2019 - Robert's botanical adventures in Northern California

[Robert]

The flowers on Aristolochia californica open very early in the season. The flowers are very interesting. They are also very easy to miss, and one needs to look very closely to spot them. This species hosts the larva of Pipevine Swallowtail Butterflies, Battus philenor.



I am always surprised when I find Iris macrosiphon blooming early in the season. The bulk of the plants in this area will not be blooming for another 2 to 3 weeks.



There are plentiful stands of California Snowdrop Bush, Styrax redivivus, growing in this area. The bare twig pictured will burst forth with pendulous white flowers that have a delightful fragrance. Lately, my timing always seems to be off. I too frequently miss enjoying this species when it is in full bloom.



Back in the chaparral in encountered the usual scattered stands of Lepechinia calycina. The foliage of this species is highly scented. Its scent mixes with that of Salvia sonomensis, and other chaparral species to give our chaparral its distinctive scent. The fragrance is divine!



Lecanora chlarotera is part of a group of similar looking and related lichen species found in our part of California. The species is usually seen growing on tree bark. This specimen is striking and always gets my attention.

[Robert]

As the route swung along a heavily wooded north-facing slope, many fern species started to appear. Polypodium calirhiza was seen growing from rock crevices or growing from moss perched directly on boulders.



I caught Cynoglossum grande at its peak bloom. I enjoy the large bold foliage of this species. The flowers are, of coarse, a delight too.



When they first emerge, the flowers of Cynoglossum grande are generally blue with white appendages. As the flowers age, they will often fade to a pinkish/blue shade. Occasionally, forms can be found where the flowers emerge pink and stay pink.



Tauschia hartwegii is a shade loving Apiaceae species. This clump forming species has very attractive foliage.



Like many Apiaceae species, the flowers are non-descript, however the inflorescence taken as a whole can be very interesting.

[hamparstum]

Robert, it is so soothing to re-encounter all your plant friends of your previous outings! Your heavy rains have turned everything into lush green. At this end of the world we still have two or more weeks of already too long summer drought. So I can easily relate to the relief that rains bring. I'm most interested about your spring outings. They promise a lot...as you say I keep tuned!
Arturo

[Robert]

Hi Arturo,

I have been following the El Niño event in the equatorial Pacific Ocean this winter/spring (your summer/autumn). Is drought part of the El Niño impacts in your region? For various reasons, it does not seem like the El Niño is ready to end quite yet. Will you continue to see El Niño impacts during your winter?

If you have been reading back versions of my diary then it might be clear that February 2019 was cold and snowy. It was the coldest February since I started recording consistent WX records at the Placerville farm back in 1981. Needless to say, we have not seen winter weather like this in decades. Despite the cold, climate change and warming is still very evident. I have records of the 1 April (April Fools Day) snowstorms that impacted the low elevations of the Sierra Nevada 35-40 years ago. This is only the “tip of the iceberg” of the local data I have to support the idea of climate change within a lifetime in our region.

It will now be interesting to see the impacts of our current winter weather on the flora and natural systems in our area this summer and autumn. I have been diligent in becoming current, however between working when possible, looking after my mother (still is a whole story in itself), and other responsibilities this has been a very slow process. I was hoping to be better prepared for the coming season, however I remind myself that it is a journey. Presently, it appears that I will be able to get out in the field a bit more consistently. This is good news, as the natural world is a healing balm for me, and I like writing this diary.

If all goes well I will be out again on Friday, but first I have to finish part III of the last outing.

Until next time…

[hamparstum]

Hi Robert, we have natural summer drought always but...this summer has been much drier than usual with unusual temp. highs beyond normal in my memory. We haven't had any record events though but we could say that we have had a general warming trend. Again contrasting with this we did have three midsummer frosts with a 15 day gap in between ( very damaging to our crops) so perhaps the averages still are within the typical range. Thus one of the characteristics of climate change were visible: more extremes than usual. How much of this can be associated to el Niño oscillation is beyond my understanding... What we are experiencing is clearly the effects of climate change with its far reaching consequences. But I guess that this is a planetary problem...
Arturo

[Robert]

Arturo,

It seems like the bottom line are the crop losses. Depending on the crops involved it seems like there could have been a precipitous drop in production. There could also have been a total loss of the crops. Here in California margins can be very thin. I hope you were able to adjust and recover well from the adversity.

Is summertime frost unusual in your mountainous climate? There are many forumist that have a keen interest in the flora of South America. With the unusual summer weather, was there any noticeable impact to the native flora?

[hamparstum]

Robert, we can't account for direct crop failures with the exception of reduced crop of potatoes. Interestingly potatoes are originally from high mountain areas in the central Andes and  can withstand a certain amount of summer cold. Normally midsummer frost occurs once in the summer and crops can be protected with overhead watering...during the freeze water sprayed will generate a layer of ice which in turn insulates the leaves and thus avoid further damage. This summer we had three in a row with diminished water availability because of wells drying up....Fortunately most of the crops are being grown in/under greenhouses which allows us to overcome climatic uncertainties. However this has been a delayed season with cool weather predominant in late spring continuing into summer and then sudden very warm days. Plants are called for very drastic changes and seem to have difficulties to select with what they have to stay tuned with (day length, daytime temps, night time temps etc.) So the overall result is reduced productivity.
At this time of year I start searching for seeds. None this fall...of native flora that grows spontaneously here. No Clarkia, Alstroemeria aurantium or Rodophiala elwezii seeds or some of the ground orchids.
If your rainy late winter pattern matches this coming season the situation may be different next year.

