Natural History Wanderings

My favorite early season wildflower Fetid Adder’s Tongue or Slinkpod / Scoliopus bigelovii  is blooming in Marin County. It is in the  Liliaceae family. It is found in deep shaded forests, primarily in the coastal counties of the western United States from central California to northern Oregon.

Where to see Scoliopus bigelovii in Marin County: John Thomas Howell in Marin Flora lists Sausalito, Muir Woods, Mount Tamalpais (Blithedale canyon, Cataract Gulch, Fish Grade), Bolinas Ridge, San Geronimo Ridge, and San Rafael Hills for Marin County locations. A beautiful place to see Scoliopus bigelovii here in Marin County is Muir Woods National Monument.Cascade Falls in Mill Valley is an easy place to see Scoliopus bigelovii. From downtown Mill Valley, take Throckmorton past the public library all the way to the end where it intersects Cascade. Turn right onto Cascade and watch for a small parking lot on the right with a wooden sign reading CASCADE FALLS.  Source: Marin CNPS: Scoliopus bigelovii

To see other locations go the Calflora at http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-taxon=Scoliopus+bigelovii 

To see a detailed article on the biology of Scoliopus check out this article by Frederick Utech in the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden: Biology of Scoliopus (Liliaceae) I. Phytogeography and Systematics