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<h2><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=5 color="#4a4a4a" face=Georgia><span
style='font-size:18.0pt'>Channel Islands</span></font></st1:place> alive with
plants from another epoch Pacific Log Peter Howorth <o:p></o:p></h2>
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<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>April 20, 2008 12:00 AM<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>PETER HOWORTH PHOTOS<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>The <st1:place w:st="on">Channel Islands</st1:place>
are home to many species of plants that, like the recently discussed island
night lizard, are representatives of long-past ages. Above, giant coreopsis
plants grace Prisoner's Harbor on <st1:place w:st="on">Santa Cruz Island</st1:place>.
At right, a monkey flower is pictured on <st1:place w:st="on">Santa Cruz Island</st1:place>,
one of only three places the species exists. At far right, a live forever, a
succulent with thick pointed leaves, is shown on <st1:place w:st="on"><st2:Sn
w:st="on">San</st2:Sn> <st2:middlename w:st="on">Nicolas</st2:middlename> <st2:Sn
w:st="on">Island</st2:Sn></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Last week's Pacific Log dealt mainly with
fossils on the <st1:place w:st="on">Channel Islands</st1:place>. But a number
of plants still living on the islands represent ages long gone, while others
reveal how plants can evolve into forms found nowhere else in the world.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><st1:place w:st="on"><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Santa Cruz Island</span></font></st1:place><font
size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;font-family:
Verdana;color:#464646'> ironwood is a case in point. This lovely tree graces
steep slopes along the island's north side, where it grows in cool, shaded
groves. Like the island night lizard (discussed recently in this column), the
ironwood is a relict species, meaning a leftover from another epoch -- this
species was widespread on the mainland 6 million to 19 million years ago. Now
it is only found on <st1:City w:st="on">Santa Cruz</st1:City>, <st1:City w:st="on">Santa
Rosa</st1:City> and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">San Clemente</st1:place></st1:City>
islands, thus it is considered an island endemic.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Actually, this is not entirely true; <st1:place
w:st="on">Santa Cruz Island</st1:place> ironwoods, like a number of island
plant species, have found their way to gardens on the mainland. <st1:place
w:st="on">Santa Catalina Island</st1:place> also has its own ironwood species,
although it only grows naturally on its namesake island.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Another interesting tree is found in a small
area along the east end of <st1:place w:st="on">Santa Rosa Island</st1:place>.
This is the Torrey pine, most often associated with the Torrey pines near <st1:place
w:st="on">La Jolla</st1:place>. That Torrey pines are found on <st1:place
w:st="on">Santa Rosa Island</st1:place> is no accident; while the huge section
of the earth's crust known as the oceanic plate dives under the continental
plate, it has also been slowly moving northward. Instead of a land bridge near
Point Mugu, what are now the northern <st1:place w:st="on">Channel Islands</st1:place>
were once connected to the mainland much farther south.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>The <st1:place w:st="on">Santa Cruz Island</st1:place>
pine has been the subject of controversy among taxonomists for some time. Some
researchers say it should be considered a separate species, while others see
the <st1:place w:st="on">Santa Cruz Island</st1:place> pine and the Bishop pine
as one and the same. Some botanists have noted intermediate forms between the
two. Suffice it to say that pines grow near China Harbor, from Pelican Bay to
Fry's Harbor, and inland from Christy Ranch, on the west end of the island.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Various trees are not the only unusual
plants found on the islands. Live-forevers, succulents with thick pointed
leaves, grow on many of the islands. Some are unique to one island, while
others are found on two or more islands and sometimes on the mainland as well.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Santa Cruz Island has its own live-forever,
along with another species that is found both on <st1:City w:st="on">Santa Cruz</st1:City>
and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:place></st1:City>
islands.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>One species of monkey flower is found only
along cool canyons and slopes of Anacapa, <st1:City w:st="on">Santa Cruz</st1:City>
and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:place></st1:City>
islands. Island endemic buckwheats include the Santa Cruz Island buckwheat,
which is also found on Anacapa and <st1:City w:st="on">Santa Rosa</st1:City>
islands and St. Catherine's lace, endemic to <st1:place w:st="on">Santa
Catalina Island</st1:place> and often planted along coastal highways.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>One of the most spectacular plants looks
most of the year as if it died a terrible death. This is the sea dahlia,
sometimes simply called the giant coreopsis. Like many plants, it is found not
only on the islands but also on the mainland. A small colony exists just west
of Gaviota. North of Point Conception it is more widespread. It is also found
along Highway 1 south of Point Mugu.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Except in early spring, the dull brown
coreopsis trunks, sometimes standing over five feet tall, are crowned only with
dead foliage. But the plants are very much alive, and come spring, carrot-like
leaves appear, along with beautiful yellow flowers. Parts of the <st1:place
w:st="on">Channel Islands</st1:place> become so bright with the flowers of this
plant that the colors can be seen from the mainland on a clear day.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Arguably the best place to see the plants of
the Channel Islands is right in our own backyard, at the <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Santa Barbara</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Botanic
Garden</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>. An entire section is devoted to plants
found on the islands of <st1:State w:st="on">California</st1:State> and <st1:country-region
w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Mexico</st1:place></st1:country-region>, plus
island plants can be found in other parts of the garden.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=1 color="#464646" face=Verdana><span style='font-size:8.5pt;
font-family:Verdana;color:#464646'>Peter Howorth is director of the <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Santa Barbara</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Marine</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Mammal</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
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