Category Archives: Angiosperm

Zostera marina: eel grass–The Race Rocks taxonomy

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This true sea grass, is not an algae, but a flowering plant. It does have a close relative, the other sea grass Phyllospadix scouleri which does live at Race Rocks. We have included it here because it often ends up on the small pocket beach areas as drift along marine algae and logs. So technically its energy is imported into the Race Rocks Ecosystem with the help of storms. It actually grows in shallow offshore areas in a sand sediment bottom. The closest to Race Rocks is around Bentinck Island and in Emdyck Passage

Asexual Reproduction: In the photos you can see that it grows on a sediment substrate and has creeping roots or rhizomes just below the surface. They serve as its main method of propagation. It also can produce seeds from small inconspicuous flowers. A bed of this grass may be closely related genetically as it is joined by a network of these rhizomes underground.

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Zosteraceae
Genus: Zostera
Species: marina
Common Name: Eel Grass

 

Other Members of the 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.

 name –year (PC)

Plantago maritima, Goose tongue–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Jen pointing to the plantain near the docks

Seaside plantain is a perennial growing to 0.2m. . The flowers are
hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by
Wind. The plant is self-fertile.The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils
and requires well-drained soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and
basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in saline soil. It cannot grow in the
shade. It requires dry or moist soil. The plant can tolerate maritime
exposure.It grows on the rocks at Race Rocks where the soil is well drained and
dry. It is exposed to the sea spray and so it can tolerate changes in
salinity.
It is used is a laxative – Plantain seeds contain up to 30% mucilage
which swells up in the gut, acting as a bulk laxative and soothing
irritated membranes. Sometimes the seed husks are used without the seeds.The young leaves are edible leaves raw or cooked.Reference:
http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=529711

http://www.ibiblio.org/pfaf/cgi-bin/arr_html?Plantago+decipiens&CAN=LATIND

Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Plantae
Subkingdom Tracheobionta
Superdivision Spermatophyta
Division Magnoliophyta
Class Magnoliopsida
Subclass Asteridae
Order Plantaginales
Family Plantaginaceae
Genus Plantago
Species maritima ssp. juncoides
Common Name: goose tongue

Other Members of the 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.

 Jennifer Davies PC Yr 30

Phyllospadix scouleri: surf grass– Race Rocks taxonomy

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Domain: Eukarya
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Alismatales
Family: Zosteraceae
Genus: Phyllospadix
Species: P. scouleri
Binomial name
Phyllospadix scouleri

Genus/species Phyllospadix scouleri (Hooker)

 

Description: This flowering plant is most characteristic of the open rocky shores of the coast that are exposed to the full force of the waves, as on the west coast of Vancouver Island.  There it forms bright emerald-green beds on the rocks near extreme low-tide level.  The plants are relatively short, usually not more than a metre in length, and the leaves are 20-32 mm. wide.  Short basal flowering stems are produced, which are 5-8 cm. long.

Habitat:  On rocks in the lower intertidal and upper subtidal zones.

Pacific Coast Distribution:  Alaska to Mexico.

Robert Scagel, 1972

 
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. March 8 2009- Ryan Murphy

Armeria maritima: Thrift–The Race Rocks taxonomy

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gfjune513thrift-1024x768

Thrift, Armeria near Race Rocks Jetty. Photo by Garry Fletcher

 

gfjun2011thrift-1024x816

Thrift is a native plant which grows in the salt spray zone at Race Rocks .

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Eudicots
(unranked): Core eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Plumbaginaceae
Genus: Armeria
Species: A. maritima

Armeria maritima (Mill.) Willd.

Other Members of the 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.

–Garry Fletcher

 

Lathyrus japonicus: Beach Pea–The Race Rocks Taxonomy

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Description:

The beach pea Lathyrus japonicus or wild pea is found along in several locations at Race Rocks.In the west bay near the docks, and in the southeast beach area. It also has a conspicuous location on the center path where it grows out of an old log planted on end. We have also spread some seeds down the sidewalk wall toward the desalinator building. The flowering size is 3/4 inch wide, The flowering color is pink to purple,The flowering time is June to August. Height is 1-2 feet.

The beach pea has tough roots, is useful a sand binder and it adds nitrogen to the soil.

A major characteristic of the beach pea that makes it an ideal palnt for coastal areas is that it can live in soils which are Nitrogen deficient. It does this as do most of the legumes by converts atmospheric nitrogen to nitrates, a process known as “Nitrogen Fixation” .It has nodules on its roots which house Rhizobium bacteria. (Link to the exercise on Nitrogen Cycle)

Tne beach pea can cause a very serious disease of the nervous system, (brain and spine). Also the beach pea can be toxic to animals. It was however used as a laxative among the Coastal First Nations people.

