The Scientific Name is the formal name for the plant. The scientific name is supposed to be the formal name  universal  worldwide. We try to find the one that is the most consistent with the world and still makes sense.  (California seems to make up their own names sometimes.)

Genus  is like your last name.

Species is like your first name.

Variety is like your middle name.

The Common Name is like the commonly used name for the plant. Fitz instead of Fitzgarald. Liz instead of Elizabeth.

 

Cultivar is the name your parents or grandma calls you.

Ranges??

pH is the scale of free -OH versus free +H, pH of 7 is neutral(HOH), less than 7 is acidic, greater than 7 is alkaline. 6 is 10 times more acidic than 7 and  100 times more and 8(which is alkaline).   GENERALLY, the higher the rainfall the more acidic(lower pH) the soil, the better the drainage the more acidic. Bad drainage and low rainfall are usually more alkaline. Bakersfield has a pH of about 7.5-7.9, coastal adobe 7-7.2, coastal sand 6-6.5, highest I've measured is about 8, lowest is a shocking  5.  The high and low were in fill piles at the Escondido nursery.

Height in meters (the database was started during the enlightened period before the Bush age.)

Width in meters

USDA (the ones relevant  to California) Average annual low in F.

5a -20 to-15f, 5b -15 to -10F 6a -10 to -5F 6b -5 to 0F 7a 0-5F 7b 5-10F 8a 10-15F 8b 15-20F 9a 20-25F 9b 25-30F 10a 30-35F 10b 35-40F 11 Above 40F

The Santa Margarita is 8a, the Escondido nursery is 8b.

Rainfall is the approximate range of the rainfall in centimeters that the plant lives in. This is not perfect as some of the coastal areas get a great deal of fog drip.
Communities

Take a look at the communities page.

Habitats were meant to be a larger worldly community so those of your in England or Japan can figure out what we're talking about.
Tolerates this is kinda like third grade science.

tolerates seaside, can live next to seashore.

tolerates alkaline do not try in a salt marsh but probably would be fine in Bakersfield.

tolerates salt, salt spray knocks the poo out of some of the plants and the high sodium is deadly to most plant.

tolerates sand, got beach sand?

tolerates clay, got adobe?

tolerates serpentine, you'll know if you have serpentine soils

tolerates no drainage, standing water very time it rains.

tolerates seasonal flooding, our house in San Luis Obispo had a foot of flowing water each winter.

tolerates high traffic a dog occasionally parks the car on the plant?

tolerates deer do the deer wander through more than once every few years?

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