2019 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Hoy]

Robert, I have heard that crow meat isn't that bad

Interesting if your meteorological modell can predict the weather!

Yr  says you will get rain this evening

Although we have gotten a fair amount of snow the last days (inland) it is less than average for the season. I wonder if the snow at our cabin lasts till Easter when we usually go skiing.

[Robert]

19 March 2019
1330 UTC

Hi Trond,

A statistical model is generally (or can be) very simple compared to the dynamic models used today to make long-range WX forecasts. My model is extremely simple and still has many gaps. The basic idea is to match current conditions to a pattern that has a high statistically probability of a future out come. As many Forumist must certainly know by now, I record all sorts of statistics. A number of months ago I posted a tiny section of a graph showing the relationship between one set of statistics with another set of statistics. Where the relationship departs, I look for the reason why. This is part of the process of creating my statistical model.

While recording statistics last week I recognized a specific pattern. Currently, I can still use a spreadsheet for this model. I just looked up the statistical out come. Very simple, but the model could easily become complex (for me very quickly). I have thought about adding a dynamic element (very simple trigonometric functions). It is so nice to be a hobbyist. I can play around with things however I wish.

For me this is a fun and interesting learning experience. I tend to be chatty. I guess that I wish to encourage general creativity. “Eating Crow” (taking chances and/or not being afraid of making dumb mistakes at times) goes with the territory. Having said all of this, I think that you can understand that I discuss generalities and keep most of the details to myself.

[Robert]

Despite some rain showers, I had a good outing today, 20 March 2019. 

There are the usual photographs to sort through, however I should have something together in a few days.

[Hoy]

19 March 2019
1330 UTC

Hi Trond,
....
For me this is a fun and interesting learning experience. I tend to be chatty. I guess that I wish to encourage general creativity. “Eating Crow” (taking chances and/or not being afraid of making dumb mistakes at times) goes with the territory. Having said all of this, I think that you can understand that I discuss generalities and keep most of the details to myself.

Robert,

It is interesting to see how good your model will be!

I do not bother making models but I look at previous weather patterns and try to guess what the next weeks wil bring

(Attachment Link)

Despite some rain showers, I had a good outing today, 20 March 2019. 

There are the usual photographs to sort through, however I should have something together in a few days.

Looking forward to that. The spring here evolves very slow so not much will happen the next week!

[Robert]

Robert,

It is interesting to see how good your model will be!

I do not bother making models but I look at previous weather patterns and try to guess what the next weeks wil bring

Looking forward to that. The spring here evolves very slow so not much will happen the next week!

Hi Trond,

Yes, why would anyone want to go through the effort to make some sort of model.    This is very understandable. 

As for the recent outing...

Locally, I thought that the spring blooming cycle would be far more advanced. Basically I have not missed anything, but then February was relatively cold for us. There will now be plenty to write about concerning the latest outing and future outings. Weather and other topics not directly related to plants will take a "back seat". With my recent outing, there are a good number satisfactory photographs and a good story to tell. With a full schedule, getting it written and posted will occupy my Forum attention. 

[Robert]

South Fork

of the

American River

El Dorado County, California

Part I

Wednesday, 20 March 2019

Weather for selected location:

0000 UTC, 21 March 2019:

Placerville Farm, 1,460 ft., 445 meters
Weather: Rain Showers
Temperature, High: 58 F, 14.4 C
                       Low: 45 F, 7.2 C
Relative Humidity: 89%
Dew Point: 47 F, 8.3 C
Wind: SE 2G3
Precipitation: 0.42 inches (10.67 mm), To date (starting 1 July): 28.47 (723.14 mm), 100% average to date




Wednesday, 20 March, started as an overcast and rainy day. My opportunities for outings are at times limited these days, so I was not going to let the rain scratch this opportunity.

