Sunday at FRC, Part 2

 Here's a side view, showing the back of the blossom, of Shelton's Violet or Fan Violet, Viola sheltonii, which a week ago was just beginning to bloom on the campus nature trail and around Oakland Camp.  It's been nearly a week since I saw maybe a half dozen on each of those hikes to today when they are the most common blooming wildflower on the hill, probably numbering in the thousands.  When there are that many blooming, it is fun to photograph them from many angles and in many different settings.

 These violets are emerging from a ground cover that until now was almost solid with dried leaves of last fall's California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii.

 The subtle color variations in the fully-bloomed plants are the most noticeable to the casual hiker, but to one who crawls around the ground a lot, the buds are pretty colorful, too.  If you have a little background in photosynthesis and organic chemistry, they are even more fascinating.

 This specimen, blooming next to a fallen log of Black Oak, is kept company by some new starts of Bedstraw, Galium aparine.  This fascinating vine-like plant has a coating of fine hairs or hooks that act like Velcro when you grab a handful.  Bedstraw is in the Family Rubiaceae, the same family as Coffee, Caffea sp.  Many species and varieties of coffee are grown commercially around the world, mostly in tropical climates.  New species are still being discovered in remote places such as Madagascar where a species without caffeine has been found.  Some people use Bedstraw as a coffee substitute.  I'd recommend doing a little research before trying it.  At the very least, you want to know what species of plant you are testing.

 Chickweed is an interesting ground cover found all around the Northern Hemisphere.  Cultivated in some places for aesthetics and/or culinary interest, and treated like an undesirable weed in others.  Such are the vagaries of human society.

Here's a view of some Bedstraw coming up amidst a mat of moss.  This vine thrives in moist, shady areas early in the spring, but gets pretty hardy as summer approaches and sometimes grows into large masses even when conditions are drier and sunnier.  Cute, small white blossoms, then seeds that stick together and especially stick to your socks.