July 2015 Torreyana 9

Plant of the Month (POM) by Margaret Fillius

or the first of this monthly series, I have chosen Amole or Soap Plant. Its flowers (white with

darker mid-vein) are produced on slender stalks mainly around June and July, often after the leaves have disappeared. These are not showy flowers but well worth a second look. Look for them throughout the Reserve, particularly along the road south of the Lodge, on the Beach Trail switchbacks, and near the top of the Margaret Fleming Trail in the Extension. Amole’s scientific name, Chlorogalum parviflorum, is derived from chloros (meaning “green”), gala (“milk or juice”), parvus (“small”), and flora (“flower”). This monocot grows from a bulb from which leaves sprout soon after the start of our winter rains. The bulb stores the resulting synthesized food, and the leaves die back when dry weather arrives.

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: June 13, 2015

Number of species: 56 Mallard 2 Cinnamon Teal 2 California Quail 8 Pacific Loon 2 Common Loon 1 Brandt's Cormorant 12 Double-crested Cormorant 10 Brown Pelican 4 Great Blue Heron 2 Great Egret 1 Snowy Egret 16 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 3 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Western Gull 15

California Gull 1 Caspian Tern 3 Royal Tern 3 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Mourning Dove 14 Lesser Nighthawk 11 White-throated Swift 5 swift sp. 5 Anna's Hummingbird 11 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 3 Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 American Kestrel 4 Peregrine Falcon 4 Black Phoebe 4 Say's Phoebe 1 Cassin's Kingbird 3 Western Scrub-Jay 5

American Crow 17 Common Raven 10 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 15 Cliff Swallow 1 House Wren 3 Marsh Wren 5 Bewick's Wren 7 California Gnatcatcher 10 Wrentit 18 California Thrasher 1 Northern Mockingbird 3 European Starling 1 Orange-crowned Warbler 2 Common Yellowthroat 8 Yellow-breasted Chat 5 Spotted Towhee 20

California Towhee 11 Savannah Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 6 Black-headed Grosbeak 1 Blue Grosbeak 2 Red-winged Blackbird 12 House Finch 88 Lesser Goldfinch 26 House Sparrow 2 Observers: Herb Knüfken, Frank Wong, Jack Friery, Kathy Dickey, Eva Armi, Blair Francis, and Anonymous

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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August 2015 Torreyana 5

And thus the healing process begins. The mind clears and old memories are replaced with new.

A wounded vet turning wood from a Torrey pine on a lathe. Photo by Herb Knüfken

The TAV program is chaired by Tom Lightner, a U.S. Army Major General (Ret.), who prefers to be just called Tom in order to put the veterans at ease. A very skilled woodturner himself, Tom, along with many volunteers from the SDWT, organizes, runs and volunteers at TAV workshops in three locations throughout San Diego.

A wounded vet and a SDWT volunteer, Jim Doss (a veteran himself) starting a new turning project. Photo by Herb Knüfken

Tom made the connection with the TPSNR when he learned that some of the Torrey pine trees had to be cut down. He worked with Darren Smith, a State Parks ecologist, to divert the wood from the mulch pile and facilitated its path to the woodturning lathes of the TAV program. The final connection was with Nancy Woodworth, TPDS

coordinator of the Museum Shop, which completed the circle of the pines’ return to the Reserve in a new form, bringing a unique treat to the museum visitors and much needed funds for the TAV program and the TPSNR. Tom continues to build the program with donations and funds that are generated by the sale of the wood crafts. This money helps to keep the program running and growing in size and, most importantly, is responsible for many success stories.

Pens made from a Torrey pine. Photo by Hank Beck - Composition Concept by Ann Gaarder

Torrey pine wood pen being turned and on a lathe. Photo by Herb Knüfken

A sincere thank you to Tom Lightner for inviting us and guiding us on our visit to a TAV workshop and for sharing his knowledge and insights to TAV and the wood turning process. A thank you to Herb Knüfken for his skillful photography of a TAV workshop. Donations to the TAV program are most welcomed and can be made through the San Diego Woodturners Inc., Box 230293, Encinitas, CA 92023, sdwt.org/ Plant of the Month by Margaret Fillius

ugust is prime time at the beach, so this month’s plant is one that you’ll find near the shore rather than up

along the Reserve trails. Red Sand-Verbena (Abronia

maritime) is fairly abundant at Black’s Beach; the less daring can see it in the small, fenced patch in the South Beach parking lot near the kiosk. This rare plant (CNPS 4.2) flowers year-round, at least to some extent. Its flowers are an intense red-purple color, and its seed-heads are also attractive. It requires salt water, which it gets mainly from sea spray; its very fleshy leaves isolate and store salt. A member of the Nyctaginaceae (Four O'Clock) family, Red Sand-Verbena is related to the Beach Sand-Verbena (Abronia umbellate), which you can find not at the beach but along Guy Fleming and other Reserve trails.

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September 2015 Torreyana 5

September Plants of the Month by Margaret Fillius

ike our August plant,

the two perennial subshrubs we’ll look at this month are found on the beach. Woolly Sea-blite (Suaeda

taxifolia) and Estuary Sea-blite (Suaeda esteroa) are not showy plants, but they are of interest because they grow in saline or alkaline silty-sandy or sandy-clay soil -- that is, above the high-tide line or on the nearby cliff faces. This habitat has mainly disappeared, so Woolly Sea-blite is rare (CNPS 4.2), and Estuary Sea-blite is endangered (CNPS 1B.2). Woolly Sea-blite grows to 3 feet high and appears to be gray because it is densely covered in hairs; Estuary Sea-blite grows to a foot high and is hairless. The inconspicuous flowers on both plants are along the stems. Head for Black’s Beach with a magnifying glass to check them out, but keep an eye on the tide for getting back! If the tide’s coming in, Woolly Sea-blite can also be seen by the exit from the South Beach parking lot. Below: San Elijo Lagoon hike of August, 19, 2015, another one of Vice President Ingo Renner’s great hikes this year Photo by Ken King

Above: Master craftsman (and TPDS VP) Ingo Renner creating the new desk for the Lodge

L Update: Beach Stairs Repair

The center stairs at the beach are in the process of being repaired. Prefabrication of the lumber has been completed at the Maintenance Yard and work has begun to remove the worn steps. Barring unforeseen delays, the new steps should be installed soon, according to Supervising Ranger Dylan Hardenbrook.

Dylan explained that our maintenance staff has been as low as 25% of normal (75% vacant) with no ability to hire replacements due to State Parks budget limitations. “It has been difficult to keep up with day-to-day restroom cleaning and trash collection, let alone address any of the deferred maintenance issues.” He reported that the money for the materials used to repair the stairs has come from the Coke Best Beach Award, which Torrey

Pines won in 2012. Woolly Sea-blite

Estuary Sea-blite

October 2015 Torreyana 7

by Margaret Fillius

t any time of the year it is hard to go far in the

Reserve without seeing yellow flowers. In late summer/fall much of this color is due to the flowers of Goldenbush (Isocoma menziesii) in the Sunflower family (Asteraceae). This plant, seen throughout the Reserve, is a subshrub, meaning it is a perennial which doesn’t get very tall and which blooms much of the year. If you study several Goldenbush plants, you may wonder if they are all of the same species. In fact there are four different varieties in the San Diego area, one of which (var. decumbens) is rare. It has been suggested that further studies of the varieties are needed, so I think we are OK to lump them all as Isocoma menziesii.

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: September 5, 2015

Number of species: 58 Mallard 2 Cinnamon Teal 1 California Quail 5 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Brandt's Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Brown Pelican 10 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 15 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 Virginia Rail 1 Willet 15

Whimbrel 22 Least Sandpiper 12 Western Sandpiper 15 Heermann's Gull 23 Ring-billed Gull 1 Western Gull 23 Caspian Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Mourning Dove 14 White-throated Swift 3 Anna's Hummingbird 19 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 1 Belted Kingfisher 4 Nuttall's Woodpecker 3 American Kestrel 2 Peregrine Falcon 1 Black Phoebe 8 Cassin's Kingbird 8

Western Scrub-Jay 12 American Crow 6 Common Raven 8 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 2 Bushtit 21 House Wren 10 Marsh Wren 1 Bewick's Wren 13 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 3 California Gnatcatcher 12 Wrentit 16 California Thrasher 11 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Common Yellowthroat 10 Savannah Sparrow 1

Song Sparrow 15 California Towhee 35 Spotted Towhee 4 Red-winged Blackbird 1 House Finch 41 Lesser Goldfinch 5 House Sparrow 1 Observers: Bob Glaser, Herb Knüfken, Rhea Bridy, Frank Wong, Jack Friery, Janet Speer, Kathy Dickey, Gary Grantham, and Anonymous

Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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November 2015 Torreyana 6

Museum Committee Update by Lillian Lachicotte

The September meeting of the Museum Committee was very productive. We were fortunate that Supervising Ranger Dylan Hardenbrook attended to give us his expert advice and suggestions.