While driving to and from Placerville - Sacramento I noticed that the early wildflowers had started to bloom in the Sacramento Valley. It was an easy choice to visit a long time favorite low elevation site near the South Fork of the American River. Here I would likely see some of the early spring blooming wildflowers. I set out for the Salmon Falls area, a location I have been visiting since the early 1970’s.



At the staging area there are two old Western Redbud trees/shrubs, Cercis occidentalis. The flower buds were well advanced, but there were still very few open flowers. It was a pleasant thought thinking how I have visited these Redbuds for 40 years now. Funny, they still seem the same, however I am very aware that there have been dramatic changes at this site over the last 40 years.



One of the delights of this region are the large colonies of Erythronium multiscapideum that can be visited. At one site there were hundreds of budded plants, but not one open flower. I hope that I can visit again soon.



Salvia sonomensis is a very common understory species carpeting the ground among the chaparral shrubbery. Even with cool and rainy weather its scent pervades the chaparral. This is a heavenly delight!



Soap Plant, Chlorogalum pomeridianum, is also a very common species in the chaparral plant community. The plants pictured were intact. Deer browse on many of the plants. Very often one sees plants that are well browsed.

[Robert]

White Leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos viscida ssp. viscida, can be found blooming very early in the season, often starting in January. The nectar in the flowers is an important food source for many creatures. Our year-round resident, Anna’s Hummingbird, Calypte anna, were seen feeding on the flower nectar throughout the day. The flower nectar is also an important food source for adult Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies, Battus philenor. The weather was too cool and rainy for the butterflies to be out.



The bark on mature Manzanitas can be striking. Not all species have polished chestnut bark, but many do.



Many different lichen species can be found in the chaparral plant community. One species or another can be found growing in various habitat niches, soil, rocks, bark, and twigs. Antler lichen, Evernia prunastris, and Speckled Greenshield lichen, Flavopunctelia flaventior, (pictured) are two of the most common species found growing on twigs, branches, and bark.



Rhus aromatica grows in thickets. The trifoliate foliage is very similar to that of Poison Oak, Toxicodendron diversiloba. The two species could be confused and it can be important to distinguish between the two species. Poison Oak can cause acute dermatitis while the Rhus aromatica does not.



The Blue Dicks, Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum, were in bloom. As pictured, most were soaked with rainwater and bent nearly to the ground.

[Robert]

I always keep my eye open for different color forms of Dichelostemma capitatum. Occasionally white flowering forms can be found. Other color forms are even more unusual. I did not find any unusual forms on this outing.



Trumpet lichens are not rare, but they are tiny. They are often found growing hidden in sheltered sites on soil or rotting wood. Cladonia fimbriata (pictured) is a commonly seen species in our part of California.



California Coffee Berry, Frangula californica ssp. tomentella, is an evergreen species seen frequently in the chaparral plant community. The foliage of this species is a food source for the larva of a number of our California native butterflies.



Bush Lupine, Lupinus albifrons var. albifrons will be blooming soon. This species is always a favorite.



My route traversed a number of riparian habitats. In a number of shaded moist sites large colonies of Artemisia douglasiana were seen.

[Robert]

One of my favorite chaparral species is Silk Tassel Bush, Garrya congdonii. In the late winter the catkin-like pendent flowers develop. The leathery evergreen foliage is very attractive and is covered with dense silvery hairs when it first emerges in the spring. 6 species of Garrya can be found growing in California.



It will not be long until the first flowers of Calochortus albus open. It was not hard to spot the advancing flower buds.



Sanicula crassicaulis is a very common chaparral species. It is a member of the Apiaceae Family (Carrot Family).



The flowers of Sanicula crassicaulis are not especially attractive, however I enjoy the textured foliage of this species. This species is most often found growing in grassy shaded sites under the canopy of our native oak species.



The light showery weather was punctuated by brief heavy downpours. The heavier rain temporally slowed my hiking progress, however it was the overcast skies that prevented may flowers from opening.

[Hoy]

Robert,

Except for the unfamiliar species this could be here! I mean the rain Heavy downpours almost every day with a few glimpses of sun between the showers. Many species are just waiting for some decent sun to open their flowers.

