Marin CNPS Meetings ~~~
Marin Field Trips ~~~
Marin CNPS Plant Lists ~~~
CNPS Newsletters
Links ~~~ Wildflower Reports with Photographs ~~~
Volunteer Opportunities in Marin
Join the California Native Plant Society
Email Marin CNPS
Upcoming Marin CNPS Events
September 4 Field Trip Abbotts' Lagoon, Pt. Reyes National Seashore
plant list
September 18, 6-9:30 Potluck dinner and member slide show
Bring a dish to share and/or beverages; a $5 door donation will help us cover facility rental and expenses.
If you have images to share of this year’s outings, please bring a laptop for digital images, slides
(we have a projector), photo albums, or anything else you would like to share (or have identified!).
Presentation time will be limited so all have time to share!
We will conduct a raffle of plant books, prints, and other appropriate items, so consider bringing
something for that as well. You will in turn enjoy a delicious meal, great company, and beautiful
pictures! Help will be needed for setup from 5:30 p.m. and for cleanup afterwards.
Location: Lucas Valley Community Center, 1201 Idylberry Rd., San Rafael.
Directions: Take Hwy. 101 to Lucas Valley Rd. exit, north of San Rafael; drive west on Lucas Valley Rd.
about two miles and turn right onto Mt. Shasta Dr. Take the second left onto Idylberry, then immediately
left into the Community Center parking lot.
To volunteer or to ask questions, contact Stacey Pogorzelski at (415) 789-0475
September 25 Field Trip Autumn on the Rift Trail,Pt. Reyes National Seashore
October 11 Chapter Meeting Charlotte Torgovitsky: Winged Visitors in Your Garden Sanctuary
November 8 Chapter Meeting Stephen Sharnoff : A Diversity of Lichens
California Native Plant Week
"Some exiting news! Our bill ACR 173 - Native Plant Week passed the
Senate! It’s now official - the third week of April in California will be Native Plant Week!
Many thanks to Vern Goehring and Joshua Stark for working closely with Assemblywoman Evans and her staff
to move this bill forward. Also thanks to our volunteers around the Society (particularly on the
Horticulture Committee) who have either provided support or helped provide information needed to
address questions that have come up about some of the language in the bill.
Next up - developing a plan to leverage the publicity surrounding this event and get the word out about
CNPS and the great work we do to protect our native flora!" - Tara Hansen, Executive Director.CNPS
Piperia elegans ssp. decurtata, July 2010 Plant of the month by Doreen Smith
"Most species of Marin's native orchids are summer-flowering. The rarest of all is the
endemic-to-Pt. Reyes rein orchid, Piperia elegans ssp. decurtata. It grows only near the
Lighthouse and about the Chimney Rock areas. The common P. elegans ssp. elegans is also
found on Pt. Reyes but only on the eastern hills e.g. about Drakes Estero and Abbotts' Lagoon.
"Apart from the centers of distribution, which are at least about 10 miles from each other,
the plants' flowers can be told apart by the differing lengths of the nectar-spurs. P. elegans ssp. decurtata
has a much shorter one than ssp. elegans. It's perfume is different too, being likened to
clove redhots rather than a sort-of almond library-paste odor for the common subspecies.
"A project is proposed to improve the waste-water sewage system of the Chief's House near the Chimney Rock
trailhead. Unfortunately the only suitable well-drained soil for a leachfield is in coastal prairie about
100 yards to the S. of the house (and it's "historic" Kikuyu grass lawns). In previous years, the orchids,
as well as other local plant rarities, have been seen blooming there. It is hard to find this orchid except
when it flowers. We hope to take a monitoring field trip there in August to see if we can find this rare Piperia
before any excavation work takes place.
Update from Doreen 30 July: "Piperia elegans ssp.
decurtata are late this year and
only just opening their flowers. Several spikes can be found both
near the Lighthouse parking lot N. overlook and the Chimney Rock
area Fish-Docks access road."
For more information about and photographs of California native plants,
visit
Calflora,
CalPhotos.
or USDA PLANTS
2010 Bay-Friendly Landscape Conference
for public agency and landscape professionals
Transforming Urban Landscapes to Protect Our Water Resources
September 16, 8:30 am - 4 pm Tour Bay-Friendly Rated Landscapes: Starts & Ends in Oakland.
