Santa Cruz Tarweed
Encyclopedia
The Santa Cruz Tarweed is an endangered plant endemic
to certain coastal terraces in Northern California. Its principal range is in Santa Cruz County
and Monterey County, but smaller colonies have been found slightly to the north. Specifically Santa Cruz Tarweed (Holocarpha macradenia) likes to inhabit terraced locations of valley or prairie
grassland
s with underlying sandy clay
soils. Its characteristic habitat, the California coastal prairie
ecosystem, may be the oldest stable ecosystem
of the temperate
world, dating about 600,000 years. The growth habit is on a single erect stem, with a few short branches starting halfway from the base. It has characteristic yellow daisy
-like flowers, with black anthers giving the appearance of striking black dots in the flower center. This plant is sometimes known as the Santa Cruz Tarplant.
y, tangerine
and Christmas Tree
like. Alternative common names for this plant are Santa Cruz Tarplant, gumwood, gum plant and rosinwood. In any case the pungent smell protects it by repelling many would be feeders.
The Santa Cruz Tarweed has an extremely long tap root allowing it to thrive longer into the season beyond most coastal wildflower
s. The plant produces seedbanks, which may not germinate in the next season, but which can remain viable over a period of years. Blooming season is summer when there is less competition for pollinator
s and also less competition for sunlight, since in its range many plants have died back from the summer drought. Further protection from the rainless summer is a resiny coating on leaves and stems, allowing retention of water until late in the season. These resins often adhere to livestock, and, in the case of facial adherence, lead to a mascara effect after dust is further added.
(Arana Gulch
, Twin Lakes, and Graham Hill Road areas); in the city of Watsonville (Harkins Slough, Spring Hills Gold Course and Watsonville Airport environs); and on the Porter Ranch in Monterey County. It has also been found in the Elkhorn Slough
area. In the 1980s other colonies were found including locations as far north as western Contra Costa County immediately east of I-80
by Earth Metrics Inc. In a successful experiment, Santa Cruz Tarweed was shown to thrive when non-native grasses were removed in the Arana Gulch
.
Endemic (ecology)
Endemism is the ecological state of being unique to a defined geographic location, such as an island, nation or other defined zone, or habitat type; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsewhere. For example, all species of lemur are endemic to the...
to certain coastal terraces in Northern California. Its principal range is in Santa Cruz County
Santa Cruz County, California
Santa Cruz County is a county located on the Pacific coast of the U.S. state of California, on the California Central Coast. The county forms the northern coast of the Monterey Bay. . As of the 2010 U.S. Census, its population was 262,382. The county seat is Santa Cruz...
and Monterey County, but smaller colonies have been found slightly to the north. Specifically Santa Cruz Tarweed (Holocarpha macradenia) likes to inhabit terraced locations of valley or prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
grassland
Grassland
Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s with underlying sandy clay
Clay
Clay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
soils. Its characteristic habitat, the California coastal prairie
California coastal prairie
California coastal prairie, also known as northern coastal grassland, is a grassland plant community of California and Oregon in the Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands Biome...
ecosystem, may be the oldest stable ecosystem
Ecosystem
An ecosystem is a biological environment consisting of all the organisms living in a particular area, as well as all the nonliving , physical components of the environment with which the organisms interact, such as air, soil, water and sunlight....
of the temperate
Temperate
In geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
world, dating about 600,000 years. The growth habit is on a single erect stem, with a few short branches starting halfway from the base. It has characteristic yellow daisy
Bellis perennis
Bellis perennis is a common European species of Daisy, often considered the archetypal species of that name. Many related plants also share the name "Daisy", so to distinguish this species from other daisies it is sometimes qualified as Common Daisy, Lawn Daisy or occasionally English daisy. It is...
-like flowers, with black anthers giving the appearance of striking black dots in the flower center. This plant is sometimes known as the Santa Cruz Tarplant.
Description
Santa Cruz Tarweed is distinguished from other members of its genus by possessing eight to sixteen three-lobed outer ray flowers and 40 to 90 central disk flowers, more than any of the related species. The flowers are situated in dense clusters at the branch tips or along the branch on a very short stem. Its leaves are linear and manifest longer near the plant base. The lower ranging leaves exhibit sharp, short teeth at their edges, while the upper leaves present edges that are rolled back, leading to a bristly feeling. The aroma of the plant has variously been described as strong, citrusCitrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
y, tangerine
Tangerine
__notoc__The tangerine is an orange-colored citrus fruit which is closely related to the Mandarin orange . Taxonomically, it should probably be formally named as a subspecies or variety of Citrus reticulata; further work seems to be required to ascertain its correct scientific name...
and Christmas Tree
Christmas tree
The Christmas tree is a decorated evergreen coniferous tree, real or artificial, and a tradition associated with the celebration of Christmas. The tradition of decorating an evergreen tree at Christmas started in Livonia and Germany in the 16th century...
like. Alternative common names for this plant are Santa Cruz Tarplant, gumwood, gum plant and rosinwood. In any case the pungent smell protects it by repelling many would be feeders.
The Santa Cruz Tarweed has an extremely long tap root allowing it to thrive longer into the season beyond most coastal wildflower
Wildflower
A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...
s. The plant produces seedbanks, which may not germinate in the next season, but which can remain viable over a period of years. Blooming season is summer when there is less competition for pollinator
Pollinator
A pollinator is the biotic agent that moves pollen from the male anthers of a flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish fertilization or syngamy of the female gamete in the ovule of the flower by the male gamete from the pollen grain...
s and also less competition for sunlight, since in its range many plants have died back from the summer drought. Further protection from the rainless summer is a resiny coating on leaves and stems, allowing retention of water until late in the season. These resins often adhere to livestock, and, in the case of facial adherence, lead to a mascara effect after dust is further added.
Protection and current status
The Santa Cruz Tarweed had been considered almost extinct by the year 1960. Subsequently it was listed as a California protected species. Colonies are found in the city of Santa CruzSanta Cruz, California
Santa Cruz is the county seat and largest city of Santa Cruz County, California in the US. As of the 2010 U.S. Census, Santa Cruz had a total population of 59,946...
(Arana Gulch
Arana Gulch
Arana Gulch is a landform and greenbelt area within the city of Santa Cruz, California. This parcel of land includes open meadows, California oak woodland, and the riparian zone of Arana Creek. The property ownership is by the city of Santa Cruz, who operates Arana Gulch as a public open space. A...
, Twin Lakes, and Graham Hill Road areas); in the city of Watsonville (Harkins Slough, Spring Hills Gold Course and Watsonville Airport environs); and on the Porter Ranch in Monterey County. It has also been found in the Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough
Elkhorn Slough is a tidal slough and estuary on Monterey Bay in Monterey County, California. The community of Moss Landing and the huge Moss Landing Power Plant are located at the mouth of the slough on the bay....
area. In the 1980s other colonies were found including locations as far north as western Contra Costa County immediately east of I-80
Interstate 80
Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area...
by Earth Metrics Inc. In a successful experiment, Santa Cruz Tarweed was shown to thrive when non-native grasses were removed in the Arana Gulch
Arana Gulch
Arana Gulch is a landform and greenbelt area within the city of Santa Cruz, California. This parcel of land includes open meadows, California oak woodland, and the riparian zone of Arana Creek. The property ownership is by the city of Santa Cruz, who operates Arana Gulch as a public open space. A...
.