CNPS San Gabriel Mountains Chapter

Plant Identification Workshop With Emphasis on Locally Prominent Plant Families Gabi McLean June 24, 2010

15 Major Plant Families Sunflower (159 species) Grass (85) Pea (47) Figwort (33) Mustard (30) Evening Primrose (24) Lily, Carrot, Phlox, Waterleaf (22 each) Buckwheat (21) Mint (19) Rose (12) Buckthorn (8) Sumac (6)

Asteraceae Poaceae Fabaceae Scrophulariaceae Brassicaceae Onagraceae Liliaceae, Apiaceae, Polemoniaceae, Hydrophyllaceae Polygonaceae Lamiaceae Rosaceae Rhamnaceae Anacardiaceae

Flower Structure

Drawings by Bob Muns, color added by Cliff McLean

The Carrot Family - Apiaceae • Herbaceous plants. • Flowers are yellow or white, tiny, and come in umbels, often double umbels. • Each flower has 5 petals and 5 stamens, the 5 sepals are often missing or too small to see.

Fennel* – Foeniculum vulgare

Carrot Family - Apiaceae •Leaves are alternate, deeply divided (lacy look), and may be compound; often fragrant •Leaf stalks form a sheath, are hollow, and often ribbed. Conium maculatum

Cow Parsnip Poison Hemlock

Heracleum lanatum

Common Genera of the Carrot Family in the SGM • • • • •

Lomatium Osmorhiza Sanicula Tauschia Anthriscus*

Bur Chervil Anthriscus caucalis

Lomatium lucidum

Common Lomatium Lomatium utriculatum

Mountain Sweet Cicily Osmorhiza chilensis

The Phlox Family - Polemoniaceae • Annuals, perennials, and shrubs • Leaves are variable, often deeply divided into linear lobes. • Flowers have 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens, and 1 pistil with 3 stigmas • Calyx has 5 ribs with connecting membranes • Petals form corolla tube, various shapes

Linanthus concinnus

The Phlox Family - Polemoniaceae

Gilia splendens 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens, and 1 pistil with 3 stigmas

Calyx has 5 ribs with connecting membranes

Genera of the Phlox Family in the SGM • Allophyllum – False-gilia • Eriastrum – Woollystar • Gilia – Gilia (basal and alternate leaves) • Linanthus – Linanthus (cauline and opposite leaves)

• Leptodactylon (now Linanthus) Prickly Phlox, Granite Gilia

The Buckwheat Family - Polygonaceae

Willow Weed Polygonum lapathifolium

• Annuals, perennials, and shrubs • Stems have enlarged or swollen nodes • No stipules, or stipules that form a membraneous sheath around the stems at those nodes. • Small flowers have no petals and come in clusters. 5 or 6 sepals look like petals. 2 to 9 stamens per flower. • Leaves are generally simple, basal, and alternate Sulphur Buckwheat Eriogonum umbellatum

Common Genera in the SGM E. elongatum

• Eriogonum – Wild Buckwheat (E. fasciculatum; E. elongatum; E. nudum; etc.) more than 30 species

Willow Weed Polygonum lapathifolium

• Polygonum – Knotweed • Chorizanthe – Spineflower • Rumex – Dock Wild Rhubarb Rumex hymenosepalus

Turkish Rugging Chorizanthe staticoides

E. nudum

Encelia californica

Sunflower Family (Asteraceae) • Many tiny flowers held together like a bouquet • May have disk flowers in the center, surrounded by ray flowers • May have only disk flowers • May have only ray flowers

Cliff Aster Malacothrix saxatilis

Mulefat - Baccharis salicifolia

Sunflower Family Encelia californica

• Each tiny flower has reproductive parts and most can produce seeds. • Often, fruits are fluffy. • For identification, note the phyllaries and count the ray flowers Drawing by Bob Muns

Sunflower Family Some of the major local genera are: • Artemisia - Sagebrush (disk flowers only) • Baccharis e.g. Mule Fat, Coyote Brush (disk flowers only) • Cirsium - Thistle (disk flowers only) • Ericameria - Goldenbush (disk flowers or both) • Erigeron - Fleabane Daisy (disk and ray flowers) • Gnaphalium - Everlasting (disk flowers only) • Helianthus - Sunflower (disk and ray flowers) • Heterotheca - Goldenaster (disk and ray flowers) • Senecio - Butterweed (mostly disk and ray flowers)

Pea Family (Fabaceae) • Most species have flowers with a special shape: a large banner petal, two petals forming a “keel”, and two petals forming two wings. • The fruits are pods and often poisonous • Compound, alternate leaves

Wild Sweet Pea Lathyrus vestitus

Pea Family Some of the local genera are: • Astragalus - Milk Vetch • Lathyrus - Wild Pea • Lotus • Lupinus - Lupine

Astragalus

Lathyrus

Lupinus

Figwort Family aka Snapdragon (Scrophulariaceae) • Flowers have 5 petals that form a tube. The tube flares open into an upper lip (with 2 petals) and a lower lip (with 3 petals). There is one pistil and 2 or 4 stamens, and often a staminode. • Fruits are hard capsules. • Leaves are simple.

