, J in. wide, with single seed.

Use: Vine used by Brahmins of southern

India for seasoning buttermilk, but contains

alkaloid, laurotetanine, which produces cramps

and in large quantities may be fatal.

Vine is reported as "spicily fragrant"; is not

noticeably so to writer and stems when chewed

raw seem to have little if any flavor. (M)

Casuarina equisetifolia Forst. or L.

CASUARINACEAE

Australian Pine; Horsetail Tree; Beefwood;

She-Oak

Native to Australia and tropical Asia;

naturalized on mainland and Keys; pinelands,

Everglades, exposed sandy coasts.

Pine-like tree of open, erect growth, to 150

ft.; its dark-green, hair-like "needles" being

miniature, jointed branches; true leaves are

minute, pointed teeth sheathing each joint.

Fruit cone-like, woody, with sharp points; f

in. long and £ in. wide.

Use: Dr. Richard Howard records, in 999

Survived, that potable sap may be obtained

by cutting and draining a large branch. The

lack of normal transpiring foliage causes the

tree to retain moisture.

Casuarina glauca Sieb. (long misnamed C.

lepidophloia F.v.M.) CASUARINACEAE

Brazilian Oak; Black Oak; Scalybark

Beefwood

Native to Australia; naturalized on mainland

away from coast; not salt-tolerant.

Tree, pine-like, not oak-like, to 70 ft.; of

dense, brushy appearance, with masses of dark-

green, long, hanging "needles" (jointed bran

ches) . Fruit unknown in Florida. Widely plant

ed inland in rows as a windbreak; suckers

spring up around base and create thick, jungle-

like stands.

Use: Australian aborigines obtain water from

the roots.

Cephalocereus deeringii Small CACTACEAE

Tree Cactus

Upper Keys (Big Pine to Upper Mate-

cumbe); especially Key Largo; hammocks.

Succulent shrub or tree with fluted stems

and branches, to 30 ft. tall; erect, with narrow

head. Spines in groups of 25 to 30, protruding

from hairy tufts. Flowers white, narrow bell-

shaped, 2J to 3 in. long. Fruit dark-red, oblate,

1 to 2 in. wide, spineless. Flesh juicy, contain

ing many small, black seeds.

Use: Ripe fruit eaten raw. (D, H)

Cephalocereus keyensis Britt. & Rose

CACTACEAE

Key West Tree Cactus

Lower Keys (Key West to Big Pine) ; rocky

hammocks.

Shrub or small tree to 15 or 20 ft. with

erect stem and many light-green branches

forming a compact head. Branches 9- to 10-

ribbed, with spines in groups of 9 to 15

protruding from hairy tufts. Flowers bell-

shaped, 2 in. long. Fruit reddish, oblate, 1£

in. wide, spineless.

Use: Ripe fruit edible. (D)

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 325

Chrysobalanus pallidus L. B. Smith (syn. Geo-

balanus pallidus Small) ROSACEAE Gopher Apple; Ground Oak

Mainland; pinelands and other dry areas.

Dwarf shrub, 4 to 12 in. tall. Spreads by

underground stems, forming beds or patches.

Leaves alternate, oblong or somewhat wedge-

shaped, 2 to 5 in. long, leathery, glossy and

dark above, often downy-white beneath. Flowers

small, whitish, massed in terminal clusters.

Fruit white, flushed with red or purple; with

thin layer of white, sweet pulp and one large

seed. All year.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw; eaten by Mikasu-kis. (M)

Chrysophyllum oliviforme L. SAPOTACEAE

Satinleaf; Caimitillo; Olive Plum

Mainland and Keys; hammocks, pinelands.

Large shrub or small tree to 30 ft., or even

as much as 60 ft., with upright branches. Leaves

alternate, elliptic or oval, pointed, 2 to 6 in.

long, leathery; dark and glossy above, coppery

satin beneath. Flowers white or yellow, small,

5-lobed, in axillary clusters. Fruit dark-purple,

oval or oblong, f to \\ in. long; skin rubbery;

pulp lavender with milky juice, sweet, melting,

usually with one oblong seed £ in. long. Spring.

Use: Ripe fruit, though gummy, is eaten raw

(D,H,M) or made into jelly. West Indian

children masticate the skins like chewing-gum.

Citharexylum fruticosum L. (syn. C. villosum

Jacq.) VERBENACEAE Florida Fiddlewood

Mainland and Keys; coastal pinelands and hammocks.

Shrub or tree to 25 or 30 ft., with short

trunk and erect branches forming compact,

conical head. Leaves opposite, oblong or oval

with pointed or notched tip; to 6 in. long;

glossy, yellowish-green, leathery; with orange

stalks. Flowers white, tubular, 5-lobed, \ in.

wide, fragrant, in 2- to 4-inch, slender, hairy,

axillary clusters to 6 in. long, near branch tips.

Fruit round, \ in. wide, brownish or orange-

red when unripe, purple-black when ripe;

sweet; with two 2-seeded stones. All year.

Use: Ripe fruit edible, but not desirable.

(H)

Citrus aurantifolia Swingle

Key Lime

RUTACEAE

Asiatic; early introduced from West Indies

and naturalized on Keys and mainland; com

mon in abandoned Indian campsites in Ever

glade hammocks.

Small tree or straggling shrub to 15 ft. with

numerous sharp thorns. Leaves alternate, oval

to elliptic, usually rounded at tip; edges

minutely scalloped; 2£ to 4 in. long; stalks

narrowly winged; strong lime aroma when

crushed. Flowers white, f to 1 in. wide, 4- to

5-petaled, in clusters of 3 to 10; fragrant.

Fruit round or plump-oval, 1J to 2 in. long;

rind thin, green when unripe, yellow when

ripe; pulp greenish, juicy, sharply acid, aro

matic. Seeds ivory-white, elliptic, small. Fall

to spring or nearly all year.

Uses: Juice or slices of unripe or ripe iruit

used for ade or seasoning. (D,H,M) Dr.

Howard reports that lime juice will relieve

itching of insect bites and dissolve bits of

limestone in coral cuts. Lime twigs are some

times used as "chewsticks." However, contact

with tree, especially thorns, and excessive

handling of fruit may cause itching rash and,

on exposure to sun, brown, severely itching

areas. Extremely sensitive individuals may

suffer burning sensation, redness of skin, fol

lowed by blisters.

Citrus aurantium L. RUTACEAE

Sour Orange; Bittersweet Orange; Seville

Orange

Asiatic; introduced by Spaniards, naturalized

on mainland; found at abandoned Indian

campsites deep in Everglades.

Shrub or small tree to 30 ft. with long, sharp

thorns. Leaves ovate to elliptic, often pointed,

2 to 4 in. long; stalks usually broadly winged.

Flowers white, f in. wide, 5-petaled, in small

clusters; very fragrant. Fruit oblate, to 3 in.

wide, with reddish-orange, roughly pitted, thick,

bitter rind. Pulp orange, acid and somewhat

bitter. Core hollow. Seeds ivory-white, nearly oval.

Use: Fruit too acid to be enjoyed raw; juice

excellent for ade and seasoning (M,H); pulp

and peel used for marmalade. Sour oranges

have been used as "soap" for washing clothes

in streams, as well as for cleaning floors. Both

the fruit and the crushed leaves, which will

form lather in water, have been used for shampooing the hair.

326 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

Cnidoscolus stimulosus Engelm. & Gray (syn.

Jatropha stimulosa Michx.)

EUPHORBIACEAE

Tread-Softly; Spurge Nettle; Finger-Rot

Mainland; sandy beaches, dunes, pinelands,

hammocks, fields.

Perennial herb, 4 in. to 4 ft. tall, wholly

clothed with stinging hairs. Leaves alternate,

3 to 12 in. long, irregularly and deeply divided

into 3 to 5 or more lobes. Flowers white, 5-

lobed, \ in. wide, in small clusters. Capsule

bristly, oval, 3-lobed, \ to f in. long, 3-seeded.

Tuberous root oblong or irregular, 1 to 3 in.

thick and up to 10 in. long; white and starchy

within.

