Missimer Wildflower Preserve - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Missimer Wildflower Preserve is a protected native

California native plants

California native plants are plants that existed in California prior to the arrival of European explorers and colonists in the late 18th century...

grassland

Grassland

Grasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...

in Napa County, California

Napa County, California

Napa County is a county located north of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. It is coterminous with the Napa, California, Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of 2010 the population is 136,484. The county seat is Napa....

. The preserve is situated on considerable serpentine soil

Serpentine soil

A serpentine soil is derived from ultramafic rocks, in particular serpentinite, a rock formed by the hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle....

, leading to specially adapted flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

. Situated within Snell Valley

Snell Valley

Snell Valley is a depression landform in Napa County, California. This feature is located approximately five miles north of Aetna Springs. The valley is noted for its diversity of wildflowers, and within Snell Valley is the Missimer Wildflower Preserve. An example of wildflowers in Snell Valley is...

, the preserve is noted for its biodiversity

Biodiversity

Biodiversity is the degree of variation of life forms within a given ecosystem, biome, or an entire planet. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas polar regions...

of flora

Flora

Flora is the plant life occurring in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring or indigenous—native plant life. The corresponding term for animals is fauna.-Etymology:...

. An example of native wildflower

Wildflower

A wildflower is a flower that grows wild, meaning it was not intentionally seeded or planted. Yet "wildflower" meadows of a few mixed species are sold in seed packets. The term "wildflower" has been made vague by commercial seedsmen who are interested in selling more flowers or seeds more...

s in the Snell Creek

Snell Creek

Snell Creek is a watercourse in Napa County, California. Snell Creek is a tributary of Butts Creek, which ultimately discharges to Lake Berryessa.Snell Creek is situated approximately five miles north of Aetna Springs.-Plants:...

watershed

Drainage basin

A drainage basin is an extent or an area of land where surface water from rain and melting snow or ice converges to a single point, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody, such as a river, lake, reservoir, estuary, wetland, sea, or ocean...

is Yellow Mariposa Lily, Calochortus luteus
Calochortus luteus
Calochortus luteus, or Yellow mariposa lily, is a mariposa lily endemic to California.-Description:The primarily a bright deep yellow flower is 3-5cm across and perianth Bulb-shaped, lined red-brown inside, often also with central red-brown blotch and sparse hair inside.-Distribution:This species...

.

See also