Sunday, April 24, 2011
Valley Oak
Scientific Name: Quercus lobata
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA right outside the southern entrance.
Nativity: Quercus lobata is native to California.
Habitat: It is able to grow in a variety of environments, but it is native to the hot and dry climate of the California foothills and valleys and riparian forests below 600 meters of elevation where there is more water available.
Special Notes: The Valley Oak is the biggest oak tree in North America. It can grow as high as 100 feet and have trunks that are 6-7 feet in diameter. This plant can produce up to a ton of acorns in a successful year. Q. lobata is an important ecological species. Many birds and small mammals rely on the tree as a food source and a shelter.
Resources: http://www.kaweahoaks.com/html/valley_oaks_new.html
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/quelob/all.html
Willow Myrtle
Common Name: Willow Myrtle
Scientific Name: Agonis flexuosa
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA on a hill close to the main entrance.
Nativity: A. flexuosa is a plant native to south eastern Australia.
Habitat: This plant grows in the sand plains of Austalia. It grows best in full sun and a more alkaline soil. This plant grows best in sandy, poor soils.
Special notes: Agonis flexuosa is also knows the pepper mint tree because the leaves of Agonis flexuosa give a peppermint smell when crushed. This plant also has a long "weeping" foliage (plant leaves) that can grow as long as 15 meters. This plant is grown in many places because of its ability to grow in poor soils.
Resources: http://www.bewaterwise.com/Gardensoft/plant_description.aspx?PlantID=1316 http://anpsa.org.au/a-fle.html
http://www.metrotrees.com.au/treehandbook/page-listings/agonis-flexuosa.html
http://www.metrotrees.com.au/treehandbook/page-listings/agonis-flexuosa.html
Saturday, April 23, 2011
California-Fuschia
Common Name: California-Fuchsia
Scientific Name: Zauschneria californica/ Epilobium canum
Date collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA on the rock walls on the upper region of the garden
Nativity: The California-Fuchsia is native to California.
Habitat: This plant grows in dry rocky areas and on slopes and cliffs. It can grow at elevations up to 10,000 feet.
Special notes: The California- Fuchsia has flowers that are pure red in color. This plants attracts humming birds with its beautiful flowers and the nectar it produces. This is dependent for humming bird populations and is often called "hummingbird's trumpet".
Woolly Blue Curls
Scientific Name: Trichostema lanatum
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the collection of chaparral plants.
Nativity: T. lanatum is native to the south coast ranges of California.
Habitat: Woolly Blue Curls are cultivated in areas with dry, well drained soils. This plant will die if grown with fertilizers, standing water, or soil amendment. In its natural environment, it can often be found in the chaparral regions of California with soils like serpentine clay and gravel with little precipitation.
Special Notes: Native Americans had many uses for this plant. For example, they would make a concoction with the leaves and flowers to cure stomach ailments. Some tribes used the woolly hairs from the plant and put them in streams, which would clog the gills of fish, making them easier to catch. Spanish Californians used the Woolly Blue Curls as medicine to cure many ailments. They also dried the plant and used the flowers and leaves to make a flavorful tea.
Resources: http://www.ventanawild.org/news/ss01/romero.html
http://www.smmtc.org/plantofthemonth/plant_of_the_month_200607_Woolly_Blue_Curls.htm
http://herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Trichostema+lanatum
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/trichostema-lanatum
Sapphire Tower
Common Name: Sapphire Tower
Scientific Name: Puya alpestris
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the desert area.
Nativity: The Sapphire Tower is native to higher altitude regions of Southern Chile along the slopes of the Andes Mountain Range.
Habitat: P. alpestris grows in areas with relatively dry and well drained soils with plenty of sunlight. This plant does not require a lot of water.
Special Notes: The Puya alpestris is often planted in gardens for ornamental purposes for its beautiful sapphire color that is not seen in the plant kingdom.
Resources: http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Bromeliaceae/Puya_alpestris.html
http://www.smgrowers.com/products/plants/plantdisplay.asp?plant_id=1328
http://www.tradewindsfruit.com/sapphire_tower.htm
Friday, April 22, 2011
Giant Sequoia
Scientific Name: Sequoiadendron giganteum
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA outside of the southern entrance on the lawn.
Nativity: Giant Sequoia is native to California.
Habitat: The Giant Sequoia can be found on the slopes of Sierra Nevada in Central California. The Giant Sequoia can grow at elevation of up to 1400 feet to 2000 feet.
Special Notes: The Giant Sequoia is the largest tree by volume but not by height; the tallest tree is its closest relative, the Coastal Redwood. The Giant Sequoia dominates the Yosemite Park with its large trunks and height. The Giant Sequoias are known to be one of the oldest trees and the fastest growing trees on Earth. Some specimens collected are known to be 2000- 3000 years old.
