This little crab caught my eye as it swam rapidly past me in the gulf yesterday. Since most of the crabs I’m familiar with tend to walk sideways on land (or the seafloor), my curiosity was piqued.

I used a nearby cluster of floating leaves to gently scoop up the crab and carried it to shore for a quick photo op. The crab didn’t seem all that perturbed by the detour, it occupied its time by chowing down on algae scraped from the leaves.

I’m glad I went to the effort because it was a rather handsome specimen – just look at that opalescent purple! Though I didn’t uncover a wealth of information about the species I was at least able to identify it as a male, Iridescent Swimming Crab (Portunus gibbesii). A very descriptive moniker!

And yes, he was carefully returned to the water afterwards.

I stumbled across this interesting specimen while strolling around the estate of John Ringling in Sarasota earlier this week (more about the estate soon). Fascinated by the twisted symmetry, I thought it was part of an unraveled pinecone but couldn’t spot the source tree.

Thankfully, Jesse the head landscaper was passing by and he pointed out the tree (even better, he gave me permission to keep the segment). The tree was roped off to protect visitors from the falling cones – larger than coconuts, the cones weigh anywhere from 20-40 pounds.

Araucaria bidwillii, commonly known as the Bunya Pine, is not a true pine at all, instead it is one of the last surviving species of the family Araucariaceae (all but one of which reside in the Southern Hemisphere). This particular species is found in Queensland, Australia and, like most native things down under, it has the ability to kill you.

Which reminds me of an excerpt from Bill Bryson’s “In a Sunburned Country”:

“[Australia] is the home of the largest living thing on earth, the Great Barrier Reef, and of the largest monolith, Ayers Rock (or Uluru to use its now-official, more respectful Aboriginal name). It has more things that will kill you than anywhere else. Of the world’s ten most poisonous snakes, all are Australian. Five of its creatures – the funnel web spider, box jellyfish, blue-ringed octopus, paralysis tick, and stonefish – are the most lethal of their type in the world. This is a country where even the fluffiest of caterpillars can lay you out with a toxic nip, where seashells will not just sting you but actually sometimes go for you. … If you are not stung or pronged to death in some unexpected manner, you may be fatally chomped by sharks or crocodiles, or carried helplessly out to sea by irresistible currents, or left to stagger to an unhappy death in the baking outback. It’s a tough place.”

Not only are the falling cones dangerous but you do not want to be near one when the spiked branches start whipping in the wind. On the other hand, the cones do contain large chunks of edible nutmeat, said to resemble the flavor of chestnuts.

Even though a horde of mosquitoes was feasting on me, I had to take the time to photograph this enchanting flower. The large throat of the Marsh Genetian (Eustoma exaltatum) is referenced in the genus name, eu stoma is Greek for good mouth.

It also goes by the name of Catchfly Genetian, in reference to the pollinators that wind up deep in the flower. I just wish it was Catchmosquito Genetian instead!

Though delicate in appearance, the Beach Morning Glory (Ipomoea imperati) can withstand the harshness of the nearshore environment: blustering winds, high salt concentrations, heat, and low nutrient soil.

Not content to merely survive, this cheery white flower helps colonize sand dunes, thereby stabilizing the area and preventing erosion.

The tricky little flower of two names, Frangipani aka Plumeria, releases most of its scent after dark to lure moths. The nighttime pollinators are duped into transferring pollen by the blooms, as there is no nectar available.

Treasured for its beauty in tropical climates around the globe, the entire Apocynaceae family hides another secret; a poisonous, milky sap. Once again proving that looks aren’t everything…

I came across this little herbal firework while roaming Sawgrass Lake Park with friends recently. Not only is it a showstopper, this native ground cover is also a host plant for Little Sulphur Butterflies. I can’t wait to add this to my yard!

The Water Hyacinth (Pontederia crassipes) originated in the Amazon Basin but has since been introduced around the world, for better or worse.

While beautiful (and in some cases, useful) this species has amazing regenerating super powers: not only is it one of the fastest growing plants on the planet (up to 16 feet in a day), it can also spread by stolons as well as by seed. All of which make control or eradication near impossible.

This rapid reproduction means the species can quickly cover a body of water, disrupting an entire ecosystem. On the plus side, they excel at removing heavy metals from waterways which can be helpful in a water treatment system. The stems are fibrous and can be woven into a multitude of useful items.

Looks like Floridians better start learning to weave!