Characters and Traits

On Monday afternoon I went for a hike up behind campus in the woods.
I found some things I liked and used some new terms i've learned classify them and give them traits and characters.

Mallow: A common California weed found in many places. Also edible.
leaf structure: simple
leaf venation: palmate
leaf margin: lobed
leaf color: green
leaf texture: smooth

Poison Hemlock: Took me a second to ID this plant even though I should know it right away! I actually thing this herb plant is very beautiful looking and has nice characteristics...and maybe thats the point. Some of which are:
leaf structure: double compound
leaf venation: pinnate
leaf margin: spiny
leaf shape: triangular
leaf color: green

California Slender Salamander: Recognized this guy right away.
body: narrow
length: long and slender
characteristics: worm like
color: brownish
biology: respiratory is through skin

Millipede
body: narrow
length: long and flat
characteristics: outside layer is shell like, parallel lines crossing back
color: brownish/black

Unknown plant: Very pretty leafs on a tree.
leaf structure: simple
leaf venation: pinnate
leaf margin: lobed/serrated combo
leaf color: light green
leaf texture: soft

Lichen: Growing on a tree, there were two different types of lichen. One appearing almost like a shrub, the other more like a type of flakey crust. The shrub like one appeared to be a lighter greenish gray then the flakey one. They were both spread out together amongst the same tree.

Found this ivy level to the ground and growing on a surrounding fence in the area.
leaf structure: simple
leaf venation: palmate
leaf margin: lobed
leaf color: dark green
leaf texture: smooth

Plant unknown: I just really liked the way these leaves looked. These were some of the few leafs on an entire shrub, so I'm guessing it's some kind of deciduous brush and it's just now branching out.
leaf structure: simple
leaf arrangement: opposite
leaf venation: pinnate
leaf margin: serrated
leaf shape: oblong
leaf color: shiny green
leaf texture: smooth

Rye grass: Not sure what kind of rye this is, although it seems pretty prevalent in the area. Member of the wheat family, long grass like leafs, with a type of leaf like flower at the ends. Many small, delicate and fine shards of grass pointing upward, parallel to one another. Light greenish in color.

Purple flower plant: Pretty flower! Lots of these surrounded in a shady area.
Leaf structure: simple
leaf arrangement: opposite
leaf venation: pinnate
leaf margin: entire
leaf shape: oblong
leaf color: shiny green
leaf texture: smooth
flower color: purple
flower arrangement: solitary
flower pedals: five of them, possibly an eudicot.

Posted on March 19, 2014 06:37 AM by