Post on 16-May-2015
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© Project SOUND
Out of the Wilds and Into Your Garden
Gardening with Western L.A. County Native Plants Project SOUND - 2010
© Project SOUND
The Name Game:
Taxonomy, Local
& Island Endemic Plants
C.M. Vadheim and T. Drake
CSUDH & Madrona Marsh Preserve
Madrona Marsh Preserve
March 6th & 9th, 2010
© Project SOUND
What’s in a name?
Common names
Are the names that most gardener’s (and others) use
Developed from common use, over time
Often describe some distinctive feature of the plant - or where it came from
Problems with common names:
The same name may be used to describe several, very different plants
Do not imply any relationship between plants – loss of important information
Catalina Snapdragon
Gambelia (Galvezia) speciosa © Project SOUND
Scientific names Scientific names were developed to
get around some of the limitations of common names
Carl Linnaeus (1707-1778)
Swedish botanist and physician
Considered the “father” of modern taxonomy
Was a keen observer of plants
Described nature as a Divinely-inspired harmonious system in which every organism fulfills a specific role to maintain the general balance
Named approximately 4,400 species of animals and 7,700 species of plants.
Was the first to consistently use a binomial system of classification, giving organisms a one-word general name (called the genus) associated with a one-word specific epithet.
http://www.library.otago.ac.nz/exhibitions/linnaeus/walls/wall_linnaeus.jpg
His many publications encouraged the standardization of binomial nomenclature
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© Project SOUND
What’s in a name? Taxonomy: the systematic
study and classification of plants and animals
‘Artificial’ (for convenient ‘pigeon-hole’ing)
‘Natural’ (reflecting underlying biologic/evolutionary connections)
Linnaean taxonomy was actually an ‘artificial’ system – but he was an excellent observer, so it did reflect natural connections (ie, things that are genetically related often tend to share physical (morphologic) traits)
True ‘Natural’ systematics required 1) better microscopes; 2) increasing interest in plant morphology; 3) an understanding of the concept of species & evolution – e.g., Charles Darwin
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Species_Plantarum
© Project SOUND
Charles Darwin and ‘The
Origin of Species’
Insights:
The environment shapes which individuals survive & pass on their genetic material (genes)
Given enough time, new species can arise from ancestral ones
There are true biologic relationships – in the past – between some species.
You can determine these relationships through studying similarities and differences
© Project SOUND
Plant Systematics: the interrelationship
between ‘natural’ taxonomy, evolution and
phylogeny
http://www.anbg.gov.au/asbs/newsletter/book-review-74a-a.gif
http://www.alonnissos.org/page9/files/taxonomy%20tree.jpg
© Project SOUND
The scientific name
Ideally, a new species is given a formal, scientific name
The generic name is listed first (with its first letter capitalized), followed by a second term, the specific name (or specific epithet)
International Code of Botanical Nomenclature – specifies the format and conventions
U.S. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) - facilitates sharing biologic info. by providing a common framework for taxonomic data
Sometimes regional experts don’t agree with ITIS
Catalina Snapdragon
Gambelia speciosa Nutt.
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Kingdom Plantae – Plants Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants Superdivision Spermatophyta – Seed plants Division Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants Class Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons Subclass Asteridae Order Scrophulariales Family Scrophulariaceae – Figwort family Genus Gambelia Nutt. – greenbright Species Gambelia speciosa Nutt. – showy greenbright
© Project SOUND
What is a species?
Some definitions of species
Biological Species Concept - they cannot interbreed & produce viable offspring; interbreeding studies
Morphospecies Concept - they are different morphologically and do not come in contact for interbreeding
Genetic Species Concept – still working on this – how similar must they be to constitute a species?
Practical definition - Practically, biologists define species as populations of organisms that have a high level of genetic similarity.
The field of taxonomy is changing with our increasingly sophisticated tools
Lyonothamnus floribundus
ssp. aspleniifolius
Lyonothamnus floribundus
ssp. floribundus
© Project SOUND
How do species arise/develop? How
does this relate to island species?
Speciation: The evolutionary formation of new biological species, usually by the division of a single species into two or more genetically distinct ones.
Allopatric Speciation -- speciation occurs in geographic isolation
Founder Effect Speciation -- a special kind of allopatric speciation in a small isolated population on the edge of a species range
© Project SOUND
The Channel Islands of California are
unique places
The four Southern Channel Islands are San Nicolas, Santa Barbara, Santa Catalina, and San Clemente.
