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Proserpinaca palustris L.
Mermaid weed, Marsh mermaidweed

Proserpinaca palustris
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley

Family: Haloraginaceae

Group: Dicot

Substrate: Terrestrial

Habit: Herb

Perennation: Perennial

Native Range: Eastern North America, the West Indies, Mexico, Central America and South America.

Map of select IRC data for peninsular Florida

IRC SOUTH FLORIDA Status: Apparently Secure

SOUTH FLORIDA Occurrence: Present

SOUTH FLORIDA Native Status: Native

SOUTH FLORIDA Cultivated Status: Not Cultivated

Other data on Proserpinaca palustris available from :

Atlas of Florida Vascular Plants
Proserpinaca palustris has been found in the following 46 conservation areas :
Occurrence Native Status
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Babcock Ranch Preserve Present Native
Big Cypress National Preserve Present Native
Biscayne National Park Reported
Castellow Hammock Park Present Native
Collier-Seminole State Park Present Native
Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) Present Native
Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Present Native
Danforth Park Recorded as Present in Error
Dupuis Reserve Present Native
Everglades and Francis S. Taylor Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Everglades National Park Present Native
Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park Present Native
Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge Present Native
Frog Pond/L-31 N Transition Lands Present Native
Grassy Waters Preserve Present Native
Hawk's Hammock Park Recorded as Present in Error
Hickey Creek Mitigation Park Wildlife and Environmental Area Present Native
Hillsboro Pineland Natural Area Present Native
Holey Land Wildlife Management Area Present Native
J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Jonathan Dickinson State Park Present Native
Jupiter Ridge Natural Area Present Native
Long Key Natural Area & Nature Center Present Native
Loxahatchee River Natural Area Present Native
Loxahatchee Slough Natural Area Present Native
Milton E. Thompson Park Present Native
National Key Deer Refuge Possibly Extirpated Possibly Extirpated
Navy Wells Pineland Preserve Present Native
Nicodemus Slough Present Native
Nixon Smiley Pineland Preserve Present Native
Okaloacoochee Slough State Forest, Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area - FWC, Okaloacoochee Slough Wildlife Management Area Present Native
Pal-Mar Present Native
Pal-Mar Natural Area Present Native
Picayune Strand State Forest Present Native
Pond Apple Slough Natural Area Present Native
Prairie Pines Preserve Present Native
Savannas Preserve State Park Present Native
Scrub Oak Park Present Native
Seabranch Preserve State Park Present Native
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Present Native
South Dade Wetlands Present Native
Tree Island Park Present Native
Wild Turkey Strand Preserve Present Native
Yellow Fever Creek Preserve Present Native

Proserpinaca palustris has been found in the following 10 counties :
Occurrence Native Status
Broward County Native
Charlotte County Native
Collier County Native
Hendry County Native
Lee County Native
Martin County Native
Miami-Dade County Native
Monroe County (Keys) Native
Monroe County (Mainland) Native
Palm Beach County Native

Proserpinaca palustris has been found in the following 17 habitats :
Basin Marsh
Blackwater Stream
Coastal Interdunal Swale
Depression Marsh
Disturbed Wetland
Flatwoods/Prairie Lake
Floodplain Marsh
Floodplain Swamp
Marl Prairie
Marsh Lake
River Floodplain Lake
Sinkhole
Slough
Strand Swamp
Swale
Swamp Lake
Wet Flatwoods

All Images:

Proserpinaca palustris
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Proserpinaca palustris
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Proserpinaca palustris
Copyright by: Keith A. Bradley
Proserpinaca palustris
Copyright by: Shirley Denton