Use: Root edible when cooked, resembling

white potato or arrowroot in flavor. (H) Plant

must be approached with caution, however, as

any contact with the parts above ground

usually results in a painful rash. Slender stem

may extend some distance below ground be

fore tuberous root is found. Dick Gruenwald

of the Miami News dug six feet down in the

sand at Ft. Pierce and did not reach the end

of the root system. Dr. Howard found the

tubers easiest to acquire through side excava

tion of sand-dunes.

Ooccoloba diversifolia Jacq. (syn. C. floridana

Meisn.) POLYGONACEAE

Pigeon Plum; Dove Plum

Mainland and Keys; coastal hammocks.

Tree to 60 or 70 ft., with straight, tall trunk

and compact head. Bark light-gray; on old

trees flaking in large scales. Leaves alternate,

ovate to obovate, 2 to 4 in. long, leathery.

Flowers creamy-white in slender spikes. Spring.

Fruit dark-purple, oval, round or pear-shaped,

£ to \ in. long, in hanging, 3- to 4-inch clusters;

thin-fleshed, juicy, acid to subacid, somewhat

astringent; with single, hard seed resembling

that of the seagrape but only 5/16 in. long,

mostly dark-brown but with a pale, sharp-

pointed tip. Fall to late winter, ripening a few

at a time.

Use: Fruits eaten raw (D,H,M) or made into

jelly or wine. They lose their astringency and

dehydrate somewhat if held for a few days; do

not spoil readily. Quantities are brought to

native market in Nassau, Bahamas, An im

portant food of the Mikasukis,

Coccothrinax argentata Bailey (syn. C. argentea

Sarg.) PALMACEAE

Silver Palm; Biscayne Palm; Brittle Thatch-

palm

Mainland and Keys; rocky pineland; seldom

in hammocks.

Palm, usually low but may attain 40 ft.,

with slender trunk. Leaves fan-like, almost

circular, to 2 ft. wide, divided beyond the

center into narrow, pointed segments; dark-

green, glossy above, silvery on underside.

Flowers very small, ivory-white, in clusters to

2 ft. long. Fruit round, to \ in. wide, changing

from magenta to dark-red when ripe; single-

seeded.

Use: Raw fruit edible, unappealing. (H)

Terminal bud or "cabbage" edible though

small. (H)

Colubrina reclinata Brongn.

RHAMNACEAE

Smooth Snakebark; Nakedwood; Soldier-

wood

Mainland and Keys (especially upper end

of Key Largo); hammocks.

Shrub or tree to 50 or 60 ft., with orange-

brown bark flaking in loose, curling scales; old

trees have deep, serpentine furrows. Leaves

alternate, ovate to elliptic, tapering to a blunt

tip; 2 to 4 in. long; thin, soft. Flowers small,

greenish-yellow; 5-petaled; in small axillary,

hairy clusters. Fruit, a scarlet, 3-lobed capsule,

£ to \ in. wide, containing 1 black, oblong

seed.

Use: In Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands bark

is commonly steeped in water to make a cooling

drink called "mabi champan" (M) ; considered

to be a good tonic and antidote for indigestion

and dysentery. Sold by street vendors and at

softdrink counters. Bark sold in native mar

kets.

C. ferruginosa Brongn., SNAKEBARK;

SOAPTREE; which has brown fuzz on bran

ches, leaves and flowers, and purple-black fruit,

is similarly employed. Leaves will make soapy

foam in water; often used for washing hair.

Cordia sebestena L. (syn. Sebesten sebestena

Britton) BORAGINACEAE

Geiger Tree; Scarlet Cordia

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and sand-

dunes; also cultivated.

Small tree, usually less than 20 or 25 ft., with

slender, upright branches. Leaves deciduous in

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 327

cold, dry periods; alternate, ovate, pointed,

sometimes slightly toothed near tip; 5 to 12 in.

long, 3 to 6 in. wide; dull, rough-hairy above,

pale and nearly smooth below; in clusters at

ends of branches. Flowers scarlet or orange,

funnel-shaped, 5- to 7-lobed, slightly crinkled;

1 to 2 in. wide, in showy, flat, terminal clusters.

"Fruit" (properly a fleshy calyx) conical or

pear-shaped, 1 to 1£ in. long, white, pleasantly

fragrant, enclosing 1 or 2 large, dark-brown

stones containing the seeds. Spring to late fall.

Use: Ripe "fruit" edible raw; juicy but

fibrous and not particularly sweet. (M) Im

proved by cooking. (H)

Cucurbita moschata Poiret

CUCURBITACEAE

Seminole Pumpkin; Winter Crookneck

Squash

Mainland, found at abandoned Indian camp

sites in Everglade hammocks.

Vine, soft-hairy, creeping. Leaves ovate or

nearly round, or sometimes triangularly lobed,

toothed, 6 in. to 1 ft. long; soft, limp. Flowers

funnel-shaped, crinkly, yellow, 5-lobed, 3 to 4

in. wide. Fruit occurring in many forms, round,

oblate, pear-shaped, or short-necked, ribbed;

orange when ripe with orange-yellow flesh; cen

tral cavity more or less filled with soft, fibrous

pulp and flat, elliptic, white seeds, f in. long.

Fall and winter.

Uses: A staple food of the Indians. Fruit

boiled or baked as a vegetable or used in

soups; also dried, ground to flour and made

into bread. Young shoots and leaves may be

cooked as greens. Squash flowers, with pistils

removed, are cooked and eaten. (M) The

people of Italy, Greece and Turkey are

especially fond of them, use them in sand

wiches, stuff them with meat and rice, etc.

Waugh includes squash flowers in his Iroquois

Foods and Food Preparation.

Cyperus rotundus L. CYPERACEAE

Nut Grass; Coco-Grass

Mainland and Keys; fields, cultivated ground.

Perennial weed with slender, dark, glossy,

grass-like leaves and erect, triangular stem 8

in. to 2 ft. tall. Florets purple-brown in minute,

clustered spikes at tip of stalk. Roots hair-like,

connecting a series of oval tubers £ to f in.

long, brown-skinned, white within.

Uses: Tubers edible raw (M) or roasted,

but inferior to larger tubers of the chufa, C.

esculentus. When freshly dug, the flavor is

very strong (resembling Vicks "VapoRub"),

due to an essential oil containing pinene and

traces of cineole, sesquiterpenes and iso-cyperol.

If tubers are allowed to dry, they become

milder. To prepare for eating, they are rubbed

in hands to loosen husks, which are then blown

off. The tubers may be used for cleaning the

teeth and are also placed among clothes to repel

insects.

Diospyros virginiana var. mosieri Sarg. (syn.D.

mosieri Small) EBENACEAE

Peninsular Persimmon

Mainland; hammocks, pineland, dry scrub;

open fields.

Tree, smaller than D. virginiana, which may

reach 50 ft. or more. Bark is light-gray, shallow-

furrowed. Leaves deciduous, alternate, oval,

pointed; 2 to 6 in. long, with. purplish veins;

Flowers small, greenish, 4-lobed, axillary. Fruit

yellow or brownish, oblate, with persistent

calyx; 1 to 1£ in. wide, thick-skinned, with

orange flesh, and oblong, flattened, brown

seeds. Very astringent until fully ripe and

slightly wrinkled. Fall.

Uses: Ripe fruit eaten fresh, raw (M,H) or

cooked; also dried, ground and used in bread.

Seeds roasted, ground and used as coffee sub

stitute. "Tea" is made from green or dried

leaves. The fresh leaves are reportedly rich in

vitamin C. Vinegar was formerly made by

fermenting persimmons with 1 part of whisky

to 9 parts of water. Unripe persimmons, if

eaten, may form,, in the stomach or upper

digestive tract, a hard mass or "bezoar" which

must be removed surgically.

Erythrina herbacea L. (syns. E. herbacea var.

arborea Champm.; E. arborea Small)

LEGUMINOSAE

Eastern Coral Bean; Cherokee Bean; Red

Cardinal; Cardinal Spear

Mainland and Keys; hammocks or sandy

palmetto scrub.

Shrub or small tree to 25 ft.; crooked, some

what thorny; bark whitish and furrowed.

