PALEN PASS ROAD, RIVERSIDE COUNTY
MARCH 2009 PAGE ONE
Photographs by Michael Charters
Thanks to a tip from John Marquis, who originally alerted me to the above-normal rainfall situation of the Corn Springs area, and who had found a species of milkvetch that is rare in California, A. insularis var. harwoodii, and following a lead from Bill Truesdell out in the Twentynine Palms vicinity about Androstephium breviflorum, I headed out there a few days ago to look for them. The recent heat has taken a toll on desert wildflowers; many have finished their bloom and most of the others will not last much longer. I was not able to find the funnel lily and the fields of Saharan mustard along the eastern end of CA-62 were very disheartening, however the Palen Pass Road location was still good, and I found not one, not two, but three species of Astragalus all in bloom within about 50' of each other, including the insularis! This was the sixth new Astragalus species I've seen so far this year, adding to the six new ones I saw last year. The junction of Palen Pass Road, called on some maps Coxcomb Monument Road, and CA-177, is about 10 miles south of the 62 and about 17 miles north of Desert Center, and is marked on the east side by a BLM informational kiosk. The road itself is quite sandy and not to be attempted by 2WD vehicles. As always, an upside-down V next to the common name indicates a taxon that was new to me when I photographed it on this field trip. |
Desert chicory Rafinesquia neomexicana Asteraceae |
Desert dandelion Malacothrix glabrata Asteraceae [Named for Constantine Samuel Rafinesque-Schmaltz, 1783-1840] |
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Checker fiddleneck
Wilhelm Amsinck (1752-1831)Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata Boraginaceae [Named for |
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Arizona lupine Lupinus arizonicus Fabaceae |
Fremont's pincushion Chaenactis fremontii Asteraceae [Named for John Charles Frémont, 1813-1890] |
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Painted lady Vanessa cardui Nymphalidae |
White-lined sphinx moth caterpillar Hyles lineata Sphingidae |
Schott's calico Loeseliastrum schottii Polemoniaceae [Named for Arthur Carl Victor Schott, 1814-1875] |
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Frostmat Achyronychia cooperi Caryophyllaceae [Named for James Graham Cooper, 1830-1902] |
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Desert sunflower Geraea canescens Asteraceae |
PHOTO GALLERIES INDEX |
CALFLORA.NET | PAGE TWO OF TWO |
CALIFORNIA PLANT NAMES: LATIN AND GREEK MEANINGS AND DERIVATIONS | ||
VIRGINIA PLANT NAMES: LATIN AND GREEK MEANINGS AND DERIVATIONS |