Tom Schweich  

2000

Sunday, April 2nd

Diablo Range, San Benito County, California. In the saddle between Lorenzo Vasquez Canyon and Miller Canyon, on Coalinga Road, 11 miles south of the Junction with State Highway 25. 36.3603°N, 120.8488°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 900 m. Small grassland under oaks, on ridge.

Coll. No. 203, 2 Apr 2000, characters observed: Perennial geophyte, to 40 cm.; Bracts, 7 mm.; Pedicel, 11 mm.; Flowers, bisexual on lower branches; Perianth, rotate; Petals, 9.5 mm. × 2.3 mm. wide; Stamens, 6 mm., stamens < perianth; Filaments, straight, proximally thick.

Diablo Range, San Benito County, California. In the saddle between Lorenzo Vasquez Canyon and Miller Canyon, on Coalinga Road, 11 miles south of the Junction with State Highway 25. 36.3603°N, 120.8488°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 900 m. Small grassland under oaks, on ridge.

Coll. No. 204, 2 Apr 2000, characters observed: Herbaceous perennial, to 25 cm.; Stem, not floating, not rooting at nodes, erect, hairy; Leaves, basal and cauline, cauline, alternate, deeply lobed; Flower, radial; Perianth, parts in 2 whorls, sepals and petals different; Sepals, 5 mm. × 2.5 mm. wide, spurs 0, yellow, hairy abaxially, reflexed; Petals, #11, 7 mm. × 2.8 mm. wide, clawed, yellow, round nectary near base of blade; Stamens, yellow; Ovule, 1 per ovary; Pistils, many; Style, present; Fruit, follicle (not a berry), 3.2 mm. × 3 mm. wide × 1 mm. thick, width 3 × depth, not inflated, wall tough, not papery, faces smoooth, beak, 0.6 mm., curved.

San Carlos Creek, San Benito County, California. Along creek 1 mile below New Idria Mine. 36.4261°N, 120.6694°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 800 m. Steep hill slope on sandstone.

Coll. No. 205, 2 April 2000, characters observed: Perennial subshrub, to 30 cm.; Stems, decumbent to ascending; Herbage gray-green; Hairs, much branched; Leaves, alternate, sessile, 14 mm. oblong, to few 3- lobed distally; Calyx, 14 mm., cleft equally 4 mm., entire on sides; Corolla, tube 8 mm. + beak 13 mm. = 21 mm., lower lip small.

New Idria Mine, San Benito County, California. Along creek 1 mile below New Idria Mine. 36.4261°N, 120.6694°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 800 m. Steep hill slope on sandstone.

Coll. No. 206, 2 Apr 2000, characters observed: Perennial or biennial, to 45 cm.; Stems, proximal not woody; Leaves, basal and cauline, basal, petiole + blade, 100 mm. × 3 mm. wide, margin sparsely toothed, proximal cauline leaves, adaxial surface, hairs 2 & 3 rayed; Pedicels, 3-5 mm., elongating as flower matures; Petals, yellow, 16 mm. × 4.5 mm. wide; Fruit, unknown; Seeds, unknown.

San Carlos Creek, San Benito County, California. Along San Carlos Creek 1 mile below New Idria Mine. 36.4259°N, 120.6693°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 800 m. Steep hill slope on sandstone.

Coll. No. 207, 2 April 2000, characters observed: Perennial, herb, woody below, to 30 cm.; Leaves, alternate, some in clusters, linear, 20 mm. × 1 mm. wide, glandular-sticky, regularly spaced resin pits; Inflorescence, some flowers with strap-shaped corollas, head composed of two kinds of flowers; Receptacle, epaleate; Phyllaries, in 5 not-fully-overlapping series, graduated in size, 6-11 mm. × 1.5-2.5 mm. wide, mid phyllary vein prominent throughout length though not raised, margin fringed; Rays, 7, yellow, 22-23 mm. × 5 mm. wide, 0-2 appendages to 14 mm.; Disk flowers, ±20; Pappus of well-developed bristles on both ray and disk flowers, ± cylindric; Pistil, style 8 mm. + stigma 1.5 mm. + appendages 1.0 mm.; Fruit, dense silky hairy. This collection is determined as Ericameria linearifolia, although it does not key there, primarily because the phyllaries are definitely not equal, whereas E. linearifolia requires phyllaries that are ±equal. The ray corollas are larger than typically described, and some of them have long thin appendages.

