Calochortus tiburonensis photo by Mary Aline Stevens

MARIN CHAPTER
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY

Dedicated To The Preservation of California Native Flora


MEETINGS ~ FIELD TRIPS ~ VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES ~ NEWSLETTERS
PLANT LISTS ~ WILDFLOWER REPORTS ~ LINKS ~ May newsletter
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Upcoming Marin CNPS Events
Chapter Meetings
Monday, May 14 Bob & Martha Sikora on "The Pacific Crest Trail"
Monday, June 11Bruce Baldwin on "What does the new Jepson Manual mean for California floristics?" Field Trips
Saturday May 5 and Sunday May 6 Walker Ridge with Sanhedrin/Milo Baker CNPS Chapter
Sunday May 6 Brooks Island, East Bay Regional Parks
Marin County Open Space District Naturalist Outings with David Herlocker
registration is open for:
Bay-Friendly Garden Tour
Sunday, May 6th – Napa County
Saturday, May 19th – Marin County
California Native Grasslands Association Workshops
of special local interest: June 30: Mt. Tamalpais Grass ID and Appreciation
Doreen Smith's Rare Plant Report 2012
Marin Plant of the month by Doreen Smith:
Ceanothus masonii and some of its close relatives....
Ceanothus masonii Ceanothus masonii Ceanothus gloriosus var. exaltatus Ceanothus gloriosus var. exaltatus
"Ceanothus masonii is a rare Marin County endemic shrub, probably confined to the middle part of Bolinas Ridge. It grows in chaparral on rocky, sandstone-derived soils with various other species of Ceanothus and 3 species of Arctostaphylos.
"I was first introduced to this plant in the early 1990's by Robert Allen, then our Chapter's rare plant expert. We parked our cars at the junction of Ridgecrest and the highest point of the Bolinas to Fairfax Road. Then we hiked northwards through the coast redwood forest until we reached the open chaparral. Soon we found just a few shrubs of a short, stiff, holly-leaved blue-blossom, "real" Ceanothus masonii, growing by the shoulders of the fire road.
"Advancing more to the north, past several specimens of the similarly rare Marin manzanita, Arctostaphylos virgata, we came across taller, larger-leaved, blue-blossom shrubs, these are the rare Ceanothus gloriosus var exaltatus. The point at which the two taxa met was indistinct, they merged gradually into each other.
"The theoretical origin of Ceanothus masonii is that it is a stable hybrid of Ceanothus cuneatus and C. gloriosus var. exaltatus, however it may be just a variety of C. gloriosus. More study is needed.
"This is not the only puzzle about defining the taxon "C. masonii". In several parts of Mt. Tamalpais and its north-trending ridges are blue-blossoms which are probably hybrids of C. cuneatus and C. jepsonii. They grow in chaparral at junctions of sandstone and serpentine rocks. They have been erroneously called C. rigidus or C. masonii on some herbarium voucher sheets. Who says identifying plants is easy as long as you key them out carefully? Maybe yes, but often no. A plant may key out "perfectly" but still not be "it".

For more information about and photographs of California native plants,
visit Calflora, CalPhotos. or USDA PLANTS
Wildflower reports from Marin County

Calypso bulbosa photo by Dave Strauss March 25 Dave Strauss reports:
"Today I saw several Calypso bulbosa in bloom near Rifle camp."


Vaccinium ovatum photo by Denise King Fritillaria affinis var. affinis photo by Denise King Pedicularis densiflora photo by Denise King Zigadenus fremontii var. fremontii photo by Denise King

March 18 Denise King reports blooming on Mt. Tam: Fat Solomon (Maianthemum racemosum), Star Lily (Zigadenus fremontii var. fremontii), Indian Warrior (Pedicularis densiflora), Mission Bells (Fritillaria affinis var. affinis), Shooting Stars (Dodecatheon hendersonii), Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum), and Chaparral Paintbrush (Catilleja foliolosa).

March 4 Greg Reis reports: " On the Moon Hill Road though French Ranch OSP today there were lots of Calypso Orchids, Indian Warriors, Hounds Tongue, and many other flowers."

Ribes californicum photo by Peter Denisevich February 20 Peter Denisevich reports:
"Ribes californicum is blooming near the entrance to Cascade Canyon, MCOSD. A few trilliums are up but not open yet."

Cynoglossum grande photo by Dave Strauss February 11 Dave Strauss reports: "We saw Cynoglossum grande in bloom in several places along Eldridge Grade, and also along Rock Spring-Lagunitas fire road."