Dylan has received estimates for the restoration and photographing of the Guy Fleming maps.

Frank Burham has installed all four windows in the video room. They may all be opened for light or fresh air.

Dylan approved cleaning the fireplace. Bill Eckles arranged the cleaning and was told by the chimney sweep that the condition of the chimney is not awful, but it shows wear and tear. A more complete report will be forthcoming.

We discussed taking down many of the wires serving the alarm system and speakers that have proliferated throughout the Lodge. Roger Isaacson agreed to advise us on how it could be done.

We installed the LED lights in the video room and decided that a dimmer switch wasn't necessary, so that project is complete.

Ingo Renner agreed to work on bird call sounds for the museum. Preliminarily he has made a three-minute loop of quail, raven and ocean sounds, put them on a nano-pod and bluetoothed them to a speaker on a shelf. In the future, Ingo plans to create a 10-15 minute loop of nature sounds that Lodge hosts will be able to manage from the desk.

We were shown a sketch of the new cabinet that Ingo is building for us for the south wall... impressive!

We accepted a Great Horned Owl to be preserved with wings open that was offered to us. Now we're hoping to find a rabbit, crow and raven.

Many ideas were expressed concerning reorganizing wall hangings (plaques, history, artwork), so we are forming a committee, headed by Nan Danninger, to come up with suggestions on how this can be done.

We also saw a need to inventory and estimate the value of items in our museum. Hank Beck has agreed to take charge of this project.

We discussed the various contributed objects that spontaneously appear in the Lodge. In an effort to control enthusiastic docents from over-sharing, we will ask someone to be in charge of observing and overseeing these very kind and generous, but possibly overwhelming, gestures.

Plant of the Month – Coast Jepsonia by Margaret Fillius

Photos by Margaret Fillius I love this plant for being different, and for its name. The botanical name, Jepsonia parryi (Coast Jepsonia), reminds us of two historical botany heavyweights – Charles C. Parry and Willis Linn Jepson. How is it different? It blooms only at this time of the year, while its leaves emerge in the spring and are long gone before the flowers appear; inversely, the flowers are long gone when the leaves are replenishing their plant food stores. It is in the Saxifrage family. You will have to be alert to see Jepsonia as the flowers are quite small on stems about 8” tall, but it is worth studying closely. The best place to see them is in the middle section of Broken Hill on the south side of the trail. When you find one you can pay your respects to Jepson and Parry! Torrey Pines Book Club When: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2:00 pm Where: Carol Hunt’s home in Carmel Valley What: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin From Amazon: A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over—and see everything anew. All TPDS docents are welcome. Meetings usually last a

couple of hours. RSVP to Carol Hunt if you plan to

attend. (Check Member List for email or phone number.)

December 2015 Torreyana 7

by Margaret

Fillius

id you notice how

Cneoridium

dumosum -- Bush-rue or Coast Spice Bush, in the Rutaceae (citrus) family -- responded to the rains we had in July and September? It is one of the perennials that springs to life after such soakings. In a very short time, it can transform from a virtually leafless shrub to one that has lots of bright green leaves followed by flowers and fruit. Depending on how our rainfall gets spread out over the rainy season, you are likely to see Bush-rue replenish its leaves and repro-

ductive system several times during the growing season, starting with the first rains. Like some other members of the coastal sage scrub plant community, the leaves of Cneoridium dumosum are aromatic, which is why one of its common names is Spice Bush. In addition, the flowers have a wonderful citrusy sweet perfume. Be sure to fill your lungs with these delights this spring, starting soon. You can find Bush-rue along all our trails including the Discovery Trail. But be careful: touching this shrub may cause phytophotodermatitis (skin reactions).

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: November 7, 2015

Number of species: 80 Bolded: unusual or out-of-season species Gadwall 8 American Wigeon 8 Mallard 10 Blue-winged Teal 2 Northern Pintail 8 Green-winged Teal 8 Ruddy Duck 8 California Quail 4 Pacific Loon 3 Common Loon 1 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Eared Grebe 1 Western Grebe 4 Black-vented Shearwater 6 Brown Booby 3 Brandt's Cormorant 3 Double-crested Cormorant 17 Brown Pelican 122 Great Blue Heron 3

Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 5 Little Blue Heron 1 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 2 Northern Harrier 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Common Gallinule 1 American Coot 23 Greater Yellowlegs 1 Willet 10 Whimbrel 2 Long-billed Curlew 5 Marbled Godwit 1 Least Sandpiper 5 Marbled Murrelet 1 alcid sp. 10 Heermann's Gull 2 Ring-billed Gull 4 Western Gull 7 California Gull 12 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Mourning Dove 8

Anna's Hummingbird 14 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 2 Belted Kingfisher 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Downy Woodpecker 3 Northern Flicker 2 American Kestrel 3 Peregrine Falcon 2 Black Phoebe 15 Say's Phoebe 6 Cassin's Kingbird 10 Western Scrub-Jay 6 American Crow 22 Common Raven 4 Cliff Swallow 2 Bushtit 1 Rock Wren 1 House Wren 9 Marsh Wren 4 Bewick's Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2 California Gnatcatcher 9 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 10 Wrentit 24

Hermit Thrush 1 European Starling 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 Common Yellowthroat 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler 75 White-crowned Sparrow 16 Savannah Sparrow 5 Song Sparrow 19 California Towhee 9 Spotted Towhee 5 Red-winged Blackbird 3 Western Meadowlark 1 House Finch 32 House Sparrow 6 Observers: Frank Wong, Gary Grantham, Blair Francis, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Herb Knüfken, Marty Hales, Janet Speer, Jack Friery, and Anonymous

Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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January 2016 Torreyana 7

Plant of the Month – Mission Manzanita by Margaret Fillius

amed by Thomas Nuttall in 1843 for its woody fruit (Greek, xylon = wood; kokkos = berry) and its 2-

colored leaves (Latin, bi = two), Xylococcus bicolor is the only member of its genus, which is in the Ericaceae (Heath) family. Common throughout the Reserve, this shrub’s range is primarily San Diego County and parts of Baja California. Like true Manzanita species, e.g. Del Mar Manzanita, which are in the genus Arctostaphylos (also in the Ericaceae family), Mission Manzanita has reddish, peeling bark and clusters of small bell-shaped flowers. Notice the range of flower color (from white to pink to yellow). The margins of the leathery leaves roll under towards the light-colored hairy undersurface, leaving less surface area exposed to the sun. Mission Manzanita can re-sprout from its burl following fire. Birds such as California thrasher and scrub jay eat the seeds; hummingbirds drink the nectar; birds use the shrub

for nesting and for cover. If you want to cultivate your own Mission Manzanita, coyote scat is said to be a good source of fertile seeds!

