When I took this picture, I thought it was coast pretty face, aka golden brodiaea (Triteleia ixioides ssp. ixioides), which is commonly found near home at Fort Ord and Garland Ranch. Nope. Just goes to remind me to take a closer look and to not assume what I see at home is what I see even one county away.
Thursday, June 9, 2011
CA whiptail ~ 06/09/11 ~ Pinnacles
California whiptailAspidoscelis tigris munda
What a pretty lizard. I can't believe how fast they can move with that incredibly long tail that seems to follow the side to side body movement, just like a whip. One individual we saw must have been over a foot long from head to tail tip. Note the different patterns on these two individuals.
pipestem ~ 06/09/11 ~ Pinnacles
Cool, eh? I had absolutely no idea what this was and wasn't sure where to start looking for an ID. The leaves reminded me a little of poison-oak, but I knew it wasn't that. Based on the shiny and leathery looking leaves and thinking it was a shrub or tree of some sort, I looked at pictures of all the trees and shrubs found in the Pinnacles area. No go.
So, I asked myself, me of very little botanical knowledge, "What does this look like?" Well, it looks like a Dr. Seuss character. I got a hint by searching online for "Dr. Seuss looking tree flower." No, seriously, this is how I found a picture titled Dr. Seuss flowers with a description of clematis seed heads. Bingo!
It's a vine that used a dead tree as support. With a check of the Pinnacles plant list, I discovered there are two species of Clematis, the other being western virgin's bower (Clematis ligusticifolia). Due to the more compact leaf shape and the fact this was found nowhere near a stream, I picked pipestem for the ID above. Please note both species of Clematis have common names that readily apply to other plants, such as the pipestem found in southeastern U.S., Agarista populifolia.
Oh! Getting back to Dr. Seuss, I was curious to know which character had the fuzzy top. Out of several, I decided the chaparral clematis silky seed plumes look a lot like Truffula Trees from The Lorax. How did I not read this book as a child? Sigh... I usually avoid linking to sites that obviously violate copyright, so I am conflicted about including links for those like me who have not heard the story of The Lorax. However, considering there are thousands and thousands of sites that include images and text which have nothing to do with Dr. Seuss, here are three links to this wonderful environmental story ahead of its time: text, video, and blog entry.
So, I asked myself, me of very little botanical knowledge, "What does this look like?" Well, it looks like a Dr. Seuss character. I got a hint by searching online for "Dr. Seuss looking tree flower." No, seriously, this is how I found a picture titled Dr. Seuss flowers with a description of clematis seed heads. Bingo!
It's a vine that used a dead tree as support. With a check of the Pinnacles plant list, I discovered there are two species of Clematis, the other being western virgin's bower (Clematis ligusticifolia). Due to the more compact leaf shape and the fact this was found nowhere near a stream, I picked pipestem for the ID above. Please note both species of Clematis have common names that readily apply to other plants, such as the pipestem found in southeastern U.S., Agarista populifolia.
Oh! Getting back to Dr. Seuss, I was curious to know which character had the fuzzy top. Out of several, I decided the chaparral clematis silky seed plumes look a lot like Truffula Trees from The Lorax. How did I not read this book as a child? Sigh... I usually avoid linking to sites that obviously violate copyright, so I am conflicted about including links for those like me who have not heard the story of The Lorax. However, considering there are thousands and thousands of sites that include images and text which have nothing to do with Dr. Seuss, here are three links to this wonderful environmental story ahead of its time: text, video, and blog entry.
woolly bluecurls ~ 06/09/11 ~ Pinnacles
woolly bluecurlsTrichostema lanatum
Lamiaceae
It's so fuzzy! I love all things soft and fuzzy. At first glance the well-named woolly bluecurls reminded me of the non-native Mexican bush sage (Salvia leucantha), a deer-resistant plant I frequently see and touch in gardens around the Monterey area. I'd opt for this native in my dream garden, but it looks a little challenging to grow.