Mural Description by Fred E. Lohrer, 14 November 2007

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Richard Archbold | Richard Archbold CV | animals named for R. Archbold | plants named for R. Archbold

Here we see a formal portrait of Richard Archbold in his mid-20s. The triangle logo is of Archbold Expeditions, the non-profit corporation Richard Archbold founded in 1936 to finance his biological explorations. The logo was first used during the second New Guinea Expedition of 1936-37, on his airplane “Kono,” a Fairchild Amphibian A-942-B. The logo is based, in part, on the design of the flag on his grandfather John D. Archbold’s yacht, “Hibiscus.”

The two flowers are of Federally Endangered species of central Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge. The white flower is of Lake Placid Scrub Mint (Dicerandra frutescens), which is found only in the vicinity of Lake Placid and at Archbold Biological Station. The violet flower is of Scrub Blazing Star (Liatris ohlingerae), which is found only on the southern half of the Ridge.

This panel shows a panorama of four plant communities at Archbold Biological Station. L-R: pine flatwoods, oak scrub, a rosemary bald, and a grassy seasonal pond. The open aspect of the flatwoods is a result of frequent fire. The thick bark of Slash Pines protects them from low-intensity fires. However, Florida Rosemary (Ceratiola ericoides) is killed by fire, but it persists in the fire-dominated landscape of central Florida because the bare-sand sites where it often grows protect it from most fires.

The plants in the left foreground include three signature plants of Florida’s flatwoods; Southern Slash Pine (Pinus elliottii var. densa), Saw Palmetto (Serenoa repens), and Tarflower (Bejaria racemosa) in bloom. The perched bird is a male American Kestrel (Falco sparverius). This small falcon, once widespread in Florida’s flatwoods, nests occasionally at the Station. It is an obligate cavity-nester, usually in abandoned woodpecker cavities, and sometimes in buildings. A kestrel nest-cavity tree is in the center of the pine grove. In the foreground, a Red Widow Spider (Latrodectus bishopi) weaves its web in a palmetto frond. This spider is restricted to Florida’s scrub habitats, and its populations fluctuate greatly. It often is scarce and difficult to find for a decade, before becoming abundant for a few years, and then dropping back to low numbers. Reasons for such extensive population fluctuations are not yet well-understood. A long-term population study of this spider is underway at the Station. The Florida scrub is a rare, globally imperiled natural community sheltering many plant and animal species.

© Archbold Biological Station, 14 November 2007, revised 29 November 2007. Webmaster: Kevin Patram, send e-mail