September 17, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Conference at St. Mary’s Event Center, San Francisco
Wildflower reports from Marin County
Report (email us) your
Marin native plant sightings and photographs
August 22 Doreen Smith reports:
from Brad's field trip to the Jepson Loop, Tomales Bay State Park.
"It was a fine day with no fog and clear views! Lots of huckleberries
about to eat and other native fruits to see ripening on the bushes
including woodland rose, thimbleberry, coffeeberry, salal and the
spiny Menzies' gooseberries. The poison oak was providing lots of
red pre-fall color.
"Still in flower were yerba buena (Clinopodium douglasii), coast daisy
(Corethrogyne filaginifolia), pink honeysuckle (Lonicera hispidula),
harebell (Campanula californica), morning-glory vine (Calystegia
purpurata), even one blueblossom bush (Ceanothus thyrsiflorus) at
the upper picnic ground, overlooking Heart's Desire beach. We added
two orchid species to the plant list: Piperia elongata and a
Corallorhiza in fruit, so we're not sure which species it is."
August 16 Dave Strauss reports: "I saw this flower near Brown Bridge in Fairfax. I've never seen it before."
Doreen Smith contributes: "This patch of "common madia" (Madia elegans) has been flowering since spring,
a fine vigorous Ca. native Composite. More can be seen opposite the Big Rock on Lucas Valley Road,
it often occurs on serpentine.The flowerheads are open in the am, close up in the afternoon."
July 31 Doreen Smith reports:
"Dabney's field trip around Lake Lagunitas today was
well-attended. There were even some late blooming wildflowers as well
as various seeds and berries. We saw the delicate pink Clarkia rubicunda,
the Mt. Tamalpais forma with very little red in the center
of the petals, Campanula prenanthoides, Piperia transversa and
Perideridia gairdneri. We also saw a rare bird, a green heron."
Lake Lagunitas plant checklist

July 30 Doreen Smith reports:
"Last week I went to Limantour to check out the effects of the
various re-construction works have had on the marshes and there were
lots of spp. blooming still. Among them the rare saltmarsh plants
Pt. Reyes birds-beak (Cordylanthus maritimus ssp. palustris) and
variable owl's-clover (Castilleja ambigua ssp. ambigua). I also found
what is perhaps a new population of the enigmatic Marin knotweed
(Polygonum marinense).
"Other species in the area were 4 yellow Lotus spp.
(birds-foot trefoils) 3 native and 1 introduced, and the aromatic
tarplant (Deinandra corymbosa). I got reports of rein orchid (Piperia
elegans ssp. elegans) on the beginning of path along the sandspit.
"The coast tarplant (Hemizonia congesta) grows by the roadside on the
way to Limantour parking lot , it is lemon-yellow here rather than
the more inland golden-yellow version."
All reports from 2003 to present
For more information about and photographs of California native plants,
visit
Calflora,
CalPhotos.
or USDA PLANTS
Volunteer Opportunities
- Point Reyes National Seashore-
Habitat Restoration Program
Workdays are normally held on the
second and last Sundays of each month.
Please meet us at Bear Valley Visitor Center at 9AM to car pool out to the site.
If you're late and want to meet at the work site, please be sure to check at the Visitor Center
front desk to confirm the location. Remember to bring a snack/lunch and water and wear clothes that
can get dirty.
- Point Reyes Weed Watchers
Point Reyes Weed Watchers patrol park trails, detecting and mapping weeds as they first invade.
If you enjoy leisurely hikes through the parks but also want to help protect the unique natural
resources, then this is the perfect opportunity for you. Weed Watchers is appropriate for adults
and teens.
For more information, call 415-464-5201 or Natalie_Howe@nps.gov.
The Bay Area Discovery Museum, September 15 and 17.
7 acre indoor/outdoor children's museum at
Fort Baker, is looking for volunteer to help spruce up the native plant gardens.
Contact Rose Kelly at 415.339.3984 or rkelly@badm.org.
- MMWD -
Mt Tam Watershed Volunteer Opportunities
Please note that all events are subject to cancellation due to heavy rain. Please call (415) 945-1128 the morning of the event. It could be raining on Mt. Tam. but sunny 10 miles away or vice versa!
more information
-Mt. Tamalpais Weed Watchers
is a new volunteer program of the Marin Municipal Water District.
