Coast Lily

Lilium maritimum, or coast lily, is not to be overlooked. It's a plant of wet wood openings with a fairly small flower that becomes even more interesting when looked at from below. Its leaves are palmate, smooth, and glossy. Like other members of Liliaceae family, its petals are in multiples of three (think of the trillium or Easter lilies as other examples) and it has parallel veins on its leaves.

Lilium maritimum, Salt Point SP, 2011.

The coast lily is considered a rare plant, reaching the California Native Plant Society's ranking of 1B.1. Part of this ranking comes from it being endemic to California -- it is found in California alone -- and partly from its habitat being threatened. I suspect most of its habitat has already been lost; thankfully, there are protected populations such as the one I saw at Salt Point.

Salt Point State Park is an amazing place to explore. See also previous posts.