Leaves deciduous, alternate, long-stalked, com

pound, with three triangular or 3-lobed leaflets,

2 to H in. long. Flowers bright-red, tubular,

slender, to 2 in. long; in upright, pyramidal

spires, 8 to 13 in. tall. Spring. Seedpods 3 to

6 in. long, like stringbeans in large clusters;

lumpy and curved; open in summer and show

328 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

bright-scarlet seeds, kidney-shaped, \ in. long.

Uses: Young leaves reportedly edible cooked

but Dr. Howard considers them worthless. The

boiled flowers, he states, are entirely acceptable.

Seeds are toxic to man and animals; in Mexico,

they are used for poisoning rats and dogs. They

are often strung like beads.

Eugenia axillaris Willd. MYRTACEAE

White Stopper

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and sandy

areas near coast.

Shrub or small tree to 20 or 25 ft. with gray,

scaly bark. Leaves opposite, oval to elliptic,

pointed, 1 to 3 in. long, dark and glossy above,

pale and with fine black dots below. New

growth red. Flowers white, many-stamened,

fragrant, in small axillary clusters. Fruit oblate,

crowned with tiny calyx, black, f in. wide, 1-

seeded, sweet, juicy. Often woody galls form in

place of fruit.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw, but not of much

value. (H)

Eugenia longipes Berg. (syns. Anamomis long-

ipes Britton; Mosiera longipes Small)

MYRTACEAE

Trailing Eugenia

Mainland and Keys; pinelands; Everglade

Keys.

Shrub or sometimes a small tree to 12 ft.

with short trunk, profuse wiry branches to 3

ft. long, outer ones often trailing. Leaves ovate

or oval, to 1J in. long; glossy above with red

veins on underside. Flowers white or pink, to

1 in. wide, fragrant. Fruit long-stalked, black,

round, £ to f in. wide, calyx-crown at apex,

many small seeds.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw. (D) Some are

very good. (H)

Ficus aurea Nutt. MORACEAE

Strangler Fig; Golden Fig

Mainland and Keys; hammocks; pinelands.

Tree to 65 ft. with milky sap, orange twigs

and smooth, gray or light-brown bark flaking

away from the black inner bark; many aerial

roots, wide-spreading branches. If seed germi

nates on another tree, especially a palmetto, the

seedling will send down long, strangling roots

that will eventually choke the host. Leaves

alternate, stalked, oblong, oval or elliptic, point

ed at apex, pointed or wedge-shaped at base;

2 to 5 in. long, leathery, dark, glossy above,

paler below. Fruit stalkless, yellow when unripe,

dark-red when ripe; round, £ to f in. wide. All

year.

Uses: Ripe fruit edible raw (H,M); im

portant to the Mikasukis. Latex used as chewing

gum.

Ficus laevigata Vahl. (syn. F. brevifolia Nutt.)

MORACEAE

Shortleaf Fig; Wild Banyan

Mainland and Keys; hammocks.

Tree to 50 ft. with milky sap and relatively

few aerial roots; seldom strangling, usually

joining to form thick trunk or forming prop

roots for the spreading branches. Leaves stalked,

mainly ovate-oval, rounded or heart-shaped at

base, abruptly pointed at tip; 1 to 4 in. long.

Fruit stalked, changing from yellow to dark-red

as it ripens, oblate, f to 1 in. wide.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw (D,H,M); not

improved by cooking. (D)

Gouania lupuloides Urban (syn. G. domingen-

sis L.) RHAMNACEAE

Chewstick; Toothbrush "Tree"; Soap-Stick

Mainland and Keys; common in hammocks.

Shrub or woody vine, climbing by slender

tendrils to 30 ft. Leaves alternate, oval or

elliptic to ovate, pointed, toothed, 1 to 3J in.

long, thin, with hairy stems. Flowers greenish-

yellow or white with 5 clawed petals; borne in

slender spikes 2 to 6 in. long which may carry

tendrils and are often massed in terminal

sprays. Fruit, a 3-winged capsule, f in. wide,

which splits into 3 cells.

Use: The woody stems are aromatic and

somewhat bitter; softened and frayed by chew

ing, they are used as toothbrushes; said to heal

and toughen the gums. Dried, pulverized stems

furnish tooth powder; they have been exported

from the West Indies and Central America to

Europe and the United States for processing.

In Jamaica, the stems have been used as a

substitute for hops in beer-making.

Hamelia patens Jacq. RUBIACEAE

Scarlet Bush; Firebush

Mainland and Keys; common in hammocks.

Shrub or small, bushy tree to 12 ft. Young

branches reddish. Leaves elliptic, oblong or

elliptic-ovate, pointed, 3 to 7 in. long, more or

less flushed and dotted with red or purple,

and with red stalks; soft-textured, hairy; usually

in whorls of 3. Flowers scarlet, tubular, slender,

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 329

to 1£ in. long, in tassel-like, branched clusters.

Fruit oval or ovoid, to \ in. wide, red when

immature, nearly black when ripe, with tiny,

red, 5-pointed calyx; seedy. All year.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw. (M)

Lactuca intybacea Jacq. (syn. Brachyrhampus

intybaceus DC.) COMPOSITAE Wild Lettuce

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys; roadsides, waste places, cultivated grounds.

Annual herb, 1 to 5 ft. high, with succulent

branching stems and milky juice. Leaves 4 to

12 in. long, in a basal rosette and alternate on

the stems; lettuce-green, lobed, toothed, with

soft, red-tipped spines on edges. Flowers yellow

or rarely white, in erect heads in branched

cluster. Seeds | in. wide, ribbed and spiny, with white floss.

Use: Young plants and young leaves fairly

good cooked as greens; not very palatable raw. (D,H)

Lepidium virginicum L. BRASSICACEAE

Peppergrass; Fieldcress; Virginia Cress; Poor

Man's Pepper; Yellow-Seed

Mainland and Keys; roadsides, fields.

Annual or biennial herb; stem 8 in. to 2 ft.

tall, simple or branched. Leaves, often forming

rosette at base, narrow, oblong or lanceolate,

with prominent, slender teeth. Flowers white,

minute, in slender spikes. Seedpod nearly

round, flattened, sometimes minutely winged,

notched at apex, | in. wide; maturing earliest at base of spike.

Use: Unripe pods, pungent in flavor, used

for seasoning. In Puerto Rico, they are eaten

as a remedy for liver trouble. The mustard-

flavored leaves or young shoots are chopped

and mixed in salads, or cooked as greens. (H, M)

Leucaena glauca Benth. LEGUMINOSAE

Jumbie Bean; Lead Tree; White Popinac

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys; hammocks, especially near coast.

Shrub or tree, usually to 30 ft., sometimes

taller. Leaves alternate, feathery, twice-pinnate;

leaflets £ to 1 in. long, slender- elliptic. Flowers

white in fuzzy, round clusters 1 to 1£ in. wide.

Seedpods reddish-brown, flat, 4 to 8 in. long,

$ to | in. wide. Seeds, dark-brown, flat, ovate, f in. wide; 16 to 20 in a pod.

Uses: Young leaves (H), pods and seeds

cooked and eaten. Mature seeds roasted and used as coffee substitute or adulterant. The

plant is toxic to horses, donkeys, mules and

pigs, but an important fodder for cattle, sheep and goats.

Melothria pendula L.

CUCURBITACEAE Melonette; Creeping Cucumber

Mainland; hammocks; sometimes seen clam bering over cultivated shrubs.

Vine with slender, climbing stems. Leaves

dark-green, 3- to 5-lobed, 1£ to 3 in. wide,

resembling foliage of English ivy. Flowers small,

yellow. Fruit oval or oblong, green and mot

tled when unripe, dark-purple or nearly black

when ripe, £ to 1 in. long, filled with greenish, juicy pulp and small, whitish seeds. All year.

M. crassifolia Small, occurs on the mainland and Keys.

Use: Dickson reports that he ate the fruit

and the unripe fruits, resembling miniature watermelons, are certainly eaten by children in

South Florida with no apparent harm. Fernald

and Kinsey warn that F. P. Porcher in 1863

referred to the seeds as "drastically purgative";

no evidence has come to hand to support this.