I love evergreens like the silk tassel bush and the coffee berry. Wish we had more species like them here.

[Robert]

Robert,

Except for the unfamiliar species this could be here! I mean the rain Heavy downpours almost every day with a few glimpses of sun between the showers. Many species are just waiting for some decent sun to open their flowers.

I love evergreens like the silk tassel bush and the coffee berry. Wish we had more species like them here.

Hi Trond,

In the short term, I see no end to our pattern of rain, accented with a dry day or two. Drought is such a bane here in California. I always enjoy plentiful rain during the rainy season, as summer will be month after month of hot and bone dry. This too has its pleasant aspects.

Even in the limited region of California where I live we are blessed with an incredible diversity of native plants. There is also an amazing world of genetic diversity within each species. For me, unleashing this potential is personally rewarding.

Currently, we grow Garrya flavescens in our Sacramento garden. I hope to add Garrya congdonii. Good forms of Frangula californica ssp. tomentella are dense, with very silvery tomentose evergreen foliage. When I find an exceptional form I propagate it asexually. Shrubby species like this are far too large for me to work with. I have to agree with you that they are beautiful species. 

[ian mcdonald]

Robert, good to see that you are getting rain at last. Spring seems to be on the way. It is fairly slow here but the planted trees along road sides are blooming now.

[Robert]

Hi Ian,

Springs is poised to take off here in Northern California. In parts of the Sierra Nevada the snow is melting. When the sun is out the solar radiation getting intense. Via sublimation, snow perched on conifer branches quickly disappears. It will not be long and many wildflowers will be out. The abundant precipitation will encourage a spectacular wildflower display this season.

I will be watching very closely to see how long the snow cover lingers at various elevations in the Sierra Nevada.

[Robert]

South Fork
of the
American River

El Dorado County, California

Part II

As I continued my journey, I encountered an interesting stand of Ceanothus palmeri. Ceanoths palmeri is generally not seen in large quantities in our portion of Northern California, however it grows quite prolifically in this specific area. I found one specimen that had striking white striped bark.



Chaparral Honeysuckle, Lonicera interrupta, is seen frequently scrambling and twining through the chaparral shrubbery.



Another vining species is Marah watsonii. This member of the Cucurbitaceae, Gourd Family, is a perennial species producing a large underground tuber. The interesting fruits are spherical and covered with many prickles that are often hooked.



As I continued through a grassy area, I encountered many colonies of Primula (Dodecantheon) hendersonii in bloom. In our area, this species generally produces very little viable seed. Its distinctive root bulblets at blooming time distinguish it from P. clevelandii ssp. patulum. Primula clevelandii ssp. patulum is seen occasionally at the lowest elevations in our area.



As I moved back into the chaparral I spotted some colonies of Castilleja foliolosa in bloom. The flowers of this species are generally orange-red. Occasionally plants with yellowish-orange flowers can be found. The woolly gray foliage is extremely attractive. They are fairly easy to raise from seed providing they are paired with the right companion.

[Robert]

The weather started to improve and patches of blue sky appeared. The clearing skies also increased the possibilities of convective cloudiness developing later in the day with the potential for thunderstorms.



As I continued along the path I occasionally encountered blooming stands of Buck Brush, Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus. Many locals consider Buck Brush a weed that needs to be eliminated.



I like Buck Brush. The heavy pollen scented flowers fill the chaparral with a delightful fragrance every spring. This species has many short, stiff, side branches that are almost spine-like. Needless to say, dense thickets of this species can be extremely difficult to travel through.



I was very pleased to spot a small colony of Delphinium hansenii along this route. This species is fairly common in our part of California, however this is the first time I have encountered this species along this route. I have hiked this route for decades. No matter, for how many years or how frequently I visit a site, I always find something new and different to spark my curiosity and wonder.



Turkey Tail fungi, Trametes versicolor, are frequently seen in the oak forests in this area.