Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg

They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg

The plant has a strange-looking stalk:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg

And very low-lying leaves:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg

The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan
sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.

On Sunday, June 23, 2013 2:17:35 PM UTC-6, Danny D. wrote:
Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?

http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg



They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:

http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg



The plant has a strange-looking stalk:

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg



And very low-lying leaves:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg



The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan

sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.

Could be Dalmatian Toadflax.

On 6/23/13 1:17 PM, Danny D. wrote:
Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg

They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg

The plant has a strange-looking stalk:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg

And very low-lying leaves:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg

The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan
sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.


It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 6/23/13 1:17 PM, Danny D. wrote:
Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg

They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg

The plant has a strange-looking stalk:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg

And very low-lying leaves:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg

The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan
sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.


It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.


You better watch out for deranged wild ketchup plants too! o_O

TDD

On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
....

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.

Not at all like what we know of as wild mustard, anyways...

--

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:32:24 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
...

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.

Not at all like what we know of as wild mustard, anyways...

_Poke Salad_

Seems there was a song about "Poke Salad Annie".

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1643,150172-233192,00.html

You have to be taught how to select parts of the plant; otherwise it
can poison you?

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:29:53 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

You better watch out for deranged wild ketchup plants too! o_O

TDD

Watch out for the Sheep Eating plant.

Flesh-Eating Plant Blooms In Britain

http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/flesh-eating-plant-blooms-in-britain-sheep-beware-video/?shared=email&msg=fail

On 6/23/2013 7:29 PM, The Daring Dufas wrote:
On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
On 6/23/13 1:17 PM, Danny D. wrote:
Anyone ever had an infestation of acres of these yellow plants?
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393168.jpg

They seem to be taking over my otherwise barren dry hillsides:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393169.jpg

The plant has a strange-looking stalk:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393210.jpg

And very low-lying leaves:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13393207.jpg

The climate is San Francisco bay area, very dry, poor Franciscan
sediment soil, and lots and lots and lots of sunlight.


It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.


You better watch out for deranged wild ketchup plants too! o_O

TDD

http://tigerboi90.deviantart.com/art...otted-92913372

Oren wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:32:24 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
...

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.

Not at all like what we know of as wild mustard, anyways...

_Poke Salad_

Seems there was a song about "Poke Salad Annie".

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=-tqwu...%3D-tqwujhUBZg


http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1643,150172-233192,00.html

You have to be taught how to select parts of the plant; otherwise it
can poison you?

On 6/23/2013 7:11 PM, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:29:53 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

You better watch out for deranged wild ketchup plants too! o_O

TDD

Watch out for the Sheep Eating plant.

Flesh-Eating Plant Blooms In Britain

http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/flesh-eating-plant-blooms-in-britain-sheep-beware-video/?shared=email&msg=fail


I came across another video from your link that made me laugh. A girl
get her butt eaten by a motorcycle. OMG, it made me laugh because I've
been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and the young gal should
be glad that all she got was a red ass. ^_^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VezJyLR-r-4

TDD

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 02:08:04 +0000 (UTC), DerbyDad03
wrote:

Seems there was a song about "Poke Salad Annie".

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=-tqwu...%3D-tqwujhUBZg

Hmm,your Mobile link doesn't work for me. The "m" in the link makes it
hang up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRF24LY5pvw&list=PL72987409015267E5

We called it "poke" vs "polk".

like a poke sack

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:52:15 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

On 6/23/2013 7:11 PM, Oren wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:29:53 -0500, The Daring Dufas
wrote:

You better watch out for deranged wild ketchup plants too! o_O

TDD

Watch out for the Sheep Eating plant.

Flesh-Eating Plant Blooms In Britain

http://guardianlv.com/2013/06/flesh-eating-plant-blooms-in-britain-sheep-beware-video/?shared=email&msg=fail


I came across another video from your link that made me laugh. A girl
get her butt eaten by a motorcycle. OMG, it made me laugh because I've
been seriously injured in a motorcycle accident and the young gal should
be glad that all she got was a red ass. ^_^

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VezJyLR-r-4

TDD

She got goosed...

Oren wrote:
On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 02:08:04 +0000 (UTC), DerbyDad03
wrote:

Seems there was a song about "Poke Salad Annie".

