Today I met Jane Strong, Bob Muns, Jay Sullivan, Bill Hogshead, Mark Acuna, Gabi and Cliff McLean and some other people for the first of this year's mountain walks organized and led by Jane. It was a beautiful day and we explored the area around Mill Creek summit which is where the Angeles Forest Highway crosses to the desert side of the range. Jane pointed out to us the differences between the three Arctostaphylos species that grow in some numbers there, parryana, glauca and the rare gabrielensis. Then we drove along Mt. Gleason road, stopping several places, and finally located the plant which is the chapter logo for the Angeles Chapter of the CNPS. When keyed out, the plants in this population fit Castilleja pruinosa, or frosted indian paintbrush, but the Jepson Manual author considers that these are probably natural hybrids between C. affinis and C. foliolosa. This opinion is not held by everybody, but it is perhaps somewhat regrettable that the chapter chose for their logo a plant whose taxonomic position is so murky. Before I got to Mill Creek summit, I made several brief stops at several places along the Angeles Forest Highway to photograph the first thirteen species in this gallery. At Mill Creek summit and along Mt. Gleason Road we saw what appeared at first glance to be two different species of gilias, but when I made a return trip a week later, I was able to make several collections which Tom Chester's excellent keying ability has shown to be at least four or more different species. An asterisk next to the common name as always indicates a non-native taxon.

cf. Bolander's woodland star ?
Lithophragma bolanderi
Saxifragaceae
[Named for Henry Nicholas Bolander, 1831-1897]

Bush monkeyflower
Mimulus aurantiacus
Phrymaceae

Bigberry manzanita
Arctostaphylos glauca
Ericaceae