Botany Part Deux

A profusion of late spring flowers are blooming in my area and there are gems which need to be shown. This shows Larkspur (Delphinium hesperium), smooth hawksbeard (Crepis capillaris), and early harvest brodiaea (Brodiaea coronaria). The shadowy figure in the background is Silvie Sue. She is a hiking maniac dog. When we show up for a walk she is always game taking the lead!


These are two larkspur inflorescence's that are about three feet from each other showing color differences within the species.















After we climb our first hill we have a great view of the road cut above. The trail goes down that brown line where there is no veg. When we get to the top, I let Ella out of the backpack and she foots it back to the truck on her own two toddler feet.


This is a spring bulb called white fairy lantern (Calochortus albus). I love to see the pendulous globes dangling there glowing softly among the drying grasses. The big green thing with the ridges is the fruit.


Next, these white sprays of flowers are virgins bower (Clematis lasiantha) which wind their way up shrubs and trees. This vine was tangled among the branches of a live oak.


Here is our view going up the PG&E road that we follow as a trail. Parts of the loop are chaparral, especially on southern exposures. On the north side of the hills woodland vegetation dominates and provides shade which I love.


This native vine is wild cucumber (Marah fabaceus) and it has fruit that are covered with those prickles you see midway in the picture.


In the cover of woodland trees, we took a moment for a portrait. Ella likes to hold oak leaves or grasses or the various flowers that I hand to her. She is getting pretty good and knows about 10 different flowers now. I'll get her trained yet...





Another interesting native plant called coffee fern (Pellaea andromedifolia). I love the little delicate leaves and the curled underside where the spores dehiss.



Fading fast, from the rising temperatures, I barely caught these blooming white blue eyed Mary or Chinese houses (Collinsia bartsiifolia). I like the common name "Chinese houses" better since I remember the wonderful architecture of the stacked roof lines in the far east. These flowers have blooms layered in decending arrays down the stem. I think the accepted common name got changed a decade or so ago. Sometimes politically correct goes just a bit too far. The common name I learned for this plant is very complementary no mater how you look at it.

Can you say, "Ahhhhh! The view from the top."

After circling around our loop we emerge at the top of the trail to see the north facing slopes, vegetated with mixed oak woodland. Live oak, blue oak and an occasional black oak are found on these more protected outlooks.



Once at the top of the hill I dump my botanist in training on the earth and say "Mush!" and "Walk on!"

She says, "Ummmmm....schmells yummy." That is after sniffing the sage she has in her hand.


We found a caterpillar hot spot near the end of our walk and captured the cocoons on camera.


This cocoon was clinging to sticky monkey flower (Mimulus aurrantiacus), one of Ellas favorite plants. If you pick a flower or leaf you can stick it to your clothes and it will stay put for a while. They are our natural stickers.


This is a picture of the butterfly's that were floating around in the vicinity. From what I could find, it is supposed to be a checkerspot butterfly. There are many species so I would totally be guessing if I put a scientific name on it... I'll just stick to my botany.


Finally, on the last leg of the hike Ella wanted to know what these flowers were. I said, "Morning glory." These are (Calystegia purpurata). Like all the members of this species they open in the day and close when it gets cold and the sun goes down.

Just another wonderful hike from me and my baby girl.

And just so you know Wyatt is still around....while I was writing up this post he came staggering out of his room at 9:30 at night half way crying, "Mommy I need you." Then he walked to the screen door, pushed it open, then stood and peed on the porch. Lovely.

While trying for a moment not to laugh, it was impossible. I burst into chuckles and contained laughter. Then I carried his lead weighted body back to bed.

Poor boy...

Post, post script: Then I heard some strange munching from outside. My big cat Smobie started complaining and merowing through the screen door. Hmmmm. I walked to the door and a small sized raccoon bolted.... CAT can you please do something constructive here! What the heck do I keep you around for anyway??? Yep. I am sure they ate my fish now.

Spring, Spring, Spring!

We just got access to another 600 acres of private hiking trails ACROSS the STREET from our house. Woo hoo!!!! So, Ella and I went out for a quick walk and photo session. I am trying to use the "advanced" features on my digital SLR, which I have only had for FOUR years and never thought to pick up the instruction manual.

Go Ella, Go!

Ella is standing among rusty popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys nothofulvus)-white specks, miniature lupine (Lupinus bicolor)-purple specks and fiddleneck (Amsinckia menziesii)-yellow specks. My photo does not do them justice.

