2016 - Robert's adventures in the Northern Sierra Nevada - California

[Robert]

I am not quite satisfied with the identity of the Quercus garryana var. semota from Traverse Creek.

Pictured are samples of Oracle Oak, Quercus xmorehus from the farm, center. Oracle Oak is a naturally occurring hybrid between Q. kelloggii, California Black Oak, and Q. wislizenii. I have never seen acorns on Oracle Oak.

Quercus wislizenii, Interior Live Oak, with acorn from the farm, left.

Quercus garryana var. semota from Traverse Creek with acorn, right.

The oaks from Traverse Creek seem to be completely evergreen. I have never seen the trees - shrubs without leaves or even appearing semi-evergreen. Quecus garryana is deciduous. Huh!    Also, the leaves are not quite right as some of the leaf lobes are spine tipped. The leaves from the oaks at Traverse Creek do have some spreading stellate hairs on their abaxial surface. The cup of the acorn is also partly tubercled. Both are characteristics of Quercus garryana var. semota.

After some reflection, I thought that the Traverse Creek oak could be some strange form of Oracle Oak, Quercus xmorehus, however this approach just does not fit at all. I guess that it is possible that the oaks could be an evergreen form of Q. garryana var. semota. Another possibility is that they could be some sort of hybrid with Quercus chrysolepis. The acorn cups of Q. chrysolepis can have tubercles and the leaf margins can be spin-tipped.

There always seems to be something interesting to see and learn about at Traverse Creek.

[Hoy]

Robert,

I can't help you with the oak issue! The two species and one hybrid of oak that we have here is more than enough for me!


Although a short one, your outing was interesting as always

With the moist weather and lack of sun the mild temperature (5 - 10C) doesn't lure out any plants.

[Robert]

Trond,

Calflora lists about 15 hybrid oaks native to California. Some are not valid names. Tracking down the identity of the Traverse Creek oak is challenging. I did find a reference to Quercus xsubconvexa (Q. durata x garryana). Quercus durata grows abundantly in the Traverse Creek area. Without a botanical description one can only guess - is the tree Q. xsubconvexa or something similar or ? 

We are having typical wintery-like weather here in Northern California. Gray, overcast skies; cold nights -1C to -2C and about 12C during the day. We are expecting heavy rainfall of subtropical origin in a few days. I'll take the rain, however it would be nice to have lower snow levels with this series of storms.

The garden is more or less sleepy now with the odd flower here and there. Berries, rose hips, silvery foliage, etc. can look good as well as the bark on some trees and shrubs. 

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, you seem to have quite a temperature range at this time. In our area the plants go dormant in Autumn until early Spring.

[Robert]

Robert, you seem to have quite a temperature range at this time. In our area the plants go dormant in Autumn until early Spring.

Ian,

Yes, the weather has been quite changeable over the past month or so. Right now a cold front is moving through with somewhat low snow levels - about 900 meters. Tonight it will likely get to -4 C. Wednesday a warm front moves in. The trapped cold air will create conditions for freezing rain.    This occurs in the mountain/foothill valleys where the cold air is easily trapped. The warm front will bring in subtropical moisture and high snow levels, then a cold front with low snow levels once again. Our weather has just zig-zagged back and forth like this lately.

My wife and I had our wedding anniversary today!         I spent most of the day at home with my wife. The weather in Sacramento is just about subtropical. Morea polystachya was in full bloom and many of the early Hoop Petticoat Narsiccus were about open. No protection from the "winter weather". I say "just about subtropical" because we still get enough chilling hours for our peach trees (heirloom types that need a great deal of chilling hours). It will get to about -1C tonight at our Sacramento home.

The cold and snow weather has brought a variety of birds into our Sacramento garden. Oregon Juncos, Hutton's Vireos, and Red-breasted Sapsuckers are some of the new arrivals. Scrub Jays, Crows, and Mockingbirds are year round residents. I am glad that the Crows do not hang out in our garden. They can be pests, however we see them around the neighborhood all of the time. White-breasted Nuthatches are frequent visitors at the farm. I have tried to take some photographs of the birds but they spook easily.

[Maggi Young]

Happy anniversary, Robert and Jasmin!

 

[Robert]

Thank you Maggi! 

For 11 years Jasmin (no "e") has been my Best Friend and True Love through thick and thin. What a blessing! 

[Robert]

Our weeather forecast is for periods of rain, heavy at times for the next week or more. This is good news, as we can use all the rain we can get. Unfortunately, this weeks outing may be cancelled. Right now I have a very fixed schedule, so if it is raining hard on the planned outing day I will have to "punt" (American Football). 

[Robert]

Between rain showers I was able to make a short visit to the vicinity of Ione, California. The area around Ione is habitat to a local endemic Manzanita species, Arctostaphylos myrtlifolia, the Ione Manzanita.

