Not only do I have this in my yard, but I see it alot on the roadside...bunches between here and Wakulla.

A species of Snake Cotton, Froelichia sp. Bonap shows only Froelichia floridana growing in Florida.
http://www.bonap.org/BONAPmaps...

Jay... I checked the DB and I'm thinking more along the lines of froelichia gracilis as the leaves seem to match better. Your thoughts before I add my pics??

I can't tell for sure from the picture, but are there multiple branch coming from the base of the plant? If so, then it is probably F. gracilis. If it is a single stalk that may branch higher up then I would say F. floridana.

Here is the dichotomous key. http://www.efloras.org/florata...
F. floridana - http://www.efloras.org/florata...
F. gracilis - http://www.efloras.org/florata...
Illustration of both side by side. http://www.efloras.org/object_...

I can't tell either, but it sure looks like my froelichia.
After looking at the links posted... I'm going to take some more pictures... And try to verify that mine are correctly identified.

I'll look again at mine tomorrow as it is pouring right now

So... not F. gracilis... rather F. floridana ?

I'll move my pics in accordance to what we agree on here...

Jay...I checked mine and it does have multiple branches from the base...so froelichia gracilis.

stone...when you deceide, let me know and I'll close the thread

I think it's fairly unlikely that your plant is F. gracilis, Ginger. It has been spreading eastward across the continent from the southern Great Plains for the past several decades, but I don't *think* it has been confirmed in Florida yet. Even if it has, it wouldn't be common there. F. floridana is pretty common in Florida.

F. floridana will produce multiple stems at times, so that's not necessarily definitive. Can you count how many rows of spikelets there are on each flower head? The spikelets of F. floridana are usually arranged in spiraling rows of 5, while F. gracilis spikelets are usually in rows of 3. I can see 3 rows in your first picture, but am guessing there are a couple of more rows on the back side that can't be seen in the picture?

I think stone's pictures are of Froelichia floridana too, although I'd need to have the plant in my hands to say that with any certainty, sometimes you simply can't see everything you need to see when all you have is a picture.

well crud...just submitted to the DB

Kent...I went out with a magnifing glass and yes, there do appear to be 5 spiral rows. If my pics are approved I'll request they be moved...unless it can be done in one step by the moderator??

I can approve them and then move them, assuming that is what you want to do?

Sounds like a plan, Kent. Thank you