Catalina - 26 miles & in many ways our closest neighbor
San Clemente – 49 miles – a bit more distant in several ways
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm
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© Project SOUND
Channel Islands – magical places that some people never want to leave
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www-personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2006/catalina/IMG_1349.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www-
personal.umich.edu/~jensenl/visuals/album/2006/catalina/&usg=__z0Gzu8ecXJHx5dzfWJdpegGFwQM=&h=500&w=800&sz=158&hl=en&start=280&itbs=1&tbnid=NQDkmxmRitZD3M:&tbnh=89&tbnw=143&prev=
/images%3Fq%3Dcatalina%2Bisland%2Bcalifornia%26start%3D270%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1 © Project SOUND
The Tongva people lived on Catalina Island for over 7,000 years.
http://www.wrcc.dri.edu/catalina/ http://www.laurelcanyon.org/Images
/EarlyPhotos/TongvaCanoeEtching.j
pg
Traveling by ti-at
© Project SOUND
What is unique about islands?
Separated from the mainland by water Sometimes for
great distances Sometimes for
long periods
May have different climate
Moister – more fog and rain
Warmer – insulated by ocean
http://www.catalinachamber.com/images/Photos/High/CatalinaIslandWest.jpg
http://www.uptake.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/channelislandsca1.jpg © Project SOUND
What is unique about islands?
May have unusual/steep terrain – are really mountain peaks
May have different rocks & soils from mainland
May have limited area Limits the number of species & individuals
Increases the effects of human interventions
http://www.synergygis.com/geog/rs/images/Catalina_CA_USGS_DEM_Overview.jpg
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© Project SOUND
What is unique about islands?
Often have unique flora and fauna – and fauna may effect flora. Example: plants may not be subject to certain diseases or to large herbivores (sheep) © Project SOUND
Some species are endemic to Catalina
Lyonothamnus floribundus ssp. floribundus 20,000 years ago, this unique sub-species of ironwood tree grew abundantly on the mainland. Now, this tree exists nowhere else in the world but Catalina.
Cercocarpus traskiae The rarest of the Catalina endemics. Only seven of these small shrubs or trees occur naturally in a single canyon.
Eriogonum giganteum var. giganteum Grows on dry, rocky slopes throughout Catalina's interior. Changes with the seasons - from white in the spring, to beige, light brown, then deep russet in the fall
.
© 2006 BonTerra Consulting
© Project SOUND
Also endemic to Catalina
Dudleya hassei The only Catalina endemic which is a succulent. Look for it on the slope at the foot of the Wrigley Memorial.
Arctostaphylos catalinae When the manzanita fruit ripens, its color resembles the brilliant wine-red bark - and the ground squirrels love it.
Galium catalinense ssp. catalinense A perennial herb found mostly on rocky outcroppings on the lee side of Catalina.
http://www.uncledougs.com/Dudleya_hassei.jpg
© Project SOUND
Other common Catalina plants are more widely
distributed…including on the mainland
Heteromeles arbutifolia - Toyon
Rhus integrifolia – Lemonadeberry
Prunus ilicifolia ssp. lyonii This sub-species is a Catalina endemic.
Ribes viburnifolium Used in landscaping as a native ground cover for shady areas. Extremely fragrant. Grows in San Diego Co. as well as on Catalina
Eriodictyon traskiae This evergreen shrub has a pungent fragrance and sprawling growth habit. Yerba Santa occurs on Catalina and in coastal Ventura and San Luis Obispo Counties.
Solanum wallacei A member of the deadly nightshade family, the Wild Tomato also occurs on other Channel Islands and Guadalupe, off the coast of Mexico.
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/prunus-lyonii
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© Project SOUND
Catalina Ceanothus - Ceanothus arboreus
Native to Catalina. Santa Rosa, Santa Cruz & Guadalupe Islands
Source of many commercial cultivars – ‘Ray Hartmen’ is C. arboreus X C. griseus hybrid
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm
© Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus – Ceanothus megacarpus
© Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus – Ceanothus megacarpus
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/upperzumacanyon09.html
© Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus – Ceanothus megacarpus
var. insularis
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Ceanothus+megacarpus+var.+insularis
var. megacarpus
Coast of S. CA from Santa Barbara to San Diego Co. – CA endemic var. insularis – Channel
Isl. (Catalina & San Clemente in south)
var. megacarpus – mainland (Santa Monica Mtns our nearest)
Dry, chaparral slopes below 2000 ft.
