Daily Archives: Monday,June 8, 2026

Brodiaea coronaria : harvest brodiaea

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Ecoguardian Christine Chourmouzis identified this new plant at Race Rocks on  June 7, 2026.  She wrote: Two tiny harvest brodiaea (crown brodiaea) about 5cm tall were found on the rocks west of the Student Building. It is a native plant not yet found on Race Rocks.  The closest sighting I could find was by the famous botanist Adolf Ceska on the shore across Race Passage in the 1985. It grows from southern BC to California on dry grassy sites or rock bluffs and has traditionally been harvested for its small, nutty flavoured corm which can be eaten raw or cooked.

An interesting story about taxonomists who disagreed on the name can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brodiaea#Nomenclature

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Embryophytes
Clade: Spermatophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Brodiaeoideae
Genus: Brodiaea
Species:
B. coronaria
Binomial name
Brodiaea coronaria

Other Angiosperms at Race Rocks.

taxonomyiconReturn to the Race Rocks Taxonomy
and Image File
pearsonlogo2_f2The Race Rocks taxonomy is a collaborative venture originally started with the Biology and Environmental Systems students of Lester Pearson College UWC. It now also has contributions added by Faculty, Staff, Volunteers and Observers on the remote control webcams.

 

 

 

Sidewalk buddies

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Wildlife notes

A Canada goose and glaucus winged seagull on their nests beside the walkway to the Keepers House.

Two gulls would not nest this close! Sidewalk goose is sitting on addled eggs and it is a hard thing to watch. She will eventually leave the nest but not until the bitter end when her body can’t sustain it any longer and she needs to eat.  The goose is rather calm and remains on the nest as I pass by whether alone or with a cart or wheel barrow.  Sidewalk gull is a little less relaxed.  She had her nest on the other side of the walkway last year where she had only one chick and constant trouble from the neighbours. This is a better spot for the chick and hopefully the goose will help keep her calm. It really does make my life difficult with an aggressive gull parked on the walkway.  My first gull attack of the season was by Bunker gull this morning. Another inconvenient place to have a nest. The desalinator is in the bunker building (a real wartime bunker) and I must access that building. The time has come to wear my helmet and carry a broom stick!

Facility notes

It was a very busy long day. The generator was running today so I was operating the desalinator and the log splitter all morning to take advantage of the excess power. All available firewood on the island is now cut, split and stacked. Shakes were cut for future kindling and starter pieces made. It is a shame more wood wasn’t hauled up in the spring as little drift wood/logs wash up in summer. Greg and Richard came by in the afternoon and we worked on disassembling the winch and frame assembly for Old Lister, straightening the door frame on the Battery Room, adding water hoses to the Student House, transferring diesel fuel to the generator (100L) and to the furnace tank in the Keepers House (160L). The flag was lowered in preparation for the forecastred gale force winds. I used the furnace this evening as a treat :) Tomorrow I’ll light the usual 2 pm fire.

Firewood supplies stacked in the basement of the Keepers House. Hopefully the sea delivers more.

Vessels

  • Ecotourism: >6 (the count is incomplete as I spent much of the day inside buildings)
  • Private: 1

Weather

Skies overcast. Periods of rain. Winds NE 13 to 25, gusting 31 in the early evening.