Sooke Park, Victoria - Vancouver Island

[Gabriela]

Thanks to the loads of snow and cold weather I got to organize some of our travel-pictures. The only trip of the year worth recounting was to Victoria – in Vancouver Island, in second half of May. Probably not the best time, plants speaking, but given the sub-mediterranean climate of the region (doesn’t sounds like Canada!) there were plenty of first-time seen species.

East Sooke Regional Park is only 1 hour drive from Victoria, and I highly recommend as a day hike. Actually one day is not enough, but there is no overnight camping. It is a very large park, mostly in a state of pristine wilderness, with over 50 km of trails.

The Coast Trail is one of the most scenic hikes I would say, with excellent views opening along the trail towards the Juan the Fuca strait and the Olympic Mountains in the US.




The coastal bluffs hosts species of the Garry oak ecosystem, Arbutus menziesii  and the Shore pine, Pinus contorta var. contorta.


I was very happy to see Arbutus menziesii growing in wild habitat for the first time. I took about one million pictures of it

[Gabriela]

One species that will remain associated with this area was Sedum spathulifolium, the broadleaf stonecrop. An absolutely amazing adaptability, seemed able to grow in any conditions: sun to shade,  moss-layered rocks, decomposed tree trunks, cascading over shaded boulders... The reindeer lichen in the picture may be a Cladina spp. but I cannot ID properly.






I'll stop with the Sedum and move to Triteleia ssp. which were in full flower, as a small consolation for all the spring flowers we missed.
Triteleia laxa Brodiaea coronaria - thanks Robert


Triteleia hyacinthina


Not done yet...

[Robert]

Gabriela,

Very beautiful scenes and plants.  It must have been a pleasing and peaceful place to visit. Thank you for sharing.

It is not surprising to see species that are also native to California. I was wondering about the Triteleia laxa.   
It was not possible to examine the inside of the flowers via the photograph, but is it possible that they were Brodiaea coronaria? It is very easy to distinguish between the two species when examining the stamens, staminodes, or lack of them, and how the stamens are attached. The range of Brodiaea coronaria does extend into British Columbia. I was not aware that Triteleia laxa grow any farther north than Oregon. Most likely it is my mistake, however I would be greatly interested if the range of Triteleia laxa does indeed extend into British Columbia. 

[Gabriela]

Yes, of course Robert, you're right! I've been careless Thank you for pointing out at this; you may have to correct other species as well
Here's an image from my blog, I am posting there more images since I'm not constraint with the nr/size.


I see that they give now in E-BC Flora a Brodiaea rosea (B. coronaria rosea) but not from the Sooke area and anyway I cannot see the differences.
http://linnet.geog.ubc.ca/DB_Query/QueryForm.aspx?Submit=Submit+Search+Parameters&Genus=&Species=&Subspecies=&Variety=&EnglishName=&Family=&InvStatus=Both&sort=a.Family&f=1&oneword=Brodiaea

[Robert]

Gabriela,

Thank you for sharing the other photograph. 

Based on the photograph I would still go with Brodiaea coronaria. The staminodes of B. rosea are strongly inrolled and appressed to the stamens. With B. coronaria the staminodes can be incurved (they can also be flat) below the tip and are not appressed to the stamens.

Brodiaea coronaria is a common species in the Central Valley of California (near our Sacramento home). I have never seen B. rosea, however it is known to grow near Snow Mountain and some other sites along the inner coast range. Since I will be traveling to these areas now, it has been important that I become familiar with this species (B.rosea).

[Gabriela]

Thanks for the extra info Robert; I will wait for you to illustrate the differences with images 

A bit more from the Coast trail - with one familiar species for you - the goldback fern, Pentagramma triangularis. Interesting how happy you can get stumbling upon something that looks like a dry plant! The pictures cannot show the spores 'glittering'.




Beautiful outcrops covered in reindeer lichens - I had no idea there are so many species.


Allium cernuum in localized populations and the Wooly sunflower - Eriophyllum lanatum var. leucophyllum (according with E-BC Flora)

[Hoy]

Gabriela,

Very interesting. Seems to be a place worth a visit! This gave me inspiration to try some new species at my summer house! (Although not semi mediterranean, the summers are warm and a bit dry and the winters are not very cold).

[Leena]

How lovely summer photos, sea is so blue and rocks with interesting vegetation.

[Gabriela]

Yes, it is a beautiful place to visit and is good the revisit the summer days right now  There would be much more to show but I'll end with few species that were and still are valuable for the NW First Nations people - the salal, Gaultheria shallon and the manzanitas. Plus a sea-flower 

Gaultheria shallon - an evergreen shrub, 1,5 m to 3 m tall, can form very dense thickets; Salal berries were a staple food for First Nations and important for trade purposes.



Arctostalylos uva-ursi and A. columbiana - the hairy manzanita

[Hoy]

Yes, it is a beautiful place to visit and is good the revisit the summer days right now  There would be much more to show but I'll end with few species that were and still are valuable for the NW First Nations people - the salal, Gaultheria shallon and the manzanitas. Plus a sea-flower 

Gaultheria shallon - an evergreen shrub, 1,5 m to 3 m tall, can form very dense thickets; Salal berries were a staple food for First Nations and important for trade purposes.

The sea flower is an animal, very similar to Actinia equina which is common here but yours is probably another species.

Interesting to see the dense growth of these shrubs.

[Gabriela]

My 'sea flower' wasn't to be taken ad litteram Trond; common name here is sea-anemone that's why I call it so.
There are few species of these carnivorous 'flowers' over there - the one I showed is the pink-tipped anemone - Anthopleura elegantissima.

[Hoy]

Gabriela, I assumed you did know,  but I do meet people here, even at the coast, who does think it is a plant!

[Robert]

Thanks for the extra info Robert; I will wait for you to illustrate the differences with images 

Gabriela,

I am enjoying the "summer" photographs. They bring back good memories when I was able to visit the same region. Did you stay near the coast on your visit or were you able to visit the Cascade Mountains? Years ago I hiked in the Pasayten Wilderness east of the Cascade crest. My brother and I spent several nights at Buckskin Lake. Amazing wildflowers and alpine plants! A "must visit again" location. 

[Gabriela]

Trond - seeing how they look and some with green colour you cannot blame them. Interesting creatures, I don't know if it applies for all species but Anthopleuras have a symbiotic relation with few algae, so there is a bit of a 'plant' to them after all 

Robert - base camp was in Victoria at not that much time to go around. From that location I understand a trip tp Olympic Mts. is more feasible (maybe in July). Cascades sound very appealing, but I think they would require a separate trip coming directly from Ontario - so much to explore!

[Daylin]

Trond - seeing how they look and some with green colour you cannot blame them. Interesting creatures, I don't know if it applies for all species but Anthopleuras have a symbiotic relation with few algae, so there is a bit of a 'plant' to them after all 

Robert - base camp was using a bathmate in Victoria at not that much time to go around. From that location I understand a trip tp Olympic Mts. is more feasible (maybe in July). Cascades sound very appealing, but I think they would require a separate trip coming directly from Ontario - so much to explore!

Beautiful pics, I would love to go there one day.