The wildflowers are blooming everywhere.

Thus, you see the real reason I decided to get academic with the camera.

Wanting to take close up pictures of flowers, I was having trouble with field of view. Only one flower was coming into focus and the others remained blurred. So working with the aperture setting I have been able to get better close ups, or rather better flower pornography.


These California golden violets (Viola pedunculata) are blooming on the grassy northern slopes of the hills right now. They form small clusters and are not very abundant in the midst of the non-natives which have rampaged our grasslands.

I think this one could be Blue Violets alter ego........Golden Violet.

Spring is coming, It really is!

A few days ago, before I was inoculated with the most recent variation of a "viral death scourge," Ella and I went on a hike at my neighbors property. Since that time, I have developed a dry hacking cough and a three day headache, but then I digress...

We are so lucky that there is short loop trail that I can backpack Ella up, let her out at the top and help her walk "by self" all the way down. Since I am a kind and gentle mommy, I will wait another year before forcing her to walk the circuit both ways. Plus, by then, she will be approaching 40 lbs and I'm not going to carry her chunky carcass up the hill any more. The hike is about 35-40 minutes tops and Wyatt is already a seasoned trouper.

From the top of the ridges there are fabulous views of the valley, and the just blooming wildflowers are an added bonus. All of my little colorful spring-time friends were peeking out from the annual grasses shouting, "Hey! Nice to see ya. How are you this year?" I guess I have imaginary conversations with the plants while we are out among the elements.

I feel it's my duty to teach Ella the names of the plants. I figure I'll give my 2 year old a break since I only expect her to learn the common name for each species this year. After she turns three I'll start drilling her with the scientific names, which are in Latin. I know, I'm generous that way.

Seeing as I have a degree in botany with specialization in plant systematic, I figured I should take some specific floral pictures and roll the Latin names around in my brain, so that when I ever work again it will look like I have been practicing. I've been a botanist since I graduated collage and worked for the past 14 years in consulting. With the housing economy destroyed, I am among the riff-raff of the unemployed. But then again, there could never be a better time not to work since my kids are so little. I am just fortunate we can survive without the extra income. Enough of my endless, senseless and mindless prattling...

On to the hike:


Black sage (Saliva melifera) dominated chaparral covers the southeastern slope of hillside. That's the scruffy looking olive green stuff above the trees. The blue oaks (Quercus douglasii) in gray, have yet to leaf out and the live oaks (Quercus agrifolia) keep their shining green patina all year long.


Indian paint brush (Castilleja foliolosa) in the Scrophulariacea, is one of the first spring bloomers which is found in openings in the chaparral.


Lacepod (Thysanocarphus lacinatus) is a little annual in the "Mustard Family" that already has bloomed and made seeds for next year. They're quick like that. The purple flower is wild hyacinth (Dichelostema capitatum), a native bulb.


These little soldiers are miniature Miner's lettuce (Montia perfoliata). They form armys on the steep sloping hillsides where thousands of their ranks grow annually.


This slope is nearly vertical from the trail. All I had to do was stand and shoot for this photograph. They were literally staring me in the face!


This little delicate beauty is padres shooting star (Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. sanctarum). These are one of the first flowers to emerge once the rains begin and are sadly the first to disappear.


Lastly, here are a pair of wild hyacinth, in the "Lily Family," that are leaning over due to the weight of their heavy blossoms.

As we walked down the trail, I held Ella's hand while we talked about the plants. I hesitated for just the briefest of moments to consider a trio of mushrooms that were located in the middle of the trail. Immediately, Ella said to me, "Piture dat Maw Maw. Piture mushwroom."

A little sparkle lit in my eye at her astute comment. She is so on to me. Without even saying a word she knew what I was thinking. When I was looking at the mushrooms I did not stop walking, I just slowed almost imperceptibly and looked down. But that was enough for her to notice the difference and look for a reason why.

Some days these little kids amaze me with their depth of perception. As parents, we just have to be listening and paying attention to know the extent to which our children are aware. It really reinforces that no matter what you are doing, your kids absorb you. Your words, your actions, your thoughts. My husband always says, "They are our replacement models." How right he is...

They learn the positive with the negative, the dark and the light, and the yin with the yang. However, on this day, I am glad I had a moment where I know my daughter was absorbing nature (a definite positive) from me and with me, at a primitive level, and that alone is a comforting feeling.