Tree 1
Group: 1 - Group 1
Species: 1’, 2, 3 - Dragon Tree (Draceaena draco) - not found in book
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48312672
Tree 2
Group: 1’, 2’, 3 4’ - Group 3
Species: 1 - Sheoaks (Casuarina spp.) - pg. 38
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/48312984
This week I headed to someplace on the side of the road because somehow everywhere I go is either closed or inaccessible due to construction or road work. As I result, I found a fairly large open natural area across the street from a local high school. The area was mostly covered with dry grass on the slopes of rolling hills, however, a variety of trees stood sparsely on the lower slopes. Behind the shade of these trees, a small, 5-yard long waterhole resided. There, aquatic reeds and smaller plants grew. The existence of this waterhole confused me greatly in terms of identifying this plant community, though I still would guess it is likely dry chaparral.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47654819
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47654812
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47654810
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47654808
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47654795
key 1 :
1’, 2’, 3’, 5’, 9’, 13’, 14 -Group 9
9-1’, 3’, 7’, 8
Page 94 - Platanus spp. (Plane Trees and Sycamores)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/46458793
key 2:
1', 2', 3', 5, 6', 7' - Group 6
1', 3' , 11., 12', 13', 14', 16', 18', 24', 29', 30' ,31' , 32', 33'
Chinese Pistache ( pistachia chinensis)
Tree #1
1', 2', 3', 5', 8', 9', 13', 14', 15
Group 10 - 1
Key to Oaks - 1, 2 (leaf margins toothed)
"Coast Live Oak" pg. 102
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47575558
Tree #2
1', 2', 3', 5, 6', 7'
Group 6 - 1', 3', 11, 12', 13
"Peruvian pepper tree" Pg. 108
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47595621
This week I went on walk to Cuesta Canyon Park in San Luis Obispo. This park is about 5 minute from my house. I drove up to the parking lot and parked right in front of the entrance. As I entered the park, I walked downhill towards a creek. The creek was going downhill with trees all around it. The park is not large but it allows you to observe many trees that are native to the area. You can walk along the creek if you want to observe the trees more closely.
Tree #1
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47595649
Tree #2
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47638731
Tree #3
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47595704
Tree #4
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47638894
Tree #5
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47595621
This week, I visited the Live Oak Manor Park in Los Gatos, California. This park was about a 10 minute drive from my house and I do not go there very often, so I was not very familiar with the area. There were no hills in the area, everything was on flat ground. Due to the hot weather the park was also fairly dry and was definitely not a riparian area. There is a very large grass area in the middle of the park and I walked along the perimeter of the grass area where there is more dirt and shrubs.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47518002
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47518221
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47518463
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47518691
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47518778
Key to group: 1', 2', 3', 5', 8', 9', 13', 14', 15' - Group 11
Group 11: 1', 2', 6', 7', 12', 13', 14
Species: Ulmus Parvifolia (Chinese Elm)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47519346
Key to group: 1', 2', 3',5', 8', 9', 13', 14', 15' - Group 11
Group 11: 1
Species: Quercus (Oaks)
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47519671
Tree#1: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47463003
To group: 1', 2', 3', 5', 8', 9', 13', 14', 15 - Group 10
Group 10: 1', 2, 3
Citrus (Citrus spp.)
Tree#2: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47463365
To group: 1', 2', 3', 5', 8', 9', 13', 14', 15' - Group 11
Group 11: 1', 2', 6
Willows (Salix spp.)
For this week, I headed to Montgomery Hill Park, which is where our middle school used for Cross Country practice, so it was a little bit nostalgic for me. Having already been to the area a while back, I sort of knew what I was in for. It happened to be extremely hot that day (today), and the area is very dry to begin with. The area has two parts to it, with steep hills on one side and a flat, large circular dirt area on the other side, with trees lining the perimeter. I walked around the circular dirt area, which is around half a mile and there was almost no shade along the path. I believe that the area's plant community can be classified as a dry chaparral, due to the lack of tall trees and the presence of dense brush.
Observations:
I also saw a peacock in my backyard so I went ahead and observed that on iNaturalist too.
This week I went along a trail that ran along the Dougherty Hills. The weather was very warm out, and despite the fact that I was running alongside a creek bed, it was bone-dry. The trail begins off of a main road, and winds up and to the right of a residential neighborhood. I believe this area is a Chaparral, due to the usually wet climate, and the abundance of shrubs and grass. This area is well accustomed to droughts, and the recent hot weather is clearly evident in the plants.
1.) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47473671
2.) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47473711
3.) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47473785
4.) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47473820
5.) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/47474006
