San Marcos Bulbs
Wayne's WordIndexNoteworthy PlantsTriviaLemnaceaeBiology 101BotanySearch

San Marcos Bulb Plants

Beautiful Wildflowers On Thick Adobe Soils

Adobe hillsides west of Palomar College once contained a variety of wildflowers arising from bulbs, corms and rhizomes. Most of these areas have been converted into high density housing developments within the pro-growth City of San Marcos. As of February 2004, mitigation measures have preserved a few acres of these vanishing populations of wildflowers. Some of the species include the following: LILIACEAE: Allium haematochiton (redskin onion), Bloomeria crocea ssp. crocea (golden star), Brodiaea filifolia (threadleaf brodiaea), B. jolonensis (this may be B. terrestris var. kernensis), B. orcuttii (Orcutt's brodiaea), Calochortus spendens (mariposa lily), Chlorogalum parviflorum and C. pomeridianum var. pomeridianum (soap lily), Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. pauciflorum (wild hyacinth), Fritillaria biflora (chocolate lily), Muilla maritima (muilla) and Zigadenus fremontii var. minor (star lily). IRIDACEAE: Sisyrinchium bellum (blue-eyed grass). The area also includes a native California perennial bunchgrass Nassella (Stipa) pulchra (purple needlegrass).

Soap Lilies In California
San Marcos Vernal Pools
Plants Of San Marcos Area
Coastal Star Lily (Zigadenus)

Hillside west of Palomar College showing population of wild hycinth (Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. pauciflorum)

Chocolate lilies (Fritillaria biflora) in full bloom. Photographed on adobe hillside west of Palomar College.

See Wayne's Word Top 10 Wildflowers

Golden star (Bloomeria crocea ssp. crocea). Photographed on adobe hillside west of Palomar College.

Soap lilies (Chlorogalum) photographed on adobe hillside west of Palomar College. Left: Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum. Right: C. parviflorum.

Go To Botany Regional Flora Checklists
Return To WAYNE'S WORD Home Page
Return To NOTEWORTHY PLANTS Page
Go To Biology GEE WHIZ TRIVIA Page
Go To The LEMNACEAE ON-LINE Page