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: December 5, 2015

Number of species: 76 Bolded: unusual or out-of-season species Gadwall 4 American Wigeon 8 Mallard 9 Northern Shoveler 2 Northern Pintail 10 Lesser Scaup 3 Surf Scoter 8 Bufflehead 7 Common Merganser 4 Ruddy Duck 9 California Quail 2 Pacific Loon 2 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Eared Grebe 1 Western Grebe 6 Black-vented Shearwater 2 Brandt's Cormorant 10 Double-crested Cormorant 5

Brown Pelican 37 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 4 Snowy Egret 10 Green Heron 1 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 3 Northern Harrier 4 Cooper's Hawk 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 2 American Coot 10 Black-bellied Plover 2 Willet 24 Long-billed Curlew 4 Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 10 Heermann's Gull 30 Ring-billed Gull 10 Western Gull 58 Caspian Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Mourning Dove 9

Anna's Hummingbird 18 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 4 Belted Kingfisher 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 4 American Kestrel 5 Black Phoebe 12 Say's Phoebe 5 Cassin's Kingbird 6 Western Scrub-Jay 4 American Crow 6 Common Raven 3 Barn Swallow 5 Bushtit 4 Rock Wren 1 House Wren 5 Marsh Wren 2 Bewick's Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 1 California Gnatcatcher 6 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 12 Wrentit 16 California Thrasher 1

Orange-crowned Warbler 4 Common Yellowthroat 25 White-crowned Sparrow 9 Golden-crowned Sparrow 1 Song Sparrow 12 Lincoln's Sparrow 1 California Towhee 16 Spotted Towhee 1 Red-winged Blackbird 60 House Finch 21 Lesser Goldfinch 28 American Goldfinch 2 House Sparrow 5 Observers: Eva Armi, Frank Wong, Blair Francis, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Herb Knüfken, Ingo Renner, Jack Friery, and Lula Sutherland

Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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February 2016 Torreyana 7

Plant of the Month by Margaret Fillius

fter winter rains, one of the first plants to produce new green shoots is Marah macrocarpa (syn. M.

macroparpus), in the Cucurbitaceae family. One of its common names, Manroot, derives from its huge tuber, which can weigh more than 220 pounds. Vines emerge from the tuber and can quickly grow to about 20 feet long, with leaves, flowers and fruit also developing rapidly. Also known as Wild Cucumber, this plant is monoecious and can self-pollinate, but most pollination is by insects. The male flowers are in stalked clusters while the female flowers, with their swollen bases, are solitary. The large, prickly fruit hangs from the vine and has four compartments, each containing large, hard seeds that are food for animals such as squirrels and wood rats. Germination, which occurs in late winter, is unusual in that the initial shoot grows downward into the earth before splitting into two: one part becomes the tuberous root while the other grows back to the surface to become the vine. Although it appears that Marah is killing the plant over which it is vining, using tendrils to attach and support itself,

this is not the case, because the Marah dies back quite quickly. So please help educate anyone you see tearing it down: it is not a threat to other plants. The closest area to see the Wild Cucumber or Manroot is behind the Visitor Center, near Torrey Circle.

Massive manroot tuber. Tiny round white disc is a “quarter.” Photo by Roger Isaacson

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: December 29, 2015

Number of species: 89 Gadwall 13 American Wigeon 32 Mallard 16 Northern Pintail 22 Green-winged Teal 12 Canvasback 3 Ring-necked Duck 1 Lesser Scaup 10 Surf Scoter 8 Bufflehead 11 Red-breasted Merganser 1 Ruddy Duck 5 California Quail 8 Pacific Loon 2 Pied-billed Grebe 6 Eared Grebe 6 Western Grebe 5 Black-vented Shearwater 200 Brandt's Cormorant 3 Double-crested Cormorant 9 Brown Pelican 20 Great Egret 5 Snowy Egret 10 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 4

Northern Harrier 3 Cooper's Hawk 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 4 American Coot 21 Black-bellied Plover 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Willet 13 Long-billed Curlew 1 Marbled Godwit 2 Least Sandpiper 36 Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 2 Bonaparte's Gull 2 Heermann's Gull 18 Ring-billed Gull 27 Western Gull 11 California Gull 30 Herring Gull 1 Caspian Tern 1 Forster's Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Mourning Dove 20 White-throated Swift 30 Anna's Hummingbird 20 Allen's Hummingbird 5 Belted Kingfisher 2

Nuttall's Woodpecker 6 Northern Flicker 6 American Kestrel 4 Black Phoebe 8 Say's Phoebe 4 Cassin's Kingbird 4 Loggerhead Shrike 1 Hutton's Vireo 1 Western Scrub-Jay 15 American Crow 15 Common Raven 7 Tree Swallow 8 Bushtit 40 House Wren 4 Marsh Wren 1 Bewick's Wren 2 Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 6 California Gnatcatcher 9 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 21 Wrentit 9 Hermit Thrush 4 California Thrasher 5 European Starling 3 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 Common Yellowthroat 10 Yellow-rumped Warbler 33 Townsend's Warbler 1

Dark-eyed Junco 5 White-crowned Sparrow 39 Golden-crowned Sparrow 3 Savannah Sparrow 8 Song Sparrow 16 California Towhee 17 Spotted Towhee 7 Red-winged Blackbird 30 House Finch 29 Lesser Goldfinch 19 House Sparrow 6 Observers: Frank Wong, Eva Armi, Blair Francis, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Herb Knüfken, Jack Friery, Pete di Giralamo, David Mathis, Gary Grantham, James Wilson, and Anonymous Monthly TPSNR bird count (conducted as a segment of the RSF Christmas Bird Count.)

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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March 2016 Torreyana 9

Plant of the Month by Margaret Fillius

hat a delight it is to see the first Milkmaids of the season, heralding the flower season. By blooming

soon after the early winter/spring rains, they attract the attention of whatever insects are around in the early season. By March they are in peak bloom. Cardamine californica is an herbaceous perennial growing to approximately 1 foot tall from a rhizome. Each flower, about half an inch in diameter, has four white to pale pink petals; the flowers are in a spike. The petals close up in late afternoon as the sun goes down. The basal leaves differ in their form from the leaves along the stems. Cardamine comes from the Greek word describing plants in the cress (mustard) family. The common name of Milkmaids derives from the flower’s resemblance to a hat often worn by milkmaids. Milkmaids (also known as Toothwort) can be found from Oregon to Baja California growing in partial to full shade. In the Reserve, Milkmaid blossoms brighten the north-facing side of the road and the entrance to, and north-facing trail of, the Guy Fleming Trail.

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: February 6, 2016

Number of species: 86 Gadwall 11 American Wigeon 16 Mallard 12 Blue-winged Teal 6 Cinnamon Teal 9 Northern Shoveler 11 Northern Pintail 58 Green-winged Teal 12 Canvasback 3 Lesser Scaup 6 Surf Scoter 1 Bufflehead 14 Red-breasted Merganser 2 Ruddy Duck 18 California Quail 13 Red-throated Loon 2 Pied-billed Grebe 3 Western Grebe 14 Black-vented Shearwater 20 Brandt's Cormorant 1 Double-crested Cormorant 4 Brown Pelican 20 Great Blue Heron 3

Great Egret 6 Snowy Egret 7 Black-crowned Night-Heron 1 White-faced Ibis 30 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 2 Northern Harrier 4 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 5 Common Gallinule 1 American Coot 25 Willet 21 Whimbrel 2 Long-billed Curlew 6 Marbled Godwit 3 Bonaparte's Gull 10 Heermann's Gull 7 Mew Gull 1 Ring-billed Gull 4 Western Gull 7 California Gull 63 Caspian Tern 1 Royal Tern 1 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2

White-throated Swift 7 Anna's Hummingbird 16 Allen's Hummingbird 5 Belted Kingfisher 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Downy Woodpecker 2 Northern Flicker 1 American Kestrel 8 Peregrine Falcon 2 Black Phoebe 5 Say's Phoebe 10 Cassin's Kingbird 3 Western Scrub-Jay 6 American Crow 24 Common Raven 15 Bushtit 21 House Wren 3 Marsh Wren 1 Bewick's Wren 6 California Gnatcatcher 22 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 2 Wrentit 18 Hermit Thrush 5 California Thrasher 5 Northern Mockingbird 2

European Starling 1 Cedar Waxwing 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 8 Common Yellowthroat 17 Yellow-rumped Warbler 34 Dark-eyed Junco 1 White-crowned Sparrow 27 Savannah Sparrow 3 California Towhee 21 Spotted Towhee 14 Red-winged Blackbird 60 Western Meadowlark 2 House Finch 34 Observers: Frank Wong, Eva Armi, Marty Hales, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Herb Knüfken, Jack Friery, Steve Tarkington, Mark Embree, Gary Grantham, Valerie Thomas, Ingo Renner, and Anonymous

Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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April 2016 Torreyana 7

Plants of the Month

by Margaret Fillius here are approximately 45 species in the genus Dudleya, most of which occur in the southwestern United States and

northwestern Mexico and four of which occur at TPSNR. Often known as Live-Forevers, these perennials can withstand our arid climate because of their fleshy leaves and stems, which dry up during the dry season then rehydrate or regrow after the rains arrive. Dudleya edulis (Ladies’ Fingers) and Dudleya lanceolata (Lance-leaf Dudleya) can be found throughout the Reserve. You will need to look on the cliffs of Black’s Beach south of Mussel Rock to see Dudleya pulverulenta -- known as Chalk Dudleya because of the powdery coating on its leaves and flower stems. Our special species is the endangered Dudleya brevifolia (Short-leaf Dudleya or Dwarf Live-forever), which occurs on bare sandstone terraces. It can be viewed from the roadside a short distance north of the start of the North Broken Hill Trail. It is deciduous in the summer. Its early growth form resembles the concretions around it, making it vulnerable to destruction by off-trail activity. You may see hummingbirds visiting the flowers of all Dudleya species, usually in April and May.

