Greenspot Nightshade

Solanum douglassii

Greenspot Nightshade (Solanum douglasii) is a plant that I found growing on the Pacific coast of central California. It seemed to like to wind itself around other bushes. Anyway there are lots of species of Solanum but the fine specimen in question is Solanum douglassii, Douglas' nightshade. 

Solanum douglassii stem. Notice white hair

Let's check the characteristics: the stem is covered with white hairs. Check. The leaves have smooth or toothed edges. My species has toothed and wavy edges. The inflorescence is an umbel-shaped array of small flowers. Check. Green spots at the bases of corolla. It took me a while to notice them but they are there. As a bonus, some plants had nice black berries growing. Native Americans used the berries medicinally though I don't know exactly what for. 

 Solanum douglassii flowers. Notice green spots on the petals

Some species of Solanum, like Solanum nigrum (black nightshade) are rumoured to be edible but you have to try it at your own risk. Also if you cook the leaves of the aforementioned black nightshade, like boil them 2 times for 15 minutes, it also supposed to make them edible but again, do it at your own risk as there is no guarantee that they are edible and toxicity within the species may vary greatly. Note that only ripe berries are edible. You have to be absolutely sure it's Solanum nigrum as some species look very similar to it but they are toxic. 

 

 Solanum douglassii flowers and black berries

Notice that the pictures in this post are of Solanum douglassii. I did not find information on its edibility.

Yellow Star Thistle

 Yellow Star Thistle

Yellow Star Thistle (Centaurea solstitialis) is a member of the Aster family (Asteraceae) that can be frequently seen in empty dry lots and commons. The plant is also known as golden star thistle and St. Barnaby's thistle. As usual, the common name thistle share several Latin names, for example a well known plant bull thistle is a different genus, Cirsium vulgare.

Centaurea solstitialis flowers with thorns

Yellow star thistle is a good name though because the thistle does indeed look like a star, but that effect is produced not by flowers but by long thorns sticking around it.

Vinegar Weed

 Trichostema lanceolatum (camphor weed) at Lake Santa Margarita

Vinegar weed is a very interesting plant. It has small elongated leaves and relatively big flowers with long parts sticking out. It was obviously a plant of the mint family. I was lucky to identify it very soon after I took a picture: the plant in question is called Trichostema lanceolatum, part of the Mint family (Lamiaceae). Like other mints it has square stem. The common name is not quite right. The plant indeed has a very strong smell, it feels juicy to the touch but I would not describe it exactly like vinegar smell. The smell is quite pleasant though pungent. That pungent smell is referred to in common names like turpentine weed and camphor weed. Camphor smell would probably be the closest description. As far as I know it is not edible.

Trichostema lanceolatum grows in dry hard soil in hot climate

The plant is striving in hot climate in dry soil though so far I have only seen it in one place: Lake Santa Margarita where the photographs have been taken. I read that the smell is produced by volatile oils and these oils also help to keep other plants away.

Notice the similarity to another plant called wooly blue curls. The Latin name for that one is Trichostema lanatum. Notice the same genus, Trichostema.The latter plant is extremely rare.