Report (email us) your Marin native plant sightings and photographs
Gardening with Native Plants in the San Francisco Bay Area
Native Plants that Attract Birds
Sowing Wildflowers in Your Garden
Is That Plant Really Native? Genetic Considerations for Conservation, Restoration and Horticulture by Dr. Paul G. da Silva
Third Thursday Weeders
- a collaboration of the Marin chapter of CNPS and the Environmental Action Committee of West Marin
Third Thursday Weeders removing iceplant at Pt. Reyes Join the Third Thursday Weeders to spend a day at beautiful Point Reyes and help tackle invasive weeds that threaten important plant habitat in the Point Reyes National Seashore.
The group meets on the Third Thursday of each month at locations arranged with Seashore staff. we have hand-pulled small iceplant seedlings at a gorgeous location on the Outer Point, and dug up European beachgrass at Abbott’s Lagoon. Not only do we enjoy fun days of comraderie in the great outdoors at Point Reyes, we make a significant contribution to improving habitat for native species!
Our next work parties will take place on Thursday April 19.
Send an email to Ellen Hamingson at Ellen_Hamingson@nps.gov to be notified of the time and place to meet. Tentatively, we are planning to weed around the edges of the Point Reyes Lighthouse Parking Lot, an area which supports numerous species of unusual native plants. Ehrharta grass and other invasives are trying to displace these species so the area needs our attention!
Bring plenty of water, lunch and snacks, warm and wind-stopping layers, sturdy shoes, and work clothes. No shorts or open-toed shoes. The Park provides tools and gloves.
more Volunteer Opportunities
The new edition of John Thomas Howell's classic 1949
Marin Flora is co-authored by Wilma Follette, Catherine Best and Frank Almeda, Senior Curator of Botany at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, and is a joint project of the Marin Chapter of the CNPS and the Academy of Sciences. This updated edition has added 416 line drawings to assist in keying species, new well-tested dichotomous keys, and color photos of plant communities in Marin. There are new maps along with satellite images of Marin County. As much as possible has been preserved of Howell's original plant descriptions that have long delighted botanists as well as his insights and poetic observations. Hard and soft cover books will be available for purchase at chapter meetings or you can Order Marin Flora from the Marin Chapter CNPS. Marin Chapter members have contributed many hours of volunteer labor andexpertise; work was carried out at the Academy where plant specimens are retained. Publication was made possible by Tom Howell's generous remembrance of the chapter in his will when he died in 1994.
Cover illustration: "Mt. Tamalpais from Corte Madera Creek" by Tom Killion © 2004
California's Wild Gardens showcases the splendid abundance of California's native plants in their natural settings - from foggy rain forests and rolling grasslands to high alpine meadows and parched deserts. The book offers a close-up look at more than one hundred special sites in the state, highlighting their distinctive ecology, the rare and unique plants found in them, and some of their more familiar botanical treasures. With its spectacular color photographs and lively writing by some of California's best biologists and ecologists, California's Wild Gardens is the perfect introduction to the state's remarkable botanical diversity. Like the best travel guides, it will inspire its readers to further explore California's natural heritage. In addition to illuminating California's botanical bounty, this book discusses threats facing the state's flora and describes protection efforts now under way.
Find this and more at the Pickleweed Press Website
CNPS Grass and Wildflower Posters
Plant Communities of Marin by David Shuford and Irene C. Timossi
Marin CNPS Photo Gallery
Marin State and Federally Listed Rare, Threatened, or Endangered Plants
Common Bay Area Spring Wildflowers
Common Bay Area Shrubs
Arctostaphylos species of Marin County
Orobanche species of Marin County
Some Native Orchids of Marin County
Delphinium bakeri pictures and article
Plant Communities of Marin County
Invasive Alert - Lepidium latifolium - Pt. Reyes staff have been finding scattered new populations of Perennial Pepperweed in Tomales Bay and would greatly appreciate reports of any plants seen around Tomales Bay. Please contact Ecologist Lorraine Parsons at Lorraine_Parsons@nps.gov. with information as to the location (as precise as possible), size, and life stage (flowering, fruiting, etc).
Lepidium latifolium description and photos
Junior Botanists Program
E-mail questions or comments to Marin CNPS 		Calochortus tiburonensis photo by Mary Aline Stevens



Our logo is the Tiburon Mariposa Lily
(Calochortus tiburonensis). This extremely rare lily can be seen blooming from the end of May through mid-June among the serpentine rocks of Ring Mountain in Marin County, California. In fact, this is the only place in the world it has ever been found growing in the wild. It was first noticed by botanists in 1971 when the small patch of land on which it lives passed from private into public hands. The plant is now in cultivation and can be seen in botanic gardens.
Try your hand at identifying the parts of this flower:
or
View more photographs of this lily in its native habitat
or
Visit the College of Marin's "To See A World Project" to learn more about Ring Mountain

The California Native Plant Society
is a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of California native plants and their natural habitats, and to increasing the understanding, appreciation, and horticultural use of native plants. It seeks to accomplish these goals in a number of ways, through: The work of the Society is carried out primarily by the volunteer efforts of the members of CNPS chapters throughout the state. Money at the State level is provided by the dues of members. Local chapters raise money through plant sales and poster and book sales. The California Native Plant Society has 9,000 members statewide. The Marin Chapter, which was founded in 1973, has approximately 500 members.

Chapter Websites:
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 PHOTOGRAPHS AND WILDFLOWER IDENTIFICATION AIDS:
  • CalPhotos UC Berkeley Digital Library Photo Collection consists of 63,460 images of California plants (native and naturalized) and habitats. You can search for plants by name, location (there are 1734 plant images taken in Marin County), or type and color.
  • USDA PLANTS Database provides standardized information about the vascular plants, mosses, liverworts, hornworts, and lichens of the U.S. and its territories.
  • California Academy of Sciences: California Wildflower Search
  • Ron Parson's Flowershots Photographs of Orchids and other Wildflowers as well as lots of links to orchid sites and sites of general botanical interest
  • Reny Parker's Wildflowers An image gallery of wildflower, native plant, and landscape photographs. Currently over 1,750 images identified to 78 plant families.
  • Dpn Bain's Virtual Guidebook to Marin and the North Bay Counties (and loads of other spots spanning western North America): Scroll through 360-degree panoramas, each seamlessly stitched together from 12 still photographs. They even tell you how to create your own. Definitely entertaining if you have QuickTime software already installed or want to download it.
WILDFLOWER REPORTS:
CALIFORNIA NATIVE PLANT SOCIETY:
Join (or renew your membership in) the California Native Plant Society

The Marin Chapter of the California Native Plant Society thanks Geology Professor Jim Locke and the College of Marin for hosting our Web Pages.

e-mail Marin CNPS
webster Mary Aline Stevens