San Carlos Creek, San Benito County, California. Hillsides, 2 miles by road below the townsite of New Idria, 86 km southwest of Fresno, California. 36.4465°N, 120.6636°W. Elev. 700 m. Hill slopes above and below road.

Coll. No. 209, 2 Apr 2000, characters observed: Perennial geophyte, to 35 cm.; Scape, curved; Bracts, 12.5 mm.; Pedicel, 5 mm.; Perianth, tube 6 mm. + lobes 9.5 mm. = 15.5  mm., blue-purple, inner crown, 1.5 mm. > anthers, color unknown, straw color when dry; Stamens, #6; Anthers, unequal, #3 @ 2.7 mm., #3 @ 4.2 mm.

Griswold Canyon, San Benito County, California. Hillslopes, on New Idria Road in Griswold Canyon, 5 miles by road south of Panoche, 16.5 miles by road northwest of New Idria, 36.545°N, 120.8374°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 500 m. Hill slopes above road.

Wednesday, April 26th

Physalis crassifolia Benth. Thick Leaved Ground Cherry.

Baxter, San Bernardino County, California. Former railroad roadbed at Cave Mountain Limestone mine, mouth of Afton Canyon, north side of Mojave River, ½ mile northwest of current Union Pacific Railroad station named Basin. 35.047°N, 116.3027°W. Elev. 360 m. Only one seen.

Coll. No. 212, 26 April 2000, characters observed: Annual/Perennial, subshrub, to 20 cm., root/rhizome unknown, sparsely hairy; Leaf, alternate, ovate, petiole 15 mm. + blade 12 mm. × 8 mm. wide, margin entire to wavy; Pedicel, 10-13 mm. in flower and fruit; Calyx, in fruit bladder like; Corolla, rotate, 9-10 mm., limb 10 mm., pale yellow, not spotted adaxially, tube not hairy (s/b hairy); Filaments, sparsely hairy near bases; Anthers, 2 mm., < filaments, opening from tip to near base, not twisted after opening; Fruit, a berry, 10 mm.

Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet ssp. arcuata (Fosb.) Henrickson. Desert Willow.

Mojave River Wash, San Bernardino County, California. South of US Interstate 15, 214 km northeast of Los Angeles, California. 35.0876°N, 116.2661°W. NAD1983 Elev. 350 m. One of many plants in this area.

Prosopis glandulosa Torrey var. torreyana (L. Benson) M. Johnston. Honey Mesquite.

Mojave River Wash, San Bernardino County, California. 214 km northeast of Los Angeles, California. 35.0876°N, 116.2661°W. NAD1983 Elev. 350 m. Not many flowers here, though I had seen many flowers on other bushes elsewhere along Basin Road.

Parkinsonia aculeata L. Mexican Palo Verde.

Mojave River Wash, San Bernardino County, California. On Interstate 15 at Basin Road, collected north side of highway, at the edge of the wash, west of Basin Road overpass. 35.1007°N, 116.2704°W. WGS 1984, Elev. 337 m. Has spines at nodes.

Thursday, April 27, 2000

Castilleja chromosa Nelson. Desert Indian Paintbrush.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. North face of Wild Horse Mesa, about 1.5 miles by road and trail southwest of Wild Horse Canyon Road, and about 8 miles north northeast of Mitchell Caverns. 35.0471°N, 115.4583°E. WGS 1984. Elev. 1540 m. Solitary plants or growing in Prunus fasciculata.

