Growing in clusters at the top of a bristly, 1-2m, gray-green stem, the flowers of telegraphweed (Heterotheca grandiflora) are a striking yellow.
The plant is native to California. From a Fall run at Sage Ranch.
Category Archives: photography|wildflowers
Rabbitfoot Grass
Rabbitfoot grass (Polypogon monspeliensis) along a vernal stream course in East Las Virgenes Canyon in Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahamanson Ranch).
This grass is not native to California. From a run in October.
Tree Poppy
Tree poppy (Dendromecon rigida) on Temescal Ridge Fire Road, on the way to the Hub in Topanga State Park.
From a run in March of the Will Rogers – Temescal Loop in the Santa Monica Mountains.
Hexagonal Close Packing
There are some imperfections, but generally the unopened disk florets comprising the head of this immature sneezeweed blossom are arranged so that each floret is surrounded by six other florets. This is an example of hexagonal close packing, and is probably the most dense arrangement of florets that can be achieved in this spherical flower head.
The photograph of the Bigelow’s sneezeweed (Helenium bigelovii) was taken on an out and back run on the Pacific Crest Trail from Vincent Gap to Little Jimmy Spring during July 2007.
Related post: Bigelow’s Sneezeweed & Bee
Chumash Trail Mountain Mahogany
Plumed achenes of curl-leaf mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus ledifolius) on the Chumash Trail. From Tuesday’s run.
Cheeseboro Canyon Prickly Poppy
Prickly poppy (Argemone munita) in upper Cheeseboro Canyon.
From today’s run of the Cheeseboro Canyon keyhole loop, starting from the Victory trailhead of Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve (formerly Ahmanson Ranch).
Here’s a Google Earth image of a GPS trace of the loop, and links to trail maps for Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve and Cheeseboro/Palo Comado Canyons.