Sunday, March 11, 2012

Table Mountain flowers: Part 2





Here are a few more flowers we saw on yesterday's outing to Table Mountain.  Right next to the Port-a-Potties in the public parking area was a great patch of Fiddleneck, Amsinckia menziesii, a member of the family Boraginaceae where the Forget-me-nots belong.  An interesting note on this species n the Audubon Guide to Wildflowers says that over 100 scientific names had been given to local varieties of this plant before botanists eventually concluded they were all one species.  Not surprising since not too long ago, some biologists divided humans into several species and even ranked them as to physical, mental and moral capabilities.  Hopefully, we're still evolving.
The second photo here is Blue Dicks, Dichelostemma capitata, which was once a lily but is now a member of the Amarylidaceae.  It's another one of those "elusive lilioids."
Third photo down is of the Sky Lupine, Lupinus nanus, a member of the pea family, Fabaceae.  The generic name comes from the Latin for wolf - an interesting story. Last, another borage, the Stickseed, known locally as Popcorn Flower, Plagiobothrys nothofulvus. That's much more of a mouthful than a large handful of popcorn. 

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