Location: 37.80014343895593, -122.47953985767197

Site Description: Magnificent view of the Golden Gate Bridge. Located near the Presidio. An abundance of poison oak along the trail. Lots of Serpentine soil.

Species Description:

Family – Anacardiaceae, Species – Pacific Poison Oak (toxicodendron diversilobium); Reddish to green color, compound leaf with three leaves. Can be in the form of vines but are usually shrubs. Every part of the plant is poisonous. It will irritate the skin if rubbed against it.

Family – Apocynaceae, Species – Periwinkle (Vinca Major); Petals fused at the bottom and free at the top. Latex seeps out when the leaves are broken which plays a role in anti-herbivore defense. Sepals are long, green, and claw-like.

Family – Rhamnaceae, Species – Blueblossom (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus); Leaves have an almost parallel-like venation. Tiny dentations on the margins. Cluster, almost head-like inflorescences. Tiny yellow anthers popping out on top. Steps have vertical striations. The underside of the leaves have raised veins.

iNaturalist Link: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/149675003

Narrative: At the start of the trial, we spotted a checkerspot caterpillar. Then, we proceeded to go down the trail. Not long after we started hiking, it started to rain. It eventually turned into hail which was super fun for the class. It was also very cold. We came across many interesting plants and also a lot of poison oak. We were careful not to touch any of it. As we got closer to the Golden Gate Bridge, we saw a purple flower called Coast Rockcress. The view of the bridge was amazing so I took lots of pictures.