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© Project SOUND
var. insularis
Sometimes a bit shorter
Leaves opposite and slightly larger
Grows on most of the Channel Islands
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm
Charles Webber © California Academy of Sciences © Project SOUND
var. megacarpus
May be slightly larger
Leaves, generally alternate and slightly smaller
Grows on the mainland
??? Other, as yet unknown differences (chemicals; disease resistance; heat resistance; etc)
In Santa Monica Mountains
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Adenostoma_sprsifolium_and_Ceanothus_megacarpus.jpg
© 2001 CDFA
© Project SOUND
Characteristics of Big-pod Ceanothus
Size: 4-16 ft tall
8-10 ft wide
Growth form: Upright (more common) or
sprawling woody shrub
Compact & dense
Young bark reddish
Foliage: Simple leaves – rounded to
wedge-like – typical Ceanothus leaves
Leaves are upright on branches
Roots: shallow; not basal burl, so no re-sprouting after fire
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/upperzumacanyon09.html
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
‘Covered with snow-like flowers’
Blooms: In winter to early spring; usually
Jan.-March
Bloom period - weeks
Flowers: Clusters of small flowers
Petals white to slightly pink or purple
Dark purple center
Fruits: Lumpy spherical capsule
Red-green & sticky
In three parts; each part holds a seed
http://www.calflora.net/recentfieldtrips/upperzumacanyon09.html
© 2009 Gary A. Monroe
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Why the ‘soapy’
flowers?
Ceanothus flowers (& sometimes leaves) were used to make a mild soap or shampoo – preferred soap for washing babies
Rub the flowers in warm water – get a soapy, nice-smelling froth
Why? saponins - plants that contain quite high concentrations of saponins have often been used as an alternative soap.
Other examples – CA natives: Soap Lily (Chlorogalum
pomeridianum) roots Yucca roots Mock Orange (Philadelphus
lewisii) flowers & leaves
http://www.fotolog.com/treebeard/56541746
© Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus
reproduces by stored seeds
Cannot reproduce by re-sprouting after a fire – relies on seeds stored in the ‘natural mulch’ (duff) - ~ 2 million seeds/acre
Seed pods burst open, flinging the heavy seeds
Seeds have thick, tough seed coat – can lie in waiting for years (probably hundreds of years)
Ceanothus seeds only germinate in response to range fires and forest fires in the wild.
http://www.hazmac.biz/seedphotoslistgenus.html
© Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus
is a chaparral shrub Soils:
Texture: rocky or sandy best – needs well-drained soil
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to light shade
Benefits from afternoon shade in hot inland gardens
Water: Winter: needs good winter
rains
Summer: low needs – Zone 1-2 (water very infrequently, if at all, once established)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils; likes an organic mulch
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3373/3275037528_782b3c6c8f.jpg?v=0 © Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus – spectacular
in bloom, pretty the rest of the
year
Nice as an informal hedge – or include it in a hedgerow
Can prune to shape into a small tree
In a chaparral-themed garden
Anywhere you need a large, water-wise shrub
As a habitat plant - CA Hairstreak, Green Hairstreak larval food
http://www.ssseeds.com/database/db_testvv.php3?uid=103
J.S. Peterson @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
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© Project SOUND
Big-pod Ceanothus teaches us 5
things about S. CA island
species
1. Sometimes the same species is found on both the islands and on the mainland
2. Variants are similar enough to be grouped in the same species – yet different enough to be considered the different variants.
3. Differences between variants can reflect the fact that the variants have not interbred for some time (have ‘drifted’ apart); alternatively the ‘founder’ plants could have differed from the original (usually mainland) population in significant ways
4. Taxonomy based on morphologic (physical) traits can be difficult – what’s important?
5. Sometimes it makes sense to preserve variants – particularly those from unusual sites. They may have important differences that we don’t even know about
http://www.calliebowdish.com/SBPlaces.htm
© Project SOUND
Blair's Wire-lettuce – Stephanomeria (Munzothamnus) blairii
Donald Myrick © California Academy of Sciences
© Project SOUND
Blair's Wire-lettuce – Stephanomeria (Munzothamnus) blairii
Endemic to San Clemente Island
Rocky canyon walls in island bluff scrub
The only problem is, what genus does it belong in?
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1868,1869
© Project SOUND
Stephanomeria/Munzothamnus blairii
When a species is named, it is placed within a genus. From a scientific point of view this can be regarded as a hypothesis that the species is more closely related to other species within its genus – may change with new information
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© Project SOUND
What is the appropriate genus?
Has been placed in several taxonomic homes.
Initially placed in Stephanomeria;
Transferred to Malacothrix (P. Munz 1935).
P. H. Raven (1963) considered it "clearly a relictual and highly isolated genus," based on leaf shape & vegetative architecture, which are significantly distinct from those found in any species of Stephanomeria or Malacothrix. He erected Munzothamnus for it. Recent genetic studies suggest he may be correct – not similar to Stephanomeria
Others emphasized similarities to Stephanomeria - concluded that the species belongs in Stephanomeria (G. L. Stebbins et al. 1953). : similar number/appearance of chromosomes certain similarities between their pappi
(number and "coarseness") pollen size and sculpturing
Malacothrix – Cliff Aster
Stephanomeria – Wire-lettuce
© Project SOUND
Blair’s wire-lettuce/Munzothamnus - attractive sub-shrub
Size: 2-4 ft tall
3-4 ft wide
Growth form: Sub-shrub with woody base and
herbaceous new growth
Semi-evergreen (stress deciduous)
Stems thick & fleshy
Foliage: Bright to medium-green leaves
– medium size
Mostly clustered at the base or at ends of branches
Quite attractive, even when not blooming
© Rick York and CNPS
© Project SOUND
Flowers are lovely
Blooms: In summer - usually July-Aug,
but possible into Sept.