Resources: http://www.extranomical.com/HTML_PAGES/GIANT_SEQUOIAS.htm
http://library.thinkquest.org/J002415/
Giant Wild Rye
Common Name: Giant Wild Rye
Scientific Name: Leymus condensatus
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the experimental garden.
Nativity: The giant wild rye is endemic to California.
Habitat: L. condensatus grows in places with dry soil, such as the chaparral, southern oak woodland, and coastal sage scrub at elevations below 7000 feet.
Special Notes: The giant wild rye was used by Native Americans. They ate the edible seeds and wove baskets with the plant.
Sago Palm
Scientific Name: Cycas revoluta
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA toward the main entrance.
Nativity: The Sago Palm is native to Southern Japan in tropical to subtropical areas.
Habitat: C. revoluta grows best in non alkaline, well drained soils with some partial shade. The Sago Palm requires a dry soil or it cannot grow.
Special Notes: Despite its misleading name, the Sago Palm is not a palm at all; it belongs to a group of slow growing gymnosperms called cycads. Cycads are sometimes called "living fossils" since they have been living since the age of dinosaurs. The Sago Palm is a toxic plant; if ingested by humans or other animals, death can occur. Symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, seizures, and ultimately, liver failure. Despite its toxicity, the Sago Palm is still a beautiful plant and is used by many as a landscaping specimen
Resources: http://www.junglemusic.net/cycadadvice/cycads-sago-palm.htm
http://ag.arizona.edu/pima/gardening/aridplants/Cycas_revoluta.html
San Diego Barrel Cactus
Scientific Name: Ferocactus viridescens
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the desert plant collection.
Nativity: The San Diego barrel cactus is endemic to California and Baja California.
Habitat: The San Diego barrel cactus grows in rocky coastal bluffs, chaparral, and shrub hillsides between 0-200 meters in elevation. Like other succulents, this cactus can grow in loamy and very dry soils, and in cultivation, can be grown in well drained soils such as pumice, clay, and lava grit.
Special Notes: F. viridescens is currently listed as an endangered species due to the effects of grading for urban development.
Resources:http://www.cactus-art.biz/schede/FEROCACTUS/Ferocactus_viridiscens/Ferocactus_viridiscens/Ferocactus_viridiscens.htm
Ostrich Fern
Common Name: Ostrich Fern
Scientific Name: Matteuccia Struthiopteris
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA. There is a special collection of ferns near the river.
Nativity: The ostrich fern is native to temperate areas of Europe, Eastern and Northern Asia, and Eastern North America.
Habitat: M. Struthiopteris grows best in moist areas with plenty of shade. They are often found near riverbanks, coastal areas, and water logged areas.
Special Notes: The ostrich fern has edible fiddleheads, which are tightly wound immature fronds, In Japan and North America, this plant is grown and the sprouts are eaten as a delicacy. The ostrich fern als \o grows very quickly. If not controlled, it can become invasive and very difficult to remove
Resources: http://www.growingferns.com/ostrich_ferns/ostrich_ferns.html
http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/OstrichFern.html
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?400400
http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?400400
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
California Poppy
Common Name: California Poppy
Scientific Name: Eschscholzia californica
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the highest region of the garden right next to a chain link fence and the experimental garden
Nativity: California poppy is endemic to California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, and Mexico.
Habitat: E. californica grows in open grasslands and in elevations ranging from sea level to 6,500 feet. The poppy grows best in sandy, dry soils with plenty of sunlight and good drainage.
Special Notes: The California poppy is the state flower of California and April 6 is officially California Poppy Day. The poppy has sedative properties, but its effects are far less than that of opium and other sedatives. Native Americans used this plant to kill head lice, cure tooth ache, and sedate infants.
Torrey Pine
Common Name: Torrey Pine
Scientific Name: Pinus torreyana
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the waterfall.
Nativity: The Torrey Pine is native to the San Diego County of California.
Habitat: P. torreyana grows along the coastal chaparral of Santa Rosa Islands and San Diego County. Because of its long root system, the Torrey Pine can cling onto and grow on the edges of cliffs where there is little dirt.
Special Notes: P. torreyana is one of the rarest species of pine in the United States with about two thousand species. This species is particularly resistant to urban pollution, drought, high temperatures, and poor soil quality. It also produces pine nuts that can be eaten.
Resources: http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/torreypine.htm
http://www.torreypine.org/parks/torrey-pine.html
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PITO
Black Sage
Common Name: Black Sage
Scientific Name: Salvia mellifera
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the upper region of the garden along the rock wall.
Nativity: The black sage is native to Coastal and Inland California.
Habitat: S. mellifera grows at elevations below 3,000 feet. The black sage grows primarily on course soils such as sand, limestone, and serpentine on dry slopes.
Special Notes: The black sage is a good candidate for revegetation because it is fast growing and drought resistant. In
Resources: http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/salmel/all.html
Bunya Bunya
Common Name: Bunya Bunya
Scientific Name: Araucaria bidwillii
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the southern exit.
