FLORISTICS OF SILVER RIVER STATE PARK, MARION COUNTY, FLORIDA

The Silver River State Park encompasses a dozen representative natural community habitats of the Florida peninsula, including one of the world's largest artesian spring complexes. The area is floristically diverse and is home to 18 endemic and ten endangered plant species. A floristic inventory of the 1711 ha Silver River State Park, Marion County, Florida was conducted from July 2005 to February 2008. A total of 633 vascular plant species was collected. These include 17 monilophytes, seven extant gymnosperms, and 609 angiosperms (representing 381 genera in 120 families). The families best represented in the park included the Asteraceae (73 spp.), Poaceae (70 spp.), Cyperaceae (48 spp.), Fabaceae (39 spp.), followed by Rubiaceae, Lamiaceae, and Plantginaceae (each at 15 spp.). The largest genera included Quercus (14 spp.), Carex (13 spp.), Cyperus (12 spp.), and Dichanthelium (8 spp.).