Twistedspinster

How to make a Geek's heart flutter

Everyone knows about my day job, right? I'm a Reference Librarian at the Claremont Colleges Honnold/Mudd Library. As such, I get to research a lot of (to me!) really cool stuff.

I've used CalFlora a lot to determine whether I'm going to find certain dyeplants in my area. Today I went to look up black locust, and they've added a georeferencing function - it'll give location data! For Madrone, a tree whose bark gives a great brown, it even gives locations like "San Gabriel Mtns., East fork Santa Anita Canyon, Madrone Flat."

hmmm... no GPS coordinates. Ah, I see why- the incidence records pre-date GPS technology.

Looking up woad, I see one reference for Los Angeles County, for an unspecified herbariam. Which goes along with the conclusion Kathy L had, that it's so invasive, people who know what it is, and where it is, won't tell other people for fear of spreading the scourge.

I guess I'll have to settle for the Japanese indigo. (hand to brow in mock distress)

posted by Ruth S. @ 10:45 AM