#postfloral

Capparis sandwichiana, the Hawaiian Caper, or maiapilo, is a sprawling, low-growing shrub which inhabits only the Hawaiian islands in coastal and near-coastal ranges. It shares its genus with Capparis spinosa which is commonly used in Mediterranean cooking and shares some traits such as a preference for little water which might be surprising when hearing it is endemic to these tropical islands. The white flowers are fragrant and quite large, serving as nectar source for Manduca blackburni and a forage source for larval Plutella capparidis moths, both of which are also endemic Hawaiian species. The plant is threatened in the wild.

This image was created by pulling the sharpest segments from 62 separate images at different distances from the subject to produce an image showing the subject entirely in focus.

Lupinus albifrons is a member of the pea family and grows through a broad range of northern Baja California up through southern Oregon. Known as the silver bush lupine, it inhabits many habitats with the common trait of being open spaces with fairly dry conditions. Once established, a deep taproot allows it to draw what little moisture it needs to persist even through hot, dry summers. It produces often copious, fragrant blooms in late spring through early summer and mutable leaves which can become more or less silvery depending on the growing conditions. Notably, this species is one of three which can host the federally endangered mission blue butterfly (Icaricia icarioides missionensis). The larvae which feed on the plant become toxic due to the same compounds which make the foliage resistant to herbivory in general. This is in fact a contributing factor to the butterfly’s endangered status as many of the host plants were removed because of their toxicity to livestock.

Albizia julibrissin is a tree from the bean family, Fabaceae, originating in Asia and introduced to Europe in the mid 1700s. The genus is taken from the name of the person who introduced it, Filippo deglo Albizzi, while the specific name comes from the original Persian word for the plant which translates to “silk flower.” Likewise, the common name for this plant, Persian Silk Tree, encompasses both the origin and one of many ways the tree is described. The fluffy flower clusters produce a very pleasant scent and draw in pollinators such as honeybees and butterflies who benefit from its nectar. It is primarily used as an ornamental plant in climates which experience hot weather and when a lot of extra water cannot be spared. Unfortunately the plant does have great potential to become invasive and the seed pods which burst in strong winds can spread the seeds widely. Furthermore, the seeds can lie dormant for long periods which makes that potential even more significant.