First entry of Spring!
On the bluffs at the end of Jefferson Way in Fort Bragg yesterday, there were a handful of species starting to bloom, but the footsteps of spring (Sanicula arctopoides), were the most prolific.
These plants are aptly named - they're flat and cheery and scattered about the green grassy bluffs like the footprints of a happy little elf. They're are cousins of the cow parsnip from a few weeks ago. They're both in the carrot family (Apiaceae), and characteristically have flowers in an umbel formation. They're so small and compact that they look like little buttons, smaller than a penny. The flower stalks are short and either single or clustered like a tiny cabbage patch.
Like the cow parsnip, these flowers were covered with insects - mostly ants.
Also blooming on the bluffs were Mendocino paintbrush (Castilleja mendocinensis), California buttercup (Ranunculus californicus) and beach strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis).
Happy trails.
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