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Sprawling over vegetation in sandy upland adjacent to a bog. 19 September 2023.

Dr. Robert Kral first showed me this specimen at this very location in 1999. Below is the collection.

http://floraofalabama.org/SpecimenDetails.aspx?CollectionID=3945465

What appears to be tiny plants with tiny red blooms growing in water in a rock drainage basin near Inks Lake. The second photo with a wide view has several fallen live oak leaves for scale. The small pond was about 3 or 4 feet long and maybe an inch or two deep.

comparison between Xyris iridifolia (left) and Xyris difformis (right).
first 2 photos show the difference between the shape of the spikes, and the broad flattened scape of X. iridifolia versus the thinly winged scape of X. difformis, highlighted by the sunlight in pic 1.
3rd photo compares habit — iridifolia taller, with longer and much broader leaves; difformis shorter, with narrower leaves.
4th pic shows seed difference — elongate and dark grey in iridifolia, rounded and pale yellow in difformis.
both found together in bottomland forest, as typical; creek in background

comparison pic displaying the characteristic leaves of the 4 most common Smilax species locally (S. auriculata, laurifolia, smallii, and bona-nox, respectively), each with one side torn off to show the diagnostic marginal vein, or lack thereof.

single coyote (audio 1 & 2) heard howling out in a deep baygall swamp just after dusk. naturally I howled back just for the heck of it, and within a few minutes, several coyotes (audio 3) began howling and barking, coming closer to where I was. then after a bit they just kind of faded out and moved back down into the swamp. pretty cool.

Naturally occurring hybrid of Quercus falcata and Q. nigra, which often has leaves similar in appearance to Q. georgiana but the buds and acorn cap scales are different. Both parental species are present here.