Pine Flatwoods
Stands of slash pine with a dense understory of cabbage palm
characterize the wet flatwoods at Tosohatchee. Groundcover is
sparse in areas with heavy shade and pine needle drop, while
sand cordgrass, sugarcane plumegrass, blue maidencane, and
several Panicum species grow in areas with more open canopies.
Flatwoods in slightly higher, drier parts of Tosohatchee, along
its western edge, contain dense stands of slash pine and pond
pine with a mixed understory of saw palmetto, wax myrtle, and
other shrubs. Ground cover is a diverse mix of wiregrasses,
toothache grass, bluestems and other herbs. Many protected
species including cutthroat grass, Catesby’s lily, rain lilies,
and several species of orchids occur within this natural
community. Longleaf pine grows in a couple of isolated areas.
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