NR 222 NATIVE TREE, SHRUB, & HERBACEOUS PLANT IDENTIFICATION BY RONALD L. ALVES FALL 2014 NR 222 by Ronald L. Alves Note to Students NOTE TO STUDENTS: THIS DOCUMENT IS INCOMPLETE WITH OMISSIONS, ERRORS, AND OTHER ITEMS OF INCOMPETANCY. AS YOU MAKE USE OF IT NOTE THESE TRANSGRESSIONS SO THAT THEY MAY BE CORRECTED AND YOU WILL RECEIVE A CLEAN COPY BY THE END OF TIME OR THE SEMESTER, WHICHEVER COMES FIRST!! THANKING YOU FOR ANY ASSISTANCE THAT YOU MAY GIVE, RON ALVES. Introduction This manual was initially created by Harold Whaley an MJC Agriculture and Natural Resources instruction from 1964 – 1992. The manual was designed as a resource for a native tree and shrub identification course, Natural Resources 222 that was one of the required courses for all forestry and natural resource majors at the college. The course and the supporting manual were aimed almost exclusively for forestry and related majors. In addition to NR 222 being taught by professor Whaley, it has also been taught by Homer Bowen (MJC 19xx -), Marlies Boyd (MJC 199X – present), Richard Nimphius (MJC 1980 – 2006) and currently Ron Alves (MJC 1974 – 2004). Each instructor put their own particular emphasis and style on the course but it was always oriented toward forestry students until 2006. The lack of forestry majors as a result of the Agriculture Department not having a full time forestry instructor to recruit students and articulate with industry has resulted in a transformation of the NR 222 course. The clientele not only includes forestry major, but also landscape designers, environmental horticulture majors, nursery people, environmental science majors, and people interested in transforming their home and business landscapes to a more natural venue. The basic fundamentals of botany and plant taxonomy are still an integral part of the course. However, the scope of field information has changed. The field trips, which are essential to knowing California native plants now range from the Great Basin side of the Sierra Nevada to Point Lobos in Santa Cruz County on the Pacific Ocean; a transect of plant life across central California. In addition at least one arboretum will be visited. Plant taxonomy is a dynamic discipline of study. Many of the plants have undergone classification and name changes. Every effort has been made to update these changes to their most current status. This manual, which features approximately 275 different plants, will serve as a reference for the plant life observed in the field. The manual is organized by the plants listed alphabetically by scientific name. Granted common names would be a more user friendly means of organizing the manual, but many plants have numerous common names and learning to identify plants by their scientific name is a course requirement. Each plant’s description is limited to one page with 15 categories about each plant being featured. The information in reference to each plant was gleaned from a variety of sources listed in a bibliography at the end of the manual. 1 NR 222 by Ronald L. Alves TABLE OF CONTENTS Abies concolor - White Fir (of the same color) 9 Armeria maritime var. californica – Common Abies magnifica var. magnifica – Red Fir Thrift or Sea Pink .................................... 40 (“Silver Tip”) ............................................10 Artemesia californica – California Sagebrush Abies magnifica var. Shastensis – Shasta Red .................................................................. 41 Fir ..............................................................11 Artemisia pycnocephla – Beach Sagewort or Abronia latifolia – Yellow Sand Verbena .....12 Wormwood ............................................... 42 Acer circinatum – Vine Maple ........................13 Artemisia tridentata – Big Sagebrush ........... 43 Acer glabrum – Dwarf Maple or Mountain Asclepias fascicularis – Narrowleaf Milkweed Maple ........................................................14 – (Butterfly Weed) .................................... 44 Acer macrophyllum- Big Leaf Maple ............15 Astragalus nuttallii – Nuttall’s Milk Vetch .. 45 Acer negundo var. californicum – California asymmetricus (leucophyllus) – San Joaquin Box Elder ..................................................16 Locoweed or San Joaquin Milkvetch ....... 46 Achillea millefolium – Common Yarrow ......17 Atriplex lentiformis – Brewer’s Saltbush ........ 47 Actostaphylos densiflora – ‘Howard McMinn’ Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea – Manzanita (Vine Hill Manzanita) ............32 Coyote Brush (Chaparral Broom) ........... 48 Actostaphylos manzanita – ‘Dr Hurd’ Baccharis salicifolia – Mule Fat ................... 49 Manzanita (Parry Manzanita) .................29 Betula occidentalis – Water Birch ................ 