Month: April 2018
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Fauna
Birds nesting in the dunes
Every spring, the Houston Audubon Society ropes off an area of its Bolivar Peninsula refuge high up on the beach…
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Flora
Sesuvium portulacastrum
Sesuvium portulacastrum, or Sea purslane, is a sprawling succulent often half-buried in embryonic dunes or forming bushy clusters in coastal…
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Flora
Helianthus debilis
Beach sunflowers ( Helianthus debilis) appear in the dunes early in the spring and bloom through the summer. A wheel…
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Flora
Hydrocotyle bonariensis
Largeleaf pennywort ( Hydrocotyle bonariensis) produces one large, rounded leaf at the end of a long stem. Because it spreads…
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Flora
Oenothera drummondii
Beach evening primrose (<em> Oenothera drummondii </em>) is a bright yellow flower with four large petals that is one of…
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Flora
Croton punctatus
Beach tea (Croton punctatus) is a low, dense shrub whose leaves have a distinctive silvery green cast. It grows up…
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Fauna
Living under the sand
If you’ve ever shone a light on the beach at night, you’ve probably seen armies of white crabs scurrying across…
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Flora
Uniola paniculata
Sea oats (Uniola paniculata) are often the dominant dune vegetation, usually found on the windward slope and crest of both…
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Flora
Chamaecrista fasciculata
The partridge pea (Chamaecrista fasciculata) is a sprawling plant with fronds that resemble mimosa. It is sometimes called a “sensitive…
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Flora
Panicum amarum
Bitter panic grass is native to the Texas Gulf Coast and frequently planted in dune restorations because of its stress…
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