The main difference between Ookow and Blue Dicks is the number of stamens with anthers; Blue Dicks have six, three large and three small, Ookow has three. This flower was at the end of a tall slender naked stem like all we saw at many points around Lagunitas. We saw these in mid-May 2010, and as with the Blue Dicks in Spring above only a single flower was removed from the flower head.
Family: Liliaceae
Scientific Name: Dichelostemma congestum
Calflora
The drop-dead easiest grass to identify in all of the United States; which is why it is the only one I know. Easy except for the fact that there are actually TWO Briza sp. in Sky Oaks. If I see B. minor I'll let your know.
Family: Poaceae
Tribe: Poeae (Really, the grasses are as bad as the Sunflowers!)
Scientific Name: Briza maxima
This Clarkia purpurea and the Clarkia rubicunda below were found across from the sedum wall near the road on the lake side. I photographed both species more than a month apart and assumed they were the same. That was a mistake and Doreen Smith with the Marin CNPS corrected me. What I learned was that two similiar species can be found in the same small area with slightly different blooming times. During 2010 I'm going to pay attention to how these two species overlap below the sedum wall. Look for a pink-purple stigma. Mid May.
Family: Onagraceae
Scientific Name: Clarkia purpurea
Calflora
When I posted this flower to the website in 2008 I called it Clarkia gracilis ssp. gracilis but was troubled because the buds were erect and not nodding. I checked again in 2009 and never saw a nodding bud so I'm amending the identification to C. rubicunda. White stigma. June.
Family: Onagraceae
Scientific Name: Clarkia rubicunda
Calflora
A Hog Fennel. That is about all I can say about this plant, except that we saw it in mid-May near the sedum wall. It's pretty though.
Family: Apiaceae
Scientific Name: Lomatium californicum
Calflora
Trying to get a feel for the shape/form of this flower can be a challenge. We saw most of these plants in the straightaway portion of the Lagunitus trail just after the first bridge. They were on the uphill side and low to the ground--pretty bursts of lavender (Pink?). They're easy to find if you're not looking where you are going. We saw these sweeties in mid to late May.
Family: Polygalaceae
Scientific Name: Polygala californica
Calflora
You'll find this fragrant vine on both sides of the straight portion of the trail that leads to the sedum wall. It can be enmeshed with other shrubs or hanging free with a little support. Look for honeysuckle about the end of May or early June.
Family: Caprifoliaceae
Scientific Name: Lonicera hispidula var. vacillans
Calflora
I need to confess I had never photographed or noticed this flowering shrub before 2008. We saw it in mid May. It was on the straight part of the trail before the sedum wall where the slope falls steeply to the lake. It was the only Ninebark we have seen so far. It was on the lake side.
Family: Rosaceae
Scientific Name: Physocarpus capitatus
Calflora
You can call it a mini-sunflower if you want but these Mule-Ears are still impressive. I always see them in mid-May on the steep lakeside slope below the Sedum wall. It usually, sort-of, maybe blooms about the same time as the Cream Cups that are found closer to the trail.
Family: Asteraceae
Scientific Name: Wyethia glabra
Calflora
We were very happy to come across this pretty lily. The green stripe up the petal and the anther structure that almost looks like a crown makes this a very fun plant. It was on Azalea Hill in early June.
Famiy: Liliaceae
Scientific Name: Triteleia hyacinthina
Calflora
You need to search for Ninebark around Lagunitas, but Cream Bush is abundant in the area leading up to the Sedum Wall. Start looking for this plant during the end of May into June.
Family: Rosaceae
Scientific Name: Holodiscus discolor
Calflora
Ithuriel's Spear, Brodiaea, Blue Dicks and Ookow in some minds have always been a Brodiaea. This is understandable given the similarity of flower shapes and color. Yet, damn, they are different. The Ookow and Blue Dick are distinct because the flowers are more or less sessile on the stem. Ithuriel's Spear and Harvest Brodiaea have pediceled flowers but differ in their flower parts. The most dramatic difference is the three flat whitish staminodes in the Brodiaea compared with the conventional stamens of the Ithuriel's Spear.
Family: Liliaceae
Scientific Name: Triteleia laxa
Calflora
This stand of lilies can be found in the meadow past the third bridge. This is the large meadow along the southeast side of the lake across from the sedum wall next to the fireroad. They are gorgeous flowers that show up in early June.
Family: Liliaceae
Scientific Name: Calochortus luteus
Calflora
Flax, yeah Flax. We found these plants on the east side of the Sky Oakes Road Seventy-Five yards up the hill from the wheelchair dock on Lake Bon Tempe. A couple of years later during Spring 2010 we saw Flax for the first time at a few places around Lake Lagunitas.
Family: Linaceae
Scientific Name: Linum bienne
Calflora
I've always thought this a pretty aster because of the the dark little details among the disk flowers. It's like pepper was sprinkled in the middle. We saw these in early June but knew they would be around for awhile.
The bright red of this pink just grabs you. 2010 was a great year for wildflowers but we only saw this one plant produce two or three flowers over two weeks. We'll look for more next season. We saw it on Azalea Hill on the west side in mid-June.
A beautiful plant. We saw just a few independently standing like the one to the left, but saw many peeking out from underneath chamise and other larger shrubs. We found these mid-June on Azalea Hill.
I believe this is rosulata. It is, however, a rare plant on the Marin CNPS LIST1B, so I'm anxious about the identification and will contact smarter people to help me confirm the finding. Until then, all I have to say is: what a precious little plant. It's easy to overlook, but fun to find. We photographed this plant in mid-June on the west side of Azalea Hill.