On September 26, 2018 the class took a trip to Mt. Tamalpais to see the  Purple-flowered Lupine and Mimulus Cardinals. The first stop to led us to hike down a steep hill to a small stream. Unfortunately we did not see any Mimulus Cardinals blooming, but we did get to learn about the environment and how the plant survives. The stream is a limited source of water so the plant has adapted to a low count of water. Because of the minimal amount of water, there is less competition for the species. The plants also grow far from each other, a few meters.

The second stop was on the side of a down hill road. The soil around the Mimulus Cardianal plants was wet in comparison to the area that surrounded it. Again we did not get the chance to see any flowers blooming but did get to see the plant itself and the environment.

The final stop was closer to the ocean. On a rocky mountain the Purple-flowered Lupine was spotted. We got the chance to see the flower up close along with the pods what had grown on the plant. The flower reflected the Lupine plant we saw on the last trip, but the coloration differed.

Location:

First Stop:

Last Stop:

Purple-flowered Lupine Pods:

Purple-flowered Lupine: