NR 222 NATIVE TREE, SHRUB, & HERBACEOUS PLANT IDENTIFICATION BY RONALD L. ALVES FALL 2016 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 majors, 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 TABLE OF CONTENTS (by scientific name) Abies bracteata venusta – Santa Lucia or Arctostaphylos manzanita – Common Bristlecone Fir ...................................... 12 Manzanita ............................................. 42 Abies concolor - White Fir ....................... 13 Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka- Abies grandis – Grand Fir ........................ 14 True (Indian) Manzanita ....................... 43 Abies magnifica var. magnifica – Red Fir Arctostaphylos myrtifolia – Ione Manzanita (“Silver Tip”) ....................................... 15 ............................................................. 44 Abies magnifica var. Shastensis – Shasta Arctostaphylos nevadensis – Pinemat Red Fir ................................................. 16 Manzanita ............................................. 45 Abies procera – Noble Fir ....................... 17 Arctostaphylos patula – Greenleaf Abronia latifolia – Yellow Sand Verbena . 18 Manzanita ............................................. 46 Acer circinatum – Vine Maple ................. 19 Arctostaphylos uva-ursi – kinnikinnick or Acer glabrum – Dwarf Maple or Mountain Bearberry .............................................. 47 Maple ................................................... 20 Arctostaphylos viscida spp. mariposa- Acer macrophyllum- Big Leaf Maple ....... 21 Mariposa Manzanita ............................. 48 Acer negundo var. californicum – California Armeria maritime var. californica – Box Elder ............................................. 22 Common Thrift or Sea Pink .................. 49 Achillea millefolium – Common Yarrow .. 23 Artemesia californica – California Actaea rubra – Baneberry ........................ 24 Sagebrush ............................................. 50 Actostaphylos densiflora – ‘Howard Artemisia douglasiana – Mugwort ........... 51 McMinn’ Manzanita (Vine Hill Artemisia pycnocephla – Beach Sagewort or Manzanita) ........................................... 41 Wormwood ........................................... 52 Actostaphylos manzanita – ‘Dr Hurd’ Artemisia tridentata – Big Sagebrush ....... 53 Manzanita (Parry Manzanita) ................ 38 Asclepias fascicularis – Narrowleaf Adenostoma fasciculatum – Chamise........ 25 Milkweed – (Butterfly Weed) ............... 54 Aesculus californica – California Buckeye26 Asclepias speciosa – Showy Milkweed ...... 55 Agave deserti - Desert Agave ................... 27 Astragalus nuttallii – Nuttall’s Milk Vetch Ailanthus altissima – Tree of Heaven (non- ............................................................. 56 native) .................................................. 28 Astralagus asymmetricus (leucophyllus) – Alnus incana ssp. Tenufolia – Mountain San Joaquin Locoweed or San Joaquin Alder .................................................... 29 Milkvetch ............................................. 57 Alnus rhombifolia – White Alder .............. 30 Atriplex canescens – Four Wing Salt Bush58 Alnus rubra oregona – Red Alder ............ 31 Atriplex lentiformis – Brewer’s Saltbush... 59 Ambrosia chamissonis – Silver Beach Bur 32 Baccharis pilularis ssp. consanguinea – Ambrosia psilostachya – Western Ragweed Coyote Brush (Chaparral Broom).......... 60 ............................................................. 33 Baccharis salicifolia – Mule Fat ............... 61 Amelanchier ainifolia – Service Berry ...... 34 Balsamorhiza sagittata – Arrow Leaf Apocynum androsaemifolium - Bitter Balsamroot ........................................... 62 dogbane or Spreading dogbane ............. 35 Betula occidentalis – Water Birch ............ 63 Aquilegia formosa – Western Columbine . 36 Cakile endentula – American Sea Rocket . 64 Arbutus menziesii – Pacific Madrone ........ 37 Cakile maritima – European Sea Rocket ... 65 Arctostaphylos glauca- Big Berry Manzanita Calocedrus decurrens – Incense Cedar ..... 66 ............................................................. 39 Calycanthus occidentalis – Spice Bush ..... 67 Arctostaphylos hookeri ‘Ken Taylor’ – Calyptridium umbellatum – Pussy Paws ... 68 Monterey Manzanita ............................. 40 Camissonia cheiranthifolia - Beach Evening Primrose ............................................... 69 2 Carex praegracilis – Clustered Field Sedge Clematus ligusticifolia – Western Clematis or Freeway Sedge or Black ................... 70 ............................................................. 97 Carpenteria californica – Bush or Tree .... 71 Conium maculatum – Poison Hemlock ..... 98 Carpobrotus edulis – Hottentot Fig/Ice Plant Corethrogyne (Lessingia) filaginifolia var. ............................................................. 72 californica – Common Sand Aster ........ 99 Carya illinoinensis – Pecan ...................... 73 Cornus glabrata – Brown Dogwood ....... 100 Castilleja latifolia - Monterey Indian Paint Cornus nuttallii – Western Dogwood Brush/Seaside Painted Cup ................... 74 (Mountain or Pacific) .......................... 101 Ceanothus cordulatus – Mountain Cornus sericea – Red Osier .................... 103 Whitethorn Ceanothus .......................... 75 Cornus seriea var. stolonifera – Red Twig Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus – Dogwood ............................................ 102 Wedgeleaf Ceanothus ........................... 76 Corylus rostrata var. Californica – Ceanothus griseus – Carmel Creeper ........ 78 California Hazelnut ............................. 104 Ceanothus griseus var. ‘Ray Hartman’ – Croton setigens – Turkey Mullein or Dove ‘Ray Hartman’ Ceanothus..................... 77 Weed .................................................. 105 Ceanothus incanus – Coast Whitethorn Cyperus esculentus – Yellow Nutsedge .. 106 Ceanothus ............................................. 79 Datura wrightii – Sacred Datura or Jimson Ceanothus integerrimus – Deerbrush........ 80 Weed* ................................................ 107 Ceanothus leucodermis – Chaparral Deinandra corymbosa – Coast Tarweed . 108 Whitethorn Ceanothus .......................... 81 Dendromecon rigida – Bush Poppy ........ 109 Ceanothus prostrates – Mahala Mat or Distichlis spicata – Saltgrass .................. 110 Prostrate Ceanothus .............................. 82 Dudleya capitosa – Sea Lettuce .............. 111 Ceanothus thyrsiflorus – Blue Blossom Dudleya farinosa – Bluff Lettuce ........... 112 Ceanothus ............................................. 83 Ephedra californica – California Ephedra or Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus – Desert ................................................