[Robert]

South Fork
of the
American River

El Dorado County, California

Part III

My journey continued along the shaded north-facing slope. This shaded habitat was the perfect environment for California Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum jordanii. In places they grew abundantly on the slope and among the rock. The black to dark red-brown stipes of this species are very conspicuous against the fan-shaped pinna.



California Buckeye, Aesculus californica, also enjoyed the semi-shaded positions. It is among the first of our native deciduous trees to leaf in the late-winter, spring. Its survival strategy is to be early deciduous/semi-dormant to survive our long hot, dry summers.



Occasional I spotted a Wood Fern, Dryopteris arguta, growing among the rocks, often sharing space with California Maidenhair Ferns.



In one area, I found a new colony (new to me) of Erythronium multiscapideum. I was delighted to find a plant with an open flower. I have been mapping the distribution of this Erythronium species throughout El Dorado County, California over the last 25 years. I continue to find new stands of this species, which pleases me a great deal.



Eventual I came across a small creek that flows all year. This is very easy to determine by the plant species found growing in its vicinity.

[Robert]

There were a number of Giant Chain Ferns, Woodwardia fimbriata, growing in the creek bed. This fern species can grow quite large, often with fronds to 3 meters in length or more. It is also dependent on an abundant source of moisture at all seasons. For this reason Woodwardia ferns are frequently found near large fresh water springs in our area.



The breaks in the overcast led to convective cloudiness. Although there currently was no rain, I did not like the looks of the weather conditions and decided to turn back.



The chaparral was also very thick in the area. Hiking and exploring terrain beyond the trail would have been very difficult. I did not want to get caught in the dense chaparral during a thunderstorm.



When returning to a staging area, I enjoy looking for everything that I missed on the way in. On this outing, I spotted a stand of Micranthes californica in bloom among the grasses. In this area, this species can be easy to overlook, as Popcorn Flowers, Plagiobothys sp. (P. fulvus var. campestris and P. nothofulvus), are abundant and blooming everywhere (in sunny locations). Very superficially, the two species can look similar. Without a good focused looked, Micranthes californica can be missed (Micranthes californica in found in shaded locations).



I still had plenty of time, so I detoured off the tail to see what I might find. In one area, large sheets of Lasthenia californica ssp. californica were blooming in the openings between the chaparral shrubs. The California Goldfields (Lasthenia) shared the space with the diminutive Plantago erecta.

[Robert]

Much of the soil in this area is derived from the Gabbro parent rock strata below the surface. The soils tend to be highly weathered, tend toward ultramafic (> 45% Si, Gabbro tends to have a bit more Silica than Serpentine which is ultramafic), and have a high content of heavy metals. Gabbro is rich in iron content, leading to the deep red coloration of the soil (see red rock – pictured). A fresh cut to a piece of Gabbro reveals the predominantly dark mineral content (mostly pyroxenes) with much lesser amounts of lighter colored plagioclase feldspar (smaller rock on top – a truly fresh cut to Gabbro would be even darker). In this area the soils tend to be very shallow. The above characteristics lead to a unique flora often with rare, and/or endemic species.



The find of the day was a blooming stand of the tiny Monkeyflower, Mimulus douglasii. This native annual is a real gem. The flowers are intricately patterned and colored. They can often be found growing in dense stands creating an amazing show.

> Please note: The Genus Mimulus continues to shift, be split, and then reshuffled and organized into various Genus groups. 40 years ago, the name Diplacus was used for the shrubby Monkeyflowers, and then the name was dropped. Now the name seems to be in use again and now also includes many other species that were once listed under the Genus Mimulus. Some species once included in the Genus Mimulus are now listed within the Genus Erythranthe.

For the time being I will continue to use the previous classification system. I regret the confusion. I am sure some readers will feel confortable with the older classification system, others with the new. Until I find some clarity, I will continue with the old classification system. I will start to cross-reference the names in an attempt to provide some sort of intelligibility to an ambiguous situation.



Unfortunately, the species is so small that it is very difficult for me to photograph. I spent a goodly amount of time exploring the extent of this colony through the chaparral.



I can get quite focused on the plants (or other fascinating things) and lose track of my surroundings. The loud sound of thunder broke my concentration on the plants. The skies were now dark and the menacing clouds were very quickly moving in my direction. It was time to hurry back to the Outback before the approaching storm soaked me to the bone.

I was very pleased to get out in the field for most of the day. I missed the worst of the rain and I caught a good number of the early blooming wildflowers at the peak of their blooming cycle.

As always, there is change. Currently, my schedule look favorable for more outings, but often the opportunity arises at the last minute. I will see where the journey takes me next.