Flowers open over several weeks
Flowers: Aster-like (or Wire-lettuce-like)
heads
Lovely pale pink or purple – nice, old-fashioned color
Nectar attracts hummingbirds, bees, butterflies and other
insects
Seeds: Small, sunflower-type
Seed-eating birds love them
Robert Potts © California Academy of Sciences
© 2005 Dieter Wilken
© Project SOUND
Likes a coastal climate Soils: Texture: sandy or rocky,
well-drained soils
pH: any local
Light: Full sun to part-sun; suggest
some afternoon shade in hot gardens
Water: Winter: needs good winter
rains – starts to grow with the rains
Summer: wide tolerance: quite dry (Zone 1-2) to Zone 2 (possibly even 2-3 in sandy soils)
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
http://www.theodorepayne.org/gallery/pages/S/stephanomeria_blairii.htm
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© Project SOUND
Blair’s Munzothamnus is a
nice flowering perennial
Has not been used much in gardens due to rarity.
Lovely in an old-fashioned mixed native perennial bed. Looks like an English garden plant.
Try with Cirsium occidentale, Delphinium cardinale, Mimulus aurantiacus, Eriophyllum nevinii (another island endemic)
Does fine in a large pot (at least for several years)
Flowers make nice cut flowers
© 2005 Dieter Wilken
Also a good habitat plant
© Project SOUND
Why do names keep changing?
Traditionally, researchers relied on observations of anatomical differences and interbreeding studies to distinguish species. This information is still used in helping to define species.
Thanks to advances in research
techniques, including DNA analysis, a great deal of additional knowledge about the differences and similarities between species has become available in the last few decades.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/99/Ehret-Methodus_Plantarum_Sexualis.jpg
© Project SOUND
Why do names keep changing?
Many populations which were formerly regarded as separate species are now considered to be a single taxon, and many formerly grouped populations have been split.
Any taxonomic level (species, genus, family, etc.) can be synonymized or split, and at higher taxonomic levels, these revisions have been still more profound.
Lump with Stephanomeria or
does it deserve its own
genus?
© Project SOUND
Lessons from Stephanomeria/Munzothamnus blairii
1. Island species can be very different from local mainland species
2. Taxonomists can disagree – and often do so over time
3. New scientific tools can change the classification of a plant
a. Scanning electron microscope – seed & pollen details
b. Molecular genetics (DNA analysis) – can look for similarities in actual genetic code; allows construction of genetic trees that may be closer to the actual course of evolution
4. Taxonomic classifications are becoming more ‘natural’ over time (reflect underlying biology/evolution). This can be frustrating for the gardener, but invaluable for our understanding of plants. © Rick York and CNPS
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© Project SOUND
Catalina Island Mountain Mahogony – Cercocarpus traskiae
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=872b © Project SOUND
Catalina Island Mountain Mahogony – Cercocarpus traskiae
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?6677,6695,6705
A single population in an arroyo on Santa Catalina Island
Slopes of a steep-sided, narrow, dry arroyo in a coastal sage scrub community
Named in honor of Blanch Trask naturalist – 1865-1916
On both U.S. and CA Endangered Species lists
© Project SOUND
Catalina Mountain Mahogany
Size: 10-15 ft tall
8-12+ ft wide
Growth form: Large evergreen shrub or
small tree
Branches erect to spreading
Long-lived
Foliage: Leaves leathery, shiny above
and wooly beneath
Very prominent lateral veins beneath – very different from Island Mountain Mahogany C. betuloides
© 1993 Dean Wm. Taylor
http://www.centerforplantconservation.org/collection/CPC_ProfileImage.asp?FN=872b © Project SOUND
Threats to endemic ‘Island’ plant species
Large introduced herbivores have historically altered the flora and the landscape of Santa Catalina, San Clemente & other Channel Islands.
Goats, pigs, bison, and deer were noted at the time of listing of C. traskiae as a threatened species. The small size of the current C. traskiae population is attributed to the historical presence of goats, deer, and pigs
Invasive non-native plants pose as increasing threat now & in the future – increase fire threat
Threat of hybridization – ‘genetic assimilation’
Threat of limited genetic diversity – sometimes a small population becomes too inbred to be able to survive
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The problem of hybridization:
can be insidious.
Cercocarpus traskiae has hybridized locally with C. betuloides var. blancheae, which also occurs naturally on the island.
