Islette habitat

Richard richrd@nas.com
Mon, 20 Aug 2012 21:14:38 PDT
A pristine island, really just a rock with thin soil at the north end of Vancouver Island, BC, Canada. Carpeted with native plants with not a exotic grass or other introduced plant species. With a mink family too. I think this lack of exotics is critical. I places like this we need to think about seeds we might bring along on our clothing, as in Antarctica.

Among the many plants is this Fritillaria camschatcensis, possibly. I need to see the flowers to be sure. This is typical rice root bulb showing the bulbils and mature corm. Once a staple in local indigenous diets. This plant growing very dense on this very exposed islet

here is specimen up close http://flic.kr/p/cVN2YQ/
here is root wad of mostly organic soil, roots and close by Allium cernuum. http://flic.kr/p/cVMNps/
here is the entire island http://flic.kr/p/cVMHuj/
my friend Rupert collecting some seed pods http://flic.kr/p/cVMEJC/
I've been on similar islands further south in the San Juan Archipelago and always amazed by the ability of these plants to thrive on shallow but fertile soils.

Rich,




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