Eureka!
After another fifteen minutes of picking our way along the cliff line, Phill gestured to the cliff wall.
Cephalotus follicularis!!!!
The pain from our scuffed heels and jammed toes dissipated instantly. It was spectacular to see this plant; to really see
this plant! It was almost a surreal moment.
I suppose, objectively, that for most people this would have been a "so what" moment. After all, it was a lot of work
to see a single diminutive clump of a rather small plant! But for me, this was as heady as Romulan Ale.
Since you are reading this nerdy trip report, I am guessing you would probably react the same way.
Beth and I looked at this plant in awe, but Phill was making a few grousing noises. He was a little alarmed that during our
hike we had seen lots of signs of land slippage on the cliff face, and perhaps some of what he had wanted to show us
had collapsed into the ocean. Indeed, we even found a few Cephalotus pitchers in loose
soil at our feet. Phill continued along the coastline while I hung back
to enjoy this plant. I didn't know if I would see any more Cephalotus today,
so I savored the experience.
In just a few moments, Phill reappeared and kicked us back into gear. He said there were
"a few more plants " on the cliff wall around the corner.
