Cues That You Are in California
Evergreen oaks—
including Lithocarpus, Quercus chrysolepis (also outside California?), Q. wislizeni, Q. shrevei, Q. agrifolia, Q. sadleriana (also outside California?), Q. dumosa/durata/berberidifolia, Q. john-tuckeri?, Q. c. muelleri?, Q. tomentella
Bigcone Pines—all with long, grayish needles, big cones with large, edible seeds, with hard shells
- Pinus sabiniana—Zone 7 “bathtub ring”
- P. coulteri—S. Coast higher elevations
- P. torreyi—S. Coast shore
Closed-cone Pines—
- P. attenuata
- P. radiata
- P.
- P.
Pinus ponderosa group assorted by elevation, etc.—
- P. benthamiana—low elevation Santa Cruz Co.
- P. ponderosa—mid-elevations, widespread
- P. jeffreyi—higher elevations
- P. washoensis—higher elevations
Sclerophyll chaparral—
Arctostaphylos, Ceanothus, Adenostoma, Pickeringia, Prunus ilicifolia, Heteromeles, Quercus dumosa/durata
Soft-leaf scrub—
Coastal scrub (Artemisia, Salvia, Diplacus, Rhamnus, Ericameria, Baccharis, Lupinus), “successional” Ceanothus scrub, alkali and desert scrub with Atriplex, etc.
Landscape is divided in mosaics of—
- open “grassland” (many kinds)
- shrub communities (scrub and chaparral) (many kinds)
- forest/woodland (many kinds)
Also: (*=characteristically but not exclusively Californian)
- deciduous riparian
- saltmarsh
- seasonal wetland
- fresh marsh
- mima mound*
- oak savanna (deciduous and/or live)
- dunes
- serpentines*
- vernal pools*
You’re certain to be in California if—
Endemics, including
- Aesculus californica
- Quercus douglasii and Q. lobata
- Q. agrifolia and Q. wislizeni, and Q. shrevei
- P. sabiniana (and other big-cone pines)
- Pinus spp. (all? closed-cone pines)
- Umbellularia californica
