This geological park is unique in the California State University system. It represents the conversion of a parking lot into an aesthetic and educational area. Construction was accomplished using monetary donations solicited by the Department of Geological Sciences and by volunteer labor of faculty, students, and staff. Essentially all of the materials and plants were donated by private individuals, institutions, and community businesses. No State funds were used.

Except for the grass, all species are living representatives of land-dwelling plants whose ancestors extend back at least 150 million years in the fossil record. Some, such as the ferns and scouring rushes can be traced back to mid-Paleozoic time, nearly 400 million years ago. Almost all of these plants are used for landscaping or as ornamentals within San Diego and are available at many local nurseries. Taxa are listed by number.

1. Cycas revoluta (sago "palm") [Division Cycadophyta]
2. Encephalartos altensteinii [Division Cycadophyta]
3. Encephalartos princeps [Division Cycadophyta]
4. Metasequoia glyptostroboides (dawn redwood) [Division Coniferophyta]
5. Cocos australis? (queen palm) [Division Anthophyta]
6. Dryopteris erythrosora (wood fern) [Division Pteridophyta]
7. Nephrolepsis cordifolia (sword fern) [Division Pteridophyta]
8. Sphaeropteris copperi (Australian tree fern) [Division Pteridophyta]
9. Asplenium viviparium (dwarf mother fern) [Division Pteridophyta]
10. Ginkgo biloba (maidenhair tree) [Division Ginkgophyta]
11. Equisetum hyemale (horsetails or scouring rushes) [Division Arthrophyta]
12. Araucaria araucana (monkey puzzle tree) [Division Coniferophyta]
13. Crytomium falcatum (holly fern) [Division Pteridophyta]
14. Chamaedorea costaricana (palm) [Division Anthophyta]
15. Adiontum sp. (maidenhair fern) [Division Pteridophyta]
16. Araucaria cunninghammi (hoop "pine") [Division Coniferophyta]
17. Podocarpus gracilior (yew pine) [Division Coniferophyta]
18. Araucaria bidwilli (Bunya-bunya) [Division Coniferophyta]
19. Araucaria heterophylla (star "pine"; Norfolk "pine") [Division Coniferophyta]
20. Podocarpus macrophyllus (yew pine) [Division Coniferophyta]
21. Washingtonia robusta (fan palm) [Division Anthophyta]
22. Phoenix sp. (date palm) [Division Anthophyta]
23. Podocarpus maki (yew pine) [Division Coniferophyta]

DIVISION CYCADOPHYTA. (1, 2, 3) The cycads are seed-bearing (gymnosperms) plants that have been described as "pineapples with branches exending from the top"; they also resemble palms but are not closely related. About 100 living species are know. Geologic Record: Permian-Holocene (last 280 million years).

DIVISION CONIFEROPHYTA. (4, 12, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 23) Conifers are seed-bearing (gymnospermous) evergreen plants that form extensive modern forests. Living examples include fir, pine, spruce, cypress, cedar and juniper trees; well-known conifers are the large redwoods and ancient bristlecone pines. These plants are characterized by needle-shaped leaves and by reproductive seed-bearing cones. Approximately 550 living species are know. Geologic Record: Carboniferous-Holocene (last 345 million years).

The dawn redwood is a conifer originally found in the fossil record and preseumed to have become extinct in early Cenozoic time. Species were later found living in China, and in the 1940's seeds from these were planted throughout North America and Europe. This is one of the few conifers that is deciduous.

The araucarians, especially the star pine, are commonly culitvated in San Diego and may reach 20m or more in height. Many of the petrified logs at Petrified Forest National Park in Arizona are of the Genus Araucarioxylon and are extict relatives of living araucarians. Note the large sample of petrified wood (6), probably an Araucarioxylon that has been silicified.

The genus Podocarpus has slightly more broad shaped leaves than other conifers; it is extensively used for landscaping.

DIVISION GINKGOPHYTA. (10) The single living species, Ginkgo biloba is known commonly as the maidenhair tree. This seed-bearing tree is native in China but has been cultivated in many other parts of the world. The distinctive lobate-shaped leaves are shed each fall. Geologic Record: Triassic-Holocene (last 225 million years)

DIVISION PTERIDOPHYTA. (6, 7, 8, 9, 13, 15) The ferns are seedless vascular plants and reproduce by spores which form on the underside of the fronds (leaves). Some of the 9,500 living species are small foliage plants and others may grow to over 20m in height (tree ferns). An extinct group had fern-like fronds but reproduced by seeds, and are classified in a separate plant division called seed ferns.
Geologic Record: Devonian-Holocene (last 390 million years).

DIVISION ARTHROPHYA (= Sphenopsida). (11) Although very common in the fossil record of the Upper Paleozoic, fewer than 25 species survive. The only living genus of these spore-bearing plants is Equisetum and it is characterized by a vertically ribbed stem having distinct horizontal nodes. The reproductive parts ar called stroboli and occur at the tips of the stems. They occur in moist swampy areas and are rapid growing plants; simple roots anchor a laterally growing rhizome, which in turn produces vertical stems. Geologic Range: Devonian-Holocene (last 395 million years).

DIVISION ANTHOPHYTA. (5, 14, 21, and 22) These are flowering plants (angiosperms) and are the most diverse modern plant divison with about 300,000 living species. They are characterized by having enclosed seeds and flowers (including fruits). Palms are one of the oldest angiosperm groups with a fossil record extending back to the Mesozoic Era. Geologic Record: Triassic-Holocene (last 225 million years).