Range: Coastal Labrador New England, south to North Jersey,along the Great Lakes, Pacific Coast from Alaska to California.The beach pea cannot grow in the shade and requires moist soil.
Domain Eukarya
Kingdom Plantae
Division Anthophyta
Class Dicotyledonaceae
Family Fabaceae
Genus Lathyrus
Species japonicus
Common Name: Beach pea

Other Members of the Angiosperm 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. Mersiha Niksic (PC)

 

Plant Inventory at Race Rocks

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This plant inventory done by Lester Pearson College students Taarini, Julia Clark and Ryan Murphy in Project week, 2001. BC Parks provided some funding.

See other posts on this website tagged with plant

MAP LOC. # Unkn. # Species # Common Name SPECIES Description AREA Diam Meters UTM VERT UTM HORIZ Introduced Indigenous
10 1 Mist Maiden Romanzofia tracii 5349628 460559 yes
2 chickweed 1  “  “
3 brome Bromus 1  “  “
11 4 fescue-tft grass tuft grass 1 5349631 460553 yes
3 brome 3  “  “ no
12 1 Mist Maiden R.tracii 36 5349637 460556 yes
brome  “  “
13 1 Mist Maiden R.tracii mud flat 5349647 460543 yes
7 short grass  “  “
14 3 brome 5349646 460546
15 ? 5349629 460564
16 3 brome grey water pit 6 5349585 460620 no
17 3 brome 6 5349586 460614 no
tulip two  “  “
18 7 short grass rocks 5349594 460618
2 chickweed  “  “
3 brome  “  “
5 dandelions  “  “
6 wild geranium  “  “
19 6 wild geranium marker 0.5 5349595 460617
20 3 brome 8 5349598 460615
8 marigold 6 clumps
geraniums small patches
24 clover few patches
23 small patch
21 marigold 3 5349602 460615
geranium many  “  “
brome many
grape hyacinth  few patches
short grass
chickweed
dandelion
26 in cracks of rock
22 Romanzoffia 5349595 460624
geranium
brome
28  Tamarix large bush
23 brome 8 m circle 5349606 469625
chickweed
dafodillls  quite a few
30 few clumps
31 spiny leaves
bluebells 4 plants
24 brome 5349612 460634
native fescue
geranium
chickweed
28 2
brome
chickweed
short grass
30 amongst 29
purple stalk 1
dry long grass covering rock
26 brome few 53949631 460622
dafodill 3
Romanzofia tracii 1 clump
geranium
28 5
chickweed
bluebells 15
19 big patch
brome
31 equisetum? clumps of strait hollow like baby bamboo?
27 brome covered- 3m 5349637 460609
war crane 3 m patch
chickweed
fescue small
28 33 between winch house and house 5349623 460608
brome
geranium
chickweed
short grass
bluebells
marigolds fewe
28 small
29 concrete patch 5349619 460595
30 English Daisy all short
short grass
geranium
native fescue
dandelion
marigold
brome tiny bit
31 brome short lawn 5349619 460585
English daisy
marigold
bluebell 1
chickweed
32 Carols flowers Bergemia 5349602 460586
marigold
tulip
hyacinth
bluebell
E daisy
clover
short grass
33 clover
lawn grass
E.daisy
geranium
marigold
dandelion
34 short grass 5349612 460566
brome patches
geranium
35 short grass 5349607 460554
brome patches
chickweed small amt
36 brome 5349638 460543
short grass 2 m
chickweed
37 tidepool 5349640 460547
38 brome behind lighthouse 5349576 460621
chickweed
geranium
marigold
fescue
stalks
Romanzoffia
brome
hyacinth
short grass
40 brome 5349555 460588
clover
hyacinth
geranium
marigold
bluebell
stalk
41 brome 5349549 460588
fescue
short grass
thistle
marigold
30 big bush
bluebell
stalk
42 brome 5349537 460577
geranium many
bluebell
marigold
native grass
43 native grass 5349554 460517
brome
stalks
dandelion
geranium
44 lighthouse 5349564 460592
45 bluebell 5349551 460554
brome
fescue
short grass
46 brome 5349538 460552
short grass
daisy
marigold
geranium
bluebell
chickweed
47 brome 5349555 460538
geranium
48 brome 5349558 460545
geranium
shrt grass
chickweed
49 tidepool 5349570 460504
50 tidepool 5349570 460493
51 brome all rocks 5349577 460512
52 brome many
bluebell
marigold
chickweed
geranium
53 26 5349584 460527
brome
54 short grass
brome
55 brome 5349601 460539
chickweed
56 brome 5349606 460548
wallflower
short grass
57 pad crner 5349623 460535
58 other corner 5349607 460607
59 brome 5349620 460539
Romanzoffia rocky
chickweed
60 brome behind house 4 m 5349580 460551
geranium
daffodil
wallflower
bluebell
61 marigold along path 5329589 460563
chickweed
geranium
short grass
wall flower
26 on rock