Coll. No. 217, 27 April 2000, characters observed: Perennial subshrub, to 25 cm., green, hairs simple, not glandular anywhere especially proximal to inflorescence, pinyon-juniper woodland; Leaves alternate (sometimes nearly appearing opposite), sessile, 50 mm. × 5 mm. wide, lanceolate to 5-lobed distally, not fleshy; Calyx, 18 mm., cleft ab- and ad-axially 5 mm. (28%), lobes not curved upward; Corolla, tube 11 mm. + beak 13 mm. = 24 mm., straight, not curved through abaxial side of side of calyx sinus, upper lobes tip open, projected forward, lower lip small; Stamens, 4, fused in pairs; Anther, sacs per stamen obscured by twinning, looks like at least 3 sacs per pair of stamens; Stigma, lobes obscured by pollen.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. North face of Wild Horse Mesa, about 1.5 miles by road and trail southwest of Wild Horse Canyon Road, and about 8 miles north northeast of Mitchell Caverns. 35.0471°N, 115.4583°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1540 m. Solitary plants or growing out of Coleogyne ramosissima.

Coll. No. 218, 27 Apr 2000, characters observed: Perennial, subshrub, open, not matted or cushion-like, Stem, woody below, Leaves, mostly opposite, some alternate, simple, entire, 45 mm. × 3 mm. wide, lance-linear; Inflorescence, not head-like; Calyx, lobes equal, membrane ±keeled; Corolla, salverform, tube 11 mm. + lobes 6 mm. = 17 mm.; Anthers, 3 short, 2 long; Style, 5.5 mm.; Stigma, 1 mm.

Astragalus lentiginosus Hook. var. fremontii (A. Gray) S. Watson. Fremont's Milkvetch.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. North slopes of Wild Horse Mesa, 5.73 km west of the current (2012) Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center, 12.49 km north northeast of Mitchell Caverns. 35.0471°N, 115.4583°W. wgs 1984. Elev. 1540 m. On the old road with Dalea searlesiae, just starting to bloom.

Same as Coll. No. 248.

Chamaesyce albomarginata (Torrey & A. Gray) Small. Rattlesnake Weed.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. North face of Wild Horse Mesa, about 1.5 miles by road and trail southwest of Wild Horse Canyon Road, and about 8 miles north northeast of Mitchell Caverns. 35.0471°N, 115.4583°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1540 m. In the old road.

Coll. No. 220, 27 Apr 2000, characters observed: Perennial, tap-rooted, prostrate, to 7 cm. dia.; Leaves, opposite, ovate, 5 mm. × 4 mm. wide, margins entire, petioles 0.7 mm., stipules fused into wide membraneous scale; Inflorescence, 1 involucre per node, of separate ♂ and ♀ flowers; Involucre, glabrous, appendage white; Styles, #3, each divided ½; Fruit, glabrous.

Cryptantha flavoculata (A. Nelson) Payson.  Roughseed Cryptantha.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. In open areas on limestone, about 5.5 km. west of Hole-in-the-Wall. 35.0471°N, 115.4583°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1540 m. Solitary Plants. Stinging hairs. With Swertia albomarginata, Juniperus osteosperma, Pinus monophylla, Coleogyne ramosissima, and Eriogonum fasciculatum.

Coll. No. 222, 27 April 2000, characters observed while keying: Perennial to 20 cm.; Hairs of two kinds, short appressed, long single-celled “bulbous-based bristles;” Leaves basal and cauline, cauline alternate, to 65 mm. × 12 mm. wide; Corolla, salverform, white, tube 4 mm. + lobe 3.5 mm., appendages prominent; Nutlets not sufficiently developed.

Acmispon rigidus (Benth.) Brouillet. Desert Rock Pea.

Lobo Point, San Bernardino County, California. On north-facing outcrops of pyroclastic mudflow, growing from fractures in rock, 170 m south of the “campsite,” now closed, 2.65 km northwest of the current (2012) Hole-in-the-Wall Visitor Center, 14.55 km northeast of Mitchell Caverns 35.0498°N, 115.4233°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1395 m.

Linum lewisii Pursh var. lewisii. Prairie Blue Flax.

