elegant clarkia ~ 07/14/11 ~ Garland Ranch

elegant clarkia

Clarkia unguiculata
Onagraceae

I like virtually collecting white versions whenever I find them.

barnyard goose ~ 07/14/11 ~ Hopkins

barnyard goose
species unknown (subfamily Anserinae)

I finally got a closer picture of this goose that's been hanging around since before May 31, 2011 at Hopkins. Despite it being the wrong time of year, I was really hoping it was a rare Monterey County sighting of a snow goose. I received confirmation from Don Roberson, author of Monterey Birds, that this is indeed a barnyard goose. Many years of domestication and hybridization with wild geese makes identifying this goose to species impossible to tell by looking at its features.

field bindweed ~ 07/14/11 ~ Hopkins

field bindweed / orchard morning glory
Convolvulus arvensis
Convolvulaceae

This is my best guess and I could be totally wrong as to the ID. It is a low-growing plant with fuzzy leaves and stem. The bloom was smaller than other morning glories I've seen, but that could be due to the growing conditions right next to the Monterey Bay. The other hairy morning glory that grows in this area is the stemless morning glory (Calystegia subacaulis), but that's generally a white or cream flower. I have a feeling once I get better acquainted with morning glories, I'll be revisiting this ID.

ps 08/20/11 - Yep. I think I got this wrong. I discovered my mistake from looking up another morning glory/bindweed from Elkhorn Slough. I initially posted this as a native coast morning glory (Calystegia macrostegia ssp. cyclostegia). I tried to convince myself that despite photos not quite matching, that Jepson's description could apply. I've made the ID correction above for this invasive plant from Europe and Asia. If Wikipedia is to be believed this is the broader leaved Convolvulus arvensis var. arvensis. Seriously, how does one tell the difference between Calystegia and Convovulus?

blackberry ~ 07/14/11 ~ Hopkins

best guess elmleaf blackberry or Himalayan blackberry
best guess Rubus ulmifolius or Rubus armeniacus (aka R. discolor and R. procerus)
Rosaceae

Good golly! I looked at Jepson's descriptions for each species and compared hundreds of pictures. Both species are found here and I'm evenly split as to which this could be. The bright pink blooms makes me think it must be an elmleaf blackberry. However, I can't figure out the difference between "finely toothed" for elmleaf and "sharply toothed" for Himalayan. Online pictures and descriptions seem to vary widely in the amount of leaf toothiness and prickles on the stems. I can't decide. Do you know?