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

[Robert]

This is, of coarse, the habitat of Ione Manzantita, Acrtostaphylos myrtlifolia. In this photograph Interior Live Oak, Quercus wisilzenii, can be seen growing in the background. In front of it is a band of White-leaf Manzanita, Acrtostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida. In the foreground, in front of the White-leaf Manzanita is Ione Manzanita.

Dead-center of the Ione Manzanita is a very interesting plant. After careful examination it appears to be an Arctostaphylos myrtifolia hybrid of sorts. Hybrids between A. viscida and myrtifolia have been reported. My guess is that it is a A. manzanita x myrtifolia hybrid. Both species bloom at the same time and many of the features of this plant suggest a hybrid of this type. I will continue to give this one thought.



A closer view of Arctostaphylos myrtifolia.



.....and another close view. Many of the plants of this species were coming into bloom. Ione Manzanita is a very compact low growing species. I have rarely seen a plant over 60cm tall. Most of the time they grow much lower. The small leaves are very attractive as well as the young stems that are covered with long glandular hairs.



Within the populations I saw this day the bark on older trunks was a ghostly glaucus-gray. In other populations plants can be found with red bark.



The White-leaf Manzanitas, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, within the Ione Formation are extremely attractive. Here they tend to grow very small, tight, and compact, undoubtedly due to the poor soil conditions, however I would not mind trying some from seed to be sure. Compact plants like this would be exceptional ornamentals for the garden.

[Robert]

This is a view of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida growing next to A. myrtifolia - an attractive combination.

This ended my time at the Ione Formation. From here I would move on to confirm a very interesting find.

to be continued...............

[Robert]

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

Thanks Fermi!   

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!

20 thousand  I guess that is a lot.     

Seriously, thank you for the compliment. 

As you know I enjoy doing this and am very pleased that I am making something good of it. Within the natural world one can only scratch the surface of its secrets. There is plenty to keep me fascinated many life times. 

[Hoy]

Robert,

Some of the 20k followers may be people like registered several times!

Another nice outing. It is interesting to see the flora of the acidic soil. We have plenty of that kind of soil here but the flora is meager.

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, it is good to read your forays into the wild. We only have two Arctostaphylos species here, A. alpina (an un-common upland plant) and A. uva-ursi. Both these are prostrate shrubs.

[Robert]

PART II

Peavine Ridge

Over the last few days, the weather had been very mild with a considerable amount of rain, even at the higher elevations. The odds were in my favor that much of the snow that prevented me from reaching Peavine Ridge the previous week would have melted. This could be my chance to survey the Arctostaphylos species along the top of Peavine Ridge before a long lasting snowfall occurred. So off I went toward Peavine Ridge hoping I could get some productive work done.

When I arrived at the top of the ridge I found that my assumptions were correct, not only was there considerably less snow, but it was not raining either.



When I arrived at the first site, 5,184 feet (1,580 meters) there was still some snow on the ground, as well as a thick drizzly fog as the cloud deck collided with the ridgetop. It was a balmy 46 F, 7.5 C.



It may have been drizzly, but I was still able to survey the plants comfortably and take photographs.

Part of this site burned in the Cleveland Fire, back in the 1980's. The adjacent area did not burn and is forested with mature Jeffrey Pine with an understory of Acrtostaphylos and other shrubby species. This site is quite unique.

Pictured is the area that burned during the Cleveland fire. Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp mewukka is the dominant shrubby species. What is extremely interesting is that there are also plants of Acrtostaphylos viscida ssp viscida scattered throughout. With reasonably good weather I was able to plot a number of key plants within this stand. Some of the plants appear to exhibit evidence of introgression and/or hybridization. This I wish to study further.



Here is a beautiful example of Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka from this site.



Also growing at this site is Arctostaphylos patula. Adding this species to the mix creates a very interesting situation.

[Robert]

An example of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida also from the same site.



Only approximately 5% of the Manzanita population at this site consisted of Arctostaphylos viscida ssp viscida.



As I stated in an earlier post, it has been hypothesized that Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka is an allotetraploid originally derived from a cross of A. patula and A. viscida. The prevailing thought is that this could not be possible as the two species do not grow in the same habitats. This is generally true, however at this site all 3 species are growing together often within a meter of each other or less.

The photograph above shows Arctostaphylos patula and A. mewukka ssp. mewukka growing directly next to each other. Within a meter or two was a plant of A. viscida ssp. viscida.

Another interesting fact is that the latest molecular genetic studies have suggested that the Genus Arctostaphylos can be divided into two monophyletic clades. Arctostaphylos mewukka and patula belonging to one clade, A. viscida to another. If indeed Arctostaphylos mewukka orginated from a cross of A. patula and A. viscida then this presents some serious challenges to the current methodology and thought of this classification.



Rodents are thought to be the primary agent responsible for the dispersal of Arctostaphylos seed. This may or may not be true, however other mammals are clearly responsible for a much wider seed dispersal system. Pictured is bear scat loaded with Acrtostaphylos berries and seed. Four years ago I also posted photographs of Acrtostaphylos plants growing from an old pile of droppings - deer or coyote.

The distribution of Arctostaphylos species along the east-west axis on the top of Peavine Ridge, as well as the north-south elevation axis is interesting. Clearly Arctostaphylos seed is being transported both up and down the ridge as well as east-west along the ridgeline. There is evidence from several outings I made earlier this year in this area that there is some sort of gradation occurring among the Arctostaphylos species. It is possible that this represents a degree of introgression and hybridization and a breakdown of species boundaries or perhaps completely different factors. This is something that needs further investigation.