Pinto Mountain, San Bernardino County, California. On the lowest south-facing slopes of Pinto Mountain, 600 meters north of Cedar Canyon Road, and 12.7 km by air southeast of Cima. 35.1728°N, 115.3847°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1700 m. Blue flower. Few seen.

Weather stayed warm 75-80°F and breezy. Worlds tallest thermometer at Baker said 101°F at 5:30 PM when I drove through there. Rob said the high was 104°F at Zzyzx.

Saturday, April 29, 2000

Sunday, April 30, 2000

Same as Coll. No. 232.

Coll. No. 232, Atriplex confertifolia

Tule Spring, Inyo County, California. At a former settlement 0.5 km southeast of the Spring, 14 km east of Tecopa, Inyo County, and 90 km southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada. 35.8142°N, 116.0523°W. WGS1984 Elev. 715 m.

Coll. No. 232, 30 Apr 2000, characters observed; Perennial, woody shrub, to 1 m.; Stem, some branch tips spiny, smooth not striate; Leaves, petiole 4-5 mm., blade 16-18 mm. × 9.0-9.5 mm. wide, length 1.7-2.0  × width, margins entire; Inflorescence, dioecious or monoecious (staminate or pistillate flowers are borne separately, but when the collection was made, I did not note separate branches or separate plants); Bracts, fruiting, to 5 mm. × 4 mm. wide, ±leaf-like (small, per description in TJM2, but all different sizes and likely still growing).

The Kingston Range isto the south, the Spring Mountains (with some snow on the top) to the east, and the Nopah Range to the north.

The source of water for Tule Spring is probably the low axis of valley. The fine-grained sediments of alluvial fans from Alexander Hills and Nopah Range may have dammed water exiting the California Valley, or possibly there is a sill or ground water basin.

Looking at the Kingston Range, there is a spring at the trees between the 2 talc mines.

Monday, May 1, 2000

Sunday, June 4, 2000

Monday, June 5, 2000

After checking my Salvia dorrii plot, I drove into Lobo Point.

Bahiopsis parishii (Greene) E. E. Schill. & Panero. Parish's Golden Eye.

Lobo Point, San Bernardino County, California. In the watercourse on the south side of the landslide on the east side of Lobo Point, about 1.7 miles west northwest of Hole-in-the-Wall, and 9 miles north northeast of Mitchell Caverns. 35.051°N, 115.4257°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1475 m. Common, many heads had no ray flowers.

Coll. No. 246, 5 June 2000, characters observed: Perennial (assumed), to 40 cm.; Leaves, basal unknown, cauline present; Phyllaries, in 2 series, ±equal, abruptly narrowed at middle, not subtending ray flowers; Receptacle, flat, paleate, palea folded around disk flower ovary; Flowers, of two kinds, heads radiate; Rays, yellow, sterile, style 0, pappus of short scales; Disk, pappus of short scales and 2 long scales; Fruit, compressed, hairy, but margin not ciliate.

Astragalus sp. Milkvetch.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. North slope of the Mesa, on old roads. Elev. 1385 m. Seed pods only, no flowers, near where Astragalus sp. was collected in April, 2000.

Dried out, falling apart, discarded.

Collection immature, discarded.

Asclepias erosa Torrey. Desert Milkweed. Wild Horse Canyon, San Bernardino County, California. In Wild Horse Canyon Wash on the cherry stem road into the Blue Jay Mine, north end of Wild Horse Mesa. 278 km northeast of Los Angeles, California. 35.0608°N, 115.4446°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1442 m.

Tuesday, June 6, 2000

Wednesday, June 7, 2000

FIELD TRIP REPORT by Michael Honer

Dry Lakes Plateau, Bodie Hills - June 10-11

Far off on the northeastern edge of California lies a broad volcanic plateau nestled between the Bodie Hills and the Nevada border. The Sweetwater Mountains dominate the northwest horizon while Beauty Peak gazes down from the east. Signs of prehistoric people are numerous and a mild breeze drifts over the hills as Pronghorn Antelope graze across the Dry Lakes and adjoining uplands.

