2016 Field Trip Report: Elsinore Peak & S Main Divide Road [3/21/2016]

Trip Recap
Plants Seen

Trip Recap
Plants Seen

Trip Recap

Almost twenty individuals joined us for the first day of Spring. And we celebrated be seeing many Wildflowers and enjoying the great botany and interesting natural history of the Elsinore Peak area of the Southern Santa Ana Mountains.

After a thorough debriefing and shoe and clothing check to remove any weed seeds or fragments we began with an introduction to the area, it's brief geological history and its significance and relationship to the Bette known area of The Santa Rosa Plateau. We botanized a bit of the grassland, oak woodland and chaparral just west of South Main Divide, then crossed the road and travelled along the old roadway of South Main Divide (before it was re-routed many years ago). We also searched around "Onion Hill" and discussed rarities such as Hammitt's rockcress (Siberopsis hammittii), which was discovered here and named as both a new species and new genus as recently as the 1990's.

After the Elsinore Peak area the group drove back down South Main Divide Road and stopped at the Morgan Trailhead where we visited the site of the Falls fire. This is out third visit to this area and it is most interesting to see fire ecology in action as the forest recovers. From a rather closed canopy of chaparral, the area was burned completely. The following spring, in spite of intensely low rainfall, the entire area was dense with annual fire-following plants. Last year's visit saw a reduction of those be perhaps 50%. This year that reduction was even more pronounced as the annuals are now giving way to the woody perennials and the sub-shrubs and shrubs.

We played a game and offered an award to anyone who could locate a fire poppy (Papaver californicum). two years ago there were thousands and last year's there were at least hundreds here. But even after an exhaustive search we could not locate a single fire poppy. The seeds are still present, by the thousands, but they will lie dormant, perhaps for decades until the time is right once again.

