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

[fermi de Sousa]

Robert,
Especially looking forward to seeing the different forms of Salvia sonomensis
cheers
fermi

[Robert]

Robert,
Especially looking forward to seeing the different forms of Salvia sonomensis
cheers
fermi

Fermi,

I am too!

[Hoy]

Very exciting place Robert! I am looking forward to see all the Erythronium multiscapoideum in flower!

I grow some Erythroniums and they usually flower well except E. americanum which never has flowered although it has spread a little.


BTW Here is a picture of the Calocedrus I promised to show you:

[Robert]

Very exciting place Robert! I am looking forward to see all the Erythronium multiscapoideum in flower!

I grow some Erythroniums and they usually flower well except E. americanum which never has flowered although it has spread a little.


BTW Here is a picture of the Calocedrus I promised to show you:

Trond,

The other day when I was checking on the patch of Erythronium multiscapoideum I did not see any flower buds.    Last year there were very few flowers. I am not sure if this is due to the drought conditions or something else. Many of the plants are growing in the shade of Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida, and Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum, however some are getting more sun too and still no flower buds. I examined many plants with mottled foliage. This is usually indicative of a plant that is of blooming maturity, still no flower buds. 

My plants here at the farm are budded and will be blooming soon. I also know of another population that is very nearby. They have been more reliable as to blooming consistently. Checking on them seems like a good project for today. 

The Calocedrus looks great!

[Hoy]

Robert,

Disappointing Could it be that the population is too dense? - to much competition between the individuals?

Hope the other colony is in better condition!

[Robert]

Robert,

Disappointing Could it be that the population is too dense? - to much competition between the individuals?

Hope the other colony is in better condition!

Trond,

Yes, I went back and checked on a number of plants in various locations. There is very good news that I will be reporting on as I can. Very, very busy right now.  First the report on the Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River. 

[Robert]

Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River

Rocky Bar

Part I

Thursday, 25 February 2016

Weather: High Clouds
Temperature, High:76 F (24.5 C), Low:40 F (4.5 C)



The Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River was my destination this week as I continued with my survey southward.

The aim was to explore the south side of the canyon down Rocky Bar Road to the Cosumnes River. Rocky Bar Road, if you want to call it a road, is a dirt track that winds its way down into the canyon where is eventually crosses the river before winding its way back up the north side of the canyon to the north rim.

Unless one is a local, finding the turn-off onto this road is next to impossible. There is no road sign and it looks like all the other private dirt drives in the area. If one does find it and proceeds, the track quickly deteriorates into a steep, deeply rutted mess that can challenge even the best 4X4.

This day I was fortunate enough to quickly find a place to turn around and park and thus easily make it back to the main road. Basically, I was still at the rim of the canyon at 2,719 feet (829 meters).



Spring was emerging - new growth has started with many species, including this California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii.



This was the shady north facing side of the canyon. As I hiked the track, I spotted scattered stands of Cynoglossum grande well advanced ready to bloom shortly.



On steep shady banks were many colonies of Primula (Dodecatheon) hendersonii. These were the low elevation form. Higher up the mountain another variation of the species grows. I will be reporting on this later.



Another common species seen this day was Huechera micrantha. There can be considerable variation in the leaf pattern on this species. I saw nothing special this day - just the more usual green leaf forms.

[Robert]

Still high on the canyon side, this is a view of the north canyon face. The flora is radically different on this south facing side of the canyon. Another interesting feature of the canyon in this area is that much of it is sited on the Sierra Nevada batholith. Many species prefer the gritty, granite based soils in this area making it a good area to explore for something different.



I have a considerable interest in the genus Arctostaphylos. I am always checking on them, even with a hand lens. They are far more complex than it might seem. This was a nice specimen of A. viscida with a beautiful trunk and many flowers.



One of the many open flower trusses.



I saw rosettes of this Agoseris species frequently this day. It will be easy to identify when in bloom.



Here is a view of the forested south side of the canyon. Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa, and California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii are the dominant tree species, however as is often the case here in California, there is a large mixture of additional tree species.

[Robert]

California Nutmeg, Torreya californica, is one of our less common forest conifers. It is found in shady relatively moist canyons. As one travels north in the Sierra Nevada they are more frequently seen. I am very curious how often I will come across them as I move south. This day I observed only a few trees.



Dryopertis arguta is a commonly seen fern species in the Sierra Nevada Foothills. It is unusual that I did not see any last week on the North Fork of the Cosumnes River. Pentagramma triangularis and Polypodium calirhiza, both very common, were seen frequently this day too.



One of our first early bloomers, Cardamine californica.



Here at a little higher elevation Delphinium patens was still in the rosette stage. Last week on the North Fork they were ready to bloom any day. Most likely they are blooming right now. I would love to see them. Fortunately there is still plenty of time.



Twin "Glory Holes". Mining into granite is generally not a good place to look when seeking gold. Maybe the miners found another gold bearing rock strata back in there. From the looks of things, they most likely went bust.

[Robert]

Not a good photograph, but another one of our early bloomers, Saxafraga californica.



Yes, I know, a lousy photograph, but Saxafraga california is quite pretty. When seen growing in a group they are even better. I have started to cultivate this species in our garden. I have been tucking them, in groups, into shady spaces and am now waiting for them to reach blooming age. They are 100% xeric, needing no water at all during the summer when they are dormant. They also do not need much soil to prosper as they are often seen growing on rocks in their native habitat.



