UCPB006-4004G-C01_p01-14.qxd 29/1/09 3:47 pm Page 1 LWBK270-4119G-C02_073-110.qxd Introduction California is a varied state noted for its diverse This book was written with these ideas in topography, geology, plant communities, and mind. The families I have selected are those 50 native plants. Of the 173 or so native and natu- important ones plus several others that help de- ralized vascular plant families, there are in ex- fine our vegetation. For example, maples (family cess of 5,800 species, around 1,000 of them in- Aceraceae), California buckeye (family Hippocas- troduced from other parts of the world. That is tanaceae), California bay (family Lauraceae), and an impressive figure for an area our size. alders (family Betulaceae) are such key compo- How can a naturalist make sense of this nents of woodlands and forests that I felt com- tremendous diversity? The first step is to look at pelled to include them even though each family the big picture by learning to recognize plant has only a few species. families. Despite the intimidating number of Because there is already an excellent book those families, roughly 40 to 50 families con- on major desert families (California Desert Flow- tain more than 85 percent of our flora. Learning ers: An introduction to families, genera, and species to recognize these keystone families goes a long by Sia and Emil Morhardt, published by the ways toward the process of identification and al- University of California Press), I have tried to lows you to create a framework for most of the avoid delving into detail on desert plants, al- genera and species you are likely to encounter. though it has been impossible to exclude them Although there are many versions of keys to all. The major families selected for this book these and other families, learning the major characterize the area we refer to as the Califor- field characteristics (often with the aid of a good nia Floristic Province, which also coincides with hand lens) saves a lot of time and makes the a geographical realm known as cismontane Cal- process more enjoyable. Close observation of ifornia. Just what is meant by those terms? habit, leaves, flowers, and fruits leads to impor- Floristic provinces are assemblages of plants tant information that is useful in other ways. that belong to plant communities typical of re- For example, it helps to explain pollination, gions that have a similar overall climate and adaptations to habitats, and life cycles. geographical coherence. The plants in each 1 UCPB006-4004G-C01_p01-14.qxd 29/1/09 3:47 pm Page 2 LWBK270-4119G-C02_073-110.qxd province form repeatable associations that show more dramatically than at any previous time in adaptations to their home and differ, sometimes history. Despite the inconvenience of a classifi- dramatically, from plants from other floristic cation in a state of flux, think of these changes provinces. The California floristic province is one as an exciting challenge to learn more about the of the most distinctive in the world and repre- evolutionary relationships of all organisms. sents one of five major areas with a Mediter- Certainly these changes are frustrating to those ranean climate—cool to cold, wet winters and wishing to learn an unchanging system, but warm to hot, usually dry summers. This province that is not the reality of what is going on. extends from the Rogue River in southwestern The reason for this state of affairs is that Oregon south through California into the north- many important lines of research are creating a western fringe of Baja California. Most of it lies more complete picture of how species and gen- to the west of the main mountain crests of the era are related, and which families they belong Klamath Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Transverse to. In addition to the more classical lines of in- Ranges, and Peninsular Ranges, a high backbone quiry such as external form (morphology), that delineates much of California. This region is anatomy, chromosome studies, and details of also referred to as cismontane, that is, the region pollen, the growing arsenal of information in- on the ocean side of the mountain crests. The cludes studies of biochemistry involving pig- transmontane region to the east is mainly desert ments, poisons, perfumes, proteins, and many and supports other floristic provinces. other compounds. Add to this the rapidly ex- As with other aspects of nature, the lines be- panding field of DNA studies that plot the rate of tween provinces is often blurred so that various changes in selected genes, and you have a far desert elements and families enter the coastal richer and more detailed story of true relation- mountains of Southern California. As a conse- ships. Computer-generated cladograms that dis- quence, I have included certain families such as play the degree of relatedness of plant groups the cactus family (Cactaceae) and spurge family present an evolutionary scheme displayed as a (Euphorbiaceae), which are best represented in branched system. These cladograms are used to our deserts. In this endeavor, I have tried my determine the limits of families and genera. best to be even handed and to balance impor- Consequently, several well-known and tant plants from all parts of the state. widely studied families are now in a state of change. I wish I could say that these changes IMPORTANT PLANT FAMILIES IN will be permanent and all you need do is learn CALIFORNIA the new classifications, but as we continue to learn more and examine a larger array of genes, California has around 173 different vascular we will not only refine the now-current system plant families, some native and others intro- but also make additional changes. duced. The introduced ones may appear to grow Some long-recognized families have been on their own in natural habitats. Many of these split into two or more separate families while nonnatives are accidental introductions brought others have been “lumped” together. Still others in on bricks or ballast, as contaminants in culti- are so complex that totally new alignments are vated crops, on domestic livestock, and by hu- being made. mans. Other plants have “escaped” from gardens My approach in this book is somewhat con- and cultivated fields to grow on their own. Many servative; because the current Jepson Manual is of these are invasive and seriously threaten the still the standard reference for workers and stu- diversity of our native flora. dents and because so many other local floras We live in a time of rapid change in the follow a similar system for the families, I have world of biology. It is important to know that continued to use many of the familiar family the state of defining plant families is changing definitions. But I also alert you, the reader, to 2 introduction UCPB006-4004G-C01_p01-14.qxd 29/1/09 3:47 pm Page 3 LWBK270-4119G-C02_073-110.qxd changes that are proposed or have been ac- Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) for a tree cepted; future field books will eventually reflect that despite its very different cones and bark re- these changes. minded someone of a fir (Abies spp.). I have deviated from the older system(s) Not every plant or plant family has a well- with the large, important lily family (Liliaceae), established common name, but since people want which is now considered to consist of many a common name, I have tried to provide them separate, sometimes unrelated families. Al- when possible. Not everyone will agree with my though I have not treated all of these splinter choice of common names, and some will dis- families here, I am describing some of the agree with my use of one common name over major ones that are easily recognized: the agave another. Where there is more than one well- family (Agavaceae), onion family (Alliaceae), known common name, I have included it. and brodiaea family (Themidaceae). Scientific names are based on carefully crafted rules for naming, and are in a latinized HOW PLANT FAMILIES, GENERA, AND form. Because scientific names can be recog- SPECIES ARE NAMED nized by scientists throughout the world re- gardless of the language they speak, the names All plants have names, and it is the name we give a real sense of permanence and are imme- turn to first when we want to learn more about diately recognizable anywhere. a particular group. You will find that plants bear two kinds of names: trivial or common names PLANT FAMILIES that are in everyday use by the average person, and scientific or Latin names, that are used Because this book focuses first and foremost on throughout the horticultural and botanical families, I will talk first about the rules for scien- world. There are advantages and disadvantages tific family names. (Families are larger than to both kinds of names, but for greater preci- genus and species, often embracing several dif- sion, scientific names are preferred. Common ferent genera and many species, although some names are not always standardized, and many families are very small.) All family names end in plants and plant families—for example, Fa- -aceae and are based on a type genus: for example, gaceae, aka the oak or beech family—have more we have Rosaceae (rose family) based on the type than one common name. Common names may genus Rosa; Liliaceae (lily family) named for the also allude to relationships that do not exist. For type genus Lilium; and Orchidaceae (orchid fam- example, the evening-primrose family (Ona- ily) from the type genus Orchis. Those examples graceae) and primrose family (Primulaceae) are are based on names that are cognates of common not at all closely related; evening-primroses and English names, but many family names are not their relatives belong to a different evolutionary recognizable, such as Ranunculaceae (buttercup line.