Additions to the vascular plant checklist for Santa Cruz County, California

DWTaylor October 2006, revised Oct. 2009

Pinaceae
Pinus coulteri D. Don.
Ben Lomond Mountain, along powerline parallel to Empire Grade Road about 1.3 miles north of the
junction with Alba Road, June 3, 2004, D.W. Taylor 19079 (JEPS backlog). Freely seeding this site, from
trees planted in the 1930’s as part of wildland ‘conservation’ program.

Pinus torreyana Carrière

trees planted circa 1950 with the construction of Highway 1 freeway persist, and seed feebly (as between
at Mar Monte exit and Buena Vista exit); trees remain from plantings in Aptos area, as terrace north of
Cabrillo.

Anacardiaceae
Malosma laurina (Nutt.) Abrams
Freely seeding in the Freedom region; planted in the 1930’s as part of wildland ‘conservation’ programs.
Voucher will be secured.

Araliaceae
Hedera helix L. ssp helix (our plants are this, cf. JEPS101745 , we do not have a voucher of ssp.
canariensis (Willd.) Cout.) and I have not seen it locally.

Asteraceae
Calendula officinalis L.
coastal bluff near Davenport, February 1, 2002, D.W. Taylor 17932 (JEPS backlog)
Holocarpha obconica (J. Clausen & Keck) Keck ssp. obconica
ridge forming summit Santa Cruz Mountains 1 mile North of Atherton Peak, 10 October 2003, D.W.
Taylor 19008 (JEPS100259)

Brassicaceae
Hesperis matrionalis L.
Sporadically established Aptos, persistent, reproducing but short lived in any one place
Matthiola incana (L.) R. Br.
Persistent and long established on coastal bluffs in Davenport region (cf. CHSC22757)

Boraginaceae
Borago officinalis L
Sporadically established , persistent, reproducing but short lived in any one place
Echium candicans L. f.
Sporadically established Seacliff, persistent, sparingly reproducing.
Symphytum officinale L
Sporadic throughout Aptos region, often vegetative: rapidly spreads in the garden, then is discarded,
where it long persists.

Caryophyllaceae
Polycarpon depressum Nutt – not extirpated
divide between Aptos Creek and Mangles Gulch, 12 April 1989, D.W. Taylor 10202 (JEPS backlog)
Ericaceae
Erica lusitanica Rudolphi
western boundary Nisene Marks State Park, on coastal marine terrace at headwater of Borregas Gulch, 1
February 2001, D.W. Taylor 17603 (JEPS backlog). Moderately invasive; formerly raised commercially
in the Aptos area, and perhaps now not subject to local reinvasion.

Fagaceae
Quercus X chasei McMinn, Babcock & Righter
Monte Toyon, very headwater of Mangles Gulch, April 11, 1990, D.W. Taylor 11577 (JEPS backlog)

Polygonaceae
Eriogonum arborescens E. Greene
fully established on sea bluffs at Seacliff, September 21, 2001, D.W. Taylor 17901 (JEPS backlog)
Fallopia japonica (Houttuyn) Ronse Decraene var. japonica
Aptos, 9055 Soquel Drive, September 10, 1967, T. C. Fuller 18887 (UC1364999). Not relocated at this
site by DWT in 2004.

Nyctaginaceae
Mirabilis jalapa L
Sporadic throughout Aptos region, often vegetative: rapidly spreads in the garden, then is discarded,
where it long persists.

Oxalidaceae
Oxalis purpurea L.
noxious and persistent garden weed along Redwood Drive 1.5 miles up from Monte Toyon, 30 January
1998, D.W. Taylor 16249 (JEPS101958)

Fumariaceae (inappropriately, Papaveraceae) – note, I have seen all three taxa in the county
Fumaria capreolata L.
Aptos, along railroad trestle N side of Soquel Drive, 5 July 1994, D.W. Taylor 14472 (JEPS96580)
Fumaria officinalis L.
bank of Lake Tynan, 9 September 1967, V.F. Hesse 3347 (JEPS53984)

Plumbaginaceae
Limonium sinuatum (L.) Mill.
Established near La Selva Beach

Ranunculaceae
Anemone:in FNA, our plants are A. grayi Behr & Kellogg, not A. oregana
Anemone coronaria L.
coastal terrace near Davenport; hillslope just east of San Vicinte Creek and north of Highway 1, April 5,
2002, D.W. Taylor 17967 (JEPS backlog)
Ranunculus uncinatus D. Don ex G. Don
divide between Aptos Creek and Magles Gulch, April 24, 1989, D.W. Taylor 10228 (UC1731513)
Veronica filiformis Sm.
along 3400 block of Redwood Drive, 4/23/2001, D.W. Taylor 17625 (JEPS100282)
Scrophulariaceae
Linaria purpurea (L.) Mill.
Capitola, E. Dean s.n. (UCD21517)

Liliaceae (sensu lato)

Leucojum aestivum L.
fully established about Aptos
Kniphofia uvaria (L.) Oken
established along railroad right of way near Davenport
Narcissus tazetta L.
established near Davenport and about Aptos
Anigozanthos sp.
established along railroad right of way near Davenport.: the taxon I have not been able to determine since
we do not have reliable material. A voucher will be taken this year.

Iridaceae
Crocosmia X crocosmiiflora (Lemoine) N.E. Br.
adjoining Nisene Marks State Park, weed along 1000 block of Redwood Drive, 24 August 2002, D.W.
Taylor 18321 (JEPS109764). Frequently, but sparingly, established in NM region.
Moraea collina Thunb.
marine terrace lying east of Rodeo Gulch and Hidden Valley Road, May 2, 2000, D.W. Taylor 17446
(JEPS101180). Noxious and highly invasive. APHIS restricted. has this been controlled?

Nymphaceae
Nuphar polysepala Engelm
William H. Brewer, in his notebooks associated with the Geological Survey of California collections at
UC/JEPS, noted it grew in “the laguna near Watsonville”. On August 4th, 1861, Brewer left camp at San
Juan Bautista, and rode to Santa Cruz, passing out of the mouth of the Pajaro river en route, noted its
presence. It is uncertain to which present day lake Brewer’s reference to “the laguna” , Pinto Lake, Kelly
Lake and Kelly Lake are candidates, while College Lake and Lake Tynan are similarly implicated (it was
a time of no local placenames, and Brewer’s party was of course making the first real maps!). Now
extirpated. The pre-settlement presence of Nuphar implies also that a boreal marsh florula might have
been present locally, now of course extirpated. Plants like Rorippa gambelii and Arenaria paludicola
come to mind...

Zingberaceae
Hedychium flavescens Carey ex Roscoe
gully in Nisene Marks below 3400 block Redwood Dr, 30 August 1997, D.W. Taylor 16194 (JEPS96571).
Sporadic throughout NM, often vegetative: rapidly spreads in the garden, then is discarded, where it long
persists.