Into this serene landscape rumbles a convoy of eight 4WD vehicles, led by botanist Anne Halford and archeologist Kirk Halford. CNPS members from as far as Sand Diego and Sacramento, and as near as Bishop and Bodie have traveled to this remote location to observe a relatively undisturbed piece of the Great Basin flora, and witness evidence of 10,000 years of human habitation.

Our first stop led us to examine discreet populations of Mono Phacelia (Phacelia monoenesis) and Bodie Hills draba (Cusickiella quadricostata) growing on soft friable Rhyolitic clays along the rugged road up to the plateau. These two diminuitive plants, both with tiny yellow flowers, were the first rare species encountered. We take a quick lunch surrounded by Long Valley milk-vetch (Astragalus johannis-howellii), followed by a short hike down to the dry lakebed. Here Anne located a few rare individuals of the Great Basin vernal pool species; combleaf (Polyctenium williamsii). This is the first time in 9 years that these lakes have been dry so we feel lucky to have spotted a few of these small white-flowered endemics.

Proceeding farther north, we park our vehicles on the Nevada Border next to some conveniently located tall stands of mountain mahogany. Soon we’re striking out west across the rugged basalt plateau. We step over Penstemon humilis as we’re treated to absorbing lectures on packrat middens which record the arrival of pinyon pine here almost 5,000 years ago. We stumble over Senecio multilobatis and find mounds of Polygala intermontana which are relatively infrequent in the Bodie Hills. Sitting on a ridge overlooking an unusual sedge bog, we’re prompted to think of the detailed long-term climatic information that is buried there and revealed by recent core samples.

After the day’s explorations, we settle in to camp on a broad plane at 8,000; leading down to the lakebed. Kirk shows us secret grinding slicks and other tools used by ancient campers. Some of the group prefer to explore nearby water tanks effaced by the graffitti of more contemporary campers, the Basque, Peruvian, and French shepherds stationed here since the turn of the last century. The chilly evening is spent recounting various earthquake anecdotes around the fire while sharing some splendid lemon pound birthday cake.

Up bright and early, our objective is to casually hike up to Beauty Peak. On top at 9,018’ we’re dazzled by about a 378 degree view, as a few young Bodie Hills Arabis (Arabis bodiensis) look on. Eventually we make our way back down to the vehicles, satisfied and thankful for the opportunity to explore such a culturally rich and botanically diverse region. Clouds of road dust drift across the Dry Lakes Plateau as we wind our way back downhill.

Wild Horse Mesa, San Bernardino County, California. North face of Wild Horse Mesa, 3¼ miles west of Hole-in-the-Wall, 8 miles north northeast of Mitchell Caverns. 35.051°N, 115.4567°W. WGS 1984. Elev. 1490 m. Low growing composite, occasional in my Swertia albomarginata plots. North-facing lacustrine limestone slopes of the informally named Winkler Formation.

Collected under Permit#: MOJA-2001-SCI-0015, Vegetation of Lobo Point and North Wild Horse Mesa.

Coll. No. 265, 1 Sep 2000, characters observed while keying: Woody perennial shrub, to 30 cm.; Stem, young, puberulent (not tomentose); Leaves, alternate, lanceolate, entire, without embedded oil glands, with short stalked glands; Inflorescence, none of the flowers with strap-shaped corollas, flowers of 1 kind; Involucre, obconic, 10 mm.; Phyllaries, graduated in 5 series, arranged in vertical ranks, without embedded oil glands; Corolla, yellow; Pappus of well-developed bristles, #many, Style appendages ±=stigmatic portion; Fruit with few glandular hairs.

Saturday, September 17, 2000

Sunday September 18, 2000

Monday, September 19, 2000

Thursday, September 21, 2000

Friday, September 22, 2000

Saturday, September 23, 2000

Sunday, September 24, 2000

Friday, October 6, 2000

Saturday, October 7, 2000

Sunday, October 8, 2000

December 2000