Blue Dicks is native to the Western United States (particularly Arizona, California, Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico) and northwest Mexico. They are a common post-fire succession species in chaparral. Flowering peaks in March. Corms have been gathered by Native Americans in California, parts of the Great Basin, and the Southwest. These corms were an important starch source in their diet.
Blue Dicks原產於美國西部(特別是亞利桑那州、加州、俄勒岡州、猶他州和新墨西哥州)和墨西哥西北部。是叢林中常見火災後演替的物種。三月時花盛開。加州的大盆地部分地區和西南部的美洲原住民採集它的球莖，這些球莖是他們飲食中重要的澱粉來源。
Photo Date: 2023.03.07 Location: Santa Fe Dam, California
Photo Date: 2019.04.09 Location: Lake Elsinore, California
Notes 筆記
- Dipterostemon capitatus, synonym Dichelostemma capitatum, known by the common names blue dicks, purplehead and brodiaea, native to the Western United States (particularly Arizona, California, Oregon, Utah, and New Mexico) and northwest Mexico.
- It is an herbaceous perennial. The inflorescence is head- or umbel-like, and dense. It usually contains 2 to 15 flowers, which have a blue, blue-purple, pink-purple, or white perianth. Plants thrive in open disturbed environments, and are a common post-fire succession species in chaparral. Flowering peaks in March.
- D. capitatus occurs from sea level up to 2,300 meters. It inhabits a wide variety of plant communities, including vernal pools, valley grassland, scrub, coniferous forests, and open woodlands. It seems not to colonize after fire by seed, but rather by cormlets.
- Corms have been gathered by Native Americans in California, parts of the Great Basin, and the Southwest. These corms were an important starch source in their diet. California tribes dug and continue to dig the corms before flowering, during flowering, or after seeding depending on the tribe and individual family. Traditional gathering sites were visited annually, and there were gathering tracts with different kinds of corms and bulbs owned and maintained by particular families.
- Corms are eaten by animals such as black bears, mule deer, non-native wild pigs, rabbits, and pocket gophers.
- Dipterostemon capitatus，同義詞 Dichelostemma capitatum，俗稱 blue dicks、purplehead 和 brodiaea，原產於美國西部(特別是亞利桑那州、加州、俄勒岡州、猶他州和新墨西哥州)和墨西哥西北部。
- 它是多年生草本植物。花序呈頭狀或繖形花序狀，密集。它通常有2到15朵花，有藍色、藍紫色、粉紫色或白色花被。植物在開放受干擾的環境中茁壯成長，是叢林中常見火災後演替的物種。三月時花盛開。
- D. capitatus出現在海平面高達2,300公尺的地方。它存在於各種各樣的植物群中，包括春池、山谷草原、灌木叢、針葉林和開闊林地。它在火災後不是藉種子定殖，而是藉由小球莖。
- 加州的大盆地部分地區和西南部的美洲原住民採集它的球莖。這些球莖是他們飲食中重要的澱粉來源。加州的部落在它開花前、開花期間或播種後會一直挖掘球莖，主要取決於部落和個別家庭。每年他們都會造訪傳統的採集地點，並且由特定家庭擁有和維護不同種類的球莖和球莖的採集區域。
- 黑熊、騾鹿、外來野豬、兔子和地鼠等動物會吃球莖。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Dipterostemon
- California Native Plant Society (Calscape.org): Blue Dicks
Plants Posts 植物的帖子