Dan's Outside

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Can Anyone Identify This Plant?

I photographed this very lush new growth at Muir Woods National Monument yesterday morning – but now I’m unable to determine what kind of plant it is. (I should have asked the naturalist while I was there, but I was in a hurry to get back home.)

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The leaves are very thick and shiny and you can see that flower stalks are emerging from each plant, topped with what look like clumps of ball-like buds. The plant was on a slope in the redwood forest not too far above the canyon bottom and, obviously, in a very shady area.

Thanks in advance!

UPDATE: Someone just posted a comment (sorry, didn’t leave actual name) that suggests the plant is Andrew’s Clintonia (Clintonia andrewsiana). I did a bit of checking around that this sure seems like it could be the right plant – so I’m going for that ID. Thanks!

Dan

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April 12, 2009 - Posted by | Commentary | , , , , , ,

2 Comments

  1. I think this plant is Clintonia andrewsiana. Look at the images that pop up when you do a search and compare with your mystery plant.

    Comment by bilmcf1964 | April 13, 2009

    • Aha! I think we have a winner! I checked a number of online sources for Clintonia Andrewsiana and I think this matches. The leaves look right; the location seems right; the single step holding the bud looks right. The one complexity is that I cannot find any examples with the small “bundle of balls” that constitute the flower buds in this emerging plant – but I did find one photograph that also shows the single leaf near the top of the stalk seen here with more mature flowers. (Sources indicate that this plant is more likely to fully bloom in May or so.)

      So, I’m going with your identification. Thanks!

      Dan

      Comment by Dan Mitchell | April 13, 2009


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