The hybrids have been characterized morphologically as well as by enzyme (allozyme) and DNA differences.
Morphological assessments of hybridization have not always agreed with the genetic results
Bottom line: only six genetically “pure” Cercocarpus traskiae trees in existance
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Cercocarpustraskiae.JPG
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplan
ts/islandmountainmahogany.html © Project SOUND
What makes a species susceptible to genetic
assimilation? Cercocarpus traskiae is a case study
Small number of individuals compared to other local species
Ability to hybridize with local species – and close geographic proximity to those
Low genetic diversity – may limit reproduction within the species
Low geographic diversity/lack of space – common problem for Channel Island species
Invasion by species with hybridization potential
© Project SOUND
Management strategies for
endangered plant species
Remove species that may hybridize with the desired species
Remove other pressures to reproduction – e.g. herbivores that eat seedlings, other stressors – protect the remaining individuals as source plants
+/- Remove hybrid plants/seedlings
Save seeds – long-term storage
Vegetative propagation to create more individuals
Plant out in appropriate sites: Local area Otherwise appropriate conditions No potential hybridizing species
© Project SOUND
What genetic resources should we conserve
(and why)? For aesthetic/moral reasons
Because we don’t know all the ‘services’ provided by individual species (medicines; habitat value; etc)
Because more diversity means more likely that species will survive changing conditions – in the near future
Loss of species uniquely adapted to certain conditions – we may need those genes sometime
Outbreeding/hybridization depression
Probably other reasons – need to study more
http://www.hazmac.biz/090218/090218Cercocarp
usTraskiae.html
http://www.flickr.com/photos/eastbaywilds/sets/72157604510160123/
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© Project SOUND
Nevin’s Gilia – Gilia nevinii
© Project SOUND
Nevin’s Gilia – Gilia nevinii
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Gilia+nevinii
Endemic to the Channel Islands – specifically Catalina & San Clemente Islands and Isla Guadalupe (Baja)
Uncommon in nature
Grows on rocky, grassy slopes, coastal canyons in coastal shrublands & CSS
Named after the Reverand Joseph Cook Nevin (1835-1913), of Los Angeles, a brilliant linguist and botanical collector, one of the first to collect on Catalina Island
© Project SOUND
San Clemente Island
© Project SOUND
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.tierradata.com/photocorecapweb1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.tierradata.com/corecapweboutreach.htm&usg=_
_am3z-EUbQKb3KDDSYghnFbRg9ww=&h=400&w=294&sz=22&hl=en&start=27&itbs=1&tbnid=cjb-
xVNWpVZ78M:&tbnh=124&tbnw=91&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dsan%2Bclemente%2Bisland%2Bcalifornia%26start%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26gbv%3D2
%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1
http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072402466/student_view0/chapter18/virtual_vista.html
49 miles from the mainland
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Sheep, goats and
naval artillery
Since 1934 the U.S. Navy has administered San Clemente Island.
Their objective in the 1970's was to re-establish the native ecosystem as much as possible.
This included the removal of feral goats - the last goat was exterminated in April 1991.
© Project SOUND
Many plants endemic to San Clemente Island
Brodiase kinkiensis Triteleia clementina Erigonum giganteum formosum Delphiniam kinkiense Delphinum variedatum thornei Lithophragma maximum Astragalus nevinii Lotus argophyllus adsurgens Lotus dendroideus traskiae Malcothammus clementinus Camissonia guagalupoensis
clementina Castilleja grisea Galium catalinense acrispum Munzothammus blairii Probabaly others
http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/earth/usa/clemente-cliff-browse.jpg
http://abdulazeem.files.wordpress.com/2006/11/WindowsLiveWriter/ConsequencesOfPola
riceMeltingRisingSeale_E394/clip_image006%5B1%5D%5B3%5D.jpg
© Project SOUND
Nevin’s Gilia - pretty little plant that’s tougher than it looks
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
© Project SOUND
The genus Gilia
~ 25-50 species of flowering plants - family Polemoniaceae
Temperate/tropical regions of the Americas, from the western U.S. to northern Chile
Occur mainly in desert/dry areas.
Herbaceous annual, rarely perennial
The leaves are spirally arranged, usually pinnate (rarely simple), forming a basal rosette in most species.
The flowers are produced in a panicle, with a five-lobed corolla, which can be blue, white, pink or yellow.
