Sierra Azul Wildflower Survey April 2008

The weather just called for a hike in the wilderness! Well--not too wild. The path we followed for the first half of the hike was along an old, overgrown road. But this part of Sierra Azul ( ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:39:42 -0700

elf1
The weather just called for a hike in the wilderness! Well--not too wild. The path we followed for the first half of the hike was along an old, overgrown road. But this part of Sierra Azul ( ...

Small purple flower #1. (Unidentified flowers I have numbered sequentially. Assistance welcome.) We had several pages of lovely color photos--and still encountered flowers at every turn that ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:38:55 -0700

elf1
Small purple flower #1. (Unidentified flowers I have numbered sequentially. Assistance welcome.) We had several pages of lovely color photos--and still encountered flowers at every turn that ...

Small yellow #2. (Suggested: maybe Prickleseed Buttercup.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:38:13 -0700

elf1
Small yellow #2. (Suggested: maybe Prickleseed Buttercup.)

California buttercup. We saw millions of them. And all I managed was one blurry shot? Yeesh. Back to remedial photography 1A.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:43:21 -0700

elf1
California buttercup. We saw millions of them. And all I managed was one blurry shot? Yeesh. Back to remedial photography 1A.

Pacific Sanicle, flowers not all the way open.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:40:18 -0700

elf1
Pacific Sanicle, flowers not all the way open.

Wild Cucumber, aka Manroot.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:46:54 -0700

elf1
Wild Cucumber, aka Manroot.

The old trail road sometimes looked like a grassy arbor, sometimes like a forest glen.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:41:29 -0700

elf1
The old trail road sometimes looked like a grassy arbor, sometimes like a forest glen.

The trail road had some mildly interesting unmaintained spots, like these downed trees that we had to navigate. And poison oak everywhere, just tried not to get too much of it on ourselves a ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:44:32 -0700

elf1
The trail road had some mildly interesting unmaintained spots, like these downed trees that we had to navigate. And poison oak everywhere, just tried not to get too much of it on ourselves a ...

Bedstraw (a Galium species). It seemed to be mostly the tiny flowers that we had trouble identifying quickly. The bigger ones were usually easier.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:43:03 -0700

elf1
Bedstraw (a Galium species). It seemed to be mostly the tiny flowers that we had trouble identifying quickly. The bigger ones were usually easier.

Park biologist IDs as probably a wild pea, Lathyrus species. (I had noted: Vetch of some sort; not sure which variety. ) Near the end of the hike, someone suggested that I include fingers in ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:42:20 -0700

elf1
Park biologist IDs as probably a wild pea, Lathyrus species. (I had noted: Vetch of some sort; not sure which variety. ) Near the end of the hike, someone suggested that I include fingers in ...

Fernald's Iris. I didn't ask who Fernald was, but it was probably this guy.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:44:43 -0700

elf1
Fernald's Iris. I didn't ask who Fernald was, but it was probably this guy.

Fernald's Iris again.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:46:29 -0700

elf1
Fernald's Iris again.

Blue Dicks. Who comes up with these names? (Short for Dichelostemma capitatum.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:46:07 -0700

elf1
Blue Dicks. Who comes up with these names? (Short for Dichelostemma capitatum.)

Sticky monkey flower. Another ubiquitous shrubby plant that I was so confident about getting photos of that I also cavalierly got only one blurry shot. It's called sticky because it feels st ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:45:08 -0700

elf1
Sticky monkey flower. Another ubiquitous shrubby plant that I was so confident about getting photos of that I also cavalierly got only one blurry shot. It's called sticky because it feels st ...

Globe Lily (or Fairy Lantern). Good thing we had an experienced leader, or we'd have missed these pale (but fairly large) flowers amid the undergrowth.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:41:48 -0700

elf1
Globe Lily (or Fairy Lantern). Good thing we had an experienced leader, or we'd have missed these pale (but fairly large) flowers amid the undergrowth.

Dang, I'm running out of time. So probably no more links. More Blue Dicks.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:45:31 -0700

elf1
Dang, I'm running out of time. So probably no more links. More Blue Dicks.

Small yellow #4. By the end of the day, I was started to see double-- was it just the same DYC (damned yellow composite) I'd seen earlier, or something entirely new?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:08:41 -0700

elf1
Small yellow #4. By the end of the day, I was started to see double-- was it just the same DYC (damned yellow composite) I'd seen earlier, or something entirely new?

