Jemez Mountain Plant Explorations

While bloomng whildflowers may be scare in White Rock or even on the trails in Los Alamos, the high country is just getting started. This week I visited the San Pedro Parks, the Valles Caldera, and Cañada Bonita and found almost 100 species in bloom.

In the San Pedro Parks, three species of Pedicularis (louseworts) were scattered through the dense woods and open, moist meadows. Because it is three or four feet tall, Fernleaf Lousewort (Pedicularis procera) is the easiest to find (it’s also along the Cañada Bonita Trail). The leaves look just like fern fronds, but when the flowers appear there is no mistaking it: yellowish tubes streaked with fine red lines, ending with a hooked nose. Sickletop Lousewort (Pedicularis racemosa) is a smaller plant with triangular, sharp-toothed leaves and small white flowers with long, sickle-shaped beaks. It is found in the forested areas of the Parks. I spotted a few Elephantheads, too (Pedicularis groenlandica) in the moist areas of the Vallecito Damien and along Clear Creek. The hot pink flowers have a long, upcurved beak and the flowers really do look like elephant heads.

One of my summer favorites is Orange Skyflower (Pyrrocoma crocea), found in the Parks, the Valles Caldera, and along the Cañada Bonita Trail (in a week or two).

Gunnison’s Mariposa Lily (Calochortus gunnisonii) is all over the Cañada Bonita meadow and can be found in the Valles Caldera.

A nice surprise in the Valles Caldera was a patch of White-throated Penstemon (Penstemon inflatus), and endemic species often said to be found only in the Sandia Mountains but this is the third location I’ve found in the Jemez.

Social distancing? Nineteen miles of trail for these blooms, 11 other trail users. Get out there!

Plant List for Cañada Bonita Trail, July 3, 2020

Family	Genus	Species	JMP common name
Amaryllidaceae	Allium	cernuum	nodding onion
Apiaceae	Pseudocymopterus	montanus	mountain parsley
Asteraceae	Achillea	millefolium	yarrow
Asteraceae	Erigeron	divergens	spreading fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	eximius	spruce-fir fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	flagellaris	trailing fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	formosissimus	most beautiful fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	subtrinervis	three-nerved fleabane
Asteraceae	Helianthella	quinquenervis	nodding sunflower
Asteraceae	Hymenoxys	hoopesii	owl’s-claws
Asteraceae	Rudbeckia	hirta	black-eyed Susan
Asteraceae	Taraxacum	officinale	common dandelion
Asteraceae	Tragopogon	dubius	yellow salsify
Brassicaceae	Draba	aurea	golden draba
Brassicaceae	Erysimum	capitatum	western wallflower
Campanulaceae	Campanula	rotundifolia	harebell
Caryophyllaceae	Eremogone	fendleri	Fendler’s sandwort
Fabaceae	Melilotus	officinalis	yellow sweetclover
Fabaceae	Trifolium	hybrdium	Alsike Clover
Fabaceae	Trifolium	repens	white clover
Fabaceae	Trifolium	pratense	red clover
Fabaceae	Vicia	americana	American vetch
Geraniaceae	Geranium	caespitosum	purple geranium
Geraniaceae	Geranium	richardsonii	Richardson’s geranium
Liliaceae	Calochortus	gunnisonii	Gunnison’s mariposa lily
Linaceae	Linum	lewisii	western blue flax
Onagraceae	Chamerion	angustifolium	fireweed
Orobanchaceae	Castilleja	nelsonii	Southern Mountain Paintbrush
Orobanchaceae	Castilleja	miniata	scarlet paintbrush
Orobanchaceae	Pedicularis	procera	fern-leafed lousewort
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	strictus	Rocky Mountain penstemon
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	whippleanus	Whipple’s penstemon
Polemoniaceae	Ipomopsis	aggregata	skyrocket
Ranunculaceae	Delphinium	sapellonis	Sapello Canyon larkspur
Rosaceae	Dasiphora	fruticosa	shrub potentilla
Rosaceae	Physocarpus	monogynus	ninebark
Rosaceae	Potentilla	pulcherrima	beautiful cinquefoil
Rosaceae	Rubus	parviflorus	thimbleberry
Rubiaceae	Galium	aparine	goosegrass
Rubiaceae	Galium	boreale	northern bedstraw

In the mountains above 7,500 feet, there are plenty of wildflowers showing up. It’s easy to walk 3 miles and find 40 or 50 species in bloom. The displays aren’t as showy as last year, but the individual flowers are worth a close look.