50 Adenostoma fasciculatum – Chamise ............18 Calocedrus decurrens – Incense Cedar ........ 51 Aesculus californica – California Buckeye ...19 Calycanthus occidentalis – Spice Bush ........... 52 Agave deserti - Desert Agave.........................20 Calyptridium umbellatum – Pussy Paws ....... 53 Ailanthus altissima – Tree of Heaven (non- Camissonia cheiranthifolia - Beach Evening native) .......................................................21 Primrose ................................................... 54 Alnus incana ssp. Tenufolia – Mountain Alder Carex praegracilis – Clustered Field Sedge or ...................................................................22 Freeway Sedge or Black ............................. 55 Alnus rhombifolia – White Alder .................23 Carpenteria californica – Bush or Tree .......... 56 Alnus rubra oregona – Red Alder .................24 Carya illinoinensis – Pecan ........................... 57 Ambrosia chamissonis – Silver Beach Bur ...25 Castilleja latifolia - Monterey Indian Paint Amelanchier ainifolia – Service Berry ..........26 Brush/Seaside Painted Cup ...................... 58 Aquilegia formosa – Western Columbine .....27 Ceanothus cordulatus – Mountain Whitethorn Arbutus menziesii – Pacific Madrone ...........28 Ceanothus ................................................. 59 Arctostaphylos glauca- Big Berry Manzanita Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus – ...................................................................30 Wedgeleaf Ceanothus ............................... 60 Arctostaphylos hookeri ‘Ken Taylor’ – Ceanothus griseus – Carmel Creeper ............. 62 Monterey Manzanita ................................31 Ceanothus griseus var. ‘Ray Hartman’ – ‘Ray Arctostaphylos manzanita – Common Manzanita Hartman’ Ceanothus................................ 61 ...................................................................33 Ceanothus incanus – Coast Whitethorn Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka- True Ceanothus ................................................. 63 (Indian) Manzanita .....................................34 Ceanothus integerrimus – Deerbrush ........... 64 Arctostaphylos myrtifolia – Ione Manzanita .35 Ceanothus prostrates – Mahala Mat or Prostrate Arctostaphylos nevadensis – Pinemat Ceanothus .................................................. 65 Manzanita .................................................36 Ceanothus thyrsiflorus – Blue Blossom Arctostaphylos patula – Greenleaf Manzanita Ceanothus .................................................. 66 ...................................................................37 Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus – Tobacco Arctostaphylos uva-ursi – kinnikinnick or Brush ........................................................ 67 Bearberry ..................................................38 Cephalanthus occidentalis var. californicus – Arctostaphylos viscida spp. mariposa- California Button Willow ......................... 68 Mariposa Manzanita ................................39 Cercis occidentalis – Western Redbud ......... 69 2 NR 222 by Ronald L. Alves Cercocarpus betuloides - Western or Birchleaf Ericameria linearifolia – Interior Goldenbush Mountain Mahogany ................................70 ................................................................ 101 Cercocarpus ledifolius – Curl Leaf or Desert Ericameria nauseosa – Rabbit Brush (formerly Mountain Mahogany ................................71 Chrysothamus) ......................................... 102 Chamaebatia foliolosa – Sierra Mountain Erigeron glaucus – Seaside Daisy............... 103 Misery (Kitkitdizze) ...................................72 Eriodictyon californicum – Yerba Santa .... 104 Chamaecyparis lawsoniana – Port Orford Eriogonum Fasciculatum – California Cedar.........................................................73 Buckwheat ............................................... 105 Chilopsis linearis - Desert Willow .................74 Eriogonum giganteum – St. Catherine’s Lace Chrysolepis chrysophylla – Giant Chinquapin ................................................................ 106 (or Golden Chinquapin) ...........................75 Eriogonum latifolium - Coast Buckwheat .. 107 Chrysolepis sempervirens – Bush Chinquapin Eriogonum nudum – Nude Buckwheat ........ 108 (syn: Castanopsis) .....................................76 Eriogonum parvifolium – Dune Buckwheat109 Cichorium intybus – Chicory ...........................77 Eriogonum umbellatum – Sulfur Flower Cirsium andersonii – Anderson Thistle and Buckwheat .............................................. 110 Rose Thistle ................................................78 Eriophyllum staechadifolium – Seaside Wooly Cornus glabrata – Brown Dogwood ...............79 Sunflower or Lizard