Hillside walk, 06 February 2019
This week's walk was on Wednesday, two days later than usual because of the rain. In the past week we've had rain on six days, totalling over 160 mm (6 inches). There were fewer flowers than last week, partly because of the rain and partly because of the cool temperatures. At the beginning of the walk, around 9 a.m., it was 45 F / 7C, and at the end of the walk, around 12 noon, it was 55 F / 13 C. It may be a result of the cold that there were, unexpectedly, no four o'clock flowers (Mirabilis laevis var. crassifolia). However, there were masses of buds, many of them about to burst open, waiting for a moment of warmth.
It was a joy to see snow on the mountains.
The California liverworts (Asterella californica), so prevalent in Canyons 6 and 3B, have obviously enjoyed the rain. Many of them have begun erecting spore receptacles. Those won't mature for at least a month, weather permitting.
This week saw just one seasonally new flower, the California peony (Paeonia californica) in Canyon 4.