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The park consists of about 26 acres of which approximately 80% is coastal wetland. This wetland area is dominated by intertidal mangrove forest with associated shoreline along the Manatee River. The remaining area is mostly upland pine flatlands and mixed hardwood forest. An area of approximately 11 acres adjacent to the park known as Riverview Pointe is managed by Manatee County and consists primarily of upland sand pine scrub.
The mangrove forest is generally dominated by black mangroves, a tree that is usually found away from high energy shorelines or large tidal variations, and buttonwoods, a tree often found along the edges of mangroves. Red mangroves, typically associated with the edge of the forest adjacent to open water, occur here, but are not overly abundant. White mangroves also are not common, but are found in the somewhat higher elevation mangrove areas.
The coastal strand occurs as a narrow strip of vegetation between the mangrove forest and the open sandy beach along the Manatee River shoreline. The strand community is shrubby with buttonwood as the dominant shrub, while the ground cover is made up of salt-tolerant herbs, such as yellow joyweed, sea oxeye and sea purslane.
The central area of the park, in the vicinity of the visitor center and parking, is primarily a cleared and landscaped space that is maintained for aesthetics and visitor use. The area is surrounded on three sides by mangroves and on the north by the Manatee River. As you enter the park live oak trees line the driveway and parking area, while several large gumbo limbo trees form a canopy adjacent to the visitor center. The large grassy mall within the parking area is planted with St. Augustine grass, as is the grassy area around the visitor center.
Cumulative list of native plants noted at De Soto National Memorial.
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Plant
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Common Name
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Common Habitat
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Acrostichum danaeifolium
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leather fern
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coastal wetlands
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Alternanthera flavescens
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yellow joyweed
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strand
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Ampelopsis arborea
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pepper vine
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hammock
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Annona glabra
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pond apple
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freshwater wetland
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Atriplex pentandra
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crested saltbush
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strand
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Avicennia germinans
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black mangrove
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coastal wetlands
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Baccharis halimifolia
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saltbush
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coastal wetlands
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Bacopa monieri
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hyssop
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freshwater wetland
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Batis maritima
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salt wort
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coastal wetlands
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Blechnum serrulatum
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blechnum fern
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freshwater wetland
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Borrichia frutescens
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sea oxeye
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coastal wetlands
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Bumelia celastrina
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buckthorn
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coastal wetlands
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Bursera simaruba
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gumbo limbo
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hammock
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Caesalpinnia bonduc
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gray nickerbean
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strand
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Callicarpa americana
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beauty berry
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pine flatwoods
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Canavalia maritima
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beach bean
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strand
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Canna flaccida.
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yellow canna
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freshwater wetland
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Carya sp.
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hickory
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hammock
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Cephalanthus occidentalis
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buttonbush
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freshwater wetland
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Chamaesyce hirta
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spurge
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strand
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Cissus trifoliata
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marine vine
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hammock
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Coccoloba uvifera
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sea grape
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strand
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Commelina diffusa
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day flower
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hammock
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Conocarpus erectus
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buttonwood
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coastal wetlands
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Dalbergia ecastophyllum
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coin vine
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strand
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Desmodium incanum
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--
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disturbed
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Dichondra caroliniana
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pony foot
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disturbed
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Dichondra caroliniana
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pony foot
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disturbed
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Drymaria cordata
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West Indian chickweed
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disturbed
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Eclipta prostrata
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false daisy
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disturbed
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Eupatorium capillifolium
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dog fennel
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disturbed
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Eustachys petraea
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grass
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disturbed
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Ficus aurea
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strangler fig
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hammock
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Fimbrystilis castanaea
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sedge
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pine flatwoods
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Fimbrystilis spathacea
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hurricane grass
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strand
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Forsetiera segregata
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Florida privet
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hammock
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Hydrocotyle umbellata
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dollar weed
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disturbed
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Ipomoea alba
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morning glory
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hammock
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Ipomoea indica
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morning glory
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hammock
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Ipomoea pes-caprae
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railroad vine
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strand
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Juniperus virginiana
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red cedar
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hammock
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Laguncularia racemosa
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white mangrove
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coastal wetlands
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Lepidium virginicum
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pepperweed
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disturbed
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Ludwigia sp.
