Favoritos de windsurfnerd

Calochortus umpquaensis ssp. flavicomus (named so for the yellow hairs present at the petal base near the nectary). Described in 1989 by Callahan.

Population is threatened by the encroaching lumber industry- existing habitat is small and surrounded by boundless swathes of clearcut (former) forest.

A California Buttercup (Ranunculus californicus var. alifornicus), photographed on the former Stile Ranch property at Santa Teresa County Park in San Jose, CA. This is a familiar and commonplace California native that begins to appear in California's grasslands during the early spring. It can be easily recognized by its rather shiny, butter yellow blossoms, each of which is comprised of numerous pistils, numerous stamens, and numerous petals, but only 5 sepals (which usually fall off soon after the flower has opened). According to Jepson's, the flower can contain up to 17 petals, although I have never put this stipulation to the test. These petals range between 7mm and 14mm in length, and between 2mm and 6mm in width. Most of the petals on the flower in Shot 1 are ~10mm long and ~4mm wide.

These wildflowers are held aloft on the spindliest network of stems and branches, which are perturbed by the slightest of breezes. This network of stems and branches is adorned with many deeply and ternately lobed leaves, with the cauline leaves (Shot 3) being much reduced from the basal ones (Shot 2). The most distal lobe of the basal leaves is variously toothed, with a tip that is acute to rounded-acute. The shape of this tip, as well as the plant's decumbent to erect posture, allow me to identify it as R. californicus var. californicus. Shot 4 shows the entire plant in situ.