| Spermacoce verticillata? |
I've seen my White Peacock:
and Queen Butterflies sip nectar
from (these presumed) Spermacoce verticillata flowers, so I let some of them grow in my
garden areas even though they're weeds.
I use Spermacoce verticillata,
Desmodium,
Spanish Needles, and a few other useful weeds as an excuse
to procrastinate weed-eating around the trees that are more hidden in the back
yard. I think of the slightly unsightly overgrown spots as
butterfly
islands. I do tend them, but not nearly as often as I do the front yard,
and the butterflies seem to appreciate my neglect.
Up close, the Spermacoce verticillata flowers are quite interesting and pretty. The tiny white ball consists of lots of miniature individual flowers that open a few at a time so they're a long lasting mini-bouquet:
I kept my Spermacoce verticillata for my butterflies, but I've noticed
bees, a red-eyed fly, and an
odd red-tailed bug enjoy nectar
from them too, and I have good reason to REALLY like that red-tailed bug
now that I know what it is (a Larra Wasp; details below.)
Most of my plants were reasonably easy to identify, but this one is
still bugging me. I've found lots of sources that lead me to
believe that it's
Spermacoce verticillata, which isn't a Florida native plant, but
there are other species of Spermacoce down here, and I haven't been able
to find a key or way to tell for sure which species mine is.
Wow!!!!! Thank you
Doc
Charlotte! Thank you so much for checking on it and letting me know
how to tell them apart.
{Update: someone PLEASE email me clear specific directions to measure the corolla of a flower. The corolla is the petal part, and I need to measure the tube; is that the length (from where to where, do I pluck out the white part, or measure from the lowest spot I can see?), width (lol, at which spot? It's trumpet shaped! Obviously I need clear detailed specific direction; anyone up to that?}
Butterflies and Lara Wasps aside, there are other little critters that
benefit from this wildflower. The
Syngamia florella Moth
to the left, and the green bee and other bees below enjoy Spermacoce
verticillata nectar too.
This green bee wasn't a very cooperative subject; I have
better green bee pictures.
I think this stink bug is Proxys punctulatus:
...and below a paper wasp is finally giving my caterpillars a break:
