Hey guys! On our 6th field trip we went to the Edgewood and Natural Reserve, located on the westside of Redwood City. This was a 45-minute drive away from the University of San Francisco. Our journey led us through a trail that was abundant in poison oak, but we were able navigate through it safely. Along the way, we came across a dead mole rat and spotted some deer! On this trip we reviewed our previous knowledge of plants (got candy if we were able to identify a plant’s family). In this post I will be sharing some of the interesting plants that we encountered.

• Taxon: Geranium molle
• Taxon Common Name:  Dove’s foot Crane’s-bill or Dovesfoot Geranium
• Parent Taxon: Geraniaceae
• Description:

  • Habit: Annual or Perennial herb. Leaf & Stem: Plant covered with soft hairs; leaves nearly round, palmately divided into 5-7 lobes; lobes evenly round-toothed. Flower: pairs of flowers with 5 petals divided into 2 lobes (looks like 10 petals). Fruit: seedpods hairless of reflexed stems.

 

• Taxon: Delphinium parryi
• Taxon Common Name:  Larkspur
• Parent Taxon: Ranunculaceae
• Description:

  • Habit: Perennial herb, evergreen, growth habit is an upright spike. Leaf & Stem: base generally curly-puberulent; Leaf is generally curly puberulent. Flower: purplish-blue; the flowers are on long pedicels; sepals reflexed or spreading.

 

• Taxon: Trifolium willdenovii
• Taxon Common Name: Tomcat clover
• Parent Taxon: Fabaceae
• Description:

  • Habit: Annual wildflower. Leaf & Stem: leaves are linear-to-lance oblong or elliptic, green, alternate, and palmately compound. Flower: looks like a typical clover but with extra long leaves, lavender to purple (sometimes purple to pink); 9 united stamens and one free Fruit: 2-seeded pod. Inflorescence: stalked, axillary cluster, pea-like flowers arranged in a wheel-like shape