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research claims living cycad species date back only about 12 million years, cycads’ ancient lineage dates back about 280 million years. Our native coontie (Zamia integrifolia) makes a great garden addition for its ease of care; I enjoy wondering how it got to its now-restricted range in the extreme southeast. Lycopods, called club moss or tassel ferns, are just plain cool. They bear no flowers, no seeds; they are cryptogams, i.e. reproducing via spores. Some are upright little terrestrial plants looking just like tiny pine trees, sometimes called ground pine. Others are epiphytes, and hang down from trees and rocks as bright green tassels, dichotomously branching. Nowadays they get to a few feet long, but about 300 million years ago their late ancestor, Lepidodendron, reached upwards of 100 feet! Perhaps only the tallest dinosaurs could reach the tender new foliage. Ferns are another ancient wonder. Certainly they must have dominated before the upstart angiosperms took over, though given their reproductive complexity, it’s a wonder to me that ferns manage at all. With thousands to choose from, so-called tree ferns have a great “primitive” look—larger and thus suiting a lost world of giants. The native tree fern, Ctenitis sloanei, isn’t very big (maybe 3 feet tall), but thrives in our alkaline soil. The Australian tree fern (Cyathea cooperi) can get 10 times as tall, but seems to need a bit more acidic soil. It’s also an invasive in Hawaii. 56 THE TROPICAL Garden 6 8 7 Various Selaginella species look like they sprouted from a fairytale garden. What else could possess emerald green and electric blue iridescent feathery foliage? From the groundhugging mound of the chartreuse Selaginella kraussiana, to fronds of the blue-tinged peacock fern, S. willdenowii, they’re all related to primitive lycopods. The blue is believed to allow them to absorb more light while growing on dimly lit forest floors. Equisetum, the horsetails, are the only survivor within the class Equisetopsida. Horsetails usually prefer moist, sandy soil, and some grow partly submerged, so they makes a nice pond margin plant. Horsetail is considered an invasive spreader in some parts of the world, but oddly, not in South Florida. It’s a bit hot here for it, I suppose, but I’ve had moderate success growing the common Equisetum hyemale, scouring rush. While in the pond, include some Nymphaea water lilies. They diverged very early on from some of the first flowering plants, so you can grow primitive and have flowers. Also try Magnolia virginiana, sweet bay, found in wetland areas, and probably the most primitive flowering plant native to Florida. If you want to get really primitive, cultivate bryophytes like moss and liverworts. They make ferns seem like garden newcomers. 5 5. Pinus elliottii 6. Nymphaea sp. 7. Marchantia sp. 8. The lycopod Huperzia squarrosa


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