Gilia species are larval food plant for some species of moths
Globe Gilia – G. capitata
Bird’s-eye Gilia – G. tricolor
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© Project SOUND
Nevin’s Gilia reminds one of Bird’s-eye Gilia
Size: 6-20+ inches tall & about
as wide; size depends on water
Growth form: Herbaceous annual
May be upright or sprawling – depends on conditions
Delicate-looking
Foliage: Leaves lacy, fern-like,
somewhat basal – similar to Bird’s-eye Gilia
Easy to grow from seed
© Project SOUND
Gilias are all easy-to-grow
annual wildflowers Soils:
Texture: any
pH: any local
Light: Sun; perfectly fine with ½
day of sun
Water: Winter: needs good
winter/spring water – delicate when young
Summer: none after flowering ceases
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: will reseed- not as abundantly as Globe Gilia
© Project SOUND
Flowers are sweetly
old-fashioned
Blooms: In spring - usually Mar-May here
Long bloom period – at least a month
Flowers: Loads of lavender trumpets with
blue anthers – no yellow or white on throat
Just lovely
http://www.answers.com/topic/dudleya
Gary A. Monroe @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
Bird’s-eye Gila
for comparison
© Project SOUND
Garden uses for
native Gilias
As a cute little pot plant – place it near where you sit so you can enjoy it
Massed in the front of a flower bed
Mixed with other native grasses & wildflowers
Nevin’s Gila - in an ‘Island-themed’ garden;
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The connection between the Channel Islands,
mainland mountains and the Palos Verdes peninsula
Some rocks (Catalina schist) found in only 2 places – Catalina & PV
Some rocks (Poway Conglomerate – derived from ancient Poway River rocks) are found in neither place – but are on other Channel Islands
So, what’s going on here?
© Project SOUND
The earth’s crust is made up of giant plates
New molten rock is constantly being added in deep oceanic trenches – as a result, the plates collide and ride over one another.
© Project SOUND
The connection between S. Channel
Islands and mainland mountains
The North American West Coast illustrates some of the complex geology that develops along a plate boundary.
The original source of rocks in our mountain ranges (and Channel Islands) were probably ancient island arcs, similar to perhaps Japan or the Philippines.
These original island arcs were the high points (‘mountains’) of the Pacific Plate
http://www.urbanedpartnership.org/target/fragile_habitats/geo_of_Ca.html
© Project SOUND
Coastal mountains were formed as the Pacific
Plate moved under the N. Amer. Plate
The high areas (original islands) were compressed and ‘scraped off’ as the Pacific Plate moved under the N. American Plate
The whole area, was extensively faulted, folded, uplifted and eroded to form the current S. CA coastal topography.
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Why the connection between S. Channel
Island and Baja Island species?
About 20 million years ago, the Pacific plate (which is slipping under the N. American Plate) began moving NW compared to the N. American Plate
This resulted in the formation of the San Andreas fault, among other things
http://www.geol.ucsb.edu/faculty/atwater/Research/SOCAL.pdf
© Project SOUND
Geologically, there are likely 3 ‘Island
Clusters’ off the coast of S. CA
Northern Channel Islands/Santa Monica Mountains
Catalina/PV/?? Santa Ana Mountains
San Clemente/San Nicolas/Isla Guadalupe (Baja)
Move 120-160 km to the NW – or even more.
So San Clemente Island was probably really was once off the coast of Baja – shared geology at the very least!
Of course other factors have also played a role in the intervening time
© Project SOUND
Giant Coreopsis – Coreopsis gigantea
© Project SOUND
Giant Coreopsis – Coreopsis gigantea
Alice Eastwood - May 12 1896 - Pt.
Sal Pt. Sal (near the boundary
between Santa Barbara and San
Luis Obispo Counties)
South-Central Coast, north & central parts of South Coast, Channel Islands (all)
On mainland, limited to a few peninsulas right on the coast
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1008,1013
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© Project SOUND On Anacapa Island
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Anacapa-Island-Coreopsis.jpg
© Project SOUND
Like something dreamed up by Dr. Seuss…
Size: 2-6 ft tall; rarely 8-10 ft in wild
2-3 ft wide
Growth form: Perennial sub-shrub; base is woody
Trunk is succulent; secondary woodiness
drought deciduous – drops all leaves in summer. Looks like a weird sculpture
Foliage: Bright green in spring
Typical, lacy leaves of coreopsis
http://www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org/potd/2008/04/coreopsis_gigantea.php
© Project SOUND
? Is Giant Coreopsis ‘giant’ because of
mild island climates?
Islands have milder climates – less likely to experience frosts – surrounded by water
Herbaceous plants which typically die back from cold on mainland areas are released from seasonality when they become island colonizers.
In Mediterranean climates (hot dry summers) plants that store water (succulents) have a survival advantage – but they are limited in size by winter frosts.
Plants which are normally succulent may develop secondary woodiness in areas with little frost. This is seen on islands in dry regions throughout the world.
