On March 23rd, I recently had the opportunity to revisit Mount Tamalpais for the second time. However, instead of exploring the same areas as before, we ventured to Ridgecrest Blvd, which is just a 48-minute car ride fro the University of San Francisco. This time around, not only did we get to see new plant species, but we also had the chance to rehash some of the previous plant species we encountered on our previous field trips. On this field trip our class tried to test our knowledge and see whether or not we could distinguish the plant families. During our recent field trip to Ridgecrest Blvd we had a great time exploring the unique plant species, however the trail I have to say was a bit muddy, and unfortunately, I made the mistake of wearing white sneakers. As a result, my once-pristine shoes became caked with mud. Moving on, below are some of the plant families that I found interesting on this trip:
- Taxon: Vicia sativa
- Taxon Common Name: Wild Pea (Common Vetch)
- Parent Taxon: Fabaceae
- Description:
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Habit: Annual, glabrous or hairy. Leaf & Stem: Leaves are pinnately compound; has a branched tendril at the tip that clasps surrounding vegetation for support; Leaflets are oblong-elliptic; has a stipules at the base of the compound leaf stalk; stem is decumbent or ascending. Flower: 1-2 short-stalked pea-shaped flowers in the upper leaf axils; pink to purple; calyx attachment basal; lobes linear; banner glabrous. Fruit:flattened pea pod up to 2 inches long. Inflorescence: flowers in sessile or +- peduncled clusters of 1–3; pedicels short
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- Taxon: Genista monspessulana
- Taxon Common Name: French Broom
- Parent Taxon: Fabaceae
- Description:
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Ecology: Common. Disturbed places. Elevation: < 900 m. Leaf: stipules, deciduous; oblanceolate to widely obovate. Flower: ovate, hairy only on midrib or glabrous. Habit: Shrub < 3m. Inflorescence: racemes short, dense, axillary.
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- Taxon: Sanicula arctopoides Calflora
- Taxon Common Name: Yellow Mats
- Parent Taxon: Apiaceae
- Description:
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Ecology: open coastal bluffs, headlands, dunes. Elevation: < 250 m. Leaf: simple, +- palmately or ternately dissected, bright +- yellow-green at flower, triangular-ovate to round, lobes coarsely toothed to lobed. Flower: are bisexual 10–12, calyx lobes fused proximal to middle, ovate, acute; corolla yellow; styles 2–3 x calyx lobes. Fruit: obovate to +- round, smooth or with stout, curved. Seed: face concave.
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