lunch site, CNPS field trip, Elkhorn Rd., Carrizo Plain
CNPS field trip, Elkhorn Rd., Carrizo Plain
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Ken & Gina Robinson report from Elkhorn Road, March 17
“Found this specimen on March 17, 2017 along Elkhorn Road – Desert Candle (Caulanthus inflatus)”
Allison Gong also sent an image taken on the Carrizo Plain on March 23, this one of Fiddlenecks
“Hello, I took this picture of young fiddle necks (Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia) on Soda Lake Road on 23 March 2017.”
M.O. sent this image of Soda Lake overlook, taken March 23
Yes, that blue is water in Soda Lake! Baby Blue eyes (Nemophilia menziiesii)as reported earlier remain on the overlook hillside facing Soda Lake. Distant yellow swaths of color above Soda Lk. are presumably the same as that pictured above.
Sorry I cannot recall exactly which hillside we surveyed many years ago and found the greatest plant diversity of all our many many miles of transects across all of the NM. It was near the entry into the NM, on R side of Soda Lk rd. as one enters from Hwy 58. A 3 member crew, Jeremy took the vehicle to the far side of the hill in order to pick us up at the end of our transect. But then he rejoined us to ask what was taking us so long. It was all the plant names we were recording–the longest list of any of our hundreds of plots–such reflected the diversity of plants at that transect. There were a few grasses there, but mostly wildflower annuals
Nancy Chalk sent these images from Shell Creek Road, Highway 58
“Still building out. Not peaked. Creek is flowing nicely! The baby blue eyes are just emerging. The creek is flowing nicely. I saw a few wild alliums, baby blue eyes, purple owls clover and desert dandelion. I walked the creek as I look for lillies. Those are elusive! Anyway, besides gold fields and tidy tips and fiddlenecks … we are a couple weeks out from peak.”
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Richard Pradenas has shared his images from the Carrizo Plain
Many of these images are from April 2006, some from August or October to show contrast of seasons.
“I’m fairly certain I have the names of the flowers correct for all but #13 “WildPurpleGila”; if anyone can identify this please let me know.”
Carrizo Plain Fiddlenecks Field Richard Pradenas
Soda Lake fisheye by Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Grassland at Sunset Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain old car Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Tidy Tips Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Fiddlenecks Sunrise Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Barbed Wire Tidy Tips Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Tractor Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Cream Cups Buds Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain 2006 Super Bloom Richard Pradenas
Soda Lake fisheye by Richard Pradenas
CarrizoPlain Soda Lake Road Sunset Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Purple Gila Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Purple and Yellow Hills Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Richard Pradenas fence
Carrizo Plain Grassland Sprinkler Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Richard Pradenas tin barn
Carrizo Plain Fiddlenecks Backlit Richard Pradenas
Carrizo Plain Wild Evening Hills Richard Pradenas
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HERE’S WHAT’S BLOOMING ON THE CARRIZO PLAIN THIS WEEK
Many people have asked when the wildflower season will peak. One guess is in two-four weeks, but we really can’t say precisely as each season is different.
“Still a little while until the peak, but getting better. Last year it was mid March to Late March but it varies year to year. Looking better each week and continued warm weather and rain will help.” – Carrizo volunteer Ben R.
In Bloom
Fiddleneck – Various places on valley floor.
Goldfields – Soda Lake Road between Washburn Admin. Site and KCL Campground, Goodwin Education Center. Starting to see other spots on the valley floor.
Filaree – Valley floor throughout the monument. Just popping up, not showy.
Baby Blue Eyes – Soda Lake Overlook.
Hillside Daisies – Small parts on the hillsides going to Selby Campground Road.
Poor Blooming
Red Maids x various places on valley floor.
Fremont’s Phacelia x various places on valley floor.
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Spiny emex is in the Buckwheat family (Polygonaceae) and is an up and coming invasive species in California’s south coast. It’s from the Mediterranean region of Africa infesting disturbed areas especially coastal areas with sandy soils. Spiny emex spreads rapidly, crowding out native species. It has simple lime green or yellowish bronze leaves which looks like dock (which is relative) or spinach. The plant is usually two to twelve inches in diameter and produces seeds with a hard, prickly casing and spines that project from the corners. It is easy to dig out of the ground with a fork. Older plant with lots of seeds can easily shred plastic bags. Handle gingerly with tough gloves. For large monotypic infestations, Telar is an effective herbicide.
HERE’S WHAT’S BLOOMING ON THE CARRIZO PLAIN THIS WEEK
Right now we are starting to see Goldfields, Fiddleneck, and Filaree (Erodium cicutarium) pop up, but no wildflower color yet. Here are some images from previous years to whet your appetite.
Field of Red Stem Filaree
Erodium cicutarium Red Stem Filaree
Goldfields at Shell Creek
Fiddlenecks
Images courtesy of (and copyrighted by) Marlin Harms
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Oaks have been in the news a lot recently. Essentially all of it has been bad from the Oak’s point of view. First, there was the clearing of valley (Quercus lobata) and blue (Q. douglasii) oaks in the Paso Robles area. and then the spread of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) into our county. The notes along with Bonnie’s drawing were the Obispoensis cover back (more…)
The plant discussed in this issue of the Obispoensis is one that I’ve wanted to take on for a long time, but could never bring myself to ask Bonnie to draw. Since we are using photos to illustrate it by, I think it’s time. One look at the leaves will indicate the reason for my reluctance. The leaves, which are up to four inches long and two inches wide, are divided two or three times into hundreds (thousands) of long, thin, needle-like segments which are weakly aromatic.