Nativity: The bunya bunya is a tree native to Australia. The tree often grows in small groves or single trees in the Bunya Mountains, Queenland, and other areas
Habitat: A. bidwillii grows best in moist and humid climates with an average rainfall of 100 cm. The tree grows in soil composed primarily of basaltic rock.
Special Notes: Every year, the bunya bunya tree sheds its massive cones that are between 25-30 cm in diameter! The weight of the cone is enough top break the branches as the cones fall to the earth. These cones are so heavy, they are capable of killing a man. The cones of the tree contain nuts which can be harvested and eaten. The nuts can also be ground up and made into a paste and made into a bread.
Resources: http://www.ozpolitic.com/gardening/trees/bunya.html#cooking-shelling
http://www.conifers.org/ar/Araucaria_bidwillii.php
Incienso
Common Name: Incienso/ Brittlebush
Scientific Name: Encelia farinosa
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA in the upper region of the garden along the rock wall.
Nativity: The brittlebush grows naturally from Northern Mexico to California and southwestern United States, including Nevada, Arizona, and Utah.
Habitat: E. farinosa grows best in dry, gravelly soils along slopes and mesas, but it can tolerate other soils as well. It can grow up to 3,000 feet. Brittlebush requires a climate with long periods of little moisture.
Special Notes: E. farinosa is commonly called incensio because it was dried out and burned as incense (incensio is the Spanish word for incense) by early Spanish missionaries in the New World. The stems of the plant were also cut and grind to form a remedy for toothache. The resin that seeped from the stem was used by Native Americans as a form of glue and chewing gum. The stem was also used as a toothbrush.
Resources:
http://plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Encelia+farinosa&mode=sciname&submit.x=0&submit.y=0
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/shrub/encfar/all.html
http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?609,1067,1070
Douglas Iris
Common Name: Douglas Iris
Scientific Name: Iris douglasiana
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the upper portion of the garden. It was found near other plants native to California.
Nativity: The Douglas Iris is endemic to the the Pacific Coast, from Santa Barbara to California to central Oregon.
Habitat: I. douglasiana grows along the coastal region. It is found commonly on bluffs and open meadows with abundant sunlight.
Special Notes: Many farmers consider the Douglas Iris as a noxious weed. These plants are unpalatable to grazing animals and often grow in large clumps which inhibit the growth of other grasses and plants. Native Americans also used this plant for many different purposes. For example, they made ropes from the fibers and several different medicines from the roots and leaves to cure almost everything, from dizziness to toothache to kidney pain
Resources:
http://www.pacificcoastiris.org/framewld.html
http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_irdo.pdf
California Buckeye
Common Name: California Buckeye
Scientific Name: Aesculus californica
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the waterfall.
Nativity. The California Buckeye is endemic to California and can be found growing from Central California to Los Angeles County.
Habitat: A.californica grows mainly in sandy and loamy soils along slopes, canyons, and waterways at an elevation below 4,000 feet.
Special Notes: The leaves, fruits, stems, bark, and seeds of the California Buckeye are poisonous to all living animals. Native Americans used the seeds as a food source after grinding it up and leaching the poison. They would also grind the seeds and drop them in ponds in order to stupefy or kill fish, making them easier to catch. This species is pollinated by honey bees, but they are poisoned in the process and can also poison the honey. There have been documented cases where people have been poisoned by eating honey made from the California Buckeye
Resources:
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/aescal/all.html#BOTANICAL
http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=AECA
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/aesculus-californica
Dawn Redwood
Common Name: Dawn Redwood
Scientific Name: Metasequoia glyptostroboides
Date Collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA along the southern part of the stream.
Nativity: M. glyptostroboides is native to the Sichuan Province in southwestern China, but is cultivated in different parts of the world.
Habitat: The Dawn Redwood grows best on moist, well-drained, and slightly acidic soils with areas heavy in sunlight.
Special Notes: The Dawn Redwood is the sole species in the genus Metasequoia. Other species were found in fossils, and until its discovery in 1941, the Dawn Redwood was thought to be extinct as well since it was only seen in fossils. In 1948, seeds from the small grove in China was brought to the United States where they were planted and grown. The specimen depicted in this picture is one of the tallest specimens in the United States.
Resources:
Nevin's Barberry
Scientific Name: Mahonia nevinii
Date collected: April 15th, 2011
Location: Collected at Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden at UCLA near the Experimental Garden and greenhouse.
Nativity: M. nevinii is native to California, mostly localized in Los Angeles Basin, Redlands, and San Diego.
Habitat: Nevin's barberry grows in the coastal shrub community and in the chaparral. This plant is a very tolerant species that can grow in several different types of soil, withstand heavy traffic from deer and humans, and withstand extreme cold or drought.
Special Notes: Despite being a very hardy and resistant plant, it is an endangered species. Although not shown in these photographs, Nevin's barberry grows hundreds of red berries that are very palatable to birds. Many species of birds use this plant as a habitat.
Resources:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)