In the West Indies and Central America, the

fruits of M. guadalupensis Cogn. are eaten ripe and pickled unripe.

Momordica charantia L.

CUCURBITACEAE Balsam Pear; Bitter Gourd

Mainland; open fields; waste places.

Vine with slender, weak, creeping or climbing

stems and rank, musky odor. Leaves alternate,

dull-green, flabby, with 5 to 7 toothed and

divided lobes. Flowers yellow, f in. wide, 5-

petaled. Fruit 1£ to 4 in. long, orange-yellow

when ripe, oval, pointed, warty, fleshy, splits

into 3 parts which curl back, showing the glistening, bright-red, moist, sticky arils en

closing the elliptic, brown seeds. All year.

Uses: The arils are harmless and commonly

sucked from the seeds by children and adults.

(D,M). The seeds are emetic and purgative,

as is the fleshy, orange body of the fruit. Eating

the fruit raw has caused illness in humans and

fatal poisoning of dogs. Under cultivation,

this plant produces a much larger fruit which,

when green, is steeped in salt water, then

cooked and eaten by Orientals as a vegetable.

330 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

In the Philippines, the bitter young leaves are

cooked as flavoring in stews. They are said to

be rich in iron and calcium and are sold as

greens in the markets. In India, they are

canned like spinach. The raw plant should

never be eaten; it has numerous uses in native

medicine.

Morus rubra L. MORACEAE

Red Mulberry

Mainland; low hammocks; also cultivated as

a fruit tree.

Tree to 30 or 50 ft., or even more; with

densely bushy, rounded head, slender, drooping

branches; milky sap. Leaves deciduous, alter

nate, 2£ to 8 in. long; mainly ovate with point

ed tip, but variable and often deeply 2- to 5-lobed on new growth; toothed, soft, silky; pale

and downy on underside. Flowers minute in

spikes; male spikes 2 to 3 in. long; female, 1

in. long, usually on same tree. Fruit, an oblong

cluster of round drupelets, 1 to 2 in. long, red

when unripe, turning dark-purple when ripe;

very juicy; seeds minute, inconspicuous. Late

spring and sometimes fall.

Use: Fruit blackberry-like in flavor, excellent

raw, or made into juice, jam, jelly, pies, etc.

(M,H) An important food of the Indians.

Musa paradisiaca var. sapientum Kuntze (syn.

M. sapientum L.) MUSACEAE

Banana

Asiatic; naturalized on mainland; abandoned

Indian campsites in Everglade hammocks; also

in scattered patches in low 'glade farming land.

Giant herb, 20 to 30 ft. tall, with thick suc

culent stalk composed of overlapping leaf-

bases. Leaves 1 to 2 ft. wide and 4 to 10 ft. long, broadly elliptic, rounded or heart-shaped

at base, with long, succulent stalk and promi

nent midrib; leaves tender and quickly tattered

by wind. Flowers white, in tiers, in large cluster

which emerges as a long, tapered, purple bud

from top of stalk. Each row of flowers shielded

by a fleshy bract, purple outside, dark-red

within, which opens and then falls off as the

bananas develop. The male flowers remain en

closed in their purple bracts at the tip of the

fruit stalk.

The banana variety commonly found is the

Orinoco (also known as Hog, Horse, or Burro)

which produces, only a few hands of short,

broad and 3-arigled fruits, with thick skin and

pinkish pulp. There is quite a length of bare,

knobby stalk between the hands and the male-

flower bud. More rarely found is the equally

tall-growing but slenderer "Apple" banana,

bearing a larger bunch of small but plump,

thin-skinned fruits, with mellow, yellowish

pulp of sprightly apple-like flavor.

Uses: The fruits of the Orinoco are edible

raw when fully ripe but better cooked,

ripe or unripe. (M) The Apple banana is a

delicacy. (M) Starchy, unripe bananas may be

boiled in their skins and eaten as potato-sub

stitutes. The unripe pulp, parched, may serve

as "coffee." Both ripe and unripe bananas may

be sun-dried for future use. The male bud,

though somewhat bitter, may be boiled and

eaten as a vegetable. (M) Dr. Howard recom

mends discarding the bracts and eating only

the flowers. The central portion of the stem

is also boiled and eaten. In India, the leaves,

stem and fruit peels are reduced to ashes and

a solution of the ash is used as a salt-substitute

in vegetable curries. A whole banana leaf,

draped down the back is a popular emergency

"rain cape" in Central America; however, one

should remember that the sap of banana plants

will make an indelible, purplish stain on

clothing.

Myrica cerifera L. (syn. Cerothamnus ceriferus

Small) MYRICACEAE

Southern Bayberry; Wax Myrtle; Wax

Berry; Candleberry; Spicebush

Mainland; hammocks and pinelands, espe

cially in low or moist areas.

Shrub or bushy tree to 35 or 40 ft., with

crooked trunk and silvery-gray bark; sometimes

forming rounded clumps 20 to 30 ft. in extent.

Leaves alternate, spatulate, 1 to 4 in. long, \

to £ in. wide, sometimes toothed near tip;

dotted with dark glands on upper surface and

with orange resin below. Aromatic when

crushed. Flowers minute, yellowish-green, in

small axillary catkins; male and female on

different plants. Fruit round, £ in. wide, green,

covered with gray-blue waxy coating; in com

pact clusters along twigs. Winter.

Uses: The fruits as well as the leaves are

used for flavoring. Sturtevant says the Mika-

sukis used the leaves as "tobacco". The fruits

are well-known as the source of bayberry

candles. Wax is obtained by boiling a quantity

of the fruits and a piece of string or palm-leaf

fiber, well soaked in wax, will serve as wick.

(H)

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 331

M. pumila Michx., Dwarf Candleberry,

found in low pineland, is a shrub only 1 to 2

ft. high, spreading by underground stems. The

narrow, spatulate leaves, £ to 2 in. long, vary in

form and may be toothed or not.

Opuntia austrina Small

Southern Prickly Pear

CACTACEAE

Mainland; pinelands and sand-dunes.

Cactus, erect or spreading, to 3 ft. high, with

tuberous roots. Joints obovate, to elliptic, thin,

2 to 4 in. long, deep- or light-green; spines

slender, single or paired, yellowish or reddish,

changing to gray when old. Flowers yellow,

showy, 2 to 3 in. wide. Fruit obovoid, purple,

1 to \\ in. long, with many small seeds. Small

says this prickly pear dies back in one or two

years and is replaced by new growth from the

tubers.

Uses: See under O. dillenii.

Opuntia dillenii Haw.

Dillen Prickly Pear

CACTACEAE

Mainland and Keys; coastal hammocks; sand-

dunes; mangrove swamps.

Cactus, 2 to 6 ft. high, erect, branched; joints

flat, elliptic to obovate. 4 to 12 in. long, thick.

Spines yellow, to 1£ in. long, in clumps of 3 to

6. Flowers yellow, salmon or reddish; 2£ to 3

in. wide. Fruit pear-shaped or oval, 2 to 3 in.

long, red or purple, with minute, glass-like

spines; pulp white, insipid but very juicy, with

numerous small seeds.

Uses: Ripe fruits edible raw (D,H,M) or

made into sirup or jelly. Prickly pears should

be speared with a fork or forked twig while the

spines are brushed off with a handful of grass

or twigs, the ends sliced off and the skin split

down the middle and folded back to expose

the edible pulp.

The joints, somewhat mucilaginous internally,

are edible raw or cooked. (M) Young ones,

with soft, immature spines, are cut into pieces

and boiled. Mature joints, dethorned, may be

roasted and eaten immediately or dried in the

sun for future use. Split joints may be employed

to poultice cuts or other injuries, the inner

pulp laid directly on the wound. Both fruit

and joints were important as Indian foods.

Passiflora suberosa L. (syns. P. minima L.;

P. angustifolia Sw.; P. pallida L.)

PASSIFLORACEAE

Corky-Stemmed Passionflower

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and pine-

lands.

Vine, climbing by tendrils; old stems often

have deep, corky wings. Leaves varying in form,

ovate or sometimes 3-lobed; 1 to 4 in. long.