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=-tqwu...%3D-tqwujhUBZg

Hmm,your Mobile link doesn't work for me. The "m" in the link makes it
hang up?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRF24LY5pvw&list=PL72987409015267E5

We called it "poke" vs "polk".

like a poke sack

And on my mobile device the link you posted returns a message that says
"The content owner has not made this video available on mobile"

I guess we're pretty much even. ;-)

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:15:27 -0400, Home Guy wrote:

Wild mustard.

I just got home and saw those pictures of the 4-petaled mustard
plants in the San Francisco bay area. Those pictures are much
more lush than mine - but I'll try to snap a closeup of the flower
in the morning and compare.

I'll report back what I find in comparison to the net on the
"wild mustard".

BTW, if it is wild mustard, might I be able to make mustard out of it?
(I'll check - but I figured I'd ask also.)

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:01:07 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

Wild mustard is found extensively in California

This description seems apropos:
http://www.pennilessparenting.com/20...aged-food.html

Clearly there are yellow flowers atop a stem.

I'll look in the morning to see if they're in groups of 4 petals.
And, I'll look closer to see if they're not veined.

I didn't see any broccoli-like florets; but the leaves did radiate in a rosette.

Apparently I can cook and eat the leaves, and I can make a mustard spread
out of the flower petals.

According to this article, it was brought to the Americas in the 1700s:
http://www.eattheweeds.com/cutting-t...ica-sinapis-2/

Apparently all parts of the plant are edible.

This article points out that the hairs on the stem make it "wild mustard":
http://en.heilkraeuter.net/herbs/wild-mustard.htm

I'll look for 4 long stamens and 2 short stamens and 1 pistil on the flowers:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...cts/03-043.htm

On 6/23/13 10:17 PM, Danny D. wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 21:15:27 -0400, Home Guy wrote:

Wild mustard.

I just got home and saw those pictures of the 4-petaled mustard
plants in the San Francisco bay area. Those pictures are much
more lush than mine - but I'll try to snap a closeup of the flower
in the morning and compare.

I'll report back what I find in comparison to the net on the
"wild mustard".

BTW, if it is wild mustard, might I be able to make mustard out of it?
(I'll check - but I figured I'd ask also.)


The condiment is made from ground or crushed mustard seeds.

--
David E. Ross
Climate: California Mediterranean, see
http://www.rossde.com/garden/climate.html
Gardening diary at http://www.rossde.com/garden/diary

Oren wrote:
On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 18:32:24 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 6/23/2013 6:01 PM, David E. Ross wrote:
...

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the
spring.

Not at all like what we know of as wild mustard, anyways...

_Poke Salad_

Seems there was a song about "Poke Salad Annie".

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1643,150172-233192,00.html

You have to be taught how to select parts of the plant; otherwise it
can poison you?

I'm pretty sure that plant isn't poke salad.

Have you ever eaten it cooked? My grandma used to cook it for us all the
time and taught me how. You pull the leaves off the plant .. medium to
smaller leaves are more tender, and then you boil them like you would
spinach leaves 'til they are tender. After that you drain the boiled leaves
and squeeze all the water out of the leaves you can get to come out of them.
Next you add some oil to a frying pan, and break up the boiled leaves into
the hot grease. Break 2 or 3 fresh eggs over the poke in the hot grease and
stir fry the eggs with the poke. Add a bit of salt to taste while it's
cooking. MMMMMMMmmm!!


--
Natural Girl //(**)\\

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 14:01:44 -0500, "Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl"
wrote:

I'm pretty sure that plant isn't poke salad.

Have you ever eaten it cooked? My grandma used to cook it for us all the
time and taught me how. You pull the leaves off the plant .. medium to
smaller leaves are more tender, and then you boil them like you would
spinach leaves 'til they are tender. After that you drain the boiled leaves
and squeeze all the water out of the leaves you can get to come out of them.
Next you add some oil to a frying pan, and break up the boiled leaves into
the hot grease. Break 2 or 3 fresh eggs over the poke in the hot grease and
stir fry the eggs with the poke. Add a bit of salt to taste while it's
cooking. MMMMMMMmmm!!

we meet again (g) I'm posting from AHR

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person. I can only imagine that ancestors may have
gathered poke salad, cooked and ate it.

My grandfather grew greens in his garden. Tender leaves are the best.

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 12:45:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person.

I couldn't find any seeds ... but I ate a dozen of the florets
(flower petals and all), which tasted surprisingly much like broccoli ...
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402704.jpg

If I never post ever again, please report *this* to the police!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402706.jpg

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 07:56:17 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

The condiment is made from ground or crushed mustard seeds.