Dudleya pulverulenta

Dudleya brevifolia

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: March 5, 2016

Number of species: 82 Gadwall 8 American Wigeon 30 Mallard 19 Blue-winged Teal 5 Cinnamon Teal 20 Northern Shoveler 2 Northern Pintail 39 Green-winged Teal 3 Canvasback 2 Lesser Scaup 20 Bufflehead 12 Red-breasted Merganser 2 Ruddy Duck 7 California Quail 18 Pied-billed Grebe 7 Western Grebe 16 Double-crested Cormorant 7 Brown Pelican 20 Great Blue Heron 5 Great Egret 8 Snowy Egret 13 White-faced Ibis 78 Osprey 2

White-tailed Kite 2 Northern Harrier 3 Red-tailed Hawk 4 Ridgway's Rail 1 Common Gallinule 1 American Coot 20 Spotted Sandpiper 1 Willet 13 Long-billed Curlew 2 Marbled Godwit 4 Sanderling 40 Heermann's Gull 1 Western Gull 9 California Gull 1 Royal Tern 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Mourning Dove 10 Anna's Hummingbird 32 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 8 Belted Kingfisher 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker 3 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 6 American Kestrel 6 Peregrine Falcon 2

Black Phoebe 4 Say's Phoebe 8 Cassin's Kingbird 6 Hutton's Vireo 1 Western Scrub-Jay 8 American Crow 35 Common Raven 48 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 27 Bushtit 41 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 House Wren 6 Marsh Wren 10 Bewick's Wren 9 California Gnatcatcher 15 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 Wrentit 34 California Thrasher 7 Northern Mockingbird 8 European Starling 3 Cedar Waxwing 20 Orange-crowned Warbler 5 Common Yellowthroat 10 Yellow-rumped Warbler 10 Townsend's Warbler 2

White-crowned Sparrow 8 Savannah Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 10 California Towhee 27 Spotted Towhee 13 Red-winged Blackbird 14 Hooded Oriole 2 House Finch 30 Lesser Goldfinch 4 House Sparrow 6

Observers:

Frank Wong, Marty Hales, Valerie Thomas, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Pete Di Girolamo, Janet Ugalde, Steve Tarkington, Tina Rathbone, Andy Rathbone, Ingo Renner, Gary Grantham, Jim Wilson, David Webster, and Anonymous

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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May 2016 Torreyana 7

Plants of the Month by Margaret Fillius

ou may have been enjoying seeing Splendid Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus splendens) the last few

weeks, and are now looking forward to also seeing Weed’s Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus weedii var. weedii) towards the end of May. These two beauties (maybe the showiest of our flowers) are monocots, in the Lily family, and grow from bulbs. Their common names come from the patterned, wing-like shape of their petals resembling the wings of butterflies (“mariposa” being Spanish for butterfly). Each petal has a nectary gland at its base, surrounded by hairs. In the case of the Weed’s Mariposa, the nectary is in a sunken pit that can be seen as a bump on the outside of the petal. The surfaces of the yellowish petals of Weed’s Mariposa are covered in yellow hairs that may have a dark (brownish) spot at the base; the petal

margins may be fringed with dark hairs; the stamens are yellow. In the case of the Splendid Mariposa, the hairs on the pink or pinkish-lilac petals are white and only on the lower third; stamens are purple. Both species are popular with bees.

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: April 2, 2016

Number of species: 89 (plus 3 other taxa) Gadwall 9 American Wigeon 16 Mallard 19 Cinnamon Teal 16 Northern Shoveler 8 Canvasback 1 Lesser Scaup 4 Surf Scoter 1 Bufflehead 8 Red-breasted Merganser 5 Ruddy Duck 19 California Quail 20 Pacific Loon 23 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Eared Grebe 5 Western Grebe 9 Brandt's Cormorant 3 Double-crested Cormorant 1 Brown Pelican 10 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 4 Great Egret 7 Snowy Egret 14 White-faced Ibis 60

Osprey 2 White-tailed Kite 3 Cooper's Hawk 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 4 Ridgway's Rail 1 American Coot 27 Willet 40 Whimbrel 5 Marbled Godwit 1 Short-billed/Long-billed Dowitcher 2 Bonaparte's Gull 22 Heermann's Gull 2 Ring-billed Gull 1 Western Gull 4 California Gull 6 Caspian Tern 5 Royal Tern 2 Elegant Tern 4 Eurasian Collared-Dove 3 Mourning Dove 9 Great Horned Owl 1 White-throated Swift 33 Anna's Hummingbird 22 Allen's Hummingbird 2

Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 11 Belted Kingfisher 2 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 Downy Woodpecker 1 Northern Flicker 4 American Kestrel 3 Peregrine Falcon 2 Black Phoebe 3 Cassin's Kingbird 9 Western Kingbird 1 Hutton's Vireo 2 Western Scrub-Jay 8 American Crow 19 Common Raven 22 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 28 swallow sp. 12 Bushtit 22 House Wren 1 Marsh Wren 7 Bewick's Wren 7 California Gnatcatcher 9 Wrentit 37 California Thrasher 6 Northern Mockingbird 2 European Starling 6

Cedar Waxwing 20 Orange-crowned Warbler 7 Common Yellowthroat 21 Yellow-rumped Warbler 7 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Wilson's Warbler 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 1 White-crowned Sparrow 10 Savannah Sparrow 2 Song Sparrow 40 California Towhee 44 Spotted Towhee 14 Black-headed Grosbeak 1 Red-winged Blackbird 30 Hooded Oriole 1 House Finch 34 Lesser Goldfinch 13 House Sparrow 3 Observers: Gary Grantham, Jim Wilson, Jack Friery, Marty Hales, Herb Knüfken, Frank Wong, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Gabrielle Ivany, and Anonymous

Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

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June 2016 Torreyana 8

Photos by Barbara Wallach

Torrey Pines Book Club When: Tuesday, June 14th at 2:00 pm Where: Marty Hales’ home in Kensington What: Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff. Here’s Amazon’s review: Frozen in Time is a gripping true story of survival, bravery, and honor in the vast Arctic wilderness during World War II, from the author of New York Times bestseller Lost in Shangri-La. On November 5, 1942, a US cargo plane slammed into the Greenland Ice Cap. Four days later, the B-17 assigned to the search-and-rescue mission became lost in a blinding storm and also crashed. Miraculously, all nine men on board survived, and the US military launched a daring rescue operation. But after picking up one man, the Grumman Duck amphibious plane flew into a severe storm and vanished. Frozen in Time tells the story of these crashes and the fate of the survivors, bringing vividly to life their battle to endure 148 days of the brutal Arctic winter, until an expedition headed by famed Arctic explorer Bernt Balchen brought them to safety. Plants of the Month: Bedstraws by Margaret Fillius

here are at least three members of the Coffee or Madder family (Rubiaceae) at Torrey Pines, all in the Galium

genus. Two woody-stemmed Bedstraws are Narrow-leaf Bedstraw (Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium) and San Diego Bedstraw (Galium nuttallii). The name Bedstraw came from the use of the dried, matted foliage to stuff mattresses. Hairs on Bedstraw branches cause the branches to stick together and so help keep the filling a uniform thickness. The genus

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June 2016 Torreyana 9

name was given by Linnaeus from the use of a Galium species as an aid to curdle milk (Greek gala = milk). The leaves of both G. angustifolium and G. nuttallii are in whorls of four leaves, but in the case of the latter the leaves have more hairs and have sharper points. The latter plant also turns red with age. Both are dioecious (i.e. plants are all of one or the other sex). Their fruits are quite different: G. angustifolium has two nutlets, which are densely covered by long white hairs, whereas G. nuttallii has a single fruit.

