Tag Archives: Scoliopus bigelovii

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Scoliopus bigelovii has two strange common names - Fetid Adder's Tongue and Slink Pod. They are our earliest blooming wildflowers and they are found on the forest floor. The tiny, exquisite blooms come up first, with the stem barely cupped by the emerging leaves. The blooms are only about an inch or so high, so they are quite hard to spot. I recently showed photographer Craig Tooley where they were blooming on a neighbor's property.

They are members of the Lily family. The flowers will be long gone when the leaves fully emerge. If you find the large mottled leaves in the spring, note where they are growing so you can look for the flowers next winter. Rick and I always started looking for them on Christmas Day, and this year I found the first one on Dec. 26th.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photo with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

Much of the Mendonoma Coast has no power. The towns of Gualala, Anchor Bay and Point Arena are without power since yesterday's storm. I am posting this with the help of a backup generator. We had a wild and very windy storm, which was the culprit for the power outages. Many trees are down. It will be several days before power is restored. The rain totals for yesterday's storm was 2.45 inches, 29.95 season to date.

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On Christmas day, Mel Smith spotted and photographed perhaps the first appearing Slink Pod, Scoliopus bigelovii.

This wildflower is a member of the Lily family. Its distinctive leaves are just barely showing. But they will grow in the weeks ahead. They are mottled, so if you see them in the spring, long after these exquisite flowers, then remember where they are so you can look for them next winter. Here's a photo of the leaves, taken by Craig Tooley a few years ago.

Thanks to Mel and Craig for allowing me to share their photos with you here.

Clouds are pouring in and the surface water of the ocean is  now flowing northward - all signs that a storm is on the way!

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Every winter Rick and I look for the first tiny Slink Pod flowers. They come up in coastal forests. They were late this year, but they are up. Craig Tooley wove together three photos of one just about to bloom, a close-up of the exquisite bloom, and the continuing bloom.

 

Slink Pods have multiple blooms, but each one doesn't last very long. The flower quickly forms a pod, which falls onto the ground, hence its common name Slink Pod. They are also called Fetid Adder's Tongue because they supposedly don't smell good, but I've never noticed a bad odor coming from them. I want a new common name for these beautiful flowers!

Later in the spring, the long, mottled leaves will be quite noticeable. If you note their spots, then you can look for the flowers in the winter months. Here's what the leaves look like, photographed by Craig in a previous year.

Scoliopus bigelovii is a member of the Lily family. They are a joy to find.

Thanks to Craig for allowing me to share his photos with you here. To see much more of Craig's nature photography, here is the link to his website: http://www.ruffimage.com

The rain has moved on, and we are blessed with a sunny, breezy, clear day today with temperatures in the high 60s! Our daffodils are beginning to bloom, as is their wont here on the beautiful Mendonoma Coast.

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Every winter, beginning around Christmas, Rick and I look for Slink Pod, Scoliopus bigelovii, also called Fetid Adder's Tongue. This year we found our first one mid-January.

They can be very hard to spot, as they are quite tiny. They are members of the Lily family and the two leaves you can see just peeking up through the forest duff, will grow in the weeks ahead to be quite large. These leaves are oblong and mottled and if you see them later in the year, then next winter look for the tiny orchid-like bloom in the same spot.

Amy Ruegg found the first blooming Douglas Iris, Iris douglasiana.

Now that does seem early! I am looking for Milkmaids, Cardamine californica. The first leaf has appeared in spots but no sign of the flower stalk yet.

Thanks to Amy for allowing me to share her photo with you here.

Another dose of rain overnight, along with a few showers today. Coastal streams are full, creating beautiful waterfalls when they spill over bluffs. The weather forecast calls for sunny, warm days. Pretending to be spring?

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Mary Sue Ittner was on the Thursday Ramblers' hike last week. She found one of the first Western Trilliums, Trillium ovatum, up. It obviously had been raining!

She also found Slink Pod, Scoliopus bigelovii. I love looking for these tiny wildflowers. They are very hard to spot, so you look for the two leaves poking through the forest duff.

This morning I noticed the first Bracken Fern up and a few Huckleberry blossoms. Spring must be right around the corner! Thanks to Mary Sue for allowing me to share her photos with you here.

We have a lot of rain in our forecast, but there will be breaks to allow for nature walks on bluffs or along forest paths. Heed the siren call on Mother Nature!