I have two unknown flowers here and would like some help identifying them. I just received my Jepson Manual, but it will be a while before I can use it effectively. Right now I cannot even use it to identify plants that I know. Anyway, I found a single instance of this plant/flowers on the trail:
It was not too far from running water and the ground here was wetter than most of the surrounding area short of the creek. I have some suspicion that it is not a wild flower at all, but, rather, some genetically manufactured species to protect the roadsides from erosion. I was about 2 miles and +750 feet from the nearest road so the plant would have had to make a very daring escape to get into this hidden canyon.
The second plant was about another mile up the road and there were many of these to choose from:
For some reason, I get the feeling that its name should be primrose or suncup. However, I have not been able to find anything like it on the CalFlora site.
I agree the first plant is a non-native. Don't waste your time!
The second--maybe suncup--maybe a primrose? Look under Camissonia. I have a hard time keying out things when I can see all their parts, so I won't try with a photo! lol Don't despair about the Jepson. I hate the Jepson. It may be considered the "definitive" guide, but boy howdy it's not user friendly. It took me a while to realize the major issues (like, I kept on going across the hall to a friend who is a botanist for help) but I finally took a field botany class and now can at least get to where I need to go most of the time. If you're really, really, really into botany, keep your eyes open for a used copy of Munz. It seems a little more user friendly, and Munz was a splitter, not a lumper, so you'll ultimately get more plants.
Thank you all. I would not be surprised to find out that it is a cultivated plant. Luckily it was the only one plant and not spreading unchecked. I guess it may yet though.
Thank you littlefurry for the web site you provided. I use that one frequently already and it works very well for the Santa Monica's because Circle-X Ranch seems to have the widest variety and nearly complete set of wild flowers.
I already have the Munz book Stormy Meadows. Unfortunately, it does not have either of these two flowers in it. I am not too worried about the first one as it is the only one I have seen. I have seen a photographed the second in previous years and I think in various locations.
I still find Jepson totally incomprehensible! I have both the larger california manual and the smaller desert one and am seriously considering selling them both!
The Santa Susana Mountains are the northern/western range that separate Simi Valley, CA from Chatsworth, CA. California highway 118 run right through Santa Susana Pass (I think). Rocky Peak is the most well known name around the area. Here is a site to introduce you to the area:
The second flower is clearly an Evening Primrose, Genus Oenothera. However, checking the NRCS Plants Database (http://plants.usda.gov/), I find that the geuns has been split, so it looks like it could now be an Oenothera, a Camissonia, or even a Calyophus.
Damned taxonomists!
I'm off to find the new classification system!
PS: have fun with the Jepson Manual! There's a book called, I believe, How to Identify Vascular Plants, that is a very good introduction to the use of technical floral keys. It's kind of a very complete and concise illustrated glossary of the terms used in these rather difficult books.
Timm wrote:
The second flower is clearly an Evening Primrose, Genus Oenothera. However, checking the NRCS Plants Database (http://plants.usda.gov/), I find that the geuns has been split, so it looks like it could now be an Oenothera, a Camissonia, or even a Calyophus.
Damned taxonomists!
I'm off to find the new classification system!
PS: have fun with the Jepson Manual! There's a book called, I believe, How to Identify Vascular Plants, that is a very good introduction to the use of technical floral keys. It's kind of a very complete and concise illustrated glossary of the terms used in these rather difficult books.
Hi Timm!!!
Yeh, I think the flower is now called a camissonia.
Yup, I had to get an illustrated glossary to accompany the Jepson Manual since biology was not my strong point back in junior high. It is about as daunting as the Jepson Manual itself. Eeesh. But, it is very, very difficult to make a complex subject like botany easy; I knew I would be in for some learning...
Thank you all for helping and you were right Stormy Meadows, it is in the Camissonia genus. It just took a while for me find the free time to search it.
niemand--I can totally relate! It took me so long to be able to key something even to family with the Jepson. Even having a botanist across the hall who would tirelessly go through every plant I brought her--using Munz and Jepson--I still had to eventually take that field botany class. I still wouldn't consider myself a botanist, but at least now I know a hecka lot more and can usually at least get close. Then I'd go to the botanist across the hall if I still worked there (these days I have to call her long distance and ask! lol). I still remember when she and the botanist she worked for were completely stumped with a plant that came out of Frazer Valley--that they were never able to identify. If really good botanists can't figure some of them out, is there any hope for the rest of us Eeek!
!
Eeek!