BajaNomad

Plant Identification, please

DianaT - 9-5-2013 at 07:54 PM

These are TERRIBLE pictures --- blurred and all as the wind was blowing. But tonight we decided that we really need to know what this plant is. We have lots of wildflowers here as the former owner was a botanist with the forest service, so we have searched our wildflower book --- no luck. We have scoured the internet, and no luck, so we know there are some experts who hang around here, so here it is

It looks a lot like a giant dandilion and it is great at over 8 feet tall.

Blurred picture of the flower that appears as a cluster at the top and now is appearing somewhat down the stalk



The leaves on the single stalk.



And just to show how tall it grows.



Thanks for any identification. Since it grows here, I bet it would grow in Baja

Mexitron - 9-5-2013 at 08:03 PM

There's a daisy in Texas called the Maximillian Sunflower---It looks a lot like this plant but with green leaves....I'll see what I can find.

Mexitron - 9-5-2013 at 08:23 PM

I'll take a guess at Helianthus nuttallii, no common name that I found. It appears to be "allied" with Helianthus maximiliani (Maximillian Sunflower).
Here's the Jepson treatment:

http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=3307

Please understand that this is armchair botanizing and I could be wrong, but google (Images) H. nuttallii and see what you think.

BajaBlanca - 9-6-2013 at 05:39 AM

That is a very tall plant!

DianaT - 9-6-2013 at 06:22 AM

THANK YOU, Mexitron. Following your lead I believe I found it!

http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=4052

Common name, Nuttall's sunflower. At first I thought it might be Parish's Sunflower but I read they think that one is extinct. From the observations listed, I think these may not be too common? And yes Blanca, they grow to be 10 feet tall!

We have had so many plants pop up that we thought might be weeds, and I guess to some people they might be. But they are native wildflower plants from the area and we love them.

Again, thanks

BajaLuna - 9-6-2013 at 09:40 AM

I was leaning toward some kind of sunflower too, the flower and it's center is similar and because of the height. But the leaves were throwing me off. That's one tall plant!! Glad you know what it is now! Love native plants too, and less taking care of as well!

tjsue - 9-6-2013 at 10:09 AM

That's definitely a sunflower!

Bwana_John - 9-6-2013 at 10:30 AM

I believe there are big fields of them this time of year in the valley between 395 and the Owens River, from about Independence to Bishop.

But "sunflowers is sunflowers" to me, I have no idea of the subspecies. :?:

Makes for good dove hunting.

durrelllrobert - 9-6-2013 at 10:30 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaBlanca
That is a very tall plant!

My agaves reached a height of 16 feet before they died. Never seen that tall anywhere else.

BajaLuna - 9-6-2013 at 10:55 AM

the agaves are gorgeous! Why did they die? Disease? or do they just get to a certain height and start to die off?

DianaT - 9-6-2013 at 10:58 AM

We now have 5 different sunflower plants in our yard and 4 of them are wildflowers. These are so different because the flowers are so very small, about 2 inches in diameter when open; especially small in comparison to the height of the plant.


Quote:
Originally posted by Bwana_John
I believe there are big fields of them this time of year in the valley between 395 and the Owens River, from about Independence to Bishop.

But "sunflowers is sunflowers" to me, I have no idea of the subspecies. :?:

Makes for good dove hunting.


I think the ones you are thinking about are the wild Kansas Sunflower because they are everywhere in the empty fields around here. We have some in our yard, also. They grow to about 7 feet tall with multiple stalks and small beautiful flowers.

Next year I will not be so lazy and I will take pictures of all of them as they bloom.

durrelllrobert - 9-6-2013 at 11:13 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaLuna
the agaves are gorgeous! Why did they die? Disease? or do they just get to a certain height and start to die off?


After they bloom and dry up they drop babies and then die. The babies replace them but it takes 10 years or more before they bloom.

bacquito - 9-8-2013 at 03:35 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaLuna
the agaves are gorgeous! Why did they die? Disease? or do they just get to a certain height and start to die off?


I have read that they put all there energy into reproducing and that causes them to die-they just poop put!!

David K - 9-8-2013 at 03:42 PM

Banana trees are the same (the above ground part)... they grow up from the underground 'corm' (which is like a huge potato), adding leaf after leaf growing upward until the flower (fruit) appears... afterwhich, the entire stem slowly dies off (or is removed in a plantation after fruit harvest)... New banana stems (trees) grow up from the underground corm around the first and are the next sources for bananas from that corm.

woody with a view - 9-8-2013 at 03:45 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by durrelllrobert
Quote:
Originally posted by BajaLuna
the agaves are gorgeous! Why did they die? Disease? or do they just get to a certain height and start to die off?


After they bloom and dry up they drop babies and then die. The babies replace them but it takes 10 years or more before they bloom.


hence the name, Century Plant!:light:

Terry28 - 9-9-2013 at 09:31 AM

That would be Decade Plant ,dude...........

Bobvaso - 9-9-2013 at 10:24 AM

Daisy family. The Maximillian species is the correct name. Prolific in the wild. Your pictures are quite sharp, especially for my tired eyes. Thank you