Until next time…

[Robert]

I was able to spend part of the day yesterday, 29 March, in the Sierra Nevada. I was scouting out sites where I might find Calochortus clavatus var. avius this coming spring.

More on this later.

[Hoy]

Interesting as always, Robert!

Ferns are always fascinating. I love ferns and try to establish as many as possible on my property!
Mimulus douglasii looks great also. How big (small) is it?

Regarding climate change. WhenI was in Chile-Argentina last Jan-Feb they said they were in the 5th year of dry conditions. It was little forage for the animals and the vegetation was heavily grazed.

Here in Norway the average temperature has increased 1.3C in 100 years (the world average is 0.7C). The archipelago of Svalbard has had 100 consecutive months with above average temperature. They now have rain in winter, followed by frost and the snow turns to ice which is disastrous for the reindeer and other animals there.

[Robert]

Hi Trond,

Mimulus (Diplicus) douglasii is very small, 3 mm to 40 mm for the exceptionally large ones. Soil type governs their size to a degree. As I wrote, the plants I encountered were growing on Gabbro based soil. They were all tiny, in the 3-5 mm range, not including the flower. The flower is often larger than the other above portions of the plant. I encounter the same tiny plants when I find this species growing on serpentine.

Thank you for the information regarding the drought conditions in the Chile-Argentina region where you traveled. I have my hands full staying current with the "goings on" right here in our portion of California. I am still keenly interested in climatic variations in other regions of the world, so thank you for this piece of information. The drought in this regions seems severe. Was there anyway to determine the impact, if any, on the native flora?

Currently, I am reviewing some fairly recent scientific papers regarding soil science and the impacts of climate change in alpine (high mountain) portions of the earth. This includes tropical mountainous regions (Andes and Africa), as well as temperate, and more northern (polar) regions. The jury is still out, however the findings are fascinating.

The impacts of climate change are here today. Evolutionary forcing can be very strong - i.e. think about weeds that have become resistant to, not one but several, herbicides in 40 years! And the plants (and other organisms) are responding and shifting to all the variables out there.

Trond, thank you again for sharing the information! 

[Robert]

Peavine Ridge

El Dorado County, California
Part I

Friday, 29 March 2019

Weather for selected locations

Peavine Ridge, 5,126 ft., 1,562 meters
Weather: Rain Showers
Temperature, High: 48 F, 8.9 C
                       Low: 29 F, -1.7 C
Relative Humidity: 51%
Dew Point: 32 F, 0.0 C
Wind: S 4 Gusting 8
Precipitation: Trace (0.0 mm), To date (starting 1 July): 43.92 inches (1,116 mm)
Snow cover: 41 cm
Liquid Equivalent: 5.60 inches (142 mm)




On Friday, 29 March I was on Peavine Ridge conducting my weekly manual snow survey. On this day, I had some extra time to explore some of the surrounding terrain.

Peavine Ridge extends on a, more or less, east-west axis. It forms the northern boundary of the South Fork of the American River Canyon from the confluence of Silver Creek and the American River to the west, to the Lyons Creek basin to the east. It is a large area encompassing a goodly altitude range and numerous environmental habitats. Three major geologic features are included within this area: The granite of the Sierra Nevada batholith, Mehrten Formation andesite and Shoo Fly Complex metamorphic rocks. These and other variables lead to a diverse flora with a number of rare and/or endemic species.



I decided to explore an area of Mehrten Formation andesite, which is perfect habitat for a number of interesting plants, including Calochortus clavatus var. avius. The altitude range in this area was between 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) and 4,750 feet (1,448 meters). The snow cover varied depending on the exposure to the sun.



Much of this area is a thermal belt. Quercus chrysolepis, Canyon Live Oak, takes advantage of the habitat niche and the relatively mild winter temperatures and can be found growing throughout the area.



California Black Oak, Quercus kelloggii, is also found growing in thermal belts. At this elevation they are still very dormant. Spring is arriving at the lower elevations of the Sierra Nevada where the Black Oaks are now coming into leaf.



Bear Clover, Chamaebatia foliolosa is an evergreen understory species on Peavine Ridge. It is frequently seen at elevations < 5,000 feet (1,524 meters).

[Robert]

Much of the Mehrten Formation Andesite consists of very shallow soils. This limits tree growth. Manzanitas, Arctostaphylos species, fill much of the area that is not suitable for tree growth.



Indian Manzanita, Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka, is the most frequently encountered Manzanita species seen at this elevation range.



Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka exhibits considerable variance in a number of characteristics. One example is leaf coloration. The previous photograph is an example of its silvery-gray color range. Above is an example of its mat gray-green color range.



On occasion, plants are seen that exhibit a number of characteristics intermediate between Indian Manzanita, Arctostaphylos mewukka ssp. mewukka and Green Leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula. Accurate empirical observations will increase my understanding of the species and their relationship to each other.



The lower end of the altitude range of Green Leaf Manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula, extends slightly below 5,000 feet (1,524 meters) on Peavine Ridge. It is not unusual to see a few scattered plants of Arctostaphylos patula among the dense stands of Indian Manzanita.