Dedicated to the preservation of California's native plants
The mission of the California Native Plant Society is to increase understanding and appreciation of California’s native plants and to conserve them and their natural habitats through education, science, advocacy, horticulture and land stewardship.
SAVE THE DATE 2018 Annual CNPS Pot-Luck Banquet | Saturday January 20, 2018 5:30 to 9:30pm
NEW LOCATION Morro Bay Veterans Memorial Building, 209 Surf Street, Morro Bay | Details coming soon
HOT TOPICS
Invasive Species Report: Purple Ragwort (Senecio elegans)
An attractive member of the Asteraceae (Sunflower) family Senecio elegans is an erect annual herb, up to 1 ft. tall and to 1.5 ft. wide. It is native to Southern Africa and is distributed along coastal California. In northern San Luis Obispo County there are groups at San Simeon Point and at the other end of the county in the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes.
The Morro Manzanita Chaparral Natural Community
Morro manzanita is the dominant vascular plant species of a rare natural community known as Morro manzanita chaparral, the Arctostaphylos morroensis Shrubland Alliance, as defined by the Manual of California Vegetation. This is an example of a natural community that is dominated by a listed species. Not all sensitive natural communities are.
Meet our Social Media Intern, Kieran
Kieran Althaus joined our team last fall doing Social Media work along side Judi Young for the chapter. He is soon going to start his Masters Degree at Cal Poly in Biology with Dr. Matt Ritter and Dr. Jenn Yost. In the mean time he is staying occupied with the Plant Science Club at Cal Poly, as well as working on a variety of Botany projects.
NEW VEGETATION COMMITTEE BEING FORMED Are you interested in vegetation sampling? Do you have a favorite plant community, alliance or association? Then please contact Melissa Mooney, chair of the newly-enlivened Vegetation/Plant Communities committee of our SLO Chapter (email: mjmoon@charter.net). We’ve been in touch with Julie Evens and Jennifer Buck of the State CNPS Vegetation Program, and will be coordinating with the folks in the East Bay Chapter who are doing similar work. First order of business will be to prioritize what communities need focus for possible assessment and mapping and lay out our goals. Serpentine communities? Morro manzanita maritime chaparral? Valley Oak Savanna? Get those ideas coming and lets do some sampling!
OTHER NEWS
[ecwd id=”5290″]
MEMBER PHOTOS FROM FLICKR