By Wendy Langhans

[view:node_ad=5]I'll share a little secret with you:  In an era of eco-illiteracy, it's easy to
pose as a wildflower expert.  Just be
able to identify the 25 most common ones and you're in.

 

But some plants are just too doggone confusing to easily identify.  Take Ceanothus, for example.  Botanists have identified between 50 and 60
different species and have created a "key"
to identify them, which works much the same way as calling customer service:
"If A, press "1", if B, press "2". 
Obviously, this is not a popular tool for the ordinary park visitor.

 

And the terminology used in these "keys" offers a whole new
set of problems.  Like, what's a
stipule?  And don't even get me started
on "the lower portion of the calyx forms a hypanthium cohering with the ovary".

 

Fortunately, for us there's a middle ground, because only a
few species of ceanothus can be found in our local mountains.  There are 6 common species of ceanothus in
the Santa
Monica Mountains

 

Type	Latin Name	Blossom Color	Blooms	Other ID Characteristics
Big Pod	Ceanothus megacarpus	white	Jan/Apr	small leathery leaves
Hoary-leaf	Ceanothus crassifolius	white	Jan/Apr	leaves opposite, olive-green; woolly-white underneath
Buckbrush or Wedge-leaf	Ceanothus cuneatus	white	Feb/May	leaves wedge-shaped, opposite with single vein; margins w/o teeth
White thorn	Ceanothus leucodermis	white to blue	Apr/June	leaves alternate, 3 veins, powdery white coating on upper surface
Greenbark	Ceanothus spinosis	light blue to white	Feb/May	Green bark leaves have single vein
Hairy-leaf	Ceanothus oliganthus	blue	Feb/Apr	leaves have three major veins

 

 

All this, however, still begs the question: why bother to
learn to identify flowers at all?  I
think because, at it's best, it's a community-building game everyone can
play.  When you go for a walk with family
and friends, you can begin the game by looking for flowers of various shapes
and colors.  But as you learn the names,
your game is no longer limited to a specific time and place; it opens up to
include other people and a whole ‘nother world.

 

For example, you'll learn that

Ceanothus helps convert nitrogen in the atmosphere into a
type of fertilizer

Wedge-leaf seeds are split open by the heat of wildfires, so
that new plants can grow

Native American Chumash used the blossoms to make a lather
for washing hair.

 

So I invite you to join the conversation, which often begins
with a toddler squealing and pointing in amazement, "Mommy, lookie!  A pretty flower!"

 

---

 

Upcoming Outdoor Events: 

 

Saturday, February 21, 8:00-10:00
AM.  Morning Bird Hike in Towsley
Canyon.  Towsley
Canyon is a year-round home for
birds.  They like our Mediterranean
climate, the local bounty and the California
sunshine.  Bring your binoculars and meet
at the entrance.  Heavy rain
cancels.  For map and directions go here.

Sponsored by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation
Authority.

 

Saturday, February 21, 10-12
AM.  Wildflower hike at East
& Rice Canyons.

Heavy rain cancels. 
For map and directions go here.

Sponsored by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation
Authority.

 

Saturdays, February 28, and every Wednesday, 8:00 AM.  Trail Maintenance Volunteers at Towsley Canyon.

Come join our trail maintenance volunteers for camaraderie
and a heart-thumping workout.  For more information contact Steve Ioerger at 661-291-1565.

 

 

---

 

You can listen to stories like this every Friday morning at 7:10 a.m. on "The Hike Report",
brought to you by your hometown radio station KHTS (AM1220) and by the
Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority.

 

For the complete MRCA hike and activity schedule and for
trail maps, click here or go to www.LAMountains.com.