Flowers, 1 in. wide, with no petals; the five

sepals are narrow-oblong to elliptic, yellow

above, maroon below. Fruit dark-blue, f in.

wide, with small seeds; much like a blueberry.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw (M); often eaten

by children.

Physalis angulata L. SOLANACEAE

Cutleaf Ground Cherry

Mainland; open fields.

Herb, low, spreading, with many horizontal

stems. Leaves ovate or elliptic, toothed; gray-

green with fine hairs. Flowers yellow with

maroon eye; £ in. wide. Fruit, round, yellow,

f to I in. wide, nearly filling the ovoid, faintly

angled husk which may reach \\ in. in length.

Fruit thin-skinned, juicy, sweet or subacid.

Uses: Ripe fruit edible raw (M,H) or cooked.

Dr. Howard found them excellent fried or

stewed and made a fine "marmalade" by cook

ing them in palm sirup. The leaves are re

portedly cooked as greens in central Africa.

Physalis viscosa L. var. lineata

SOLANACEAE Sticky Ground Cherry

Mainland; roadsides and fields.

Perennial herb with hairy, sticky, slender,

creeping stems covered with fine hairs. Leaves

slender-elliptic, grayish-green. Flowers yellow

with purplish eye. Fruit golden-yellow, round

or slightly oval, up to £ in. wide, enclosed in

inflated straw-colored husk. Fruit thin-skinned,

juicy, with pleasant, subacid, cherry-like flavor

typical of P. viscosa.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw (M) or cooked.

Phytolacca americana L. (syn. P. decandra L.)

SOLANACEAE

Pokeberry; Pokeweed; Inkberry

Mainland; open fields.

Weedy plant rising 3 to 9 ft. from large,

fleshy, white root; stems and branches green

when young, turning purple-red. Leaves alter-

332 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

nate, long-stalked, ovate-lanceolate to ovate,

pointed, 3£ in. to 1 ft. long. Flowers, 5-sepaled,

white or purplish, in long, slender spikes. Fruit

oblate, f in. wide, with purple skin, red juice,

10 small black seeds.

Uses: Pokeberry shoots formerly common on

market in southeastern United States, still sold

in some areas. Young green shoots boiled in 2

waters, or scraped, soaked in salt water for 2 to

3 hrs., and boiled for J hr., make excellent

greens. (H) Mature reddish stems, also the root

and the seeds are highly toxic. Cases of poison

ing have resulted from pulling up portion of

root with the shoots. The strained juice of ripe

fruits may be safely used for coloring foods.

Pithecellobium guadalupense Chapm.

LEGUMINOSAE

Black-Bead; Ram's Horn

Mainland (lower east coast) and Keys; pine-

lands, hammocks, sand-dunes.

Shrub or small tree to 20 ft., spreading, sel

dom thorny. Leaflets in pairs, elliptic to round-

oval, with rounded, notched or pointed tip;

to 3J in. long, leathery. Flowers, tiny, pink,

downy, fragrant, in clusters f to 1£ in. wide.

Fall and winter. Seedpod brown, to 6 in. long,

twisted and curved or coiled; splits when ripe;

contains glossy black seeds with red arils.

Use: Arils sweetish; edible. (M,H)

Pithecellobium unguis-cati Benth.

LEGUMINOSAE

Cat's Claw; Black Bead; Bread-and-Cheeses

Mainland (lower west coast) and Keys; ham

mocks.

Shrub or tree to 25 ft., slender but spreading

branches; may or may not have twin thorns

at leaf-bases. Leaves compound; leaflets in

pairs, obovate or oval, to 2 in. long, thin.

Flowers fuzzy, greenish-yellow with tuft of long

pink or yellowish stamens, in round clusters

to 1 in. wide; fragrant. Late spring. Seedpod

red, slender, twisted or coiled, to 5 in. long,

splits when ripe; contains flat, black, glossy

seeds, £ to \ in. wide, with meaty arils, white

at first, later red.

Use: Arils sweet and edible. (M,H)

Portulaca oleracea L.

PORTULACACEAE

Purslane

Mainland; hammocks, pinelands, sandy fields,

cultivated ground.

Annual weed with succulent stems, 3 to 6 in.

long fanning out from center; green or red-

spotted, sometimes with reddish hairs in axils

of leaves. Leaves alternate or in clusters, thick,

fleshy, triangular to obovate, rounded at tip;

to 1 in. long. Flowers small, yellow or orange,

5-petaled, with many stamens, at ends of

branches. Fruit, a round capsule, } to { in.

long, containing many small black seeds.

Uses: Tender young stems have acid flavor,

are said to be antiscorbutic and rich in calcium

and iron; they are widely eaten raw in salads

or sandwiches, or cooked as greens (M,H), used

in soups, or pickled. Being mucilaginous, they

are often mixed with other greens, or chopped

with meal or bread crumbs and fried. The

minute seeds were used by American Indians

and aborigines in other countries for mush

and bread. They are obtained in quantity by

piling the fruiting plants in heaps and, a few

days later, collecting the seeds that have fallen

to the bottom of the pile. They are ground

to a flour between stones.

Psidium guajava L.

GUAVA

MYRTACEAE

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys; hammocks, pinelands, roadsides,

fields; forming thickets.

Tree to 25 or 30 ft., with light-brown, scaly

bark. Leaves opposite, elliptic, 3 to 6 in. long,

corrugated with indented veins; dull-green

above, minutely hairy below; somewhat leath

ery. Flowers white with tuft of white and

yellow stamens; 1 to 1£ in. wide. Fruit round

or pear-shaped, crowned with persistent calyx;

1£ to 2 in. wide on wild trees; skin yellow,

tender, covering thin layer of granular, firm

flesh and soft central pulp both pale-yellow,

salmon-colored or deep-rose. Seeds, small, bony,

yellowish, numerous. Fruit highly, muskily fra

grant; overpowering to some individuals.

Uses: Ripe fruit, acid to subacid in the

wild; rich in vitamin C; edible raw, cooked,

or made into juice or jelly. (D,H,M) Leaves

used as "tea" and for seasoning when cooking

other foods.

Pteridium caudatum L. (syn. P. aquilina var.

caudata Hook.) POLYPODIACEAE

Southern Bracken; Tropical Bracken

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and pine

lands, may cover an acre of ground.

Stiff, wiry fern with horizontal, non-starchy

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 333

rootstock and sometimes vinelike stems. Leaves

usually less than 3 ft. long; may reach 15 ft.;

triangular in outline but finely divided, being

2- to 4-pinnate, with very narrow segments,

the terminal one prolonged; leafstalk light-

brown with velvety, purple base.

Use: Mature plant is tough and toxic, often

a cause of poisoning in cattle. Young shoots

tender and edible, preferably when 6 to 8 in.

tall and "fiddlehead" just beginning to uncurl.

The curled, hairy tip and the woody base of

the shoot are trimmed off, the loose hairs are

rubbed off the stem and it may then be chewed

raw, though it is somewhat mucilaginous, but

it is usually cooked £ to f hr. until tender.

It is slightly almond-like in flavor and, in

food value, is said to equal cabbage and excel

asparagus or tomatoes. Harris recommends

soaking the shoots for 24 to 36 hrs. in water

with wood ashes to remove tannic acid, after

which they may be eaten raw or cooked. Dr.

Howard found them excellent if boiled in sea water.

Pycnothymus rigidus Small

Wild Savory; "Pennyroyal"

LABIATAE

Mainland; common in pinelands.

Shrub, 6 in. to 2 ft. tall, with low, spreading,

woody, hairy stems. Usually fragrant like penny

royal but found to lack odor in some areas near

west coast. Leaves narrow, needle-like, numer

ous, f in. long. Flowers small, upper lip 3-

lobed, lower lip larger, 2-lobed; lavender with

purple dots on lower lip; borne in compact,

cone-like spikes. All year.

Uses: Has been much used for making a

pleasant, mild "tea." (M) The Mikasukis em

ployed it as soup flavoring.

Quercus virginiana Mill.

Live Oak

FAGACEAE

Mainland; hammocks and pinelands.