Latin Name	Common Name	Status	Comments	Bloom
Elsinore peak parking to Onion Hill 8:30
Adenostemafasciculatum	Chamise	N	Just beginning to bud	5-6
Amsinckiamunziesii	Small-flowered Fiddleneck	F	A few	5-7
Archtostaphylosglauca	Bigberry Manzanita	M		12-3
Avena sp	Wild Oats	D	Abundant	4-6
Brassicanigra	Black Mustard	F	Very few	4-7
Bromusdiandrus	Ripgut Brome	F		4-6
Bromusmadritensis	Red Brome	F		4-6
Centaureamelitensis	Tocolote	N		4-6
Centaureasolstitialis	Yellow Star Thistle	N		5-10
Cercocarpusbetuloides	Mountain Mahogany	F	Early flowers	3-5
Cirsiumoccidentale	Cobweb Thistle	N		3-7
Clematis lasiantha	Virgin's Bower	F	Single plant	1-6
Corethrogyne filaginifolia	Sand Aster	N		7-11
Collinsia heterophylla	Chinese Houses	N		4-6
Delphinium parryi	Parry's Delphinium	N		3-6
Dichelostemmacapitatum	Wild Hyacinth	F		2-5
Elymuscondensatus	Giant Rye Grass	F		6-8
Enceliacalifornica	California Encelia	F		2-6
Erigeron foliosus	Fleabane Aster	N		5-8
Eriogonumfascicssppoliofolium	Mojave Desert Buckwheat	F	Sparse hairs top	1-12
Eriogonumfascicsspfoliolosum	Leafy California Buckwheat	F	Hairy top & bottom	1-12
Eriophyllumconfertiflora	Golden Yarrow	F		1-7
Erodiumcircutarium	Red-stemmed Filaree	F	Abundant	2-9
Eucryptachrysanthemifolia	Common Eucrypta	N		3-4
Fritillariabiflora	Chocolate Lily	F		3-5
Hesperoyuccawhipplei	Chaparral Yucca	S		4-6
Hordium murinum	Barley	F		1-6
Hypochaerisglabra	Smooth Cat's Ear	F		3-6
Lactucaserriola	Prickly Wild Lettuce	N		5-9
Logfiagallica	Narrow-leaf Fluffweed	S		4-6
Lonicerasubspicata	Southern Honeysuckle	Bud		4-6
Lupinusbicolor	Miniature Lupine	F		3-6
Lupinusexcubitus	Grape Soda Lupine	F		4-6
Malacothamnusfasciculatus	Bush Mallow	N		5-6
Malosmalaurina	Laurel Sumac	M		2-5
Marahmacrocarpus	Wild Cucumber	F		1-4
Medicagopolymorpha	Bur Clover	F		3-9
Mimulusauranticus	Bush Monkeyflower	F		3-6
Nemophilamenziesii	Baby Blue-eyes	F	A few	3-4
Paeoniacalifornica	California Peony	F		1-3
Phaceliacircutaria	Caterpillar Phacelia	N		2-6
Phorodendronleucocarpum	Oak Mistletoe	M		7-9
Quercusberberidifolia	Scrub Oak	F		3-5
Ranunculus occidentalis	California Buttercup	F		3-8
Salvia mellifera	Black Sage	F		4-7
Saniculabipinnatifida	Purple Sanicle	F	Single plant	3-5
Solanumxanti	Chaparral Nightshade	F		2-6
Sonchusasper	Prickly Sow-thistle	F		1-12
Thalictrumfendleri	Meadowrue	N		5-8
Trifoliumhirtum	Pink Clover	F		3-6
Viciavillosa [or bengalensis]	Winter [or Purple]Vetch	F	Abundant	3-6
Viola pedunculata	Johnny Jump-ups	F		2-4
Onion Hill 10:25
Acmisponstrigosus	Strigose Lotus	F		5-10
Ceanothuscrassifolius	Thick-leaved Lilac	M		1-4
Dudleyalanceolata	Lance-leaf Dudleya	M		5-7
Lasthenia gracilis	Slender Goldfields	F	sparse	3-5
Lomatiumdasycarpum	Woolly-fruited Lomatium	F		3-6
Lomatiumutriculatum	Common Lomatium	N		4-6
Pectocaryalinearis	Comb Bur	F		2-5
Plantago erecta	California Dwarf Plantain	F		3-5
Salvia columbariae	Chia	F		3-6
Saniculacrassicaulis	Pacific Sanicle	N		3-5
Seleginellabigelovii	Bushy Spike Moss		Green
Sisyrinchium bellum	Blue-eyed Grass	F		3-5
Unknown plant: Tiny yellow 5-petaled aster-type flower with notched tips, paler at ends, narrow, serrated leaves in basal rosette
Unknown plant: Tiny, narrow leaves, but fatter than Gila, flowers along stalk not open, possibly white
Back side of Onion Hill 11:25
Acmisponglabervarbrevialatus	Desert Deerweed	F/N	A few flowering	3-8
Alliumhaematochiton/marvinii	Red-skinned Onion	F	A few flowering	3-5
Alliumlacunosum	Pitted Onion	F	A few flowering	3-5
Archtostaphylosglauca	Bigberry Manzanita	M		12-3
Arctostaphylosglandulosa	Eastwood Manzanita	M		1-4
Artemisia californica	California Sagebrush	M		8-12
Calochortussplendens	Splendid Mariposa Lily	F	Single plant	3-5
Chorizanthe fimbriata	Fringed spineflower	N		4-6
Epilobium canum	California Fuschia	N		5-10
Hesperocyperusforbesii	Tecate Cypress	M
Eriastrumsapphirinum	Sapphire Woolly Star	N/S	Tiny - old seed heads	5-9
Erodiumbotrys	Long-beaked Filaree	F/S		3-5
Hesperocyperusforbesi	Tecate Cypress	M	Planted
Hordeummurinum	Foxtail Barley	F		3-6
Lathyrusvestitutus	Chaparral Sweet Pea	F		2-7
Plagiobothrysnothofulvus	Rusty Popcorn Flower	F		2-5
Sambucusnigra	Blue Elderberry	F		3-9
Schismusbarbatus	Mediterranean Schismus	F		3-4
Stipacoronata	Giant Needlegrass	F		4-7
Toxicoscordionfremontii	Fremont's Death Camas	F	Barely flowering	2-6
2013 burn area* across from Morgan Hunt Trailhead 12:25
Ceanothuscrassifolius	Thick-leaved Lilac	M	Sprouting everywhere	1-4
Claytonia parviflora	Narrow-leaf Miner's Lettuce	F	Fairly abundant	3-6
Crypanthaintermedia	Common Cryptantha	F	Nutlets sparse bumps	3-7
Cryptanthamuricata	Prickly Cryptantha	F	Nutlets rough bumps	3-7
Enceliacalifornica	California Encelia	F		2-6
Eschscholziacalifornica	California Poppy	F		2-9
Eucryptachrysanthemifolia	Common Eucrypta	F		3-4
Helianthemumscoparium	California Rush Rose	F	A few flowering	2-9
Isocomamenziesii	Coast Goldenbush	N		6-12
Lathyrusvestitutus	Chaparral Sweet Pea	F		2-7
Lupinusbiocolor	Miniature Lupine	F		3-6
Malosmalaurina	Laurel Sumac	M		2-5
Paeoniacalifornica	California Peony	F		1-3
Penstemonspectabilis	Royal Beardtongue	F	Abundant, but few flrs	4-6
Phaceliabrachyloba	Short-lobed Phacelia	N		3-6
Phacelia minor	Wild Canterbury Bells	F		2-5
Pterostegia drymarioides	Granny's Hairnet	N		3-5
Solanumxanti	Chaparral Nightshade	F	Lots of flowers	2-6
Unknown plant: Tiny yellow flower with needle-like leaves

2016 Field Trip Report: Elsinore Peak & S Main Divide Road [3/21/2016]

Trip Recap

Plants Seen