Field Trip to Edgewood Park

Date: 4/5/18

Location: Edgewood Park, Redwood city: 37.4732° N, 122.2782° W, elevation 225 t0 800 ft.

Site Description:

Edgewood park is located in the San Francisco peninsula with great views of the bay. It is a serpentine grassland and chaparral area with an abundance of live oaks, rolling hills, blossoming flowers and a noticeably large amount of poison oak. There is a great deal of shrub growth and the hiking area can be described as an easy to hike and well maintained trail. There is a great balance of wooded/shaded moist areas and open sunny areas.

Species Descriptions:

Wyethia angustifolia
“Narrow leaved mule ears”

Pictured above is the species Wyethia angustifolia, also known as Narrow leaved mule ears. This plant is part of the Asteraceae family and is a California native. It is a perennial herb, with a generally erect and hairy stem. It has basal and cauline leaves, alternate, oblanceolate and hairy leaves. It is bisexual and bilateral It has one large inflorescence, ray flower is yellow with fused corolla. Anthers are yellow, brown and petals have a leaf-like linear look to them. They are typically found in grassland areas, and this one was found in the hilly/open areas of Edgewood park, closer to the freeway.

Delphinium variegatum
“Royal Larkspur”

Pictured above is the Delphinium variegatum which is known as the “Royal larkspur.” It is part of the Ranunculaceae family, and is a California native. It is a perennial herb, with an erect, generally unbranched stem with a hairy base. Its leaves are simple, basal and cauline, petioled, and palmately lobed. Its flowers are bilateral with 5 sepals, and 4 spreading petals. Uppermost sepal has nectar secreting spurs enclosed. The petals are generally dark blue and hairy. They are toxic and found in northern temperate areas.

Layia platyglossa
“Tidy tips”

Pictured above is Layia platyglossa, which is also known as Tidy Tips. It is part of the Asteraceae family and is a California native. It is an annual, and it has a generally ascending to erect stem, with its leaves being opposite or basal rosette, cauline being opposite, sessile. The disk flower is yellow with a white outline. They are very common in northern California, and they typically begin to flower in February, so we were able to see them just in time.

Highlights:

We left school at 12:45 and headed to Edgewood Park. It was a little bit over-cast when we left, weather in the low 60’s. I had been to Edgewood park before because I had previously attended a college just an exit over called Cañada college, so I was familiar with the area. It’s a pretty easy hike, not too rigorous and has a nice view over-looking the bay area. On our trip we spend a lot of time going over smaller species and spent time looking at them very closely. These ones can be particularly hard to identify because they are so small, so it gave us some practice.

 

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