The third genus member is the weak-stemmed Galium aparine, commonly called Goosegrass, Cleavers, Common Bedstraw, or Stickywilly. G. aparine has leaves in whorls of 6-8, and it is monoecious (i.e. all flowers contain both sexes). G. aparine was used as a poultice to treat skin problems and to relieve stings and bites. The fruit has been dried and roasted, then used as a coffee substitute. The plant is edible as a cooked leaf vegetable as long as it is gathered before fruits appear. It may have also been used to make a sieve to strain milk. A red dye can be prepared from the roots. The Galium you are most likely to see throughout the Reserve is Narrow-leaf Bedstraw (G. angustifolium ssp. angustifolium). If you find a female plant, you can look nearby for a male plant.

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: May 7, 2016

Number of species: 81 Uncommon species bolded

Gadwall 12 Mallard 18 Blue-winged Teal 1 Cinnamon Teal 2 California Quail 13 Pacific Loon 1 Pied-billed Grebe 5 Eared Grebe 1 Western Grebe 6 Black Storm-Petrel 20 Brandt's Cormorant 2 Double-crested Cormorant 2 Brown Pelican 30 Least Bittern 1 Great Blue Heron 1 Great Egret 13 Snowy Egret 19 Black-crowned Night-Heron 2 White-faced Ibis 1 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 3 Cooper's Hawk 2

Red-tailed Hawk 3 Killdeer 1 Spotted Sandpiper 2 Whimbrel 1 Bonaparte's Gull 40 Western Gull 3 California Gull 4 Caspian Tern 6 Forster's Tern 5 Royal Tern 2 Elegant Tern 5 Eurasian Collared-Dove 4 Mourning Dove 21 Vaux's Swift 12 White-throated Swift 32 Anna's Hummingbird 24 Allen's Hummingbird 1 Rufous/Allen's Hummingbird 3 Nuttall's Woodpecker 2 American Kestrel 3 Peregrine Falcon 2 Black Phoebe 2 Ash-throated Flycatcher 2 Cassin's Kingbird 1 Warbling Vireo 3

Western Scrub-Jay 1 American Crow 9 Common Raven 27 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 79 Tree Swallow 25 Barn Swallow 20 Cliff Swallow 72 Bushtit 15 House Wren 2 Marsh Wren 7 Bewick's Wren 9 California Gnatcatcher 10 Wrentit 26 California Thrasher 6 Northern Mockingbird 6 European Starling 4 Orange-crowned Warbler 15 Common Yellowthroat 16 Yellow Warbler 1 Black-throated Gray Warbler 1 Townsend's Warbler 4 Hermit Warbler 2 Wilson's Warbler 3 Yellow-breasted Chat 6

Dark-eyed Junco 1 Song Sparrow 27 California Towhee 38 Spotted Towhee 17 Western Tanager 1 Blue Grosbeak 1 Red-winged Blackbird 29 Hooded Oriole 2 House Finch 60 Lesser Goldfinch 27 House Sparrow 6 Observers: Gary Grantham, Steve Neal, Jack Friery, Marty Hales, Herb Knüfken, Frank Wong, Kathy Dickey, Bob Glaser, Mark Embree, Andy Rathbone, Margaret Fillius, John Bruin, and Anonymous

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

July 2016 Torreyana 7

Plant of the Month: Laurel Sumac by Margaret Fillius Laurel Sumac (Malosma laurina) is an aromatic large shrub/small tree with leaves that fold upward at the sides, thus reducing surface exposure to the sun and allowing dew and rainwater to collect and run downwards towards the roots. Because of its leaf shape, Laurel Sumac is sometimes called the “taco plant.” Young leaves and stems are reddish. You can see it most easily along the road between High Point and the Lodge. You will also find it along trails such as Razor Point and Parry Grove. Cream-colored flowers, followed by small, reddish-colored fruit, are in pyramid-like clusters at branch ends from June through August. Flowers can be either unisexual or bisexual. Model railroad enthusiasts often use the dried flower/fruit remains as miniature trees.

Laurel Sumac has a very deep taproot, helping it to get enough water to remain evergreen through our hot, dry summer months. It also has a root crown that can quickly re-sprout following destruction by fire of the plant above ground. It is particularly sensitive to frost and was used by early Southern California farmers as an indicator of locations where citrus and avocado trees could survive.

Laurel Sumac is a member of the Anacardaceae (Sumac) family, along with plants such as Poison Oak, Lemonadeberry, Cashew, Mango and Pistachio. Most Sumac family plants contain a sap that can cause dermatitis in humans. The genus was named Malosma by Thomas Nuttall in 1838, referring to the apple-like smell of cut leaves (malum = apple; osme = smell or scent). The species name refers to it looking like a laurel tree. Quail commonly roost in Laurel Sumac, and wood rats often build their homes at the base.

Torrey Pines Docent Society Bird Survey: June 4, 2016

Number of species: 69 (plus 1 other taxon) Gadwall 2 Mallard 16 Pacific Loon 2 Pied-billed Grebe 4 Western Grebe 12 Double-crested Cormorant 8 Brown Pelican 22 Great Blue Heron 3 Great Egret 10 Snowy Egret 25 Green Heron 1 Black-crowned Night-Heron 5 Osprey 1 White-tailed Kite 1 Northern Harrier 2 Cooper's Hawk 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 Ridgway's Rail 3

Common Gallinule 2 Killdeer 4 Western Gull 2 California Gull 2 Caspian Tern 6 Forster's Tern 1 Royal Tern 12 Elegant Tern 18 Black Skimmer 2 Eurasian Collared-Dove 2 Mourning Dove 41 White-throated Swift 20 Anna's Hummingbird 12 Allen's Hummingbird 4 hummingbird sp. 3 Nuttall's Woodpecker 5 American Kestrel 4 Peregrine Falcon 4 Olive-sided Flycatcher 2 Black Phoebe 2 Say's Phoebe 1

Hutton's Vireo 2 Western Scrub-Jay 5 American Crow 10 Common Raven 31 Northern Rough-winged Swallow 33 Cliff Swallow 6 Bushtit 14 Marsh Wren 14 Bewick's Wren 6 California Gnatcatcher 12 Wrentit 24 California Thrasher 5 Northern Mockingbird 5 European Starling 2 Orange-crowned Warbler 12 Common Yellowthroat 18 Yellow Warbler 1 Yellow-breasted Chat 7 Dark-eyed Junco 1 Savannah Sparrow 2

Song Sparrow 34 California Towhee 31 Spotted Towhee 25 Black-headed Grosbeak 1 Blue Grosbeak 2 Red-winged Blackbird 21 Brewer's Blackbird 2 Brown-headed Cowbird 6 House Finch 30 Lesser Goldfinch 26 House Sparrow 3 Observers: Kathy Dickey, Steve Neal, Bob Glaser, Jack Friery, Marty Hales, Herb Knüfken, Frank Wong, Sherry Doolittle, Mark Embree, Tina and Andy Rathbone, Margaret Fillius, John Bruin, and Anonymous

Monthly Bird Surveys are available back to 2005 at torreypine.org/nature-center/birds/birdsurveys/

Herb Knüfken’s amazing photo gallery, including many birds, may be found here: pbase.com/herb1rm

August 2016 Torreyana 8

Local Eagle Scouts Assist The Reserve by Jake Mumma

few months back, I was approached by a local Boy Scout Robert Hou –Troop 713, looking to assist the

Reserve by completing his Eagle Scout Project somewhere around the Lodge.

Scouts and parents from Del Mar Troop 713 working on new and old benches for the Children’s Program area. It was agreed upon that the Children’s Program Amphitheater could use an extra row of benches along with a new coat of paint on the existing benches. After the long and tedious planning/approval process that prospective Eagle Scout candidates are subjected to, Robert took careful measurements and drawings of the existing benches along with paint chip samples. His newly constructed benches were required to match the existing benches, both in design and paint color. In early-mid July, with the assistance of his troop, Robert constructed four perfectly matched benches! In addition to this, Robert directed his troop in the sanding, priming, and painting of all of the existing Children’s Program Amphitheater benches! With the Children’s Program starting back up in approximately just one month, the timing couldn’t have been any better. It was a job well done by all! Thank you Robert and Boy Scout Troop 713!