Small yellow flower #5. Buds. I thought at first that these were actually the flowers, but no. More photos later. (Ah ha! I believe that this is Yellow Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:38:44 -0700

elf1
Small yellow flower #5. Buds. I thought at first that these were actually the flowers, but no. More photos later. (Ah ha! I believe that this is Yellow Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum.)

Small purple #6.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:42:43 -0700

elf1
Small purple #6.

Small purple #6 foliage.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:38:36 -0700

elf1
Small purple #6 foliage.

Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:55:16 -0700

elf1
Common yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Small white #7 foliage.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:09:41 -0700

elf1
Small white #7 foliage.

Indian paintbrush. There were several possible varieties in the list, but we think this was Plain Old Indian Paintbrush.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:51:14 -0700

elf1
Indian paintbrush. There were several possible varieties in the list, but we think this was Plain Old Indian Paintbrush.

Some kind of larkspur?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:04:30 -0700

elf1
Some kind of larkspur?

Clover--don't know which variety. There were several of these in the list, too. This one's three leaves were basically oval.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:47:02 -0700

elf1
Clover--don't know which variety. There were several of these in the list, too. This one's three leaves were basically oval.

Chinese House.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:46:36 -0700

elf1
Chinese House.

Chinese House with leaves visible.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:09:06 -0700

elf1
Chinese House with leaves visible.

Small purple #8. I KNOW that I've seen some of these in previous years of snapping wildflower photos. But got got got got no time. (Park biologist IDs as probably fiesta flower, Pholistoma.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:55:00 -0700

elf1
Small purple #8. I KNOW that I've seen some of these in previous years of snapping wildflower photos. But got got got got no time. (Park biologist IDs as probably fiesta flower, Pholistoma.)

Small purple #8 foliage. We thought it was interesting because the "fingers" on each leaf pointed back towards the stem, whereas for most plants they point away from the stem.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:53:33 -0700

elf1
Small purple #8 foliage. We thought it was interesting because the "fingers" on each leaf pointed back towards the stem, whereas for most plants they point away from the stem.

Miner's lettuce. A unique plant that usually makes me feel like I'm looking at an alien species. Edible. So I've been told.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:04:48 -0700

elf1
Miner's lettuce. A unique plant that usually makes me feel like I'm looking at an alien species. Edible. So I've been told.

A clump of miner's lettuce.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:53:15 -0700

elf1
A clump of miner's lettuce.

Fiddleneck.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:52:32 -0700

elf1
Fiddleneck.

Fiddleneck from the side.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:11:19 -0700

elf1
Fiddleneck from the side.

Maybe some kind of horehound. (Small purple #9.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:51:29 -0700

elf1
Maybe some kind of horehound. (Small purple #9.)

Small purple maybe horehound foliage.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:58:52 -0700

elf1
Small purple maybe horehound foliage.

Wood sorrel/sour grass.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:49:37 -0700

elf1
Wood sorrel/sour grass.

Filaree? Dang, there are a bunch of kinds using this common name.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:59:10 -0700

elf1
Filaree? Dang, there are a bunch of kinds using this common name.

Pacific Sanicle again, this time more in bloom.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:55:52 -0700

elf1
Pacific Sanicle again, this time more in bloom.

Blue-eyed grass.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:08:59 -0700

elf1
Blue-eyed grass.

Small yellow #11.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:09:19 -0700

elf1
Small yellow #11.

Mule's ears. Huh, apparently there are several species. I KNEW that I should've been taking notes from the handy-dandy supplied sheets instead of just by ear. But, once we got past the first ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:55:36 -0700

elf1
Mule's ears. Huh, apparently there are several species. I KNEW that I should've been taking notes from the handy-dandy supplied sheets instead of just by ear. But, once we got past the first ...

Rose clover. We think. Did I mention how many kinds of clover there were?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:47:40 -0700

elf1
Rose clover. We think. Did I mention how many kinds of clover there were?

Small yellow #12 plant. (Park Biologist IDs as Hounds tongue, I guess post-blossom.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:49:17 -0700

elf1
Small yellow #12 plant. (Park Biologist IDs as Hounds tongue, I guess post-blossom.)

Small yellow #12 flower. These must be seed heads, not flowers.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:00:08 -0700

elf1
Small yellow #12 flower. These must be seed heads, not flowers.

Probably tomcat clover or Trifolium species.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:51:00 -0700

elf1
Probably tomcat clover or Trifolium species.

Blue dick, fully opened.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:52:22 -0700

elf1
Blue dick, fully opened.