Thanks for the assistance.

I didn't know what the seeds looked like, but I could easily
see the green central florets, unveined yellow flower petals and
what looks like six stamens (four tall, and two short) surrounding
the one pistil as men surround a pretty lady at a bar:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402712.jpg

I couldn't locate the mustard seed pods.
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402717.jpg

Where should I be looking for them?

On Sun, 23 Jun 2013 16:01:07 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:

It looks like mustard to me. Wild mustard is found extensively in
California, turning the hills near my house bright yellow in the spring.

Hi David,
I think you're right (at least I hope you are, as I tasted a few florets
today, and they tasted much like broccoli).

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402725.jpg

I just can't seem to find the mustard seeds though ...

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 00:50:53 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 12:45:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person.

I couldn't find any seeds ... but I ate a dozen of the florets
(flower petals and all), which tasted surprisingly much like broccoli ...
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402704.jpg

If I never post ever again, please report *this* to the police!
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402706.jpg

Does California allow you to eat flowers?

I mean, they may cause cancer.

On Monday, June 24, 2013 7:01:50 PM UTC-6, Danny D. wrote:
On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 07:56:17 -0700, David E. Ross wrote:



The condiment is made from ground or crushed mustard seeds.



Thanks for the assistance.



I didn't know what the seeds looked like, but I could easily

see the green central florets, unveined yellow flower petals and

what looks like six stamens (four tall, and two short) surrounding

the one pistil as men surround a pretty lady at a bar:

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402712.jpg



I couldn't locate the mustard seed pods.

http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13402717.jpg



Where should I be looking for them?

The pods develop from the flowers. The pods contain the seeds and they go from green to black as the ripen.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 01:06:31 +0000 (UTC), "Danny D."
wrote:

I just can't seem to find the mustard seeds though ...

This can of dry powder is what I use to make hot mustard for egg
rolls. It will clean the nasal passages, like hot horseradish...

http://produits.bienmanger.com/11281-0w0h0_Colman_English_Mustard_Powder_Colman.jpg

Just a little water and spoon is needed to mix it up.

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 18:41:49 -0700, Oren wrote:

Does California allow you to eat flowers?

Oh oh .... mustard weeds may be protected ... oh my God!

BTW, I hope I'm allowed to "take" *this* California animal
I just caught in the house moments ago, while reaching for
a level to hang a mirror for the wife:
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403281.jpg

I need better spider-catching tools than this plastic container:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403290.jpg

Now she is destined for transportation into my ravine, along
with all the other spiders, snakes, and mustard-gas flowers:
http://www4.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403282.jpg

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 19:25:06 -0700, Oren wrote:

This can of dry powder is what I use to make hot mustard for egg
rolls. It will clean the nasal passages, like hot horseradish...

Indeed. Check out the front row of the wife's spice shelf:
http://www5.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403308.jpg

She grows the red-hot stuff herself, because she can't get 'em
hot enough at the store ...

On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 19:05:01 -0700, Roy wrote:

The pods develop from the flowers.
The pods contain the seeds and they go from green to black as the ripen.

Hmmm... I was thinking these things were the actual seed pods:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403320.jpg

Can someone confirm whether these are the actual seed pods?
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403321.jpg

In article ,
Danny D. wrote:

I need better spider-catching tools than this plastic container:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403290.jpg

I got one of these years ago:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=44895

I just used it again a few days ago. I generally close the bottom
part manually, slowly, so as not to squish the spider as would
probably happen if I let gravity close it.


Patty

Oren wrote:
On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 14:01:44 -0500, "Natural - Smoking Gun - Girl"
wrote:

I'm pretty sure that plant isn't poke salad.

Have you ever eaten it cooked? My grandma used to cook it for us all the
time and taught me how. You pull the leaves off the plant .. medium to
smaller leaves are more tender, and then you boil them like you would
spinach leaves 'til they are tender. After that you drain the boiled leaves
and squeeze all the water out of the leaves you can get to come out of them.
Next you add some oil to a frying pan, and break up the boiled leaves into
the hot grease. Break 2 or 3 fresh eggs over the poke in the hot grease and
stir fry the eggs with the poke. Add a bit of salt to taste while it's
cooking. MMMMMMMmmm!!

we meet again (g) I'm posting from AHR

Never recall eating poke salad. I'm a collard, mustard green and
turnip green person. I can only imagine that ancestors may have
gathered poke salad, cooked and ate it.