A great find was Lupinus albifrons var. collinus. This is a decumbent variety of the species and quite nice. On this outing I did not observe the upright form of this species, but then I did not get a chance to explore the hot south facing slopes of the canyon either.



Near the river, through openings in the trees, there were some good views of the north side of the canyon. There are many reasons to explore this side too, some of which I will explain later.



1,871 feet (570 meters) elevation and the bridge across the river.

A good place to stop and continue this is story later. To be continued.........

[Hoy]

As usually it is much of interest here, Robert

Cardamine is a favorite genus of mine. Many species do good in my climate. One of the first to show new growth after the winter is Cardamine waldsteinii.
Here is a picture taken this morning with a little hoarfrost.




California Nutmeg is a favorite tree. I have 2 in my garden but they are cuttings from side shoots and therefore never make a proper leader. Unlike many other conifers the nutmeg never makes a good apical leader unless the cutting is an apical leader.




The tree without a central leader. (To the left is a young Sequoiadendron giganteum)

[Robert]

Middle Fork of the Cosumnes River

Part II

Continuing on...

Although a mixture of private and public land much of the canyon is still fairly wild. Here looking downstream there are basically no trails and the going can be extremely difficult.



Upstream is a tangle of alder and willows. The warm temperatures had created considerable snow melt upstream and relatively high water levels. During the summer it is much easier to travel and explore the river. Lower water levels make it easy to move from rock-to-rock up or down stream.



Traveling the track any time of year, by any sort of auto, is extremely difficult. The track is more or less a complete washout like this the whole way down the mountain. The granular soil is very soft and without much structure. Such gashes collapse easily and can trap a 4x4 unless it has a winch to pull itself out.



It was a very warm day and the bark of the Ponderosa Pines, Pinus ponderosa, were giving off their delightful scent. Some say that only Jeffrey Pine, Pinus jeffreyi, has a scent, however I can easily detect a strong fragrance from the Ponderosa Pines on a warm day even from quite a distance.



One interesting early bloomer I saw frequently this day was Carex multicaulis. Carex multicaulis is very distinct, however if one is casual with their observations it could be confused as a Juncus species or something similar. Careful examination of the unisexual flowers and the pistillate flowers enclosed in perigynia reveal it to be of the genus Carex.

I made many photographic attempts with this plant this day and they all failed.    This photograph is of a plant in the nursery at the farm. The plant is subtle, so it is may be of questionable value in the garden, however the stiff Juncus-like foliage could add structure in the right setting.

[Robert]

Once on the north bank of the river (the sunny, hot, south facing side) the flora changed dramatically.



Buckbrush, Ceanothus cuneatus, was abundant. On the opposite side of the river where the sun is less intense Deerbrush, Ceanothus integerrimus, was frequently seen.



In this area there were large thickets of Chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum. This species is generally associated with the chaparral at lower elevations. It was interesting to see this species in this location, however as one travels south in the Sierra Nevada such species start migrating higher into the mountains.



Phacelia imbricata, very common, enjoys the sunny, hot terrain at this elevation. There were many annual species in growth too to such as Lupinus bicolor - but not in bloom yet.



I did not have time to explore more territory on the north bank, so it was time to make my way back up to the canyon rim and the truck. Back on the shady north facing slopes the annual Nemophila hetrophylla was abundant. This species has small white flowers - nothing showy like some of its cousins.

[Robert]

On my way back to the truck, I took a detour upstream to the east. I knew that there was an old abandoned copper mine a short distance upstream and I was hoping I could check this out. Unfortunately, I came across a gold mining claim and several cabins that the miners use during the summer. It was getting late so I decided to turn back towards the truck.

The detour was not a waste of time as the geology changed dramatically upstream. The granite ended and there were strata of sandstone and limestone. I knew this was a possibility as I enjoyed exploring the limestone caves on the north side of the canyon when I was young.



In addition to the strata of limestone and sandstone there were veins of copper bearing ore. The geology was complex and extremely interesting. At some future time I want to return and see how the flora may adjust to this - and checkout the copper mine and maybe revisit the limestone caves.



Claytonia parviflora was in bloom along this detour - the only place I saw it this day. The tiny pink flowers of this annual are precious and put on a subtle show. 

I always seem to enjoy my time out and this was no exception. For me very 

Until next time.

[Robert]

As usually it is much of interest here, Robert

Cardamine is a favorite genus of mine. Many species do good in my climate. One of the first to show new growth after the winter is Cardamine waldsteinii.
Here is a picture taken this morning with a little hoarfrost.

California Nutmeg is a favorite tree. I have 2 in my garden but they are cuttings from side shoots and therefore never make a proper leader. Unlike many other conifers the nutmeg never makes a good apical leader unless the cutting is an apical leader.

Trond,

I think that your Torreya looks great, or is the tall one from seed? The seed of Torreya californica indeed looks like a whole nutmeg. I do not see seed on the trees to often, but it is interesting when I do.

Cardamine californica makes a tuber kinda' like a small white potato. For some reason my plant did not return this spring.    I like them a lot and will try to re-establish them in the garden.