Yellow Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum. Fully opened, all the little round things in the center become little florets.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:48:22 -0700

elf1
Yellow Yarrow, Eriophyllum confertiflorum. Fully opened, all the little round things in the center become little florets.

Yellow yarrow stems

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:48:41 -0700

elf1
Yellow yarrow stems

Maybe popcorn flower?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:47:27 -0700

elf1
Maybe popcorn flower?

Indian Paintbrush again. These certainly were vivid compared to so many that we saw.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:57:51 -0700

elf1
Indian Paintbrush again. These certainly were vivid compared to so many that we saw.

Blow Wives. Could they be related to the Blue Dicks? ... Wait, I said don't go there--

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 20:09:08 -0700

elf1
Blow Wives. Could they be related to the Blue Dicks? ... Wait, I said don't go there--

Part of the old road trail has been covered by a landslide. To the right (not shown here) is an extremely steep nearly clifflike slope. You don't want to slip while crossing the steep and sc ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:57:07 -0700

elf1
Part of the old road trail has been covered by a landslide. To the right (not shown here) is an extremely steep nearly clifflike slope. You don't want to slip while crossing the steep and sc ...

White puffy flowers #12. (Maybe popcorn flower.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:57:20 -0700

elf1
White puffy flowers #12. (Maybe popcorn flower.)

Small shrub (leaves shown) with little white flowers --yerba santa.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:01:42 -0700

elf1
Small shrub (leaves shown) with little white flowers --yerba santa.

Here's the problem with going through grassy, scrubby areas. Ticks everywhere. Assured by the biologist that "it takes 24 hours for them to dig in, so you've got plenty of time to get rid of ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:53:48 -0700

elf1
Here's the problem with going through grassy, scrubby areas. Ticks everywhere. Assured by the biologist that "it takes 24 hours for them to dig in, so you've got plenty of time to get rid of ...

We're approaching the slide.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:50:42 -0700

elf1
We're approaching the slide.

Morning glory.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:06:37 -0700

elf1
Morning glory.

The last member of our group finishes crossing the slide area. This was a hands-and-feet precarious crossing. You can see how steep it is down to the left. You can also see that he managed t ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:08:03 -0700

elf1
The last member of our group finishes crossing the slide area. This was a hands-and-feet precarious crossing. You can see how steep it is down to the left. You can also see that he managed t ...

Deer lotus aka deer weed aka Lotus scoparius.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:01:24 -0700

elf1
Deer lotus aka deer weed aka Lotus scoparius.

Butterfly. I'm thinking checkerspot of some sort (probably Chaldecon Checkerspot--thanks, Seph). They're even worse than little white flowers! This one was resting up and having a cigarette ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:01:07 -0700

elf1
Butterfly. I'm thinking checkerspot of some sort (probably Chaldecon Checkerspot--thanks, Seph). They're even worse than little white flowers! This one was resting up and having a cigarette ...

Looking across and down the canyon we came up.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:00:52 -0700

elf1
Looking across and down the canyon we came up.

Morning glory buds, looking elegant.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:59:54 -0700

elf1
Morning glory buds, looking elegant.

Blue witch. Fuzzy. Sorry.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:11:38 -0700

elf1
Blue witch. Fuzzy. Sorry.

Shrub with shaggy flowers #14. This was the only one we saw, and it was up the hillside. I had to use my telephoto lens. (Park biologist IDs as clematis.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:59:35 -0700

elf1
Shrub with shaggy flowers #14. This was the only one we saw, and it was up the hillside. I had to use my telephoto lens. (Park biologist IDs as clematis.)

On the trail. Doesn't it look lke a nice day to be out and about?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:10:32 -0700

elf1
On the trail. Doesn't it look lke a nice day to be out and about?

White flowers long stem #15.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:44:33 -0700

elf1
White flowers long stem #15.

Scarlet pimpernel. Fuzzy. OK, I've got them growing in my back yard, so big deal.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:42:40 -0700

elf1
Scarlet pimpernel. Fuzzy. OK, I've got them growing in my back yard, so big deal.

Isn't it a GORGEOUS day to be out and surrounded by fields of California buttercups?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:46:13 -0700

elf1
Isn't it a GORGEOUS day to be out and surrounded by fields of California buttercups?

Some variety of Checkerbloom Little striped purple flowers.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:45:24 -0700

elf1
Some variety of Checkerbloom Little striped purple flowers.