You can catch at least five species of penstemon right now: Rocky Mountain penstemon (Penstemon strictus), Wandbloom penstemon (Penstemon virgatus), scarlet bugler (Penstemon barbatus), Apache penstemon (Penstemon oliganthus), and balloon penstemon (Penstemon palmeri). All of these can be seen along the Perimeter Trail, Dot Grant Trail, and other trails in town.

Other nice finds this week include Fireweed and Orange Milkweed.

Here’s lists from two recent hikes to inspire you to get outside and find some of our beautiful wildflowers!

Upper Water Canyon List, June 15, 2020

Family	Genus	Species	JMP common name
Amaranthaceae	Chenopodium	album	lamb’s quarters
Apiaceae	Heracleum	maximum	cow parsnip
Apiaceae	Pseudocymopterus	montanus	mountain parsley
Apocynaceae	Apocynum	androsaemifolium	spreading dogbane
Apocynaceae	Asclepias	speciosa	showy milkweed
Araliaceae	Aralia	racemosa	American spikenard
Asteraceae	Achillea	millefolium	yarrow
Asteraceae	Erigeron	subtrinervis	three-nerved fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	flagellaris	trailing fleabane
Asteraceae	Heterotheca	villosa	hairy golden aster
Asteraceae	Hymenoxys	richardsonii	Richardson’s bitterweed
Asteraceae	Rudbeckia	laciniata	cutleaf coneflower
Boraginaceae	Hackelia	floribunda	many-flowered stickseed
Boraginaceae	Lithospermum	multiflorum	many-flowered puccoon
Boraginaceae	Phacelia	heterophylla	varileaf scorpionweed
Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	altissimum	tumble mustard
Convolvulaceae	Convolvulus	arvensis	field bindweed
Cyperaceae	Carex	vulpinoidea	fox sedge
Fabaceae	Medicago	sativa	alfalfa
Fabaceae	Melilotus	officinalis	yellow sweetclover
Fabaceae	Melilotus	albus	white sweetclover
Fabaceae	Trifolium	repens	white clover
Geraniaceae	Geranium	richardsonii	Richardson’s geranium
Geraniaceae	Geranium	caespitosum	purple geranium
Hydrangeaceae	Jamesia	americana	cliffbush
Hydrangeaceae	Philadelphus	microphyllus	mockorange
Lamiaceae	Dracocephalum	parviflorum	dragonhead
Lamiaceae	Monarda	fistulosa	beebalm
Onagraceae	Chamerion	angustifolium	fireweed
Onagraceae	Oenothera	elata	western evening-primrose
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	barbatus	scarlet bugler penstemon
Poaceae	Dactylis	glomerata	orchardgrass
Polygonaceae	Rumex	acetosella	sheep sorrrel
Ranunculaceae	Clematis	columbiana	Rocky Mountain clematis
Ranunculaceae	Thalictrum	fendleri	Fendler’s meadowrue
Rhamnaceae	Ceanothus	fendleri	buckbrush
Rosaceae	Potentilla	norvegica	Norwegian cinquefoil
Rosaceae	Potentilla	hippiana	woolly cinquefoil
Rosaceae	Potentilla	crinita	bearded cinquefoil
Rosaceae	Rosa	woodsii	wild rose
Rosaceae	Rubus	idaeus	wild raspberry
Rubiaceae	Galium	boreale	northern bedstraw
Rubiaceae	Galium	fendleri	Fendler’s bedstraw
Rubiaceae	Galium	aparine	goosegrass
Urticaceae	Urtica	dioica	stinging nettle