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--
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Freshwater wetland
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Melothria pendula
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creeping cucumber
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disturbed
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Myrica cerifera
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wax myrtle
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disturbed
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Opuntia humifusa
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prickly pear
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strand
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Parietaria floridana
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Florida pellitory
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freshwater wetland
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Parthenocissus quinquefolia
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Virginia creeper
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hammock
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Persea borbonia
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red bay
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hammock
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Phragmites australis
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reed
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freshwater wetland
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Physalis arenicola
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ground cherry
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disturbed
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Phytolacca americana
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pokeweed
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disturbed
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Pluchea odorata
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fleabane
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freshwater wetland
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Polypremum procumbens
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rustweed
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disturbed
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Portulaca pilosa
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purslane
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disturbed
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Psychotria nervosa
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wild coffee
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hammock
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Psychotria sulzneri
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wild coffee
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hammock
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Pteridium aquilinum
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bracken
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hammock
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Quercus laurifolia
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laurel oak
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freshwater wetland
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Quercus virginiana
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live oak
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hammock
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Rapanea punctata
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myrsine
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hammock
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Rhizophora mangle
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red mangrove
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coastal wetlands
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Rivina humilis
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blood berry
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hammock
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Sabal palmetto
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sabal palm
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hammock
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Sambucus canadensis
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elder
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freshwater wetland
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Samolus valerandi
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pineland pimpernel
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pine flatwoods
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Saururus cernuus
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lizard tail
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freshwater wetland
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Sesuvium portulacastrum
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sea purslane
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strand
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Sida acuta
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Indian mallow
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disturbed
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Smilax auriculata
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greenbriar
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pine flatwoods
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Solidago semperviriens
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goldenrod
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disturbed
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Sophora tomentosa
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necklace-pod
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strand
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Stenotaphrum secundatum
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St. Augustine grass
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disturbed
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Suaeda maritima
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sea blite
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strand
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Tillandsia fasciculata
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air plant
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hammock
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Tillandsia recurvata
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ball moss
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hammock
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Tillandsia usneoides
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Spanish moss
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hammock
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Tillandsia utriculata
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air plant
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hammock
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Toxicodendron radicans
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poison ivy
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hammock
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Triglochin striata
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arrowgrass
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coastal wetlands
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Vitis shuttleworthii
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Calusa grape
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hammock
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Ximenia americana
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hog plum
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hammock
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Cumulative list of exotic plants noted at De Soto National Memorial.
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Plant
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Common Name
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Common Habitat
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Aloe vera
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aloe
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disturbed
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Amaranthus spinosus
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amaranth
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disturbed
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Asparagus densiflorus
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--
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disturbed
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Asparagus springeri
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--
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disturbed
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Bischofia javanica
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bishop wood
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disturbed
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Citrus sp.
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citrus
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disturbed
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Cupaniopsis anacardioides
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carrot wood
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disturbed
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Cycas revoluta
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sago palm
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disturbed
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Dioscorea bulbifera
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air potato
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disturbed
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Eugenia uniflora
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Surinam cherry
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disturbed
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Ficus benjamina.
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Benjamin fig
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disturbed
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Jacaranda acutifolia(?)
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jacaranda
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disturbed
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Ficus microcarpa
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fig
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disturbed
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Mangifera indica
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mango
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disturbed
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Melia azedarach
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China berry
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disturbed
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Musa paradisica
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banana
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disturbed
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Phoenix reclinata
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phoenix palm
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disturbed
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Pilea sp.
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artillary fern
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disturbed
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Rhaphiolepis indica
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--
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disturbed
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Ruellia brittoniana
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wild petunia
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disturbed
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Sansevieria hyacinthoides
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snake plant
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disturbed
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Schefflera actinophylla
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schefflera
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disturbed
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Schinus terebinthifolius
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Brazilian pepper
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disturbed
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Thespesia populnea
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Portia tree
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disturbed
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Yucca aloifolia
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Spanish dagger
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disturbed
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