Sunrise 6:43 am: Peninsula wildflower display

The Dawn Joggers and Cassie stayed in home territory today with a morning hike on their favorite Portola Ranch trail loop, still under a lot of water but with a lot more wildflowers on display than when they last visited. The miner's lettuce was in bloom. They'd never really noticed this edible wild green until a hike along Jasper Ridge last year lead by knowledgeable docent Bill Gomez. Now they see it everywhere in the spring, very thick in spots. It got its name during the Gold Rush with 49ers eating it as part of scurvy prevention.(Not sure why they haven't tasted it yet - maybe next week.)

Thanks to Bill they can now also identify Indian Warrior, which botantical sources classify as a hemiparasite, meaning it can attach its root system to the roots of another plant. It's one of the few bright scarlet wildflowers the DJs see locally.