Plants

Posted on September 7, 2010 by admin

(organized alphabetically by binomial)

Anagallis arvensis
Scarlet pimpernell

Anisocarpus madioides
Woodland maddia

Asarum hartwegii
Hartweg’s wild ginger or Wild ginger
This species occurs only farther north and east of here but it flowers this time of year.

Cardamine californica var. integrifolia
Coast milkmaids

Calochortus species
The Mariposa lillies
There are many different species of these in California and a couple of them live near here.

Calypso bulbosa
Calypso orchids

calypso-orchid_IMG_0354 — *Calypso bulbosa*

Cichorium intybus
Common chicory

Cichorium intybus AKA Common chicory — *Cichorium intybus*

Claytonia perfoliata subsp. perfoliata
Miner’s lettuce

Corallorhiza maculata
Spotted coralroot orchid

Cynoglossum grande
Hound’s-tongue

Dudleya cymosa
Canyon live-forever

Eriophyllum ambiguum
Beautiful Woollysunflower

Erythronium californicum
Trout lilly or California fawn-illy

Eschscholzia californica
California poppy

Fragaria vesca
Wild strawberry

Wild strawberry; Fragaria vesca — *Fragaria vesca*

Genista monspessulana
French broom

Genista monspessulana 12 May 2015 — *Genista monspessulana*

Hypericum perforatum
Common St. Johnswort or Klamath Weed

Hypericum perforatum; St. John's Wort — *Hypericum perforatum*

Iris douglasiana
Coast Iris or Douglas’ Iris

Coast iris (Iris douglasiana) — Coast iris (*Iris douglasiana)*
possible hybrid with *I. purdyi*?

Iris fernaldii
another local wild iris

Fernald's iris AKA Iris fernaldii — Fernald’s iris (*Iris fernaldii*)

Iris purdyi
another local wild iris

Purdy's iris (Iris purdyi) — Purdy’s iris (*Iris purdyi)*

natural Wild Iris Hybrids are very common.

This bearded Iris is not a native Iris species

Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus
Woodland pea

Lupinus bicolor
Miniature Lupine

Miniature Lupine (Lupinus bicolor) 26 May 2015 — *Lupinus bicolor*

Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum
False Solomon Seal

Maianthemum racemosum ssp. racemosum 15May2015 — *Maianthemum racemosum* ssp. *racemosum* 15May2015

Mimulus aurantiacus
Sticky Monkey Flower

Monardella purpurea
Siskiyou monardella, serpentine monardella & Serpentine Coyote Mint

Pelargonium sp.
some sort of wild Geranium

Piperia unalascendis
Alaska rein orchid

Piperia unalascendis 23may2015 — *Piperia unalascendis* on 23 may 2015

Pleuricospora fimbriolata
“fringed pine-saps”
I’ve only seen this mycoparasitic species one time (deer ate this one within a few minutes of being photographed).

pinesap_IMG_0881 — *Pleuricospora fimbriolata*

pinesap_IMG_0910 — *Pleuricospora fimbriolata*

pinesap_IMG_0906 — *Pleuricospora fimbriolata*

pinesap_IMG_0895 — *Pleuricospora fimbriolata*

pinesap_IMG_0889 — *Pleuricospora fimbriolata*

Polygonum californica
California milkwort

Pseudotsuga menziesii
Douglas-fir

We only rarely get snow here unless counting this annual pollen fall from this plant.

Pyrola asarifolia subsp. bracteata
Pink wintergreen
Is just beginning to flower.

Pyrola asarifolia ssp. bracteata on 23 May 2015 — *Pyrola asarifolia* ssp. *bracteata* on 23 May 2015

Pyrola asarifolia ssp. bracteata; Pink wintergreen — An older picture of Pyrola asarifolia ssp. *bracteata*

Pyrola picta
White-veined wintergreen
Is also just beginning at the end of May and will be flowering as we move into June.

Rhus diversiloba
Poison oak
This is an underappreciated beauty.
The north has maples for Fall color; we have poison oak — starting in late Summer.

another image from earlier

Rhus diversiloba AKA Poison oak — *Rhus diversiloba* 16 August 2018

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Ribes sangineum var. glutinosa
Pink-Flowered Currant

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum 21march2015 — *Ribes sanguineum* var. *glutinosum* 21 March 2015

Rosa californica
California Wild Rose

Rosa californica AKA California Wild Rose — *Rosa californica*

Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬
California Indian Pinks

Spartium junceum
Spanish broom

Spartium junceum 14may2015 — *Spartium junceum*

Tanacetum parthenium
Feverfew

Tolpis barbata
European Umbrella Milkwort

Trientalis latifolia
Pacific Starflower

Trientalis latifolia 12may2015 — *Trientalis latifolia* May 2015

Trifolium hirtum
Rose clover
Along the nearest road.

Trifolium incarnatum
Crimson clover
Along the nearest road.

Trillium ovatum
Pacific Trillium

Triteleia laxa
Ithuriel’s spear

Veronica persica
Birdseye Speedwell

Whipplea modesta
Yerba del Selva

Whipplea modesta April 2015 — *Whipplea modesta* April 2015

Polygala californica

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

Polygala californica is also known as the Calfornia milkwort.

I thusfar can’t locate reports of any medicinal applications but assume the native people here probably used it for something. A number of the Polygala species are used in medicine or as herbs in asian cultures.

It is still blooming right now (5 may) and has been for a few days which was when these images were taken.

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬ is also known as California Indian Pinks.

Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

Sunlight makes the red really intense and also lights up many small reflector bodies.

Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬ – what appears to be white are reflectors!

‪Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

Silene laciniata ssp. californica‬

Whipplea modesta

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

Whipplea modesta is also known as Yerba del selva and Modesty. The first common name suggests it may have medicinal use but I have not been able to confirm that.
Has been placed in Hydrangeaceae and in Saxifragaceae.

Whipplea modesta

Most people who live in or visit the Pacific coastal forests have seen this plant but most of them do not know a name for it.

Anisocarpus madioides

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

Anisocarpus madioides is also known as the “Woodland maddia”.

This first picture is the right-way up.

Anisocarpus madioides

Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus, the “Woodland pea”, in late April 2015.

Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum (Pink-flowered currant) on 21 March 2015

The wildlife beat me to these every year.

Ribes sanguineum var. glutinosum 21march2015

Anagallis arvensis

Posted on January 1, 2010 by admin

Anagallis arvensis
Scarlet pimpernell

Regarded by some to be just another common weed yet meriting an old and enduring rhym

No heart can think, no tongue can tell,
The virtues of the pimpernell.

This species used to be highly valued as a medicinal plant but the saponins apparently make it toxic enough to be a potentially fatal choice of self-medication. I’ve been told by more than one herbalist that it fell out of use more than a century ago but I have not yet found actual details about when or why or how.

I would not suggest ingesting the plant but should comment that it has a strong weirdly prickly feeling taste.

While still in college, I read someplace, perhaps in Milspaugh’s work from the 1800s on medicinal plants, that the name anagallis meant inducing laughter.
Ingestion of the green plant material was said to cause a mild feeling in the chest and throat that purportedly resembled the onset of laughter. I might disagree with the latter analogy but it did produce a strange sensation in my upper chest when I tried it circa 1981. It was not unpleasant but, unlike laughter, there not much desire to repeat the experience.

Anagallis arvensis

Color reproduction of the flower color is inexplicably poor in these images. The flower on the upper left in the image above is, of those on this page, perhaps among the closest to being true.