Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Fave Flora Seen in 2013

As we here in California wish for rain, and wonder about the 2014 floral forecast (for grasses & agriculture too), I thought I'd close out the year with some colorful cheer.

So, here are 15 CA native species that I first encountered in 2013 but didn't put in any posts.

First up, 5 species I saw on the east side of the Sierra Nevada, in Mono County:

great basin mariposa
Great Basin Mariposa Lily, Calochortus bruneaunis, exploding out of the sagebrush steppe

alpine lily
Alpine Lily, Lilium parvum, likes high elevation riparian corridors

carsonia
Fewleaf Spiderplant, Carsonia sparsifolia, a stinky bladderpod relative

platanthera tescamnis
Great Basin Bog Orchid, Platanthera tescamnis

pulchellum
Beautiful Shooting Star, Dodecatheon pulchellum

And here are 5 from the Sierra Nevada and Tehachapi Mountains:

chamaesaracha nana
False Ground Cherry, Chamaesaracha nana, a Nightshade like tomatoes and potatoes

pilosa
Hairy Paintbrush, Castilleja pilosa, that hides in bushes

congdon's lewisia
Congdon's Lewisia, Lewisia congdonii, a CNPS 1B.3 and CA State listed rare species

yosemite woolly sunflower
Yosemite Woolly Sunflower, Eriophyllum nubigenum, also a 1B.3 rare endemic

And speaking of woolly - check out these crazy seed pods:

woolly pods
Woolly Pod Milkvetch, Astragalus purshii var. tinctus

And finally, 5 from the North Coast Ranges, near Mount St. Helena and Calistoga, starting with another, quite different milkvetch...

rattanii
The rare 1B.2 serpentine-loving Jepson's Milkvetch, Astragalus rattanii var. jepsonianus

cratericola
Cascade Onion, Allium cratericola, which also likes serpentine, but grows on volcanics too

hoover!
The wild, weird & wonderful Hoover's Lomatium, Lomatium hooveri

not shy fawn
Pacific Fawn Lily, Erythronium helenae, a lily that screams for attention

too purdy
And Purdy's Fritillary, Fritillaria purdyi, a much more humble lily

So - 2014 - whatchya got?

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5 comments:

  1. A wonderful collection...thank you so much for sharing these natives...it helps knowing they are hanging on and communicating their unique message.

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  2. Love seeing these rarities, especially during this rather boring (weather-wise) dry spell we're experiencing in the Eastern Sierra. Great photography too (esp. loved the orchid) -thanks!

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  3. Excellent collection. I never imagined there were orchids in the Great Basin. As for a favorite, I changed my mind several times as I went through the post, but when I got to Purdy's Fritillary I'm like wow! I'd love to see that one someday.

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    1. You have great taste, Ted. The Purdy's was a trip-making species. And they can be found on the serp of Walker Ridge, a special area that likely has Cicindelas, I'd bet.

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  4. p.s. you really should submit this to Alex Wild for his "Best of 2013" photography collection.

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