This year's training classes were held in April and May. We will be training more
volunteer weed watchers next year. Guided hikes on Mt Tamalpais are offered monthly.
Feel free to call us at 415-945-1128if you have any questions.
-Mt. Tamalpais Trail Crew
Generally the 1st Saturday of each month (by reservation)
Join our most skilled volunteers and staff as they maintain and repair our trail system:
building bridges, installing fencing, cutting back brush, repairing stairs and installing
erosion control structures. Trail events are generally suitable for ages 13 and up.
Volunteers under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All volunteers under 18 must
bring a signed permission form. For more information, call 415-945-1128
or e-mail
September 11 Azalea Meadow Trail, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Explicit trail connections and signage help mark official trails and minimize the
likelihood of people getting lost. A district vehicle will shuttle volunteers to
the work site. We will meet at 9 a.m. at Lagunitas Picnic Area, located at the end of
Sky Oaks Road, off Bolinas Road in Fairfax.
October 9 Pumpkin Ridge Trail, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
In addition to providing recreation, trails foster an appreciation and respect of nature.
Help us maintain trail integrity by improving the tread and erosion control measures
on Pumpkin Ridge Trail. We will meet at 9 a.m. at Lagunitas Picnic Area, located at the
end of Sky Oaks Road, off Bolinas Road in Fairfax.
-Mt. Tamalpais Habitat Restoration No event in September; October 16 to be announced
Generally the 3rd Saturday of each month (Drop-ins and families encouraged)
Make new friends while battling invasive weeds to restore habitat along Mt.
Tamalpais’ lakeshores. Increase your knowledge of Mt. Tamalpais’ unique plant
and animal life while contributing to their continued survival. This program
focuses on invasive species control with a special emphasis on French broom.
Sites are chosen to be scenic and accessible. Children between the ages of
8 and 16 are welcome if accompanied by an adult. All volunteers under 18
must bring a signed permission form.
For more information, call 415-945-1128
or e-mail
There will not be a Habitat Restoration event in September.
October 16Lagunitas Creek 9 a.m. to Noon
Help us improve habitat for salmon by planting native vegetation along Lagunitas Creek,
home to many local birds and animals including kingfishers, merganser ducks and giant
pacific salamanders. This event is part of the "Gateway" project, which is funded by
the State Coastal Conservancy and the California Resources Agency's River Parkways
program. We will meet at 9 a.m. at the Leo T. Cronin Fish Viewing parking lot located
at Shafter Bridge on Sir Francis Drake Blvd., near the confluence of San Geronimo
Creek and Lagunitas Creek in West Marin, just before Samuel P. Taylor State Park.
- Bolinas Lagoon Preserve, Audubon Canyon Ranch
Your help is needed in restoring native plant communities and wildlife habitat in the
coastal riparian
forests of Bolinas Lagoon. Please join us for our weekly Volunteer Work Days:
Thursdays 9am- noon in Volunteer Canyon.
Contact Leslie@egret.org, 415-868-9244 for more information and to RSVP
- SPAWN" (The Salmon Protection and Watershed Network)
Every Saturday, 10am - 1pm, Creekside Habitat Restoration
Join us as we plant, prune, remove invasives, and improve endangered coho
habitat in the San Geronimo Valley! Its a wonderful opportunity to learn
more about salmon and share rewarding experiences with like-minded folks
of all ages while restoring our local ecosystem.
Location varies, please visit SPAWN"S upcoming events for more details!
Every Friday, 10am - 1pm, Native Plant Nursery Day
Come out and help SPAWN volunteers at our very own Native Plant Nursery!
We cultivate beautiful plants destined for restoration sites throughout
the valley - everything from native blackberries and grasses to majestic
redwoods and Douglas fir. Be a part of transforming creekside habitat from
the ground up!
