San Gabriel Mountains Heritage Association a California 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation

HIKES AND NATURE WALKS IN THE SAN GABRIELS Walks on the Wild Side, Fall-Winter, 2008-9 February 4, 2009 West Fork in Winter 3. Fern Friends These next two plants are called fern allies. They grow in similar places, turn green only in wet winters and go dormant (or appear invisible to us) when dry, and reproduce in alternate generations from spores, not seeds. Speaking of invisibility, "The early herbalists, for example, claimed that the fern seed had to be invisible because no one had ever seen it. Furthermore, they asserted that it conferred invisibility to the bearer; if you held the fern seed, you walked invisible." More about how to become invisible. Liverwort. The ribbon-like structures indicate that this is a liverwort, not a new fern which is heart-shaped. Bigelow's spikemoss, Selaginella bigelovii. Spikemoss seems to fill every crevice in the rocks during a wet year. As it dries, it curls up into a tight ball and disappears. It is also known as "resurrection plant" because it comes back to life and turns green once again when the rains come. White flowers seem always to be the first to bloom in late winter. Why is this? Milkmaids, Cardamine californica. Alternate names are California toothwort, rain bells, milkmaids. I can see a petal shaped like a tooth, but rain bells? Do they foretell rain or grow after rain? And milkmaids from the color maybe? Here is one answer: "It was thought that if anyone picked it, a thunderstorm would break out. It was also thought to generate lightning and for this reason was never taken into a house". More here. So, thanks to whoever picked the milkmaids and started all this rain! Bigberry manzanita, Arctostaphylos glauca. The white or glaucous leaf surface is very evident in this photo. The "test" for this species is whether or not the leaf will take a thumbprint which removes the powdery covering. Section 1. The Road In Section 2. Ferns and Rocks Section 3. Fern Friends pages created February 6, 2009 Walks on the Wild Side, Fall-Winter, 2008-9 Back to Index Page The mission of the San Gabriel Mountains Heritage Association is to provide support for environmental education, interpretive and heritage programs on the Angeles National Forest. For how you can help, please call the USFS Mt Baldy Visitor Center at 909 982 2829. In partnership with USDA Forest Service