The species epithet (millefollium) translates into ‘thousand (mill) leaf (follia). The leaves spiral up the stem getting smaller higher up the stem. The flowers are small and clustered in heads which are themselves crowded into flat topped clusters. Most plants in the wild produce whitish flowers but occasionally one finds plants baring yellowish or pinkish tinged flowers. These have been selected for deeper colors for use in the garden.
There are many sites on the web that offer these ‘colored’ varieties for sale. The species is extremely variable which would be expected by its essentially worldwide range. It’s found throughout the Northern Hemisphere and just about everywhere in the Southern Hemisphere where humans have settled. A plant with such a wide a distribution as well as a strong correlation with human habitats would certainly be considered an introduced weed. I knew it in the roadsides and pastures of the Midwest, North East and in various weedy and native habitats here in California.
So, where is it native?
One can find any answer you want to believe on the Web. In fact, if I’d been asked where it was native before researching this article, I’d have said Eurasia. I found at least one web site that would have agreed with me. However, a majority of botanical sites as well as the Jepson Manual give its native range as “the entire Northern Hemisphere! So accepting it as a California native plant, where does it grow in California. Answer, practically everywhere there’s they can get sufficient water. Yarrow is found from sea level to over 10,000 feet in a wide variety of habitats (including weedy ones) throughout that altitudinal range. One of the better local places to find it is in our coastal dunes where it can be found spreading across the base of dune slip faces. As such it is serves as an important dune stabilizer. I should point out it is that because of its extreme variability common yarrow has had many scientific names applied to it, but recent thinking have reduced most of them to varieties.
How did it get its name?
The genus, Achillea, was applied to the plant by the Father of Taxonomic Botany, Linnaeus himself in the 1700’s. He named it in Honor of the Greek hero, Achilles. Why did he name it after a non-botanical war hero who was killed in the Battle of Troy? Again if one should look up this plant on the Web, one would find lots and lots of sites that discuss its medicinal uses, many with warnings they are not guaranteeing its effectiveness. In the 17-hundreds yarrow was considered a panacea or a cure-all. The story goes that Achilles was charmed and no weapon could harm him. He’d the protection via his mother dipping him in the river Styx when he was a baby. The River Styx was the transport medium for souls to get to Hades (the land of the dead). However his mother was afraid he would drown if she let go of him completely; so she held him by his heel which therefore did NOT come in contact with waters granting protection. So at Troy, Achilles was killed by a poison arrow which nicked his unprotected heel.
Why bring up Achilles Heel? According to the story told by my major Professor, no modern Pharmacopeia (an official list of medicinal plants) contains yarrow. I.e. after extensive testing, experts have determined that yarrow has NO medicinal value. That Achilea millefolium has no medicinal value “is in fact yarrow’s Achilles heel”.
SOME REALLY SILLY PAST YARROW USES (Source: Botanical.com)
Put it under your pillow and you will dream a vision of your future spouse
Snort it as snuff
Stick it up your nose to either (a) stop a nose bleed, or (b) to start a nose bleed to let blood out of your head to relieve a headache
Stick it in the other end and it stops your piles from bleeding
Use it as a shampoo and it will prevent baldness
Use it in Devil Worship… it was once called ‘The Devil’s Nettle” and maybe not so silly… it was a salad ingredient in the 17th Century, and was mixed with hops to make a more potent beer in Sweden and parts of Africa. Now your’e talking.
Many members of our chapter will remember with a smile the work done by Jack and his wife Grace in supporting our chapter and for his work in association with Kathleen Jones (the Dune Mother) in the protection of the south county dune system. Jack also played a major role in a pampas grass eradication program,
and helped bring the very first conference of the just formed California Exotic Plant Council (now CalIPC) to Morro Bay. He was a State Park Docent, particularly at the Oceano Dunes Center and Butterfly Preserve. Jack died in December in Pacific Grove, and is survived by his wife, Grace and children.
Sahara mustard is annual from the Mediterranean and has been spreading rapidly into coastal San Luis Obispo County. It is in Los Osos, Grover Beach, Oceano, the Nipomo Mesa and the Santa Maria River. Sahara Mustard first appeared in North America in 1927 in Coachella Valley and has spread throughout the Sonoran Desert. It grows in disturbed areas: mainly roadsides, dirt roads and construction sites. Locally it has spread from sticky seeds on pick-up truck tires, construction equipment, rodents and from wind. One of the awful qualities about this weed is that it out-competes native plants, especially annuals, simply because it grows very densely.
Basal rosette (David Chipping)
The 3 to 12 inch deeply lobed leaves exist as a rosette which is low, only several inches above the ground. The small, pale yellow flower stalks may reach 4 feet and produce zillions of seeds (actually up to 9,000 seeds) that are viable for more than 3 years.
Controlling Sahara mustard may be done by hand pulling. It is easier to pull than Black mustard. Sahara mustard is prolific and annoyingly often grows amongst tree and shrub plantings: pulling is the only option in this instance. It is best to pull when they are emerging. Once seed pods develop, the plant will set seed after it has been pulled, so it should be removed from the site.
When away from native plants monotypic Sahara mustard may be sprayed with Telar, Milestone, Garlon 3A or Transline (they are all broad leaf herbicides). Grazing is not a good idea because there is are toxic compounds in the seeds.
