We had a nice walk around campus to view a very small portion of the flora. I overlooked a few noteworthy plants right in front of our very own Old Little Theater. We did talk about the Canary Islands Dragon's Blood (Dracaena draco), the Island Ironwoods (Lyonothamnus
floribundus), and the sages (Salvia sp). I took some photos and wanted to share some info about a few others...
The tree in the SW corner in front of the OLT is a Shamel (or Mexican) Ash,
Fraxinus uhdei, in the olive family (Oleaceae). Native to western and southern
Mexico, and introduced to the U.S. as an ornamental tree. Fruits are yellow-green winged seeds. The sap from
the stems or leaves may cause a skin rash!
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| Shamel ash, Fraxinus uhdei |
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| Winged seeds of the Shamel Ash |
One of the shrubs right in front of the OLT is the California
flannelbush (or Fremontia), Fremontodendron
californicum, which is in the mallow family (Malvaceae). Native to California and western N.
America. This shrub is found on
slopes in chaparral and dry woodland.
The leaves are fuzzy, or “flannel”-like. Be careful - the hairs on the leaves are easily brushed off
and can irritate your skin. But
aren’t those bright yellow blossoms beautiful!
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| Fremontia, or Flannel-bush, Fremontodendron californicum |
Adorning the west-side of our CCS building, is the Matilija
Poppy, Romneya coulteri, in the
poppy family (Papaveraceae). Native to southern California and Baja California. This perennial plant grows in chaparral
and coastal sage scrub habitats, often in dry washes and canyons, generally
away from the coast. The showy white flowers (that look like fried eggs!) are
the largest of any plant native to California.
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| Matilija Poppy, Romneya coulteri |
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