Those first pink flowers were Wild Hollyhock (Sidalcea malvaeflora), friendly archetypal flowers growing low to the ground. (In moist sheltered areas they will grow upright, up to 3' tall.)
Also called Checkerbloom, Wild Hollyhock is a member of the Mallow Family (Malvaceae). It is a perennial that grows in coastal prairies, and is typically found growing in among Red Maids, Wild Iris, Blue-eyed Grass and Gold Fields. Such was the case on this day.
The smaller, more abundant pink flowers were Red Maids (Calandrinia ciliata). A member of the Purslane Family (Portulacaeae), these small flowers are one of the earliest coastal flowers to bloom. They close at night, opening again at midday.
The lily, a nodding brownish-purple thing, was a Mission Bell (Fritillaria affinis). It's also called Rice-root Lily because the underground bulb is covered with tiny "bulblets" that resemble grains of rice.
And finally, there was the lupine. The beautiful purple and white-flowered lupine, which has proven a bit more challenging to identify than I expected. In my field guide there are pages and pages of lupines. Reading carefully, I eliminate them according to range and habitat and blooming season, and decide it is...well...I think it's Coulter's Lupine (Lupinus sparsiflorus), another hard to I.D member of the Pea Family.
It is lovely and, as one of the last wildflowers we encounter at Point Reyes, my favorite flower of the trip. But alas, we can't loiter too long among these wildflowers so near the Emerald City. There are guests to welcome, breakfasts to whip up, and future trips to Point Reyes to plan...
"More Photos, Field Guides, and Early Bloomers (Again)" © 2002 Gregg M. Pasterick - All Rights Reserved.
All Photographs © Gregg M. Pasterick - All Rights Reserved.
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