My grandfather grew greens in his garden. Tender leaves are the best.


That doesn't look anything like pokeweed. It does look kind of like a
noxious weed called "garlic mustard", except that has white flowers.

Might be Indian mustard, or wild turnip, or wild rapeseed:
http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/WREP/WREP0143.pdf

Bob

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 04:32:22 +0000, Patty Winter wrote:

I got one of these years ago:
http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=44895

That thing is ingenious!

On 6/24/2013 11:32 PM, Patty Winter wrote:
In article ,
Danny D. wrote:

I need better spider-catching tools than this plastic container:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403290.jpg

I got one of these years ago:

http://www.leevalley.com/US/garden/page.aspx?p=44895

I just used it again a few days ago. I generally close the bottom
part manually, slowly, so as not to squish the spider as would
probably happen if I let gravity close it.


Patty



Cool, you can release the innocent little spider outdoors away from your
house or take it at least a mile away so it can't find its way
back to your home. ^_^

TDD

Danny D. said:


On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 19:05:01 -0700, Roy wrote:

The pods develop from the flowers.
The pods contain the seeds and they go from green to black as the
ripen.

Hmmm... I was thinking these things were the actual seed pods:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403320.jpg

Can someone confirm whether these are the actual seed pods?
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403321.jpg


Yes, those are the pods. Right now they are immature. They will grow,
ripen, and begin to dry and split open. You want to gather them (for seed)
just before the pods open. Young pods can be harvested and eaten.

--
Pat in Plymouth MI

"Yes, swooping is bad."

email valid but not regularly monitored

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 04:01:21 +0000 (UTC), Danny D. wrote:
On Mon, 24 Jun 2013 19:05:01 -0700, Roy wrote:

The pods develop from the flowers.
The pods contain the seeds and they go from green to black as the ripen.

Hmmm... I was thinking these things were the actual seed pods:
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403320.jpg

Your arrow is pointing towards an immature silique, the fruit of the plant...
that is a maturing ovary (aka gynoecium). If you cut one in half crosswise,
you'll see two chambers, each with seeds.

I still can't tell which of many possibilities your particular members of the
mustard family are (there are a lot of them in California!), but it is
indeed a member of the mustard family, now mostly called the Brassicaceae, but
Cruciferae is the older classical name for this family. Typically
four separate sepals, four separate petals, six stamens (often two short and
four long) and a two-chambered ovary.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/silique1.gif

Usually edible, though some are not. Some species pick up lead and other heavy
metals from the soil (remember all the years of leaded gasoline), which
can render them toxic.

As always, identify a plant properly before feasting on it.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:17:50 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

Cool, you can release the innocent little spider outdoors away from your
house or take it at least a mile away so it can't find its way
back to your home. ^_^

The only problem I've had with the glass jars is that the
last big fat (or so I had thought) black widow spider
suddenly had babies! Hundreds of 'em.

Next time, I'm not keeping her in the jar for more than
a day or two before I relocate her.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410035.jpg

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 07:39:09 -0400, Pat Kiewicz wrote:

Can someone confirm whether these are the actual seed pods?
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13403321.jpg

Yes, those are the pods.

Thanks. Wow. There are lots and lots of seed pods on just one
plant!

No wonder they seem to be taking over my "wasteland".

Note: The descriptions say wild mustard takes over wasteland;
I wonder how the mustard 'knows' that it's wasteland?

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:42:03 +0000, Kay Lancaster wrote:

it is indeed a member of the mustard family...
4 separate sepals, 4 separate petals, 6 stamens
(often 2 short and 4 long) and a two-chambered ovary.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/silique1.gif

Thanks for the helpful identification.

What I see clearly (and which matches the wild mustard ID) a
- 4 unveined yellow petals (aka sepals)
- 6 long things (aka stamens), 2 of which are shorter
- One thing in the middle (aka pistil)
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410171.jpg

And, now I recognize there a
- Lots of seed pods (aka immature siliques)
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410166.jpg

And:
- Lobate leaves which radiate out of the ground:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410179.jpg

Plus:
- Hairy stems
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410169.jpg

And, most unusual, that it "takes over (my) wasteland":
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410185.jpg

One remaining question:
Q: How does it know "my" yard is currently a wasteland?