Plant of the Month: Fascicled Tarweed by Margaret Fillius

hen you think of aromatic plants in the Reserve, you probably think of shrubs such as Black Sage and

Sagebrush. This Plant of the Month is an annual and is much smaller. Fascicled Tarweed (Deinandra fasciculata, previously Hemizonia fasciculata), locally known as Sticky Tarweed, usually grows to about 7 inches tall and has a long bloom season (usually May to September). Rub your fingers over the plant and you will notice a sticky aromatic tar on the

leaves and stems. If you end up with stained clothes or skin, don’t fret -- alcohol will remove it!

The lower leaves are toothed or lobed, while the upper leaves are shorter and linear. Flower heads are in bundles of two or more. Each flower head has a center of six yellow disc florets with dark purple stamens surrounded by five yellow ray florets. The ray florets generally have three teeth, the central tooth being the smallest. Use a magnifying glass to appreciate the flower details.

I have read that Native Americans used Tarweed seeds for food. According to Delfina Cuero, Kumeyaay boiled the whole plant for steam to treat headaches. Fascicled Tarweed grows in Coastal Sage Scrub, Southern Oak Woodland, and Valley Grassland from the Central Coast south into Baja California. Although it can be found in many places throughout the Reserve, it is probably most abundant at the west end of the Flintkote Trail.

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September 2016 Torreyana 8

Geology beach walk led by Gill Williamson on August 15, 2016

Plant of the Month: Sea-lavender or Western Marsh Rosemary by Margaret Fillius I expect you have given and received flower bouquets that include Statice. This is usually either Limonium perezii, native to the Canary Islands, or Limonium sinuatum (Wavy-leaf Sea Lavender), native to the Mediterranean. Both are invasive in our area and can be seen along Torrey Pines Road near the Los Peñasquitos Lagoon.

Sea-lavender or Western Marsh Rosemary Our native species is Limonium californicum, commonly known as Sea-lavender or Western Marsh Rosemary although not related to either Lavender or Rosemary. Not

as showy as the non-native species, this perennial is still attractive, with small pale violet and white flowers at the ends of a much-branched stem. It grows in salt marsh and coastal strand plant communities along the California and Northern Baja coast, so it is adapted to saline conditions. In the Reserve, it can be found along the western half of the Flintkote Trail. Fresh new leaves appear from the woody base in the spring, and the flowers usually bloom from July to December.

Salt crystals on Sea-lavender Sea-lavender is a Recretohalophyte, which means it has specialized salt-secreting salt bladders and salt glands. A recent study of a related Limonium species has shown that salt glands have four secretory pores that discharge salts, mainly sodium chloride. With time, salt crystals can be very visible on the long leaf blades (see photograph above).

October 2016 Torreyana 6

Plant of the Month: Coyote Brush by Margaret Fillius

hat do you think is the main method of pollination of Coyote Brush, a member of the Aster family, which

is the most represented plant family at Torrey Pines? Baccharis pilularis or Coyote Brush is one of the few shrubs blooming at this time of the year. Common throughout the Reserve, this shrub is usually rounded and woody with several cone-shaped branches. Its plentiful leaves have three main veins and are stiff, oval to egg-shaped (upside down), usually toothed, and without hairs. The leaves tend to stay on the shrub even in times of drought. Plants of the Baccharis genus in our area are dioecious -- that is, they have separate male and female plants. Male flowers are cream colored, and female flowers are white and more pointed. In both cases, flowers appear in groups at the end of branches. So, back to the question of pollination method. You might think wind would be the main force, but research has shown that insect pollination greatly increases the production of viable seeds of Baccharis species. The origin of the genus name Baccharis is unclear but may come from Bacchus, the Roman God of wine. The epithet pilularis may derive from the Latin pilula, which means globule, perhaps because of the numerous galls one usually finds on this shrub. We have three other Baccharis species around the Reserve. Baccharis salicina (Willow Baccharis) is usually found in wetlands, but there is one near the Visitor Center birdbath. Baccharis sarothroides (Broom Baccharis) used to be seen along the roadside, but that plant was demolished when the pedestrian path was installed; others I know of are off trail. Baccharis salicifolia (Mule Fat) is found along the Flintkote Trail. The leaves of Willow Baccharis are similar to Coyote Brush, but the egg shape is wider at the base; those of Broom Baccharis are linear and have only one main vein; those of Mule Fat are larger, similar to willow leaves, and are usually serrated.

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Female plant

Male plant

November 2016 Torreyana 8

Plant of the Month: Coast California Buckwheat by Margaret Fillius

olor variety at this time of year at TPSNR is scarce, but much of it is provided by Buckwheat. Although there

are now few Buckwheat flowers in bloom, the rich bronze-brown flower heads remaining from earlier blossoms make a wonderful contrast against the dark green leaves throughout the Reserve. The Buckwheat variety most prominent in TPSNR is Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum (Coast California Buckwheat), which is found along the coast of California and northwestern Baja California.

Coast California Buckwheat California Buckwheat is a good seed producer, with seeds maturing in the early fall, at which time you see many harvester ants scurrying between Buckwheat shrubs and their nests carrying those seeds. Its flower inflorescences are branched umbels, and there are some in bloom most of the year. Use a magnifying glass to appreciate the beauty of each individual flower. Because of its long flowering period (March to November), California Buckwheat is also an excellent insectary plant that provides nectar sources for insects such as butterflies, moths, beetles, flies, ants, bees, and wasps. Grasshoppers and the larvae of beetles, butterflies, and moths feed on its roots, stems, leaves, and flowers. For example, all stages of the Bernardino Blue Butterfly feed on Coast California Buckwheat; look for the adult butterfly from late May to early July. Beeflies can often be seen feeding on the nectar. I have read that the dry heads or leaves of E. fasciculatum have been used in decoctions for headaches and stomach disorders, and that a root poultice has been applied to wounds.

The name derives from the Greek erion (wool) and gonu (joint or knee) and fasciculatum, from the Latin word meaning “bundles,” which describes the growth habit of the leaves.

Coast California Buckwheat flower

Torrey Pines Book Club When: Tuesday, November 8, 2:00 pm Where: Molly McConnell’s home in Normal Heights What: H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald From Amazon: The instant New York Times bestseller and award-winning sensation, Helen Macdonald's story of adopting and raising one of nature's most vicious predators has soared into the hearts of millions of readers worldwide. Fierce and feral, her goshawk Mabel's temperament mirrors Helen's own state of grief after her father's death, and together raptor and human "discover the pain and beauty of being alive" (People). H Is for Hawk is a genre-defying debut from one of our most unique and transcendent voices. All TPDS docents are welcome. Meetings usually last a couple of hours. RSVP to Molly if you plan to attend. (Check Member List for email or phone number.) Looking Ahead. December 13: A Fort of Nine Towers: An Afghan Family Story by Qais Akbar Omar. January 10: Rarest Blue: The Remarkable Story of An Ancient Color Lost to History and Rediscovered by Baruch Sterman

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December 2016 Torreyana 8

Plant of the Month: Bladderpod by Margaret Fillius

s more and more human DNA studies are carried out, increased information is available concerning genetic

relationships among people. The same is true for plants. In the case of Bladderpod (Peritoma arborea, syn. Isomeris arborea, Cleome isomeris), until a few years ago it was classified in the Capperaceae (Caper) family, but DNA studies now show it more appropriately belongs in the family Cleomaceae (Spiderflower). For a brief time before it was moved to Cleomaceae, it was classified in the Brassicaceae (Mustard) family.

What do plants in these families have in common? One thing is the production of glucosinolates, secondary metabolites of almost all plants of the order Brassicales, which includes all three of these families. Mustard oils are produced from glucosinolates when the plant material is chewed, cut, or otherwise damaged. In Bladderpod, these chemicals have a foul smell that helps discourage predation by insects – other than harlequin bugs, which appear to be immune and feast on Bladderpod. Although the main flowering season for Bladderpod is April and May, it will flower at any time throughout the year. Its yellow tubular flowers are popular with hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other insects. Bladderpod’s name comes from the shape of its fruit, which is an oval, inflated, leathery capsule. It is smooth and green when new, aging to light brown. The name isomeris in the synonyms means “equal parts,” referring to the fruit’s bilateral construction. Bladderpod grows in California and Baja California, from coastal bluffs and coastal sage scrub to the deserts below 4,000 feet. A good place to see Bladderpod at TPSNR is along the western part of the Guy Fleming Trail, and it can also be found along other trails.