Blue-eyed grass. A sweet little native that I grew in my last yard for a while.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:49:58 -0700

elf1
Blue-eyed grass. A sweet little native that I grew in my last yard for a while.

California poppies. Token not-very-good photo just to prove that we saw a couple.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:48:13 -0700

elf1
California poppies. Token not-very-good photo just to prove that we saw a couple.

Small violet flower #16. (Park biologist IDs as red maids--Calandrinia ciliata.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:07:13 -0700

elf1
Small violet flower #16. (Park biologist IDs as red maids--Calandrinia ciliata.)

Minature lupin.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:56:16 -0700

elf1
Minature lupin.

Glamorous tick-preventive measures, stuffing flare-legged jeans into socks. Seemed to be effective, though.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:41:14 -0700

elf1
Glamorous tick-preventive measures, stuffing flare-legged jeans into socks. Seemed to be effective, though.

Deer's antler--young buck, just two prongs. I saw a couple of deer in a meadow on the way out of the preserve, but none while we were hiking. We might have been focusing more on the ground.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:06:12 -0700

elf1
Deer's antler--young buck, just two prongs. I saw a couple of deer in a meadow on the way out of the preserve, but none while we were hiking. We might have been focusing more on the ground.

Coming over the hill, looking down at Cherry Springs Lake (manmade once upon a time, within the Preserve) and silicon valley beyond.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:54:40 -0700

elf1
Coming over the hill, looking down at Cherry Springs Lake (manmade once upon a time, within the Preserve) and silicon valley beyond.

Fernald's Iris once again.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:44:15 -0700

elf1
Fernald's Iris once again.

Small violet #17. (Park biologist IDs as a Linanthus species.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:43:35 -0700

elf1
Small violet #17. (Park biologist IDs as a Linanthus species.)

We've been on the trail for three and a half hours (minus a lunch break) and we're still looking for flowers that we haven't encountered yet. What a team!

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:08:48 -0700

elf1
We've been on the trail for three and a half hours (minus a lunch break) and we're still looking for flowers that we haven't encountered yet. What a team!

Cherry Springs Lake and meadow.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:52:01 -0700

elf1
Cherry Springs Lake and meadow.

Now we're on an old paved section of road. The rest of the trip is a breeze, although parts are pretty steep down-hill.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:11:06 -0700

elf1
Now we're on an old paved section of road. The rest of the trip is a breeze, although parts are pretty steep down-hill.

Cherry Springs Lake.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:43:18 -0700

elf1
Cherry Springs Lake.

Cherry Springs Lake.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:42:19 -0700

elf1
Cherry Springs Lake.

Shepherd's Needle.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:52:56 -0700

elf1
Shepherd's Needle.

This wild turkey had nearly vanished into the undergrowth before I got this barely recognizable photo of him. Shortly after that, a coyote ran across the road about 50 feet in front of us an ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:02:41 -0700

elf1
This wild turkey had nearly vanished into the undergrowth before I got this barely recognizable photo of him. Shortly after that, a coyote ran across the road about 50 feet in front of us an ...

Fernald's Iris AGAIN, this time growing in a clump. They were actually pretty common everywhere.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:02:21 -0700

elf1
Fernald's Iris AGAIN, this time growing in a clump. They were actually pretty common everywhere.

Yellow-green flower #18. (Park biologist IDs as gopher plant.)

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:58:35 -0700

elf1
Yellow-green flower #18. (Park biologist IDs as gopher plant.)

Other than the old roads, the only signs of human presence that we saw were two of these balloons (in different spots), obviously blown in by the wind from somewhere else. A bad thing, that ...

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:03:38 -0700

elf1
Other than the old roads, the only signs of human presence that we saw were two of these balloons (in different spots), obviously blown in by the wind from somewhere else. A bad thing, that ...

Or then there are the dorks who do it deliberately, despite the sign.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:40:09 -0700

elf1
Or then there are the dorks who do it deliberately, despite the sign.

This is where I started.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:04:13 -0700

elf1
This is where I started.

There are lots of places for sale wayyyyy out here in the country. Many also aren't for sale. But wouldn't you like to have a little country house of your own?

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:05:37 -0700

elf1
There are lots of places for sale wayyyyy out here in the country. Many also aren't for sale. But wouldn't you like to have a little country house of your own?

Like this little country cottage.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 18:09:22 -0700

elf1
Like this little country cottage.

Or this one.

nobody@smugmug.com (elf1) — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 17:47:19 -0700

elf1
Or this one.