A bush found in Southern California and northern Baja California, which is resinous and prone to wildfires. Known in English as Greasewood or Redshank, and in Spanish as Chamizo. Photo from near La Paz, Baja California, possibly planted.
Seedlings of Pomaderris pilifera subsp. pilifera germinating on 1% Agar gel at 15c.Pomaderris exhibit Physical Dormancy. To elicit germination the seed coat requires breaking to allow the intake of water.The seeds have an elaisome attached at one end of the seed to aid dispersal through the action of ants (termed myrmecochory). The elaisome has not been removed from the seeds and is dislodged in the process of germination.A recent analysis as to how myrmecochory has influenced flowering plant diversity can be found here.
White Mountains cinquefoil, Potentilla morefieldii, elevation 3530 m (11580 ft). Also visible are King sandwort (Eremogone kingii var. compacta), compact phlox (Phlox condensata), pygmy rockjasmine (Androsace septentrionalis), and leaves of Sierra beardtongue (Penstemon heterodoxus var. heterodoxus). Substrate is carbonate (Reed Dolomite).This species is endemic to the high subalpine and alpine of the White Mountains, and to a small segment of the Sierra Nevada directly to the west across Owens Valley. Named by Dr. Barbara Ertter in 1992 (Brittonia 44: 432-434) as part of her work to sort out the variation in the Potentilla drummondii/breweri complex, it was previously misidentified by me and others as P. drummondii var. bruceae or P. pseudosericea. It will forever be an honor to have an eponymous species residing on top of my favorite mountain range!
Seed sample of Pomaderris oraria (Bassian Dogwood). Mature seeds are dark brown. Immature or infested seeds are pale brown. White appendage is an elaiosome.