Large tree to 40 or 50 ft., with spreading

branches, dark-gray, furrowed bark. Often

festooned with air-plants. Leaves alternate,

oval, elliptic or obovate, sometimes slightly

toothed, 1 to 4 in. long, leathery, dark and

smooth above, pale, sometimes downy, below.

Flowers minute; male in drooping catkins,

female in small, axillary clusters. Acorn oblong-

oval, | to 1 in. long, smooth, brown, hard-

shelled, capped with rough, loose cup f to

f in. wide.

Uses: Kernel edible, slightly bitter or nearly

sweet. (M) Sturtevant says the Mikasukis did

not use these acorns as human food but William

Bartram wrote: ". . . the acorn is small, but

sweet and agreeable to the taste when roasted

and is food for almost all animals. The Indians

obtain from it a sweet oil, which they use in

the cooking of hominy, rice, etc.; and they

also roast it in hot embers, eating it as we do

chestnuts."

Rapanea guianensis Aubl. MYRSINACEAE

Myrsine; Guiana Rapanea

Mainland and Keys; hammocks.

Shrub or small tree to 25 ft. with slender

branches. Leaves alternate, occurring near the

ends of the branches; obovate to elliptic, re

curved, 2 to 4 in. long, leathery, dark-green

above, pale below. Flowers very small, whitish,

with thin purple stripes; usually 5-lobed; in

short-stemmed clusters along the branches below

the leaves. November to March. Fruit round,

black, 3/16 in. wide, with persistent calyx and

1 white, bony seed; massed close to the

branches for several inches.

Use: The Mikasukis called this their "white

tobacco seasoning tree" and used the leaves

to extend their tobacco. There is no record

of their using the fruit.

Reynosia septentrionalis Urban

RHAMNACEAE

Darling Plum; Red Ironwood

Keys, and occasionally east coast of main

land; hammocks.

Shrub or tree to 30 ft. with mottled gray

and brown, scaly bark. Leaves mainly opposite,

oblong, oval or obovate, usually with notch,

sometimes bristle, at tip; 1 to 1J in. long,

leathery, dark-green above, light-brown below.

Flowers lacking petals but 5-sepaled, yellow-

green, in small, axillary clusters. Fruit dark-

purple, ovoid, spine-tipped, £ to f in. long,

with thin, very sweet flesh, and 1 round, rough,

light-yellow, hard seed. Winter.

Use: Fruit edible raw (M,H) or cooked,

resembling blueberries. (D)

Rhacoma crossopetalum L. (syn. Crossopetalum

rhacoma Crantz) GELASTRACEAE

Maravedi Rhacoma; Florida Crossopetalum

Mainland and Keys; pineland, hammocks and sand-dunes.

334 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

Shrub or tree, erect, to 15 or 20 ft. Leaves

opposite, in whorls of 3, oval to elliptic, with

few teeth toward tip; \ to 1£ in. long. Flowers

small, 4-petaled, fringed, red or purplish, in

long-stalked clusters. Fruit obovoid, red or

maroon, 3/16 to 1/4 in. long, with single

stone containing tiny seeds. All year.

Use: Ripe fruit edible (D), though Britton

and Millspaugh, in "Bahama Flora" record the

colloquial name "poison cherry." *

Rhacoma ilicifolia Trelease CELASTRACEAE

Christmas Berry; Holly-Leaved Rhacoma

Mainland and Keys; pinelands, Everglade

Keys.

Low shrub with downy twigs, forming hand

some mats on ground. Leaves holly-like, oval

or ovate, spiny-toothed, \ in. long. Flowers,

reddish, small, 4- to 5-petaled, in short-stalked

clusters. Fruit bright-red, nearly round, 1/8 to

3/16 in. wide, mealy.

Use: Ripe fruit edible raw. (D,M)

Roystonea elata F. Harper (syn. R. floridana

O. F. Cook) PALMACEAE

Royal Palm

Mainland; Everglades hammocks, especially

Cape Sable region; 10,000 Islands, Big Cypress;

also cultivated.

Large palm to 120 ft. or more; trunk light-

gray, cylindrical or spindle-shaped, bulged at

base, topped with 8- to 10-foot smooth, green

shaft. Leaves feather-shaped, 8 to 15 ft. long

with stout, heavy leafstalks; leaflets narrow,

pointed, 2£ to 3 ft. long. Flowers white, £

in. wide, in bushy cluster to 2 ft. long. Fruits

dark-blue, oval or round, f to £ in. long, with thin, tough skin and scant layer of brownish,

faintly sweet, mealy, prune-flavored flesh, and

one large, pale, hard seed.

Uses: Fruits edible; fall to ground when

ripe. (M) Terminal bud edible and many

royal palms formerly destroyed to obtain it;

others felled for the bunches of fruits which

were fed to hogs. Remaining wild royal palms

now protected. Dr. Howard has often enjoyed

the "cabbage" of the Cuban royal palm, R.

regia O. F. Cook.

*Note: Mr. O. S. Russell, Dir. of Agriculture, Nassau, Bahamas, says the term "poison" is often loosely applied to any fruit not known to the natives to be edible.

Sabal palmetto Lodd. PALMACEAE

Cabbage Palm; Carolina Palmetto; Swamp

Cabbage

Mainland and Keys; hammocks, pinelands;

marshes, fresh or salt.

Palm to 60 or 80 ft. Trunk covered with

jagged "boots" (old leaf-bases), until fairly

old when it becomes bare. Leaves fan-shaped,

slightly folded, with arched midrib; slender,

drooping segments, from which dangle many

threadlike fibers. Leaves standing out on stout,

6- to 7-ft. stalks form a round head. Flowers

white, £ in. wide, in 4- to 6-ft., branched clus

ters; fragrant. Spring. Fruit round, £ to f in.

wide, nearly black, with tough skin, thin flesh

and single, hard, glossy, brown seed. Fall; re

maining on clusters for some time.

Uses: Abundant fruits eaten raw when ripe

(M) or made into sirup. The pulp, though

scanty, is very sweet and prune-like in flavor.

The Indians reduced the dried fruits to a

coarse meal with which they made bread. The

terminal bud, or "cabbage," (the central bundle

of leaf-bases) is a delicacy raw or cooked.

(M,H) The fresh pith of upper trunk is

chewed for sweetish juice. (M) Dr. Howard

says a Seminole used the pith to make for him

a pumpkin-like pie. He, himself, boiled the

pith with raisins and sirup as a pudding. An

axe or machete and strong arms are needed

to obtain either the bud or the pith.

Dr. G. W. Hulse, referring to this palm in

a letter to Dr. John Torrey in the 1830's,

stated that the Seminoles "obtain salt from it

by a process similar to ours for obtaining

potash from wood." Similarly resourceful

were the Indians of Virginia who used the ashes

of hickory "or some other wood or plant afford

ing a salt ash," for seasoning.

S. etonia Swingle, SCRUB PALMETTO,

SCRUB CABBAGE, or CORKSCREW PALM,

is of doubtful status; may or may not be distinct

from the above, according to Robert Read.

Sapindus saponaria L. SAPINDACEAE

Southern Soapberry; Wingleaf Soapberry;

False Dogwood

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and coasts.

Shrub or tree to 30 ft., with erect branches

forming a compact crown. Leaves alternate,

pinnate with 4 to 9 elliptic or oblong leaflets,

1 to 4 in. long, yellow-green above, pale and

downy below; leafstem winged. Flowers white

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 335

or greenish, hairy, 4- to 5-petaled, in terminal

or axillary clusters 7 to 10 in. long. October

to December. Fruit orange-brown, round, f

in. wide, fleshy, with 1 round, black seed | in. wide.

Use: Fruits contain saponin, make abundant

lather when crushed in water, and are used as

substitute for laundry soap. In Guatemala they

are sold in the native markets.

Selenicereus pteranthus Britt. & Rose

CACTACEAE

Snake Cactus

Mexican; naturalized on mainland (south

east coast); hammocks.

Cactus, climbing or trailing, with masses of

4- to 5-angled or ridged, bluish-green stems

and aerial roots; clumps of short white hairs

with 2 to 4 conical spines. Flowers, white, 10

to 12 in. long, cupped by many slender, yellow-

brown sepals; fragrant; nocturnal. Buds coated

with stiff white hairs and clusters of long

spines. Fruit round, red or pink, 2 to 3 in. wide,

very spiny; pulp white, juicy, insipid.

