Rugel's Pawpaw Poster

Looking into a flower of Rugel's false pawpaw, with a leaf and bud behind and with a soft blue sky background. This photograph was made in Tiger Bay State Forest where a substantial portion of the known population of this endangered endemic plant occurs.

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Deeringothamnus rugelii is a very small rare shrub of pine flatwoods only occurring in Volusia County Florida. The full common name is Rugel's false pawpaw. It is also called yellow squirrel-banana or Volusia pawpaw.
Like all members of this plant family, Deeringothamnus rugelii is a host plant for zebra swallowtail caterpillars. Gopher tortoises are known to eat the fruit. This plant grows on specific soil types in pine flatwoods.
The species was named for Ferdinand Rugel who traveled in the southern United States in the 1840s and discovered several new species while in Florida. The gen...

His entire life Paul Rebmann has ventured outdoors to enjoy nature. Whether he is hiking in mountain forests, wading through Florida swamps, or on the water in a kayak or canoe, Paul strives to satisfy his biophilia. As a nature photographer and Florida Master Naturalist, he attempts to bring the beauty and wonder of nature to others, so that they may see what they might not happen to experience for themselves, and to impart the importance of preserving our natural areas, not only for our enjoyment and quality of life, but also for the survival of the flora and fauna that surrounds us. Images by Paul have been published in field guides, various periodicals, exhibited in juried art shows and also used in exhibits at Lyonia Environmental...