Santa Cruz Island Reserve, California-Plants

Sanicula hoffmannii is an uncommon species of flowering plant in the parsley family known by the common names Hoffmann's sanicle and Hoffmann's blacksnakeroot. It is endemic to California, where it is known from the Channel Islands and a few locations in the coastal mountain ranges of the mainland, including the Scotts Creek watershed in Santa Cruz County. Its habitat includes coastal hillsides and mountain slopes, sometimes with serpentine soils. It is a perennial herb producing a... less ↑

Acourtia microcephala is a species of flowering plant in the daisy family known by the common name sacapellote. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in woodland and chaparral, especially in the coastal mountain ranges. This is a bushy perennial herb producing several erect stems from a woody caudex up to about 1.5 meters in maximum height. The stems branch toward the ends and are densely foliated in toothed, wavy-edged, glandular leaves... less ↑

Opuntia ficus-indica is a species of cactus that has long been a domesticated crop plant important in agricultural economies throughout arid and semiarid parts of the world. It is thought to possibly be native to Mexico. Some of the common English names for the plant and its fruit are Indian fig opuntia, barbary fig, cactus pear and prickly pear, although this last name has also been applied to other less common Opuntia species. less ↑

The River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) is a tree of the genus Eucalyptus. It is one of around 800 in the genus. It is a plantation species in many parts of the world, but is native to Australia, where it is widespread, especially beside inland water courses. Oddly, it is named for a private estate garden near the Camaldoli monastery near Naples (L'Hortus Camaldulensis di Napoli), from where the first specimen came to be described. Material... less ↑

Hazardia squarrosa is a species of shrub in the daisy family known by the common name sawtooth goldenbush. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal and inland scrub and chaparral habitats. This is a shrub of variable size, from low and clumpy to sprawling over 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) tall. It is covered in thick, sharply toothed leaves a few centimeters long and is generally not very hairy or woolly. It... less ↑

Cuscuta salina is a species of dodder known by the common name salt marsh dodder. It is native to western North America, where it lives in seasonal alkaline or saline habitats such as vernal pools and salt flats. It is a parasitic plant, wrapping itself around wetland vegetation and tapping them for nutrients with its haustoria. This is a slender annual vine extending yellowish thready stems to wrap tightly around other plants. The leaves are rudimentary... less ↑

Calochortus catalinae is a species of mariposa lily known by the common name Santa Catalina mariposa lily. It is endemic to Southern California where it is found along the coastline, and especially on the Channel Islands. This plant produces long basal leaves and tall, branching stems up to 60 centimeters high. The purple-tinted sepals are up to 3 centimeters long and the longer petals are usually white or very pale pink with a blotch of purple... less ↑

Calandrinia breweri is a species of flowering plant in the purslane family known by the common name Brewer's redmaids. It is native to the coastal mountains and canyons of California and Baja California, where it grows in several types of habitat, including recently burned and otherwise disturbed areas. It is an annual herb producing thick, hairless stems up to 45 centimeters long which may grow upright or sprawl along the ground. The thick leaves are oval... less ↑

Mesembryanthemum nodiflorum is a species of succulent plant in the ice plant family known by the common name slenderleaf ice plant. It is native to southern Africa, but it is known in many other places as an introduced species and sometimes an invasive weed, including several regions of Australia, parts of the western United States and adjacent Mexico, and some Atlantic islands. This is a usually annual herb forming a mostly prostrate clump or mat of... less ↑

Aegilops cylindrica, also known as jointed goatgrass. is an annual grass seed that is part of the tribe Triticeae, along with wheat and some other cereals. It is not native to the United States, however it has become a serious issue as a weed since it was introduced in the late 19th century. Due to its relation to winter wheat, it is very difficult to control. Not only are the joints similar in shape and size... less ↑

Paraserianthes lophantha, commonly called Albizia, Cape Leeuwin Wattle, Cape Wattle or Crested Wattle, is a fast-growing tree that occurs naturally along the southwest coast of Western Australia, from Fremantle to King George Sound. It was first spread beyond southwest Australia by Baron Ferdinand von Mueller, who gave packets of P. lophantha seeds to early explorers under the assumption that if they planted the seeds at their campsites, the trees would indicate the routes they travelled. less ↑

Amaranthus powellii is a species of amaranth known by the common names Powell's amaranth and green amaranth. It is native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, but it is common throughout most of the rest of the temperate Americas as a naturalized species. It has also been introduced to other continents, including Australia and Europe. This is an erect annual herb growing to a maximum height near two meters. It has leaves up to... less ↑

Amblyopappus is a monotypic genus in the daisy family which contains the single plant species Amblyopappus pusillus, known by the common name dwarf coastweed. This plant is native to Baja California in Mexico and the coast of southern California in the United States. It can also be found on the west coast of South America. This is an aromatic annual herb with an erect stem up to 40 centimeters in height. The stem turns dark red... less ↑

Aphanisma is a monotypic genus which contains the sole species Aphanisma blitoides, a rare annual plant known by the common names San Diego coastalcreeper or simply aphanisma. This is a beach-dwelling plant native to the coastline of Baja California and southern California, including the Channel Islands. It is a succulent saline-adapted plant found in sand or scrub at the immediate coastline. It has many thin, sprawling stems, few reduced green leaves, and tiny flowers. The older... less ↑

Astragalus miguelensis is a rare species of milkvetch known by the common name San Miguel milkvetch. It is endemic to five of the eight Channel Islands of California. This is a mat-forming perennial herb growing in wide, thick patches on rocky seaside bluffs and beaches. The abundant leaves are up to 12 centimeters long and are made up of many woolly oval-shaped leaflets. The inflorescence bears up to 30 white to yellowish flowers, each between one... less ↑

Atriplex watsonii is a species of saltbush known by the common name Watson's saltbush, or Watson's orach. It is native to the coastline of California and Baja California, where it grows in coastal areas with saline soils, such as salt marshes and beach scrub, with other halophytes such as saltgrass. It extends inland in the Los Angeles Basin, and along the Santa Ana River. less ↑

Baccharis salicifolia is a blooming shrub native to the desert southwest of the United States and northern Mexico, as well as parts of South America. Its usual common name is mule fat; it is also called seepwillow or water-wally. This is a large bush with sticky foliage which bears plentiful small, fuzzy, pink or red-tinged white flowers which are highly attractive to butterflies. The long pointed leaves may be toothed. It is most common near water... less ↑

Camissoniopsis intermedia is a species of evening primrose known by the common name intermediate suncup. It is native to California and Baja California, where it grows on the slopes of coastal and inland hills and mountains, especially in areas that have recently burned. It is an annual herb producing an erect, hairy stem up to about half a meter in height. Most of the leaves are located in a basal rosette at ground level and are... less ↑

Clematis pauciflora is a species of clematis known by the common name ropevine. This flowering plant is native to the high desert and chaparral slopes of southern California and Baja California. It is a woody vine with nodes every few centimeters which produce leaves and flowers. The leaves are made up of several dark green lobed leaflets, each one to three centimeters wide. From each leaf-bearing node grows an inflorescence of one to three flowers with... less ↑