Is Coreopsis gigantea, a much larger plant than other native species of Coreopsis, ‘giant’ because it grows in ‘frost-free zones’ (Channel Islands and a few restricted sites on the mainland)?
http://www.calflora.net/bloomingplants/giantcoreo
psis.html
© 2006 Steve Matson
© Project SOUND
Flowers are a bright spot in spring
Blooms: Late winter to mid-spring - usually
March-April in local gardens
Flowers: Typical yellow Coreopsis heads –
intense gold-yellow, 3” across
Held on thin flower stalks above the bright green foliage – really striking
Bee pollinated
Seeds: Sunflower seeds; loved by birds
Vegetative reproduction: can start from pieces of broken stems
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coreopsis_gigantea
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© Project SOUND
Plant Requirements Soils:
Texture: well-drained, sandy soils are best
pH: any local
Fine with salt/maritime exposure
Light: full sun
Water: Winter: be careful not to
over-water in winter
Summer: quite drought-tolerant, but in nature gets summer mists; Zone 1-2
Fertilizer: fine in garden soils
Other: not frost-hardy; best along coast where danger of frost is minimal.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coreopsis_gigantea
© Project SOUND
Giant Coreopsis adds and unusual
note to the coastal garden
As an unusual pot plant
As a specimen plant (most common use)
In a border
In a Channel Island themed garden
On sunny coastal hillsides/ slopes
Along pathways
http://www.anniesannuals.com/special_pgs/pom/0610/default.asp?account=none
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/170/451543125_a1f4bb7a09.jpg
© Project SOUND
Mission Manzanita – Xylococcus bicolor
http://www.cnpssd.org/plantlistpdfs/xylococcusbicolor.pdf © Project SOUND
Mission Manzanita – Xylococcus bicolor
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?3449,3616,3617
Local endemic: S. CA coastal region from L.A. to San Diego counties, Catalina Island
Hot, dry slopes, chaparral < 2000 ft. elevation
Grows on the slopes above Sunland
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© Project SOUND
What is this plant, anyway?
‘At first, I couldn't figure out what it was - it had the beautiful reddish-brown twisted bark reminiscent of a Manzanita, but it also had these odd, leathery, elliptical-shaped leaves that were sort of curled or rolled under, and a profusion of little black berries. I was stumped - was this some kind of manzanita-ceanothus-oak-elderberry experiment gone wrong?’
Originally called Arctostaphylos clevelandii, part of the manzanita and bearberry genus. Name was changed to Arctostaphylos bicolor in 1923, then to Xylococcus bicolor in 1974.
© 2008 Thomas Stoughton
© Project SOUND
Mission Manzanita: ‘Manzanita in hot/dry mode’
Size: 6-10+ ft tall (usually 6-8)
6-10 ft wide
Growth form: Woody shrub
Single or multi-trunk; rounded shape
Red-brown, shreddy bark
Foliage: Similar to Coffeeberry:
leathery/waxy above, wooly beneath
Leaf edges roll in drought
Roots: re-sprouting ability – typical of chaparral plants
http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/plants/sdpls/plants/Xylococcus_bicolor.html
© 2003 Michael Charters
© Project SOUND
Flowers are like their
Manzanita cousins
Blooms: In winter, after rains begin
usually Dec. to Feb.
Flower buds form previous summer – assures quick-flowering
Flowers: Shaped like Manzanita (and
other Heaths);
Flower color may be white, pink to darker pink
Showy in bloom
Excellent hummingbird plant
http://www.kenbowles.net/sdwildflowers/FamilyIndexes/Ericaceae/EricaceaeK
ey.htm
© Project SOUND
Fruits are also showy
Fruits ripen in spring/early summer
Color varies from dark red to almost black
Look like a cross between Manzanita & Coffeeberry fruits
Loved by birds (esp. Thrashers & Jays) and humans alike Can be used to make ‘cider’ type
drink
Make a fine jelly, sauce, syrup – need a lot as fruits is thin-fleshed
Seeds: hard coat – usually sprout after trip through alimentary canal (coyote; Grizzlies) & some heat
© 2003 Michael Charters
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© Project SOUND
Easy to grow & maintain Soils:
Texture: any well-drained; sandy & rocky are best, well-drained clays possible (water judiciously)
pH: any local
Light: full sun
Water: Young plants: water regularly
(Zone 2-3) for first 1-2 years
Mature plants: very drought tolerant, but looks best with some summer water (Zone 1-2 to 2 works well)
Fertilizer: none needed; likes a layer of organic mulch
Other: prune as needed or to shape; can prune severely to rejuvenate old plants
© Br. Alfred Brousseau, Saint Mary's College © Project SOUND
Mission Manzanita thrives on
hot, dry conditions
Nice choice for evergreen shrub – looks good all year with a little summer water
Good choice for informal hedge or included in a water-wise mixed hedgerow
Stars on hot, dry slopes – consider for hot, sunny gardens
Excellent habitat plant
Edible – and showy - berries
© Project SOUND
S. California’s Scrub Oaks
Scrub Oak is a general name for several species of small, shrubby, evergreen oaks, including the following species:
California Scrub Oak (Quercus berberidifolia)
Leather Oak (Quercus durata)
Coastal Scrub Oak (Quercus dumosa)
Tucker Oak (Quercus john-tuckeri)
Channel Island Scrub Oak (Quercus pacifica)
Santa Cruz Island Oak (Quercus parvula)
Sonoran Scrub Oak (Quercus turbinella)
© Project SOUND
Channel Island Scrub Oak – Quercus pacifica
© 2001 Tony Morosco
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© Project SOUND
Channel Island Scrub Oak – Quercus pacifica
Endemic on three of the California Channel Islands: Santa Cruz, Santa Catalina, and Santa Rosa.
