Natural History Wanderings

Many Flowers Are In Bloom Right Now At Abbott’s Lagoon

Early summer is a good time to visit Abbott’s Lagoon. We arrived at 9:30 AM and the parking lot was empty even though it was Saturday.  We spent 6 hours there and when we left the lot was finally full of cars.

There are many flowers in bloom both along the path and in  the dunes and beach.  It is also worth going up to the headland south of the bridge.  The trail is lined with many Yellow Bush Lupines, California Poppies (Yellow coastal form) and Poison Hemlock. Along the boardwalk the large Hedge-nettle are just starting to bloom.   The sand around the lagoon has lots of  Cinquefoil, Monkeyflowers, and small Heliotrope.  The dunes and open sandy areas have plenty of Sea Rocket, Yellow Sand-verbena, Beach Suncups, Fragrant Dune Lupine, Curly-leaved Monardella,  Deer-weed and colorful Beach Strawberry foliage. Gumplant and Sea Lettuce are just starting to bloom.  Click read more below to see a more detailed  plant list of what I was able to identify.

Although I was mainly focused on flowers I also saw Brush Rabbit,Black-tailed Deer,  Song Sparrow, California Quail, Spotted Towhee, American Crow,White-crowned Sparrow, Great Egret, Raven, Red-winged Blackbird, Brown Pelicans and unidentified gulls and ducks.

It was sunny and windy.  A good day to be out but now the best weather for photography.  Allergy sufferer beware there is plenty of pollen from the grasses and watch out for poison oak, especially where it may be hidden in the grasses.

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July 25 Abbotts Lagoon Plant List

(to compile this list I worked off of the ABBOTTS LAGOON PUBLIC TRAIL  compiled by Doreen L. Smith (last revised 19 July, 2005 ) and published on the Marin CNPS website)

List 1B plants are rare, threatened or endangered species.  Alien species, or weeds, are marked *  all others are Californian native plants.

AIZOACEAE (CARPETWEED FAMILY)

Carpobrotus chilensis         Pink Ice-plant         *

ANACARDIACEAE (SUMAC FAMILY)

Toxicodendron diversilobum         Poison Oak

APIACEAE/UMBELLIFERAE (PARSLEY FAMILY)

Angelica hendersonii         Coastal Angelica

Cicuta maculata var. bolanderi         Coastal Water Hemlock

Conium maculatum         Poison Hemlock         *

Heracleum lanatum                  Cow Parsnip

ASTERACEAE/COMPOSITAE (SUNFLOWER/COMPOSITE FAMILY)

Achillea millefolium          Yarrow

Agoseris apargioides var. eastwoodiae         Seaside Dandelion

Anaphalis margaritacea         Pearly Everlasting

Artemisia pycnocephala         Beach Sagebrush

Aster (Symphyotrichum chilense) chilensis         Wild Aster

Baccharis pilularis          Coyote Brush

Carduus pycnocephalus         Italian Thistle         *

Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale         Cobweb Thistle

Cirsium quercetorum         Brownie Thistle

Cotula coroponifolia         Brass Buttons         *

Ericameria ericoides         Mock Heather

Erigeron glaucus         Seaside Daisy

Eriophyllum staechadifolium         Lizard Tail

Gnaphalium californicum         Ca. Everlasting

Grindelia hirsutula var. maritima         Coastal Bluff Gumplant

Madia sativa          Edible Tarweed

BORAGINACEAE (BORAGE FAMILY)

Amsinckia spectabilis v. spectabilis         Coast Fiddleneck

Cryptantha leiocarpa         Dune Cryptantha

Heliotropium curassavicum         Heliotrope

BRASSICACEAE/CRUCIFERAE (MUSTARD FAMILY)

Brassica rapa         Field Mustard         *

Cakile maritima         Sea Rocket         *

Erysimum sp.         Wallflower  (in fruit)

Raphanus sativus/ R. raphanistrum         Wild Radish         *

CARYOPHYLLACEAE (PINK FAMILY)

Stellaria littoralis         Coastal Stitchwort         List 4

CONVOLVULACEAE (MORNING-GLORY FAMILY)

Calystegia soldanella         Beach Morning Glory

CRASSULACEAE (STONE-CROP FAMILY)

Crassula connata         Sand Pigmy-weed

Dudleya farinosa         Sea Lettuce

FABACEAE/LEGUMINOSAE (PEA FAMILY)

Lathyrus littoralis         Beach Pea

Lotus scoparius         Deer-weed (prostrate form on dunes)

Lotus sp.         a yellow lotus along trail

Lupinus arboreus         Yellow Bush Lupine

Lupinus bicolor or L nanus         Annual Lupine

Lupinus chamissonis         Fragrant Dune Lupine

Trifolium sp.         a pink clover

HYDROPHYLLACEAE (WATERLEAF FAMILY)

Phacelia insularis v. continentis         North Coast Phacelia         LIST1B

IRIDACEAE (IRIS FAMILY)

Sisyrinchium bellum         Blue-eyed Grass

LAMIACEAE/LABIATAE (MINT FAMILY)

Monardella undulata var. undulata         Curly-leaved Monardella         LIST4

Stachys         Hedge-nettle

LILIACEAE (LILY FAMILY)

Triteleia laxa         Ithuriel’s Spear

NYCTAGINACEAE (FOUR O’CLOCK FAMILY)

Abronia latifolia         Yellow Sand-verbena

ONAGRACEAE (EVENING PRIMROSE FAMILY)

Camissonia cheiranthifolia         Beach Suncup

Clarkia davyi         Coastal Clarkia

PAPAVERACEAE (POPPY FAMILY)

Eschscholzia californica         California Poppy

POLYGONACEAE (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY)

Chorzanthe cuspidata ssp. cuspidata         Hooked-awn Spineflower         LIST1B

Chorizanthe cuspidata var. villosa         Woolly-headed Spine-flower         LIST1B

Chorizanthe robusta var. robusta         Robust Spineflower         LIST1B

Eriogonum latifolium         Coast Buckwheat

Rumex acetosella         Sheep Sorrel, Redtop         *

Rumex maritimus         Golden Shore- dock

Rumex occidentalis          Willow-leaved Dock

PORTULACEAE (PURSLANE FAMILY)

Claytonia sibirica         Candy Flower

PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY)

Anagallis arvensis         Scarlet Pimpernel         *

RANUNCULACEAE (BUTTERCUP/CROWFOOT FAMILY)

Ranunculus sp.         Buttercup

ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY)

Fragaria chiloensis         Beach Strawberry

Potentilla anserina ssp. pacifica         Cinquefoil

Rubus ursinus         California Blackberry

SCROPHULARIACEAE (FIGWORT FAMILY)

Castilleja exserta ssp. latifolia         Showy Owl’s-clover

Mimulus guttatus         Monkey-flower

Scrophularia californica         Bee-plant

LIST1B plants are rare, threatened or endangered species.

All errors are mine and corrections are welcome.