Plant: Dominant chaparral flora....

Chaparral, the biome found only between latitude 30 to 40 degrees...In USA, only found in California!!

I have navigated many trails in South California, mostly the chaparral scrubs...to be aware of the flora native to this ecosystem is important, for their role in frequent wildfires in this region, which has been a threat to lives and properties, not to ignore, water pollution, due to the gallons of halogen retardants used to extinguish the fire!

Lets get to know some of the keystone plants....

Scrub oak...

Coast live oak...

Sycamore....

Cottonwood...

Toyon..........

Riparian willow.........

Wild cherry....

Manzanita.....

Ceanothus.....

Elderberry...

Chamise (Adenostoma).............

Coyote bush (Baccharis)....

Lemonade berry...

Laurel sumac.............

Mountain mahogany...

California buckwheat...........

Redberry...

Wild rose...

Poison oak....

Wild oat...........

Sage..

White sage..I learnt that smudge sticks  (bundle of dried herbs) were made  from these twigs, to be burned as part of a ritual or ceremony..

Sticky monkey...

Mistletoe....

Prickly pear...

Bearing ripe fruits in autumn....

I am reading a really nice book  on chaparral by R. Quinn and S. Keeley, which illuminated on many aspects of this predominant California flora......like, most of them belong to a few representative families, such as rose, heath, oak, buckthorn and sumac.......

Season: Beauty in decay.......

Autumn is the season, which transforms even a senile leaf beautiful...

Riparian willow.....