Use: Ripe fruit edible. (M,H)

S. coniflorus Britt. & Rose, occurs in pine-

lands close to the Everglades.

Serenoa repens Small

Saw Palmetto

PALMACEAE

Mainland and Keys; hammocks and pine-

lands, dry scrub; sand-dunes.

Palm, sometimes to 20 ft., with rough trunk

clothed with old leaf-bases, but usually dwarf

with thick, branched stem creeping along

ground. Leaves fan-shaped, erect, stiff, to 4

ft. wide, with no midrib, deeply divided into

narrow, pointed segments; yellowish- or gray-

green, often with a waxy bloom. Leafstalks

usually edged with sharp, recurved spines, but

sometimes smooth. Flowers ivory-white, in 1-

to 3-ft. plume-like cluster; fragrant. Fruit

oblong, black when ripe, £ to 1 in. long, with

light-brown, spongy pulp. Seed is round or

oval and light-brown.

Uses: Terminal bud edible and, while

smaller, considered more delicate than that of

Sabal palmetto. (M,H) Fruits edible (H);

were important food of Indians; are gathered

for pharmaceutical use. J. K. Small, in his

discourse on the saw palmetto quotes from

the writings of Jonathan Dickenson in 1699:

"Hunger had so far prevailed over them, that

they could eat with an appetite the palmetto

berries; the taste whereof was once irksome,

and ready to take away the breath. . . . The

Cassekey [King] then went into his wigwam

and seated himself on his Cabbin cross-legged,

having a basket of palmetto berries brought

him, which he eat very greedily . . . they gave

us some of their berries to eat; we tasted them,

but not one amongst us could suffer them

to stay in our mouths, for we could compare

the taste of them to nothing else but rotten

cheese steep'd in tobacco juice." According

to Dr. John Gifford, pioneers in South Florida

mixed juice of palmetto berries with car

bonated water and sold the product as a

soft drink called "Metto," one enterprising

Miamian selling it at a stand on Flagler street.

Sesbania grandiflora Pers. (syn. Agati grandi-

flora Desv.) LEGUMINOSAE

Australian Corkwood Tree; Sesban; Vege

table Humming-Bird (from appearance of

flower)

East Indian; naturalized in Key West area;

hammocks and cultivated ground.

Shrub or small tree, to 40 ft., fast-growing,

short-lived. Leaves feathery, 4 to 12 in. long,

with 12 to 20 pairs of slender-elliptic leaflets

f to 1£ in. long. Flowers fleshy, pea-like, white,

pink or maroon, the standard 2 to 4 in. long.

Spring, summer. Seedpod thin, 8 in. to 2 ft.

long, f to J in. wide, slightly curved; yellowish

when ripe.

Use: Young pods and foliage as well as

flowers and buds cooked and eaten. Mature

seeds inedible.

Sesbania emerus Britt. & Wils. (S. macrocarpa

Muhl). LEGUMINOSAE

Mainland; hammocks, damp soil, waste places.

Annual herb, 3 to 15 ft., with woody stems.

Leaves deciduous, 3 to 7 in. long, compound,

with 20 to 50 elliptic or oblong leaflets, £ to

1 in. long, whitish or purplish beneath. Flowers

pea-like, yellow, sometimes purple-dotted;

standard f to 1 in. long; in small clusters.

Seedpod very slim, 6 to 8 in. long, curved;

containing 30 to 40 tiny seeds; persists in winter

on bare branches.

Use: Much planted on 'glade farmland in

summer, the stalks being harvested, dried and

used for beanpoles in winter. The plant is a

common cause of respiratory allergy, especially

when in bloom. Young growth probably edible

like the foregoing.

336 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

Sideroxylon foetidissimum Jacq.

SAPOTACEAE

False Mastic; Mastic; Jungleplum; Wild-

Olive

Mainland and Keys; common in hammocks.

Tree to 50, or even 80 ft., with erect branches

and tall, straight trunk becoming 2 to 3 ft.

thick. Bark flakes off in large patches from

smooth gray or tan inner bark. Leaves alter

nate, elliptic or oval, 3 to 8 in. long, wavy-

edged, glossy, on slender, 1^-in. stalks, and

clustered at branch tips. Flowers minute, pale-

yellow, in small axillary clusters; unpleasantly

odorous. Spring, summer or all year. Fruit oval

or nearly round, yellow, glossy, } to 1 in. long,

with thick, white, juicy flesh and 1 brown,

oblong seed, £ in. long.

Use: Fruit edible raw but acid and somewhat

bitter and contains gummy white latex. (M,H)

Eaten by the Mikasukis.

Simarouba glauca DC. SIMAROUBACEAE

Paradise Tree; Bitter-Wood; Aceituno;

Negrito

Mainland and Keys; hammocks.

Tree to 50 ft. with straight trunk; round

crown of slender, spreading branches; bark

reddish-brown to brown-gray, smooth at first,

scaly with age. Leaves alternate, pinnate, 6

to 16 in. long with 6 to 12 oval or elliptic,

alternate or opposite leaflets, 2 to 4 in. long;

glossy, dark-green above, with whitish bloom

below. New growth red. Flowers ivory or yellow,

small, 4- to 5-petaled, in loose terminal clusters

1 to \\ ft. long. Male and female on same or

separate trees. Fruit ovoid, red at first, turning

dark-purple, f to 1 in. long, with firm white,

juicy, sweetish flesh and one orange-brown,

rough seed, f in. long. April-May.

Uses: Fruit edible raw, rather insipid, but

sold on native markets in Central America.

Seed kernels yield oil for cooking and mar

garine; latter has been manufactured com

mercially in Central America for past 12 years.

The seed residue is toxic.

Smilax bona-nox L. (syn. S. pseudo-china L.) LILIACEAE

Bamboo; Chinabrier; Bullbrier; Tramp's

Trouble; Stretch-Berry

Mainland; hammocks, sandy scrub.

Climbing shrub with tuberous, knobby,

starchy roots which are white, tinged with pink

and resemble Jerusalem artichokes when im

mature; yellow externally and henna within

when mature. The bamboo-like stems, to 2

in. thick at base, are more or less thorny.

Leaves, varying greatly in form and size, may

be ovate, lanceolate, somewhat triangular, anvil-

shaped, or oddly lobed; spineless or with

numerous fine spines on edges and often on

veins on the underside. Flowers tiny with 5

slim petals. Fruit round, black, | to { in.

wide, with small, brown seed.

Uses: Fruits are rubbery and masticated like

chewing-gum. Tuberous roots, called "conti-

chatee" ("red flour root" or "red coontie")

were much used as food by Indians. When

very young and tender, they were cooked and

eaten. When mature, according to William

Bartram, they were chopped, pounded in a

mortar, mixed with water, then strained. The

sediment, on drying, became a fine, reddish

meal. A small amount with warm water and

honey became a reddish jelly. The meal, mixed

with corn flour, was fried in bear's grease to

make hot cakes or fritters. The early settlers

made rootbeer from the tubers combined with

molasses and parched corn. Pieces of fresh

root are today often boiled in water to make

a reddish and not unpleasant "tea" (M).

Young green shoots, sometimes up to 2 or 3

ft. in length, with curling tendrils at tip, are

tender and succulent, much like asparagus;

excellent raw or cooked. (M.H)

Smilax havanensis Jacq. LILIACEAE

Greenbrier; Cat Brier; Saw-Brier

Mainland and Keys; rocky pinelands and

hammocks.

Climbing vine with woody stems and

branches bearing short, hooked thorns. Young,

stunted plants in pinelands are viciously thorny,

like barbed-wire. Leaves, oval, elliptic, or ovate,

1 to 3 in. long; are smallest near ground,

increasing in size as vine climbs higher;

generally toothed, may have sharp spines on

edges and back of midrib, or may be entirely

smooth. Flowers minute, greenish, in axillary

clusters. Fruit round or ovoid, blue with a

whitish bloom, £ in. wide, with 1 to 3 brown

seeds.

