WILDFLOWERS OF SOUTHWEST
(BEAUREGARD PARISH) LOUISIANA



All photographs are by Velmer Smith. Photographs may be used for educational purposes or personal enjoyment. They may not be downloaded for commercial use.

Thank you to Patricia Faulkner, Christopher Reid, Julia Larke and Steve Shively, LA Natural Heritage Program, LA Dept of Wildlife and Fisheries, for their assistance in identifying some plants unknown to me.

Content, courtesy of Velmer Smith, with the assistance of Alan Smith, Phil Emerson, John Crosley, Jr. and Beauregard Parish Library, DeRidder, Louisiana.

THESE PAGES MAINTAINED BY: Alan D. Smith



State-Botanist

egret

Many of the plants are found in the Bundick Swamp area, nearly inaccessible in places. Variation in surface soils throughout Beauregard Parish supports some interesting floral differences.

Jungle like palmetto flats in the swamp are bordered by lizard tails, spider lilies, Louisiana iris, cardinal flower, bald cypress and the Louisiana palmetto.

The area adjacent to Bundick Creek, locally known as "bottoms" support clumps of lush sphagnum moss, trumpet creeper, spider worts, Christmas fern, bayou violets, sweet bay (leaves aromatic when crushed) and strawberry bush. Spectacular is the Indian-pink (spigelia).

The beech-magnolia-loblolly slopes support communities of plants that are uncommon. The low growing partridge-berry, the Carolina-lily and piney woods lily are found along the slopes. Common plants, false foxglove, Carolina-Jessamine, pigeonwings, ladies' tresses orchid and ruellia are also found. Forest floors are covered with a variety of ferns.

Bog areas support the pitcher plant, ten-angle pipewort, bearded grass pink orchid, umbrella grass, and the pagoda orchid.

Sandy lands, composed of soils not expected in swamp areas, contain the showy coral bean (poisonous), butterfly weed, trailing phlox, bull nettle, May-apple, and Louisiana yucca. Spanish moss, generally not associated with swampy habitat survives because it is not dependent on soil but on air and high humidity.

Many of the plants have evolved to survive in their habitat. Successful transplanting of the wildflowers is virtually impossible and hastens their extinction. The semitropical, jungle like swamp has been reduced by lumbering and other land uses. It is hoped this web site will stimulate further study of the Bundick Swamp area by specialists who will strive for preservation of the plant species.

Please don't pick the wildflowers

The common name of wildflowers of Southwest Louisiana
is followed by the Latin name.
American Bluehearts -- BUCHNERA AMERICANA

