|
The Okeechobee Gourd
This very rare Gourd was in the past found mainly along the southern shores of Lake Okeechobee in Alligator nests among the Pond Apple Orchards. However by the 1930's, this habitat had been 95% decimated by the growing spread of agriculture in the area. In 1994, the Gourd was discovered along the St. John's River in Volusia county, near Willows and Elderberries and again in the nests of Alligators. The Okeechobee Gourd remains an elusive, but beautiful reminder of the very fragile Ecosystem which exists in Florida, indeed in the whole of Earth.
Final Rule: Five Florida Plants Volusia County Occurrence Summary Gourd, Okeechobee - Cucurbita okeechobeensis Endangered Gourd Reappears at Lake Okeechobee
An immature Okeechobee Gourd
Baby Gourd photo courtesy of:
Walking with the Alligators
Write to gator woman:
Web Design by: Last edited January 7, 2009 Copyright © 2000 - 2009 gator_woman.tripod.com All rights reserved. |