PS: The sprinkler system is partially broken; there's an electrical
problem in some of the zones in that they don't work electrically
but they work mechanically if I turn them on at the box in the ground.

On 6/25/2013 3:53 PM, Danny D. wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:17:50 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

Cool, you can release the innocent little spider outdoors away from your
house or take it at least a mile away so it can't find its way
back to your home. ^_^

The only problem I've had with the glass jars is that the
last big fat (or so I had thought) black widow spider
suddenly had babies! Hundreds of 'em.

Next time, I'm not keeping her in the jar for more than
a day or two before I relocate her.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410035.jpg


You could always let her run for Congress. ^_^

TDD

On 6/25/2013 1:53 PM, Danny D. wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 05:17:50 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

Cool, you can release the innocent little spider outdoors away from your
house or take it at least a mile away so it can't find its way
back to your home. ^_^

The only problem I've had with the glass jars is that the
last big fat (or so I had thought) black widow spider
suddenly had babies! Hundreds of 'em.

Next time, I'm not keeping her in the jar for more than
a day or two before I relocate her.

http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410035.jpg


right now, i have a 2" scorpion in a jar on my office desk. creeps a lot
of people out, though that keeps the traffic into my office down.

["Followup-To:" header set to rec.gardens.]
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 21:25:37 +0000 (UTC), Danny D. wrote:
On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 15:42:03 +0000, Kay Lancaster wrote:

it is indeed a member of the mustard family...
4 separate sepals, 4 separate petals, 6 stamens
(often 2 short and 4 long) and a two-chambered ovary.
http://waynesword.palomar.edu/images/silique1.gif

Thanks for the helpful identification.

What I see clearly (and which matches the wild mustard ID) a
- 4 unveined yellow petals (aka sepals)

Turn the flower upside down and you'll find there are 4 green sepals, then the
four yellow petals.

- 6 long things (aka stamens), 2 of which are shorter
- One thing in the middle (aka pistil)
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410171.jpg

Yup. Also called the gynoecium. The end of the pistil is the
stigma (where the pollen lands and germinates), then there's a constricted
region just below that, the style (pollen tubes germinate on the stigma
and grow down through the style, and eventually fertilize the ovules in the
thicker, basal part, the ovary or gynoecium.


And, now I recognize there a
- Lots of seed pods (aka immature siliques)
http://www3.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410166.jpg

And:
- Lobate leaves which radiate out of the ground:
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410179.jpg

Plus:
- Hairy stems
http://www1.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410169.jpg

And, most unusual, that it "takes over (my) wasteland":
http://www2.picturepush.com/photo/a/...g/13410185.jpg

Nah, not unusual at all. "Natura abhorret a vacuo" -- "Nature abhors
a vacuum. You've got a whole lot of open ground there with bare soil.
You've got 50 or 100 years worth of seeds sitting dormant in the soil,
ready to grow as soon as they get their chance -- you're not supplying
enough water for the plants you want to grow to grow well and fill
in the soil, so weed seeds that can take the conditions that are on offer
grow instead. "Canopy closure" -- growing enough plants to completely
shade the soil -- is one of the major ways of controlling weeds (which
are generally plants that do well in disturbed soils). In arid lands,
there's not enough soil moisture to support a true canopy most of the time,
so the spacing of plants is defined by how big an area they need to get enough
moisture from the soil. I presume you normally grow a lawn in this area,
probably something pretty unsuitable for the amount of natural rain
in the area, like Kentucky bluegrass. It dies, and gives the weedy mustard
a chance to grow. In other words, your soil is telling you to grow native
plants, or at least plants adapted to the area, instead of ones adapted
to England.

Oh yes, one other gardening proverb to consider "One season's seeding is
5 season's weeding." Except that it's really more like "One season's seeding
is 50+ years weeding.

If you're interested, here's some background reading for you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soil_seed_bank
http://www.amazon.com/Natural-Histor...history+guides
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/weeds_intro.html

Kay



One remaining question:
Q: How does it know "my" yard is currently a wasteland?

PS: The sprinkler system is partially broken; there's an electrical
problem in some of the zones in that they don't work electrically
but they work mechanically if I turn them on at the box in the ground.

On Tue, 25 Jun 2013 16:39:00 -0500, The Daring Dufas wrote:

You could always let her run for Congress.

Couldn't be too much worse than Pelosi or Boxer!