Grassy Arrowheado -- SAGTTARIA GRAMINEA

Atlantic Pigeonwings -- CLITORIA MARIANA

Azalea -- RHODODENDRON CANESCENS

Bachelor Button -- POLYGALA NANA

Barbara's Button -- MARSHALLIA TENUIFOLIA

Sweet Bay -- MAGNOLIA VERGINIANA

Bear's Foot -- SMALLANTHUS UVEDALIA

Bearded Grass Pink Orchid -- CALOPAGON BARBATUS

Slender-leaf Betony -- STACHYSTENUIFOLIA

Bird Foot Violet -- VIOLA PEDATA

Blue-eyed Grass -- SISYRINCHIUM SAGETTIFERUM

Bluebonnet -- LUPINUS TEXENSIS

Blue Sage -- SALVIA AZUREA

Brazilian Vervain -- VERBENA BRASILIENSIS

Broad-leaf Snoutbean -- RHYNCHOSIA LATIFOLIA

Brown-eyed Susan -- RUDBECKIA HIRTA

Bull Nettle -- CNIDOSCOLUA TEXANUS

Bush Pea -- BAPTISIA SPHAEROCARPA

Butterfly Weed -- ASCELEPIAS TUBEROSA

Buttercup -- RANUNCULUS CAROLINIANUS

Butterfly Pea-- CENTROSEMA VIRGINIANUM

Button Bush -- CEPHALANTHUS OCCIDENTALIS

Cardinal Flower-- LOBELLIA CARDINALIS

Carolina Lily-1 -- LILIUM MICHAUXII

Carolina Lily-2 -- LILIUM MICHAUXII

Carolina Jessamine -- CELSEMIUM SEMPERVIRENS

Carolina Rockrose -- HELIANTHEMUM CAROLINIANUM

Carolina Rose -- ROSA CAROLINA

Calalpa Tree -- CATALPA BIGNONIOIDES

Catchfly -- SILENE SUBCILIATA

Christmas Fern -- POLYSTICHUM ACROSTICHOIDES

Colic Root -- ALETRIS AUREA

Coral Bean -- ERYTHRINA HERBACEA

Lance-leaved Coreopsis -- COREOPSIS LANCEOLATA

Cross-vine -- BIGNONIA CAPREOLATA

Cut-Leaf Ground Cherry -- PHYSALISANGULATA

Dakota Vervain -- VERBENA BIPINNATIFIDA

Dandelion -- KRIGIA OCCIDENTALIS

Day-flower -- COMMELINA ERECTA

Devils Shoestring -- TEPHROSIA VIRGINIANA

Dewberry -- RUBUS TRIVIALIS

Dogwood -- CORNUS FLORIDA

Downy Milkpea -- GALACTIA VOLUBILIS

Drummond Lily -- COOPERIA DRUMMONDII

Dwarf Palmetto -- SABAL MINOR

Eared Lobelia -- LOBELIA APPENDICULATA

Elephant Foot -- ELEPHANTOPUS NUDATUS

Eryngo -- ERYNCIUM INTEGRIFOLIUM

False Dragon Head -- PHYSOSTEGIA DIGILALIS

False Foxglove -- AUREOLARIA GRANDIFLORA

Foxglove Beard-Tongue -- PENESTEMON DIGITALIS

French Mulberry -- CALLICARPA AMERICANA

Fringe Tree -- CHIONANTHUS VIRGINICA

Kansas Gay Feather -- LIATRIS PYCNOSTACHYA

Gerardia -- AGALINIS PURPUREA

Golden Crownbeard -- BERBESINA ENCEFIOIDES

Greenthread -- THELESPERMA FLAVODISCUM

Herbertia -- ALOPHIA DRUMMONDII

Japanese Honeysuckle -- LONICERA JAPONICA

Trumpet Honeysuckle -- LONICERA SEMPERVIRENS

Hyssop-leaf Eupatorium -- EUPATORIUM HYSSOPIFOLIUM

Indian Hemp -- APOCYNUM CANNABINUM

Indian Pink -- SPIGELIA MARILANDICA

Plains Wild Indigo -- BAPTISIA LEUCOPHAEA

Iron Weed -- VERNONIA TEXANA

Jack-in-Pulpit -- ARISAEMA QUINATUM

Lady Tresses Orchid -- SPIRANTHES VERNALIS

Lizard's Tail -- SAURURUS CERNUUS

Marsh Cone Flower -- RUDBECKIA MISSOURIENSIS

Maryland Milkwort -- POLYGALA MARIANA

May-apple-1 -- PODOPHYLLUM PELTATUM

May-apple-2 -- PODOPHYLLUM PELTATUM

Meadow Aster -- ASTER PROTENSIS

Meadow Beauty, Common -- RHEXIA VIRGINICA

Meadow Beauty -- RHEXIA PETIOLATA

Milkvine -- MATELEA GONOCARPA

Mist Flower-1 -- EUPATORIUM COELESTINUM

Mist Flower-2 -- EUPATORIUM COELESTINUM

Mud Plaintain -- HERTERANTHERA LIMOSA

Mullein -- VERBASCUM THAPSUS

Multi-bloom Tephrosia -- TEPHROSIA ONOBRYCHOIDES

New Jersey Tea -- CEANOTHUS AMERICANUS

Partridge-Berry -- MITCHELLA REPENS

Partridge Pea -- CASSIA FASCICULATA

Passion Flower -- PASSIFLORA INCARNATA

Periwinkle -- VINCA MINOR

Prairie Phlox -- PHLOX PILOSA

Phlox, white -- PHLOX PILOSA

Pigeon Wings -- CLITORIA MARIANA

Pine Woods Rose -- GENTIAN SABATA GENTIANOIDES

Purple Pleat-leaf -- EUSTYLIS PURPUREA

Pink Scale Gay Feather -- LIATRIS ELEGANS

Pitcher Plant-1 -- SARRACENIA ALATA

Pitcher Plant-2 -- SARRACENIA ALATA

Pucoon -- LITHOSPERMUM CAROLINIENSE

Purple Head Sneeze Weed -- HELENIUM FLEXUOSUM

Purple Cone Flower -- ECHINACEA SANGUINEA

Red Milkweed -- ASCELEPIAS RUBRA

Ribbed Mock Bishop's Weed -- PTILIMNIUM COSTATUM

Rose Mallow -- HIBISCUS MILITARIS

Rose Pogonia Orchid -- POGONIA OPHIOGLOSSOIDES

Rough Skullcap -- SCUTELLARIA INTEGRIFOLIA

Ruellia -- RUELLIA HUMILIS

Sage, White -- SALVIA AZUREA

Sand Weed -- HYPERICUM FASCICULATUM

Scarlet Hibiscus -- HIBISCUS COCCINEUS

Sensitive Briar -- SCHRANKIA HYSTRICINA

Sharp-sepal Penstemon -- PENSTEMON TENNIS

Sharp Gay Feather -- LIATRIS ACIDOTA

Single Stem Scurfpea -- PSORALEA SIMPLEX

Slender Bush Clover -- LESPEDEZA VIRGINICA