A Dues Reminder

from Carol Smith, Membership Coordinator The TPDS Board requests that service hours be recorded and dues for 2017 be paid by January 1. Service hours and dues are state requirements for parking passes, which are issued by our Rangers. Docent Requirements remain the same:

• Active Members: $25 dues and 72 service hours (or more)

• Supporting Members: $40 dues. Service hours are not required but are much appreciated

• Lifetime Members: No requirements, but service hours and donations are welcome.

If you have questions about recording your service hours on Volgistics, contact Roger Isaacson (portal@torrypine.org). If you have questions about your required service hours or dues, contact Carol Smith (membership@torreypine.org). You may place your check (marked dues) in the Treasurer’s box in the docent library. Or mail it to:

Torrey Pines Docent Society Attn: Treasurer (Dues) P.O. Box 2414 Del Mar, CA 92014

Docent Website Shortcuts Newsletter: torreypine.org/volunteering/newsletters/ Docent Login: torreypine.org/volunteering/docent-login/ Google Group (also available on Docent Login page): groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/tpds Society Docs: torreypine.org/volunteering/docent-login/society-docs/ Children’s Program Signup: cp.torreypine.org/reservations/Private/docent_signup.php Children’s Program Resources (also for any walk host): torreypine.org/volunteering/childrens-program-login/ For easy access, we recommend you copy and paste these shortcuts into your Favorites/Bookmarks.

January 2017 Torreyana 6

Plant of the Month: Shaw’s Agave by Margaret Fillius

oes any plant in the Reserve remind you of asparagus? This month’s plant, Shaw’s Agave (Agave shawii), is

related to asparagus. Some botanists consider it to be in the Asparagus family and Agave subfamily, while others consider it to be in the Agave family. In both cases it is in the Order Asparagales. Certainly the flower stalk resembles asparagus. Shaw’s Agave has dark green leaves with toothed margins, showing as yellow and red when the sun is behind them. This rosette-forming perennial forms colonies of smaller rosettes, eventually covering an area up to 8 feet across. After reaching maturity (usually in about 10 to 20 years), the plant sends up its asparagus-like flower stalk 3 to 12 feet tall around this time of the year. The yellow flowers appear later, usually in the spring, and are pollinated by butterflies and bees. Could the hummingbirds that are attracted to the flowers also contribute to its pollination? Other species of Agave (e.g., in Arizona and Baja California) are pollinated by bats and/or hawkmoths. The type of pollinator attracted to the Agave flowers depends on factors such as flower color, sugar type and concentration, and scent production. There are differences of opinion about whether the Shaw’s Agave plants at TPSNR are there naturally or were originally planted by Guy Fleming. Shaw’s Agave (named for Henry Shaw, the founder of the Missouri Botanical Garden) was abundant in Southern California at the beginning of the twentieth century. Of the several known populations, only those at Border Fields State Park, north of Tijuana, are regarded as being definitely native. The Shaw’s Agave is regarded as being critically endangered in California but also grows on coastal bluffs in NW Baja California.

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In Memoriam: Paul Whitby We were sad to learn that Lifetime Docent Paul Whitby passed away in Winter Park, Florida on November 16, 2016. He and his wife, Bobbi, became docents in 2002 and were active for more than 10 years. They were chosen as Docents of the Month in 2005. Bobbi died in March 2014.

A memorial service is planned and details will be forthcoming on the TPDS Google Group. Paul lived a rich and varied life as you can see from this obit: Click here for obituary

Answer to pg. 5 photo question: Las Vegas

February 2017 Torreyana 6

Plant of the Month: California Bush Sunflower by Margaret Fillius

hen we think of sunflowers, we usually picture the domesticated variety cultivated for its seeds

(Helianthus annus), which does grow naturally in our area. But there are many more sunflowers, including several native to San Diego County.

The California Bush Sunflower (Encelia californica), also known as California Brittlebush, can be found from Baja Sur north to San Luis Obispo and is a member of the coastal sage scrub community. This deciduous, sprawling shrub responds to the early rains by slowly sprouting its fresh green leaves from its seemingly dead stems. By February it is usually showing quite a lot of daisy-like flower heads with bright yellow ray florets and central purplish brown disc florets. Besides attracting our attention, these flowers attract butterflies, bees, and other insects. If you see some caterpillars on the plant, they may be the larval stage of the Bay Checkerpoint butterfly, a threatened species. I have read that Bush Sunflower sap has been used to soothe sore teeth and as a hand wash. Other local sunflowers include the San Diego Sunflower (Bahiopsis californica), which is native further inland than Torrey Pines, for example at Mission Trails Regional Park. A related species, Bahiopsis parishii, occurs in the western higher elevations of the Anza Borrego Desert. There are also several species in the Helianthus genus, such as H.

californicus (California Sunflower), H. gracilentus (Slender Sunflower), Helianthus niveus ssp. tephrodes (Algodones Dunes Sunflower), and H. periolaris ssp. canescens (Gray Sunflower). Even when it comes to our own sunflower, Encelia californica, there are other species of the genus to be found in the Anza Borrego Desert area (e.g., E. actonii and E. farinosa), although the word sunflower is not included in their common names.

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Birding Event: Ducks, Shorebirds, and Their Allies by Kathy Estey Need to learn (or refresh your memory) about all those birds seen in our lagoon lately? Join birders Kathy Estey, Jack Friery, and others on Friday, February 17 at 7:30 a.m. Meet in the North Beach Parking Lot to ID the ducks, gulls, and shorebirds in the lagoon opening. We should have at least three scopes set up to share. Bring your binoculars and bird books. We can walk or drive (depending on parking) to the area across from Roberto’s to begin looking at the ducks and others from that vantage point. We will then move farther east on Carmel Valley Road to get another vantage point for ducks, herons, and others. We anticipate leaving about 9:30. Heavy rain (not sprinkles) cancels. Group is limited to 25, so RSVP to Kathy Estey. Please use the Docent Roster to obtain her email or phone.

March 2017 Torreyana 8

Plant of the Month: Ferns by Margaret Fillius

o pretty flowers this month! The topic this month is Ferns, which appear in Torrey Pines after the start of

the winter rains, then dry up when it becomes drier and warmer. Ferns are a group of nonflowering vascular plants whose structure and reproductive cycle is quite different from flowering plants. They all produce haploid spores (1 set of chromosomes), which, if they find a moist habitat, give rise to a gametophyte prothallus. The latter will produce either multiple male or single female haploid gametes. The male gamete needs moisture so it can swim to fertilize the female gamete (egg), which remains on the prothallus. The fertilized egg is a diploid zygote (2 sets of paired chromosomes) and will grow by mitosis into a diploid, sporophyte fern. At Torrey Pines there are five species of fern. The most abundant is California Polypody (Polypodium californicum), which is rhizomatous, perennial and drought-deciduous. The leaves (fronds) are up to 14 inches long. Spores develop in sporangia on the lower surface of mature fronds. The sporangia are grouped in sori, the oval structures you can see when you look on the underside of a mature frond. You will find this fern on shaded, often north-facing slopes along the Guy Fleming, Parry Grove, and North Broken Hill Trails and across the road from the Guy Fleming Trail. Goldback Fern (Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis) and Silverback Fern (ssp. viscosa) can be found on moist, north-facing slopes, often close to California Polypody. The upper sides of the triangular fronds of the two subspecies look similar, but there is a difference in the color (silver or gold) of the underside. Fronds are usually 2 to 2.5 inches long.