Foothill Penstemon Penstemon heterophyllus

Figwort Family Most common genera in the lower San Gabriels are: • Mimulus - Monkeyflower • Penstemon - Beardtongue • Castilleja - Indian Paintbrush, Owl’s Clover • Antirrhinum - Snapdragon

Yellow Monkeyflower

Mimulus brevipes

Climbing Snapdragon Lesser Indian Paintbrush Showy P. Penstemon spectabilis

Antirrhinum kelloggii

Castilleja minor

Mustard Family (Brassicaceae) • Flowers have 4 petals and 6 stamens, 4 long ones and 2 short ones. • Fruits are capsules, often siliques. • Leaves are alternate and mostly simple. Watercress Rorippa nasturtiumaquaticum

Western Wallflower Erysimum capitatum

Mustard Family Some genera occurring in our local mountains: • Arabis - Rock Cress • Erysimum - Wallflower • Caulanthus - Jewelflower • Lepidium - Peppergrass • Rorippa - Watercress Introduced species: • Mediterranean Mustard • Sweet Alyssum • Wild Radish

Evening Primrose Family (Onagraceae) • Flowers have 4 sepals, 4 petals and (4 or) 8 stamens, often in 2 different sets of four. • Between the sepals and the ovary may be a tube. • The single pistil has a spherical or a 4-part stigma. • Fruit is a capsule, sometimes with fluffy seeds.

Camissonia bistorta

Southern Suncup

Hooker’s Evening Primrose

Evening Primrose Family Major genera in SGM: • Clarkia • Camissonia - Sun Cup • Epilobium - Fireweed, Willow Herb • Oenothera - Evening Primrose Flowers open at dusk or dawn, often for just one day. Oenothera elata

Clarkia bottae

Lily Family (Monocot) (Liliaceae)

Calochortus plummerae

Brodiaea filifolia

• Flowers have 3 sepals and 3 petals, often looking very much alike. • There are 6 stamens, or 2 sets of 3 stamens and 3 staminodes; • One pistil with 3 stigmas. • Leaves are whorled and have parallel veins. Goldenstar Bloomeria crocea

Lily Family (Liliaceae) Major local genera: • Agave • Yucca • Calochortus - Mariposa Lily • Chlorogalum - Soap Plant White Star Lily • Lilium - Lily • Brodiaea • Bloomeria - Goldenstar

Soap Plant

Humboldt Lily

Fire Followers in the Lily Family - Liliacea • • • •

Goldenstar - Bloomeria crocea Soap Plant - Chlorogalum pomeridianum Blue Dicks - Dichelostemma capitatum White Star Lily - Zigadenus fremontii

Waterleaf Family (Hydrophyllaceae) • Annuals, perennials, shrubs • Hairy, taprooted • Coiled flowerstalk • 5 sepals, 5 petals, 5 stamens, ovary sup. • Fruits: capsules Wild with multiple seeds Canterbury Bells

Common Phacelia Caterpillar Phacelia

Eucrypta

Waterleaf Family (Hydrophyllaceae

Eriodictyon

Nemophila

Major local genera: Phacelia • Eriodictyon – Yerba Santa • Eucrypta • Nemophila – Baby Blue Eyes • Phacelia • Turricula – Phacelia Poodledog Bush

Turricula

Fire Followers in the Waterleaf Family - Hydrophyllacea: • • • • • • •

Whispering Bells - Emmananthe pendiluflora Yellow-throated Phacelia - Phacelia brachyloba Caterpillar Phacelia - Phacelia cicutaria Common Phacelia - Phacelia distans Large-flowered Phacelia - Phacelia grandiflora Wild Canterbury Bells - Phacelia minor Poodle-dog Bush - Turricula parryi

Mint Family (Lamiaceae) • Annual, perennials, herbs, shrubs • Squared stems Salvia • Opposite leaves apiana • 2-lipped flowers clustered Salvia clevelandii around stem • 4 (or 2) stamens • 1 style with 2-lobed stigma, ovary superior • Fruits: 4 nutlets

Salvia mellifera

Mint Family (Laminaceae)

Chia

Some of the major local genera are: Black Sage Salvia (Sage) Stachys (Hedge Nettle) Also:

Monardella Lepechinia (Pitcher Sage) Scutellaria (Skullcap) Trichostema (Bluecurls) White Hedgenettle

Rose Family (Rosaceae) • Annuals, perennials, shrubs, trees Prunus • Many have prickles • 5 sepals, 5 petals • 5 to many stamens • 1 to many pistils • Leaves alternate, often compound • Fruits: achene, follicle, drupe, pome, blackberryPotentilla like

Rosa

Heteromeles

Rose Family Cinquefoil

Chamise Holly-leaf Cherry

Major local genera: Mountain Mahogany • Adenostoma – Chamise, Red Shank • Cercocarpus – Mountain Mahogany • Heteromeles – Toyon • Potentilla – Cinquefoil California Rose • Prunus – Holly-leaf Cherry • Rosa – Rose • Rubus - Blackberry

Toyon

Blackberry

Chaparral

Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae) California Lilac

• • • •

Shrubs, small trees Common Many small flowers 4 or 5 sepals, petals and stamens • Leaves simple • Many have thick thorny branches • Fruits: capsule, drupe

Little-leaf Redberry

Coffeeberry

Rhamnus ilicifolia

Ceanothus leucodermis

Buckthorn Family (Rhamnaceae)

Major local genera: • Ceanothus – California Lilac • Rhamnus Buckthorn

Ceanothus oliganthus

Ceanothus crassifolius

Rhamnus californica Rhamnus crocea

Sumac (or Cashew) Family (Anacardiaceae) Shrubs, small trees Resinous sap, some milky sap Many cause contact dermatitis Small flowers in clusters Unisexual flowers: 5 sepals, 5 petals, male flowers: 5 to 10 stamens, female flowers: 1 to 3 pistils • Alternate, compound leaves (locally simple leaves) • Fruits: drupe-like (berries), sticky

Poison Oak

• • • • •

Lemonadeberry

Sumac Family (Anacardiaceae) Laurel Sumac Sugarbush Major local genera: • Malosma – Laurel Sumac • Rhus – Lemonadeberry, Poison Oak Sugar Bush, Skunkbrush • Toxicodendron – Poison Oak • Schinus – Peppertree*

Basket Bush