Island Chaparral, woodlands, margins of grasslands
Is a species of concern
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501070
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/endemics.htm http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/Quercus-pacifica1.htm © Project SOUND
Channel Isl Scrub Oak: in many ways a typical scrub oak
Size: 6-15 ft tall
10-15 ft wide
Growth form: Large shrub or small tree
Gray, furrowed bark at maturity
Rather dense – heavily branched
Foliage: Medium-sized leathery leaves
Surfaces glandular & waxy
Have star-shaped hairs (trichomes)
larval food for Hairstreaks, Duskywings, CA Sister butterflies
Roots: Both shallow & deep roots
© 2001 Tony Morosco
http://128.253.177.182/taxpage/0/0/79/binomial/Quercus%20pacifica.html
© Project SOUND
Flowers are understated
Blooms: in winter to early spring – usually Jan-Mar
Flowers: Separate male & female
flowers on the same tree
Male flowers on long trailing catkins
Mostly wind pollinated
Seeds: Are acorns
Shorter & lighter than Q. agrifolia; thinner than Q. berberidifolia
© 2005 Dieter Wilken
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Quercus_pacifica
© Project SOUND
Island Oak: not picky Soils: Texture: well-drained soils
pH: any local
Light: full sun
Water: Winter: need adequate
winter/spring rain, particularly for good seed crop
Summer: none or very little; Zone 1 or 1-2 once established
Fertilizer: none; likes poor soils
Other: leave the leaf litter in place; important for plant health & for ground-dwellers
http://128.253.177.182/taxpage/0/0/79/binomial/Quercus%20pacifica.html
Don’t over-water; susceptible to oak
root rot fungus in the genus Armillaria
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© Project SOUND
Scrub Oaks – so
versatile
Excellent on dry slopes, for erosion control
May be appropriate for parking strips
Can bonsai – or trim as a hedge/screen
Superb habitat plant Butterflies
Other insects
Wide range of birds
Provides food, perches, nesting sites (CA Towhee)
© 2001 Tony Morosco
© Project SOUND
What is that scrub oak, anyway?
http://tchester.org/plants/analysis/quercus/scrub_oaks.html
© Project SOUND
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501070
So where did this oak come from?
Closely resembles Q. berberidifolia, but differs in having consistently spatulate leaves with a narrowed leaf base, and acute-tapered fruit, with thinner cups. Leaf vestiture otherwise is similar to berberidifolia, but that species has typically square or rounded-attenuate leaf bases and blunter, heavier fruit.
Quercus pacifica also appears to be closely related to Q . Douglasii, a tree-oak, whether by direct descent or by hybridization with another species no longer extant on the islands.
© Project SOUND
Those promiscuous white oaks – difficult
to classify & understand
It is likely that Q. pacifica is phylogenetically close to Q. berberidifolia or possibly represents a hybrid between Q. berberidifolia and Q. douglasii.
Other stable hybrids suggest that widespread hybridization has occurred on the islands between the scrub oaks and either Q. lobata or Q.douglasii, neither of which occur in abundance, but are found in isolated pockets. Both of these are larges trees.
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© Project SOUND
The hand of man on local islands
http://www.catalinachamber.com/mediafilming/whats-new/bison
http://laist.com/2009/03/31/new_37-mile_trail_to_open_on_catali.php
http://www.hotel-metropole.com/events
http://i.ehow.com/images/a04/qt/gg/plant-acorns-pot-800X800.jpg © Project SOUND
Acorns: an important source of food
Jays Jays harvest acorns and
stash them for the winter – usually within 1-2 miles of the source
Credited for the wide distribution of Oaks across the Northern Hemisphere.
Humans Eat acorns as a staple food Also increase the
distribution of oaks – by transporting and planting acorns
?? Role of humans in the distribution of coastal/Island CA oaks
http://www.channelislandsrestoration.com/sci/Quercus-pacifica.htm
© Project SOUND
There are many interesting features of the flora of California’s Channel Islands
The islands – and their plant species – provide a natural lab in which to study how species form, change and even disappear © Project SOUND
Many Channel Island species make great
garden plants