Yellow Bush Lupine

Huh? Yeah, that's what it's called, and what it is; except it's also purple, in fact mostly purple, here in Nor Cal.  Lupines are nice adornment to any sunny habitat, and this particular species of lupine shrub is abundant enough to paint a whole hillside purple.   I do see yellow individuals here and there, so I'll add a photo of those later...

Like most legumes, the lupines are colonizers that like to find disturbed areas and reproduce aggressively.  Yellow bush lupine (Lupinus arboreous) is especially good at what it does, so much so, it's considered a native invasive plant in certain sensitive areas, like dunes (Cal-IPC only rates it as moderate).  

Lupines are toxic to humans and cattle.  So, enjoy them for their looks.  Lupines make a good landscaping plant thanks to this toxicity, as the deer avoid them.

These are growing on the bluffs by the Noyo harbor in Fort Bragg.  Some of the "bluffs"around Noyo harbor are actually somewhat manmade, after years of piling up material dredged from the river mouth to keep the channel deep enough for boats.  It's the perfect place for a weed garden.  I like to think these lupines are pretty tough - standing their ground against the insidious pampas grass that dominates the area.

Lupines characteristically have palmate leaves (as shown above.)  The leaves of some lupines are adorned with tiny fuzzy hairs that lend a silvery quality to the leaves in the right light.  Another species of lupine - Lupinus albifrons, or silver lupine, is named for this quality.  L. albifrons, by the way, is host to an endangered butterfly called the Mission Blue.

The Trillium Trilogy...epilogue

Might as well rename this blog to "Trillium and Friends." I can't seem to stop finding Trillium that I want to photograph and share. Each one changes its color in its own style.

These photos were taken on April 23 in Jackson Demonstration State Forest, on Rd. 409.

Trillium Revisited, Again

Just another shot of trillium flowers doing their turning pink thing.

April 16

Delphinium

It doesn't get bluer than this. Delphinium (Larkspur) is a toxic and beautiful genus that comes in many colors, but this is my favorite. They're captivating, ay? I couldn't pass this up, though it was growing on a steep grassy slope by the highway (near Wages creek north of Westport) that had no shoulder. Had to perch on the slope to get the photo and stay clear of traffic. The way I was angled, I guess it looked like I was photographing passing motorists, because a lady slowed down and whined out the window, "what the hell are you taking pictures of?!" "The flower," I pointed. "Oh," she said, seeming relieved. And off she went.

Delphinium decorum? April 5.

Calypso Orchids

Calypso orchids, or fairyslippers, (Calypso bulbosa) are the most commonly seen Orchid around here. I saw a patch of about 100 of them along Little River Airport road, in a shady, mossy spot - the most I've seen in one area.

Orchidaceae is the plant family second in line for highest number of species (next to Asteraceae), and its species are found all over the world. The orchid family is most diverse in the tropics, where around 1/3 the world's species live. Here in this county we've got a pretty good couple o' handfuls, with about 2 dozen species. Six of the of those are rare species. Be conscious that calypso orchids, though not uncommon, are not capable of handling much disturbance, so they should be treated as though they were. Although the tuber like corms underground are said to be edible, its not advised they be foraged upon since it doesn't do the plant populations any good to root around in their substrate. And I've read they don't transplant well either.

These orchids are bent over backward to orient their one large modified petal (labellum) downward, as a platform for pollinators. Having one modified petal is characteristic of the Orchid family. And the sepals are petal look-alikes, making the flowers even more conspicuous.

Also characteristic of Orchids is their specialized relationships with their pollinators. Calypso orchids are pollinated by queen bumblebees. The insect is lured into exploring the flower by the hairs at the opening to the flower that look like anthers, and the forked structures that resemble nectaries. But they're deceived, as no nectar is produced by this flower.

These photos are from April 2.

PS: on the same day, I saw what could be the first rhododendron blooms. In the pygmy forest along Little River airport Road, the whole forest goes pink by Mid-may, but at the moment they're still bare - except for this one little bush with one inflorescence hiding behind the fence at the County Airport.

More on Milk Maids

While taking pictures of a Trillium at the edge of the woods at my house,I noticed the multitude of Cardamine californica popping up all over the place. They looked like the normal variety, so I thought I ought to take some pics to demonstrate the difference between these and the ones from my other post. Also, an especially purple Cardamine basal leaf caught my eye and wanted its picture taken (above). The heart shaped basal leaf of the milkmaid plant looks totally different from the cauline leaves, which are usually palmately dissected. They are often various shades of green or purple, or both. Below is the whole plant.

So the question is, dear readers, do the individuals in the photos from my other post belong to a subspecies or variety of Cardamine californica? If I had dear readers, I would ask for their input.

The photos above were taken on March 14 in Little River, Ca.