Uses: Shoots and tuberous roots used like

those of S. bona-nox. Fruit edible; sweetish

but astringent, and has very little pulp. (M).

MORTON: SURVIVAL PLANTS 337

Solanum nigrum L. SOLANACEAE

Common Nightshade; Black Nightshade;

Deadly Nightshade

Mainland; fields, cultivated ground; mainly

in shade.

Annual herb, to 4 ft. tall, slender-stemmed,

open-branched. Leaves alternate, ovate to ellip

tic, wavy-edged, f to 3 in. long. Flowers white,

yellow-centered, \ in. wide, in drooping clusters.

Fruit glossy, black, round, | to { in. wide,

with very juicy, greenish pulp and small yellow

ish seeds.

Uses: Green fruits contain solanine and are

toxic; ripe fruits subacid, edible raw (M) or

cooked. An improved form is cultivated as

the "garden huckleberry" or "wonderberry."

Young leaves and stems cooked as greens.

Sonchus oleraceus L. COMPOSITAE

Sow Thistle; Hare's Lettuce; Milk Thistle

European; naturalized on mainland and

Keys; roadsides, fields, cultivated grounds.

Annual herb, 5 in. to 6 ft. tall, with stout,

erect, branched, often purple, stem, and milky

juice. Leaves alternate, deeply and irregularly

divided, toothed, edged with soft spines. Flowers

pale-yellow in 1-inch heads. Seeds minute,

beaked and tipped with white fluff.

Uses: Stems, especially young shoots, are

widely eaten raw or cooked. (D,H) The root

is also edible.

S. asper All., SPINY-LEAVED SOW THIS

TLE, is somewhat similar but leaves less deeply

divided and edged with stiff spines.

Talinum triangulare WillcL

PORTULACACEAE Talinum; Potherb Fameflower

Tropical American; naturalized on mainland

and Keys; hammocks, pinelands, waste places.

Perennial herb, erect, 2 to 6 ft. tall; stems

slender, somewhat woody. Leaves spatulate to

narrow-elliptic, 1 to 3£ in. long, pale-green,

succulent. Main flower stem slim, triangular.

Flowers lavender, pink, yellow, or white, 5-

petaled, } to f in. wide, in small clusters.

Capsule nearly round, 3/16 in. wide, with small,

glossy black seeds.

Use: Leaves eaten raw in salads or cooked

as greens (H), but quite mucilaginous.

Torrubia longifolia Britton

NYCTAGINACEAE Blolly; Longleaf Blolly

Mainland (east coast) and Keys; hammocks.

Shrub or sometimes a tree to 30 or 40 ft.,

with compact, round crown or spreading top

with multiple crooked trunks. Leaves opposite

or alternate, oblanceolate to narrow obovate,

1 to 2 in. long, J to 1 in. wide; wavy-edged,

rounded or notched at tip; on long, slender

stalks. Flowers funnel-shaped, lacking petals;

calyx 5-lobed, purplish or greenish-yellow; in

terminal or axillary clusters. Fruit slender-oval,

i in. long, 10-ribbed, red, juicy, containing

1 tan, cylindrical seed.

Use: Ripe fruit edible. (D)

Vaccinium myrsinites Lam. VACCINIACEAE

Evergreen Blueberry

Mainland, toward Central Florida; pinelands and acid scrub.

Shrub, 6 to 18 ft., much branched. Leaves

alternate, ovate to elliptic, to f in. long, some

times with fine, sharp teeth and spine-tipped;

leathery. Young grayish foliage often purple-

tinged. Flowers red or red-purple, 3/16 in. long,

in small, compact clusters. Fruit blue or black ish, round, to \ in. long.

Use: Ripe fruit edible; eaten by Mikasukis.

Valerianoides jamaicensis Kuntze (syn. Stachy-tarpheta jamaicensis Vahl.)

VERBENACEAE

Mainland and Keys; pinelands, sandy coasts and waste places.

Shrubby plant, 1 to 4 ft. tall, with spreading

or sprawling branches, 2 to 5 ft. long. Leaves

elliptic, ovate or oval, 1 to 4 in. long, toothed.

Flowers dark-blue or purple with white eye,

f in. wide, peeking from apertures in cylin

drical flower-stalk; open in morning and close

at noon in warm weather. Seeds, or nutlets,

protected by bract covering receptacle.

Use: In Central America, a foaming tisane is made from the leaves.

Vitis coriacea Shuttlw. VITACEAE

Caloosa Grape; Leatherleaf

Mainland; hammocks.

Vine, climbing by curling tendrils. Leaves

kidney-shaped to nearly round, with angular

lobes, sometimes deeply lobed on new growth,

toothed, 1|- to 4 in. wide, smooth above, downy

338 FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY, 1961

beneath. Fruits dark-purple, in small, loose

clusters.

Uses: Ripe fruit edible. Young leaves and

stems may be cooked as greens. Old grape stems

will yield sap for drinking.

Vitis munsoniana Simpson VITACEAE

Bird Grape; Bullace Grape

Mainland; hammocks and scrub.

Vine climbing and spreading to a length

of 200 ft., the main stem becoming several

inches thick at base. Leaves nearly round, 1J

to 3 in. wide, hairy on veins beneath. Fruits

round, nearly black, f to \ in. wide, thin-

skinned, acid, in short clusters. August to

October.

Uses: Same as preceding species. Fruits never

very palatable. (H)

The Key grape, of unknown origin, occurring

in hammocks on the Keys, produces long,

slender bunches of small, juicy grapes.

Ximenia americana L. OLACACEAE

Tallowwood Plum; Hog Plum; Purge Nut

Mainland and Keys; pinelands, open ham

mocks; dry, sandy scrub.

Usually a shrub; only a few feet high in

scrub; in hammocks may grow to 25 or 35 ft.; branches long, vinelike and thorny. Leaves

alternate, yellowish-green in scrub, darker in hammocks; oblong or elliptic, rounded or

notched at apex or spine-tipped; 1 to 3 in.

long, sometimes clustered in 3's. Flowers yellow

ish, 4-petaled, f in. wide, hairy within, fragrant,

in small axillary clusters. Fruit broad-oval or

nearly round, to 1J in. long; skin smooth, bright-yellow, with bitter-almond flavor; flesh

yellow, subacid to acid, somewhat astringent,

juicy. Seed large, oval, buff, with white, nut-

like kernel. Spring and fall.

Uses: Fruit edible raw or cooked. (D,H,M)

Kernel roasted and eaten (M), but should not

be consumed in quantity as it may be pur

gative. Oil extracted from seed is used for cooking, soap and lubrication. Young leaves

may be cooked and eaten.

Zamia floridana DC, also Z. integrifolia Ait. CYCADACEAE

Coontie; Comptie; Florida Arrowroot;

Koontie

Mainland; occasionally lower Keys; pine-

lands; dry soil.

Fern-like plant with thick underground stem

and recurved pinnate leaves 1 to 3 ft. long;

leaflets narrow, usually less than J in. wide, 3

to 6 in. long, glossy, dark-green, curving upward

and inward. Male plants have narrow, cylin

drical cones 3 to 7 in. high, composed of brown

scales with pollen sacs on the inside. Female

plants produce thicker, somewhat ellipsoidal

cone, 5 to 7 in. high, the brown scales covering

a mass of seeds which fall apart when ripe.

The seeds are £ to 1 in. long, angled, with

brilliant orange or red covering.

Uses: According to Dr. John Gifford, turkeys

that ate the seeds, called "comptie corn," were

fatally poisoned. The thick underground stem,

or rootstock, though poisonous in its natural

state, was an important source of starch for

the Indians and early settlers. The Cutler and

Miami areas were "koontie grounds" furnish

ing an abundant supply. The rootstocks were

scraped or peeled, then pounded, grated or

ground, or boiled until soft and mashed;

washed with plenty of water, drained, and

the resultant starch dried in the sun. Early

settlers in South Florida operated small coontie

mills, the red water running off from the

washing process was fatally poisonous to cattle.

To make their "sofkee" stew, the Indians, in

stead of drying the mash, cooked it with meat

of various wild game and vegetables such as

corn, tomatoes, and beans.

Other species were used similarly but were

of lesser importance.