Open Space Background

Flowering Plants on the Fossil Hill Trail

April 27, 2004

This walk starts at the parking lot at the Sutherland Drive entrance to Shell Ridge Open Space. Start by turning left. It includes a short tour of the quarry in Quarry Hill to the left and then proceeds down the hill towards Indian Pond. At the fence line just before the pond, turn right onto the footpath. This path takes you to the road just above Bramhall Pond and then, staying right at each intersection, returns you to the parking lot at Sutherland Drive. For more thourough directions check out the Fossil Hill Recommended Hike.

      (1) (2)  
Common Name Color Scientific Name Peterson Refs. Where Seen
Blue Oak ----- Quercas douglasii B225 Scattered
Sagebrush ----- Artemisia californica K87 Quarry area
Valley Oak ----- Quercas lobata B225 Scattered
Bunch Grass --------- Agrostis viridus J1230 Back of Fossil Hill
Blue-eyed Grass Blue Sisyrinchium bellum 350 All over
Foothill Penstemon Blue Penstemon heterophyllus 336 Quarry area
Wallybasket Blue Triteleia laxa 352 Above Indian Pond
Storksbill, white stem Magenta Erodium moschatum 286 Roadsides
California Poppy Orange Eschscholzia californica 224 All over
Clarkia--red ribbons Purple Clarkia unguiculata 272 Roadsides
Clarkia--winecup Purple Clarkia gracilis 270 A few now starting
Geranium, Dove's Foot Purple Geranium molle 284 Roadsides
Vetch, Winter Purple Vicia villosa 326 All over
Italian Thistle Rosy Cirsium arvense 328 Roadsides
Rose Clover Rosy Trifolium hirtum J652 Roadsides
Curly Dock White Rumex crispus 276 Fields
Horehound White Marrubium vulgare 82 All over
Milkweed White Asclepias ascicularis 62 Quarry area
Wavy-leaf soap plant White Chlorogalum pomeridianum 12 All over
Deerweed, Bush lotus Yellow Lotus scoparius 180 Quarry area
Fiddlenecks Yellow Amsinckia intermedia 226 Roadsides
Mustard, Black Yellow Brassica nigra 140 Quarry area
Pineapple Weed Yellow Matricariamatricarioides 210 Mid Road


(1) Peterson's "Pacific States Wildflowers"
(2) Keater, "Plants of the East Bay Parks
(3) Beidleman & Kozloff, "Plants of the San Francisco Bay Region"--the "BK" references.