I did not spend all of my time checking on Manzanitas. Ceanothus cordulatus is one of 3 Ceanothus species I have found growing on Peavine Ridge. Ceanothus too is know for its natural hybrids, however I have never noticed any in this area.

[Robert]

At this site Aspidotis densa is seen in sunny areas among the Manzanitas. The plants from this area must be tough as they endure both heat and cold, freezing and thawing, as well as drought and considerable amounts of time under snow.



I was very please to find Pyrola picta growing under the mature Jeffrey Pines, Pinus jeffreyi. This is the first time I have spotted this species growing at this site. Luckily they were not buried by snow! The flowers of this species do not amount to much, however I enjoy the veining and coloration of foliage.

In addition, I located more colonies of Lilium washingtonianum and Fritillaria micrantha. This is something good for me to look forward to next spring/summer.

I was very please to get back to this site on Peavine Ridge before a more permanent snowfall occurred. Now I will start planning my next outing - most likely to the Coastal Mountains.

Until then.....

[Robert]

Robert,

Some of the 20k followers may be people like registered several times!

Another nice outing. It is interesting to see the flora of the acidic soil. We have plenty of that kind of soil here but the flora is meager.

Trond,

Yes, I have noticed your comments about acidic soils in Norway, however I am puzzled by the lack of diversity in species. Is this true in other northern areas such as Alaska, Siberia, or even Finland? I just do not know! I have read about what happened to the flora in Iceland or even the diversity of grasses in California.

[Robert]

Robert, it is good to read your forays into the wild. We only have two Arctostaphylos species here, A. alpina (an un-common upland plant) and A. uva-ursi. Both these are prostrate shrubs.

Ian,

Arctous alpina or Arctostaphylos alpina grows in the North Cascade Mountains on the Washington - British Columbia border. Many years ago I hiked in the mountains in this area, however I never remember seeing it.

I enjoy your outings too. Each outing paints a better picture in my mind.

[Hoy]

Trond,

Yes, I have noticed your comments about acidic soils in Norway, however I am puzzled by the lack of diversity in species. Is this true in other northern areas such as Alaska, Siberia, or even Finland? I just do not know! I have read about what happened to the flora in Iceland or even the diversity of grasses in California.

Robert,

The last ice age removed most of the flora of huge parts of Europe, and possibly almost every plant from Norway. When the plants later spread from south to north they couldn't easily cross the deep trench (Norskerenna - Norwegian trench) separating Norway from Denmark (Skagerrak and the North Sea are rather shallow and were partly dry during this period and some time afterwards when the ice started to melt). In east a lake and later the Baltic sea was a hindrance Also the huge forests in east made an effective barrier. Only in northeast the plants had relatively easy access and some very rare plants (in Norway) grow only in the north. About 1/2 of the species in Norway today have arrived with the help of people (intended or not) especially with the development of agriculture.

10,000 years isn't enough time for new species to evolve!

Here are 3 species which doesn't grow in the south although they could possibly have survived in the mountains.

Silene furcata




Polemonium boreale




Braya purpurascens

[Hoy]

Robert, you could secure a lot of seeds out of that bear scat!

[Robert]

Trond,

Perhaps there are fewer species in Norway (than California), however there are certainly some lovely species. I especially liked Polemonium boreale and Silene furcata. I have not tried all of our California native Polemonium species, but P. californicum has proved reasonably easy to please in the garden. The slugs do not seem to bother this species (at least our slugs). Of coarse, we have many Polemoniaceae here in California, both annual and perennial. The annual, Collomia grandiflora, is especially nice. I was fortunate and found that I had saved a few seeds from my F1 plants and have them planted out. The photograph I posted this past spring did not look so good. Bummer! It is quite colorful and easy to please in our garden. I definitely want to keep this one going.

I know that you are very busy, however when you get a chance I would like to know if there are any relic species that survived the Ice age(s) in Norway? From your last response I take it that Norway was more or less completely covered with glaciers during the Ice Age. We had our glaciers during the last Ice Age (mostly in the mountains), but there was plenty of nearby land that was ice free. There appears to be a fair number of relic species in California too.

[Robert]

My return to my Sacramento home has been delayed by one day, however I will be home this evening. 

I have had plenty of time to research my next outing to the inner coastal mountains of California. One stop will be to the Cedar Roughs Wilderness area. The site I plan to visit has much exposed serpentine rock, so there is a good likelihood that there will be very interesting species to find in this area. December is too early to see blooming plants, however it will be good to scout the area for later visits.

The Cold Canyon Reserve is also nearby so it will be easy to check this site too.

Until then....

[Hoy]

. . . . .

I know that you are very busy, however when you get a chance I would like to know if there are any relic species that survived the Ice age(s) in Norway? From your last response I take it that Norway was more or less completely covered with glaciers during the Ice Age. We had our glaciers during the last Ice Age (mostly in the mountains), but there was plenty of nearby land that was ice free. There appears to be a fair number of relic species in California too.

Regarding relic species (of plants) that survived the last Ice age here in Norway this has been an issue ever since it was accepted that it had been a big glaciation. Some argued that a few species had survived on nunataks other said this was impossible. Now I think most botanists agree that no plants survived inland in what is now Norway but maybe on islands/land to the southwest (the North sea continent that is named Doggerland) or/and in north east, pars of Russia, that was free of ice during that time.

A few examples are Artemisia norvegica, Oxytropis deflexa ssp norvegica, Oxytropis campestris ssp campestris and ssp sordida and ssp scotica (the last one you also find in Scotland). It is very few endemisms here and most, if not all are younger than 10000 years.