The woman represents Florida's native tribes. Like the Spanish explorers who discovered Florida, its state flower is not native, however. Reportedly, there was little debate or fanfare. It was apparently considered the logical choice. Florida's orange blossom is one of several state flowers that are not native to North America.
Oranges are probably native to China.
The camellia and the gardenia have been suggested as possible state flowers. The waxy, white blossoms of the orange tree are very fragrant. It has been said that it is the only state flower from which a commercial perfume has been made. Tons of Florida orange blossoms were once shipped to weddings across the country. After the war, a frozen concentrate was developed, and orange juice production exploded into a multi-billion dollar industry.