The photograph pictures the landscape in the vicinity of Ione to east and the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. I will be reporting on this outings soon.

[ArnoldT]

Robert:

I'd rather not comment on everyone of your posts.

I will say that for me they are wonderful.

A view or the part of the US I barely know.  Keep the Journey going and hope you had a memorable anniversary and are looking forward to the holiday season.

[Robert]

Robert:

I'd rather not comment on everyone of your posts.

Arnold,

This is never a problem! 

I will say that for me they are wonderful.

A view or the part of the US I barely know.  Keep the Journey going and hope you had a memorable anniversary and are looking forward to the holiday season.

I will say it is important to me to know that my efforts are appreciated. Thank you.     

I do enjoy my work and I do put considerable effort into creating something that is interesting and informative for everyone.

Things are looking up! I will be home in less than a week and will be enjoying the holiday season at home with my wife. 

The outing today was a bit short, however I was able to fit some more pieces into the Arctostaphylos puzzle. This does raise even more questions for me, and creates very fascinating issues that I will enjoy resolving.

There are also less technical matters that I enjoy reporting on. Today, even with, more or less, winter-like weather I found much to report on - even with our common "everyday" species.

Soon I will be traveling to the Northern California Coastal Ranges. Spring arrives here first! .....at least at the low elevations at the southern end of the northern ranges. So, yes, my journeys will continue...  and in the Sierra Nevada too.

[fermi de Sousa]

I do enjoy my work and I do put considerable effort into creating something that is interesting and informative for everyone.....Soon I will be traveling to the Northern California Coastal Ranges. Spring arrives here first! .....at least at the low elevations at the southern end of the northern ranges. So, yes, my journeys will continue...  and in the Sierra Nevada too.

Robert,
We'll be looking forwards to your continuing adventures!
cheers
fermi

[Maggi Young]

Getting on for 20 thousand people have  already read these pages, Robert, so I think you can be sure that you are doing well with your  information and reports!

[Robert]

IONE FORMATION

Ione, California

9 December 2016

Part I

Placerville Weather

Weather: Cloudy
Temperature, High: 57 F, 14 C
                      Low:50 F, 10 C
24 Hour precipitation: .30 in. , 7.62 mm



I left the farm in the morning on a gray, drizzly, overcast day. My objective was to revisit several sites where Arctostaphylos myrtlifolia, Ione Manzanita, grows on a geological feature called the Ione Formation. The Ione Formation is a 200 mile long band located at the transition zone between the Sacramento Valley Plain and the base of the Sierra Nevada Foothills. This formation dates back to the middle Eocene when a tropical or subtropical climate created conditions leading to considerable weathering of the soil and rock. Today, the formation is known for its abundant Kaolintic clay which is mined at several sites long its 200 mile length. Near the town of Ione, California where the formation surfaces over a considerable area in western Amador County and a small section of northwestern Calaveras County, there are large tracts of highly acidic, nutrient poor sandy to clay type soils that are ideal for a number of endemic species. Near the town of Ione there are 3 local endemic species; Arctostaphylos myrtlifolia, the Ione Manzanita; and two forms of the Irish Hill Buckwheat, Eriogonum apricum var. apricum and var. prostratum. All 3 taxa are protected by the Endangered Species Act.



My first stop was near the transition zone between the Ione Formation to the east and the Sacramento Valley Plain to the west, elevation 234 feet (71 meters). Here the habitat abruptly changes from open grassland to oak woodland. The dominant oak in this area is Interior Live Oak, Quercus wisilzenii, however there are also a few Valley Oak, Quercus lobata, and Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii.



At this site Common Manzanita, Arctostaphylos manzanita ssp. manzanita grows abundantly.



Of the widespread Manzanita species in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada it is generally the first to bloom. 9 December seems a bit early in the season, however where it and White-leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida co-mingle, Common Manzanita is almost always the first to bloom.



The bright red berries of Toyon, Heteromeles arbutifolia, brighten the forest setting this time of year. By 11:00 A.M. the temperature had hit 63 F, 17 C. With this sort of wet and warm "winter"    weather the berries will quickly rot or hopefully get eaten by birds.

[Robert]

I like to keep my eyes open for anything different. Blue Oak, Quercus douglasii, is a common and widespread species throughout the Sierra Nevada Foothills. The leaves on this specimen were quite unique. Generally the lobes of Blue Oak are rounded and not pointed at the end. This leaf structure is rare, but I have observed it before. I do not know if it represents a hybrid of some sort, a recessive trait, or something else. Whatever the case it is quite interesting and attractive.



Sanicula crassicaulis is a common perennial herb the comes into growth when the autumn/winter rains return.



The rains have also brought the fungi into growth and fruiting.



I know next to nothing about our fungi, however they can be very interesting in shape and coloration.



From the first site I moved on into an area of chaparral within the Ione Formation, 304 feet (93 meters). Here Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, grew abundantly.