Flora Near Marin Stables - 2

All thumbnail photos are used by permission from CalPhotos which provides a treasure trove of information on wildflowers in California.  Click on the picture to see a larger version, and then use "(more information)" to get a lot more fun facts on the flower.  Or click on the name to link to additional gorgeous photos that will help you identify the flowers along the trails in and out of Marin Stables.

Pacific Starflower (Trientalis latifolia)

Starflowers are in the second wave of wildflowers.  You have to look carefully because their flowers are very small.  There's typically rafts of them along the Canyon Trail as you leave Marin Stables.  Once you have identified them their distinctive leaves will help you remember them.  Then you can star looking more closely to see when the flowers show up.
 

Giant Wake Robin (Trillium chloropetalum)

Trillium are the lepricauns of the Bay Area wildflowers. You can identify the 3 big leaves, you can look every time out to see if they're blooming, and then one day they just seem to disappear.  You might catch their lucky charms if you look on the hillside of the Canyon Trail as you leave Marin Stables.  They are very cool
 

False Solomon's Seal (Smilacina racemosa)

False Solomon's Seal seems to have generated a lot of different common names.  They hang out with the Pacific Starflowers on the early part of Canyon trail.  The leaves alternate up the stem with tiny spiky flowers.