Slender Silphium -- SILPHIUM GRACILE

Soloman's Seal -- POLYGONATUM BIFLORUM

Southern Clubmoss -- LYCOPODIELLA APPRESSA

Spanish Moss -- TILLANDSIA USNEOIDES

Spider Lily -- HYMENOCALLIS LIRIOSME

Spiderwort-1 -- TRADESCANTIS OHIOENSIS

Spiderwort-2 -- TRADESCANTIS OHIOENSIS

Spiderwort, white -- TRADESCANTIS OHIOENSIS

Spotted Bee Balm -- MONARDA PUNCTATA

Spring Cress -- CARDAMINE BULBOSA

St. John's Wort -- HYPERICUM MUTILUM

Strawberry Bush -- EUONYMUS AMERICANUS

Sundew -- DROSERA ANNUA

Sweet Pepper Bush -- CLETHRA ALNIFOLIA

Ten Angle Pipe Wort -- ERIOCAULON DECANGULARE

Bull Thistle -- CIRSIUM HORRIDULUM

Tickseed -- BIDENS ARISTOSA

Toad Flax -- LINARIA TEXANA

Trilobe Violet -- VIOLA LANGLOISII

Trumpet Creeper -- CAMPSIS RADICANS

Umbrella Grass -- DICHROMENA LATIFOLIA

Venus Looking Glass -- TRIODANIS PERFOLIATA

Wood Vetch -- VICIA CAROLINIANA

Violet Wood Sorrel -- OXALIS VIOLACEA

Violet, Primrose-leaved -- VIOLA PRIMULIFOLIA

Viperina -- ZORNIA BRACTEATA

White Clematis -- CLEMATIS DIOSCOREIFOLIA

White Clover -- TRIFOLIUM REPENS

Wild Bean -- STROPHOSTYLES UMBELLATA

Wild Bergamot -- MONARDA FISTULOSA

Wild Morning Glory -- IPOMOEA TRICHOCARPA

Wild Potato -- IPOMOEA PANDURATA

Winkler Gaillardia -- GAILLARDIA PINNATIFIDA

Wisteria -- WISTERIA FRUTESCENS

Wood Betony -- PEDICULARIS CANADENSIS

Wood Betony, yellow -- PEDICULARIS CANADENSIS

Woolly Groundsel -- SENECIO TOMENTOSUS

Woolly White -- HYMENOPAPPUS ARTEMISIAE

Yellow-eyed Grass -- XYRIS AMBIQUA

Yellow Meadow Beauty -- RHEXIA LUTEA

Yellow Savannah Milkwort -- POLYGALA RAMOSA

Medicinal Herbs and Flowers, etc.

Of special interest to wildflower enthusiasts are the medicinal properties of plants. There is evidence that plants played an important role in Indian medicine. When checked with pharmaceutical directories of today, it is found that 25 per cent of the plants were correctly used by the American Indians. And we know plants still play a large role in treating diseases. Echinea - purple cone flower - is taken by some to boost the immune system. Wildflowers were an important part of the Indian's diet. Until mid 1900, drug companies depended on their supply of leaves and herbs that were gathered, prepared and provided by individuals. The passion flower root brought 2 cents per pound. Sassafras bark or root brought 19 cents per pound. The following are flowers used by the American Indians and by doctors into the early 1900's.

(The preparers of this site are not responsible for the validity of this list of flowers and do not endorse the use of flowers for those purposes indicated.)

Flower Use/Comments
Bearded grass-pink orchido Critically imperiled
Blue-eyed Grass Cooked greens eaten to keep regular
Bull Nettle Berries cut up and fried in grease, used to kill mange
Buttercup All parts toxic
Butterfly Pea Used as tea, for sore mouth
Carolina Jessamine Entire plant toxic. Used as narcotic
Christmas Fern Tea for rheumatism
Coral bean Seeds are poisonous
Cross Vine Made into leaf tea to cleanse blood
Dogwood Bark used as a quinine substance
Palmetto Abstract from berries used to treat prostrate
False Fox Glove Slows down heart. In large amounts - fatal
Fringe Tree Liver ailments
Indian Pink Used in tea for parasites
Iron Weed Tea for monthly period
Jack-In-Pulpit All parts toxic
Marsh Coneflower Root ooze used for earache. Wash used for snakebites
May-apple Causes diarrhea. Roots soaked in whiskey used for rheumatism
Partridge Berry Bowel complaints. Tea used for sore nipples
Passion Flower Sleep aid. Ten petals signify - 10 apostles, 5 stamens - 5 wounds, 3 styles in center for 3 nails
Purple Head Sneeze Weed Bruised root steep and iron weed prevented monthly periods for two years
Rough Skull Cap Root used in kidney medicine
Spiderwort Made into tea for stomach ache from overeating
Spotted Bee Balm Heart trouble. Tea used for measles
Strawberry Bush Perfume. Bladder complaints
Trilobe Violet Leaves binded on head for headache
Trumpet Creeper Used to treat coughs and asthma.
Sweet potatoes soaked in vine tea before planting, kept away bugs and moles
Wood Betony Cough medicine. Put in dog bed to de-louse pups
Yellow Eyed Grass Root steep drunk for diarrhea


Wildflower Pictures

Bundick Swamp Picture