Coffee Fern (Pellaea andromedifolia) has 8- to 20-inch-long fronds that are green when new, then turn red, purplish, or brown. It can mainly be found on drier, west-facing slopes. At Torrey Pines it can be seen on the south side of the Guy Fleming Trail near the bench. California Adder’s Tongue (Ophioglossum californicum) is an uncommon, tiny species of fern that is found in moist areas such as wet pastures and vernal pools. It is divided into a thick, green blade-shaped part, which is sterile, and a fertile stalk lined with two rows of sporangia. This plant may be hard to find. I don’t know of any that can be seen from a trail at Torrey Pines. ************************************************

Photo of coyote taken by a visitor, Sat., February 4, 2017 around 1 pm, in the canyon just north of the Razor Point Trail beyond Red Butte.

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April 2017 Torreyana 6

Plants of the Month by Margaret Fillius

o you get confused by all the little yellow flowers at this time of the year? This month we will look at some

daisy-like yellow flowers: Sea Dahlia, Common Groundsel, Goldfields (both Southern and Common), and Tidy Tips. All of these have central yellow disc flowers surrounded by ray flowers. Although the number of disc flowers and ray flowers can be important for identifying some species, you don’t need to count them to differentiate these plants! When you find a yellow daisy-type flower, size is the first aspect to consider, followed by plant structure (e.g., stem branching), then leaf structure, then any other differentiator. Sea Dahlia (Leptosyne maritima) flowers (photo below) can be 4 feet from the ground, with flower heads about 2.5 inches diameter and yellow disc and ray flowers; they are readily visible from a distance. Common Groundsel (Senecio californicus) can look like a smaller version of Sea Dahlia, being up to 20 inches tall with more flower heads per stem than Sea Dahlia. There are fewer ray flowers than in Sea Dahlia, and the flower heads are much smaller. The leaf structure is also quite different, that of Common Groundsel being undivided.

Goldfields are significantly shorter than the Sea Dahlia and Common Groundsel and are hard to spot from a distance unless there are many of them together, as is often the case on the bluff above Flat Rock. There isn’t much difference between the two species: The leaves of Southern Goldfields (Lasthenia coronaria) are usually lobed, whereas those of Common Goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis) are usually entire and often fleshy. The ray flowers of Southern Goldfields are often of two shades of yellow, being lighter towards the tip (perhaps this is the source of the epithet coronaria, which means garland). If you are uncertain from looking at the leaves, try smelling the plant – Southern Goldfields have a sweet smell. Tidy Tips (Layia platyglossa) are about the same height as Goldfields, but the flower heads are about twice the diameter (¾ - 1¼ inches), and the tips of the relatively wide ray flowers are white (tidy!) rather than yellow.

Common Groundsel

Goldfields

Southern Goldfields

Tidy Tips

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May 2017 Torreyana 8

LJ Half Marathon Celebrates the Torrey Pine by Ann Smith Mercandetti

n Sunday morning, April 23, twenty-one Torrey Pines docents and docent trainees reported for “duty” at 0700

to help monitor the 6,000+ LJHM runners as they came through TPSNR. Ann Walker gets credit for being there even though a San Diego policeman would not allow her to pass on roads that were closed before the announced times. Those other wonderful early rising docents who did get past the SD police or had no problems were: Nikki Hrountas, Joellen Barnett, Helen Grundler, Marlis Sticher, Joe Meyer, Mark Embree, Gabriele Wienhausen, Irene Larrimore, Guy Lawrie, Jeff Harrison, Annette Ring, Paul Dunphy, Gabrielle Ivany, Greg Howard, Judith Zyskind, Sheldon Krueger, Ron Kuczewski, Lillian Lachicotte, Maureen Buckley, Ken King, and Steve Neal. Around 8,000 participants support the host organization, the La Jolla Kiwanis, which nets $200,000 from sponsoring this annual event. The La Jolla Kiwanis Foundation distributes 100% of its net proceeds to organizations right here in the San Diego area to support children, seniors, and other community groups.

Photo by Ken King The inspiration for this year's LJHM medal and T-shirt design was the Torrey Pine. The medal is given to all runners who complete the 13.1 mile course in 3 hours. With this emblem, there is no one better to monitor and encourage the LJHM runners through TPSNR than our Torrey Pines docents. One runner, from within the CA State Park system, specifically thanked Gabrielle and Judith for our docent/volunteer presence and encouragement through the Reserve. Another great job of docents caring for the Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve on our fifth year of monitoring the LJHM. THANK YOU!!

Plant of the Month: California Poppy by Margaret Fillius

n enduring symbol of the Golden State, the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica) has been our

official State Flower for more than a century. It grows throughout the state and as far away as southern Washington, New Mexico, and northwestern Baja California. Central Coastal California poppies are larger and deeper orange than the bicolored poppies we know in Southern California. Unfortunately, these orange poppies have been introduced in this area through roadside planting, revegetation projects, and horticulture and have escaped into the wild. The California Poppy can be either annual or perennial, growing from a tap root. The flower has a base of a pink or purple ring called a torus below its four shiny, deep orange to light yellow petals, which enclose the pistil and surrounding cluster of stamens. The flowers open in bright sun and close up at dusk or in overcast conditions. The compound leaves are deeply divided. The fruit is a long, bivalve capsule that forcefully expels the seeds when ripe. The whole plant contains isoquinoline alkaloids and is toxic, causing a decrease in respiratory function if ingested. This is particularly a problem for livestock in Australia, where the plant is invasive. Germination of the California Poppy seeds occurs in cool, moist soil. There is a germination inhibitor in the skin of the seed, and sufficient rain is needed to wash it away before germination can occur. Because of this, in years of low rainfall many fewer poppies germinate and grow than in wet years. This adaptation helps preserve the seed bank. Poppies produce lots of pollen and so attract many different native bees as well as honey bees, thus ensuring pollination. Other pollen collectors include beetles, flies, butterflies, and thrips. Bees find the pollen with the aid of their UV vision, as the poppy’s anthers stand out more against the central part of the flower when viewed in the UV wavelength. Also, bumblebees build up a positive charge as they fly, and plants often have a negative charge. As a bumblebee approaches the charged flower, pollen is attracted to the positive charge of the bee’s hairs, making it more likely for pollination to occur on the next flower the bee visits. The flower remains discharged for long enough to not attract another bee right away.

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June 2017 Torreyana 8

Plants of the Month: Buckwheat Family by Margaret Fillius

his month’s group of plants are “belly flowers” in the Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) family. They are annual

Spineflowers, and at Torrey Pines there are four in the Chorizanthe genus and one in the Mucronea genus. As the common name implies, this group of plants is usually prickly. Plants in the Chorizanthe genus have basal leaves, and pointed bracts along the stems. The Mucronea has leaves along the stems. Spineflowers are found in western North America and South America. Of the 64 species of Chorizanthe, 52 are found in California. Of the two species of Mucronea, both are in California, and one (Mucronea californica) is at TPSNR. Many of these plants are threatened or endangered species. Chorizanthe orcuttiana (Orcutt’s Spineflower) is federally endangered CNPS 1B.1; Chorizanthe polygonoides var. longispina (Knotweed Spineflower) is CNPS 1B.2; and Mucronea californica (California Spineflower) is CNPS 4.2. Chorizanthe procumbens (Prostrate Spineflower) was removed from the threatened list a few years ago. Being diminutive doesn’t seem to be good for survival in this part of the world!

The two spineflowers that are more plentiful – Chorizanthe fimbriata (Fringed Spineflower) and Chorizanthe staticoides (Turkish Rugging) – tend to be more showy when flowering than the others. The single-seeded Chorizanthe fruit is encased by the involucre. The whole involucre drops free from the plant to be dispersed by wind or animal. Various Spineflowers are scattered around TPSNR, not always in plain sight. Orcutt’s Spineflower is all off-trail; one the best places to see Knotweed Spineflower is by the turnoff to go out to the Broken Hill overlook; you will usually find California Spineflower on the east side of the Guy Fleming trail north of the Shaw’s Agave; most years there is Turkish Rugging near the south end of the “Elfin Forest” trail; Fringed Spineflower tends not to be near the trail at TPSNR and is more abundant elsewhere, for example at Carmel Mountain. Editor’s Note: This will be Margaret Fillius’s final regular Plant of the Month column. It has been my great pleasure and honor to work with her on this project for the past two years. Margaret will continue to write occasional pieces for the Torreyana and to enrich TPSNR in countless ways. – DH

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Orcutt’s Spineflower Knotweed Spineflower California Spineflower

Prostrate Spineflower Fringed Spineflower Turkish Rugging