Santa+Cruz's+Native+and+Endemic+Plants

__ Santa Cruz Island’s Native and Endemic Plants __

There are many Native and Endemic plants on Santa Cruz Island, but three of them are the Santa Cruz Island Bush Mallow, the Candleholder Dudleya, the Island Morning Glory, the Santa Cruz Island Buckwheat, and the Hoffman’s Rock Cres. ** Santa Cruz Island Bush Mallow **- Scientific name: Malacothamnus fasciculatus v. nesioticus, Location: The Santa Cruz Island Bush Mallow is only found on Santa Cruz, therefore it’s endemic, Description: The Santa Cruz Island Bush Mallow looks like a lavender tea cup without a handle, blotches, and some of the petals are overlapping, with a dark red twisted vine right in the center, that slightly resembles a rasberry. The Santa Cruz Island Bush Mallow is an outstanding animal, however it doesn’t compare to the Candleholder Dudleya. ** Candleholder Dudleya **- Scientific name: Dudleya candelabrum, Location: The Candleholder Dudleya can be found on Santa Cruz, San Miguel and Santa Rosa Islands, so therefore this plant is native to Santa Cruz Island, Description: In my opinion I think the Candleholder Dudleya looks like a dress that some girls would wear in the spring or summer time. It has petals that are curved at the top edge of them, and has petals that keep on curving and right in the middle of the flower, the edges are so curved it kind of forms an oval shape with pointy tips. The Candleholder Dudleya is an amazing flower, although this particular flower leaves it behind with all its glory. ** Island Morning Glory **- Scientific name: Calystegia macrostegia s. macrostegia, Location: This glorious plant only grows on Santa Cruz, San Miguel, Santa Rosa, Anacapa and Santa Catalina Islands, and the two Mexican islands of San Marin and Guadalupe, so it is also native to Santa Cruz, Description: This fantastic flower has giant petals with carved edges, and a yellow substance in the center, showing tubes that are white-yellow sprouting from the center with flipper shaped white objects on the top of the tubes. The Island Morning Glory is well, glorious, but the Santa Cruz Island buckwheat is extraordinary. ** Santa Cruz Island buckwheat **- Scientific name: Eriogonum arborescens, Location: It only grows on the following islands Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, and Anacapa Islands so is also native to Santa Cruz, Description: They are little dinky light pink flowers, with a light green airbrush look in the center; with white lines, and little pink pollen balls on the top sticking out of the center. The Hoffman’s Rock immediately leaves all the other plants behind in the dust. ** Hoffmann's Rock Cres- ** Scientific name: Arabis hoffmannii, Location: Santa Rosa and Santa Cruz, so as you can guess is native to Santa Cruz, Description: The Hoffmann’s Rock Cres is, in my opinion a round green seed pod with four lavender petals sticking out of it about 2 centimeters away from each other. In the center of the Hoffman’s Rock Cres it looks as if 4 ½ tiny tulip buds are being formed. Written by: Olivia V.