- more Volunteer Opportunities
New and Revised MARIN FLORA
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
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
Gardening with Native Plants
in the San Francisco Bay Area
Native Plants that Attract Birds
Lost Plants of Marin by Doreen Smith
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
CNPS Grass and Wildflower Posters
Plant Communities of Marin by David Shuford and Irene C. Timossi
Pickleweed Press wetland field guides
Junior Botanists Program
E-mail questions or comments to Marin CNPS
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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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...to other
WEB sites
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2008: The Golden Gate National Recreation Area Endangered Species Big Year
-
California Invasive Plant Council
Protecting California's wildlands through research, restoration, and education
-
California Native Grasslands Association
-
The Bay Institute/STRAW dedicated to restoring the ecosystems of San Francisco Bay
- The Natural Resources DataBase (NRDB)
is a compilation of observations of flora and fauna made at open space and
nature preserves in the greater San Francisco Bay Area. The database can be
searched for available data on flora, mammals, birds, and reptiles-amphibians-
fishes seen at one or more preserves.
- The CalFlora Species Database contains summary geographic and ecological distribution information for 7660 California vascular plant taxa (8363 records including species level taxa where there is more than one var. or ssp.), as well as additional habitat information for rare taxa and species of the Sierra Nevada.
- The Jepson Herbarium's
Jepson Flora Project provides on-line:
- a listing of the plant species included in The Jepson Manual
- state-wide distribution maps of individual species
- a list of all the corrections to the original printing of The Jepson Manual
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Marin / Sonoma Weed Management Area
- Marin County Open Space District (MCOSD) /
Interpretive walks
- Marin Municipal Water District (MMWD)
-
The Planning and Conservation League Foundation
Protecting California's Environment Through Public Education, Policy Research and Legislation
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Friends of Corte Madera Creek Watershed, an all-volunteer, non-profit organization, was founded in 1995 to protect the remaining natural ecosystems of the area, especially those relating to urbanized creeks and wetlands, and where possible to increase the diversity of these ecosystems.
- California Vernal Pools a collection of
information and resources. Includes field trips to see vernal pools.
- San Francisco Estuary Invasive Spartina Project
has a website with maps of current invasive Spartina locations, as well as
downloadable identification brochures and photos from their 2000-2001
surveys.
- The Watershed Project creates and carries
out involvement and outreach programs on creeks, wetlands and watersheds for the general
public and educators in the San Francisco Bay Area.
- California Oak Mortality Task Force (COMTF)
includes information on symptoms and diagnosis of Sudden Oak Death (SOD) and Associated Diseases Caused by Phytophthora ramorum.
- The Environmental Forum of Marin has a comprehensive list of links to
environmental organizations in Marin County and beyond.
- Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program,
University of California, has valuable information on
oaks and oak woodland related issues in their Publications, On Line Leaflets, and Oaks 'n' Folks links.
- Society for Pacific Coast Native Iris has descriptions
of the native species of California and Marin County. Follow the
links to "wild irises" and to "other western iris" and don't miss Brian Argon's
"Marin Iris" in the photo gallery.
-
Cliff Schmidt's Ceanothus Descriptions, set up and
maintained by Oregon State University's Dr. Clifford Schmidt, touts itself as "the web's only
complete treatment of the genus Ceanothus"
- California Lichen Society
- Mycological Society of San Francisco
- California Native Plants Discussion Group allows members to share their experience, their knowledge, and their questions about California native plants with each other. Topics include habitat restoration, gardening with natives, plant identification, propagation techniques, legal and political action, invasive non-natives, and event announcements
- Gardening With Natives Yahoo! Group for individuals interested in growing California native plants in their home gardens, parking strips, school gardens, parks, and elsewhere. This is a forum for communication, for asking questions, and for providing helpful answers. Members come from all backgrounds, from beginners to experts. This forum is particularly welcoming of those new to native plant gardening; they are encouraged to join and post their questions.
This egroup is a service of the Gardening With Natives group of the California Native Plant Society (Santa Clara Valley Chapter). This egroup carries announcements of major native plant gardening events in the South Bay and Peninsula.
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:
- State CNPS Home Page
A valuable resource with information on a myriad of native plants issues
and related links including:
- Invasive Exotics presents
a comprehensive consideration of the problem of biological pollution.
- CNPS Publications is another State CNPS site with
descriptions and ordering information for books and CD-ROMs of interest to all native plant lovers.
(Many of these titles as well as our popular wildflower posters are for sale at the Marin Chapter membership meetings.)
Past issues of the CNPS Journal
Fremontia and the
Bulletin are available here online.
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