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What
Subgenus EquisetumObserver
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With the recent rains, horsetails are emerging around Dimond Canyon!
Horsetail is a "living fossil" as it is the only living genus of the entire class Equisetopsida, which for over one hundred million years was much more diverse and dominated the understory of late Paleozoic forests. Some Equisetopsida were large trees reaching to 30 meters tall! Image walking through a forest of these...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZALgWLpanE0
Thanks to Josh Sonnenfeld for this great photo!
Photos / Sounds
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California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)Observer
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Common name: buckeye tree
about to bloom
Photos / Sounds
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Common Cowparsnip (Heracleum maximum)Observer
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Common name: cow parsnip
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Silver Wattle (Acacia dealbata)Observer
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Scientific Name: Acacia dealbata
Invasive. The Silver Wattle acacia is not native to California and it has yellow seed pods that spread very easily on a windy day in the East Bay hills.
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Canary Islands Ivy (Hedera canariensis)Observer
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Scientific Name: Hedera canariensis
Invasive. Algerian Ivy is very common all over the Bay Area. It is used as an ornamental plant in people's yards, but can quickly take over parts of our watershed. You often find it growing up trees and choking out even very large trees. Check out the picture of their roots that they use to latch on to the trees!
Photos / Sounds
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California Buckeye (Aesculus californica)Observer
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Scientific Name: Aesculus californica
Native. The bark, leaves and fruit are poisonous. Native Americans used to use the toxin contained in the tree to confuse fish in the rivers, making them easier to catch. You can find these trees all over the Sausal Creek Watershed and they are great at preventing erosion!
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Trailing Blackberry (Rubus ursinus)Observer
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Scientific Name: Rubus ursinus
Native. California Native Blackberry is used for protection by small animals. The berries are not as yummy as those from the invasive Himalayan Blackberry, but can still be used for jams and pies.
You can tell the difference between the native and the non-native, because the native blackberry has 3 leaves and the Himalayan blackberry has 5 leaves. Also, the native blackberry has much finer thorns than the thick ones of the Himalayan blackberry.
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Douglas Iris (Iris douglasiana)Observer
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Scientific Name: Iris douglasiana
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Cape-Ivy (Delairea odorata)Observer
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Scientific Name: Delairea odorata
Invasive. Cape Ivy pushes out other plants by "blanketing" over them. It originally came from South Africa and was introduced to the U.S. in the 1850s.
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Barn Owl (Tyto alba)Observer
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Scientific Name: Tyto alba
Barn owls can be heard shreeking as they fly over the watershed at night looking for rats to eat.
Photos / Sounds
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Poison Hemlock (Conium maculatum)Observer
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Scientific Name: Conium maculatum
Invasive. Poison Hemlock may look familiar. It is in the same family as the carrot, but it is not something that can be eaten. In fact, we have to wear gloves when we remove this plant because it can be toxic to humans.