Cañada Bonita Trail, June 16, 2020

Date Search

Family	Genus	Species	JMP common name
Amaryllidaceae	Allium	cernuum	nodding onion
Apiaceae	Pseudocymopterus	montanus	mountain parsley
Asparagaceae	Maianthemum	stellatum	starry false Solomon’s seal
Asteraceae	Achillea	millefolium	yarrow
Asteraceae	Erigeron	flagellaris	trailing fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	subtrinervis	three-nerved fleabane
Asteraceae	Erigeron	divergens	spreading fleabane
Asteraceae	Helianthella	quinquenervis	nodding sunflower
Asteraceae	Hymenoxys	hoopesii	owl’s-claws
Asteraceae	Packera	neomexicana	New Mexico groundsel
Asteraceae	Taraxacum	officinale	common dandelion
			cota
Asteraceae	Tragopogon	dubius	yellow salsify
Boraginaceae	Mertensia	lanceolata	chimingbells
Brassicaceae	Draba	aurea	golden draba
Brassicaceae	Erysimum	capitatum	western wallflower
Caprifoliaceae	Valeriana	acutiloba	sharpleaf valerian
Caprifoliaceae	Valeriana	edulis	tobacco root
Caryophyllaceae	Cerastium	arvense	meadow chickweed
Caryophyllaceae	Eremogone	fendleri	Fendler’s sandwort
Caryophyllaceae	Spergulastrum	lanuginosa	spreading sandwort
Fabaceae	Lathyrus	lanszwertii	Nevada peavine
Fabaceae	Medicago	lupulina	black medic
Fabaceae	Melilotus	officinalis	yellow sweetclover
Fabaceae	Robinia	neomexicana	New Mexico locust
Fabaceae	Thermopsis	montana	big golden pea
Fabaceae	Trifolium	hybrdium	Alsike Clover
Fabaceae	Trifolium	repens	white clover
Fabaceae	Trifolium	pratense	red clover
Fabaceae	Vicia	americana	American vetch
Geraniaceae	Geranium	caespitosum	purple geranium
Geraniaceae	Geranium	richardsonii	Richardson’s geranium
Iridaceae	Iris	missouriensis	wild iris
Iridaceae	Sisyrinchium	montanum	mountain blue-eyed grass
Orchidaceae	Corallorhiza	maculata	spotted coralroot
Orobanchaceae	Castilleja	miniata	scarlet paintbrush
Orobanchaceae	Castilleja	nelsonii	Southern Mountain Paintbrush
Papaveraceae	Corydalis	aurea	golden smoke
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	strictus	Rocky Mountain penstemon
Plantaginaceae	Synthyris	plantaginea	kittentails
Poaceae	Dactylis	glomerata	orchardgrass
Primulaceae	Androsace	septentrionalis	northern rock-jasmine
Ranunculaceae	Aquilegia	elegantula	little red columbine
Ranunculaceae	Ranunculus	inamoenus	homely buttercup
Ranunculaceae	Thalictrum	fendleri	Fendler’s meadowrue
Rosaceae	Dasiphora	fruticosa	shrub potentilla
Rosaceae	Fragaria	virginiana	Virginia strawberry
Rosaceae	Geum	triflorum	old man’s whiskers
Rosaceae	Physocarpus	monogynus	ninebark
Rosaceae	Potentilla	pulcherrima	beautiful cinquefoil
Rosaceae	Rosa	woodsii	wild rose
Rosaceae	Rubus	parviflorus	thimbleberry
Rosaceae	Rubus	idaeus	wild raspberry
Rubiaceae	Galium	boreale	northern bedstraw
Rubiaceae	Galium	aparine	goosegrass
Violaceae	Viola	canadensis	Canada violet

A lot is happening out there, all over the Jemez Mountains and beyond. Last week’s banner bloom, big golden pea, has started to fade and in my neck of the woods has been replaced by New Mexico groundsel (Packera neomexicana). This is a good time of year to look at yellow composites in ponderosa pine woods because, instead of the mid-summer profusion and confusion of yellow sunflower-like blooms, now there are only two species showing. Joining New Mexico groundsel along the Perimeter Trail is Wooton’s Senecio (Senecio wootonii). New Mexico groundsel is far more common, and the two are easy to tell apart. New Mexico groundsel has grayish, woolly-looking leaves often on longish stalks and the leaves sometimes have wavy edges and a purplish tint. The phyllaries holding the ray and disk flowers have fine hairs.

Wooton’s Senecio has smooth, green, tongue-shaped leaves with toothed edges and that are rather fleshy. The phyllaries are usually hairless.

Both species are found along the Perimeter Trail, in upper Water Canyon, and on the Dot Grant Trail. New Mexico groundsel seems more abundant this year than in years past.

A couple of shrubs in the Rose family brighten a morning walk with prolific blossoms or simply a delightful fragrance. Ninebark (Physocarpus mongynus) is a low-growing shrub a couple feet tall. The flowers are rose-like but come in dense, ball-shaped clusters. The leaves are much like the leaves of currants and gooseberries and it’s easy to get confused about the identify of ninebark unless you look at the flowers, and the multi-layerd, peeling bark. The ninebark bloom is in full swing at the east end of the Graduation Canyon Trail and just starting on the Perimeter Trail.

Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) has very unrose-like flowers with long tubes and rather blandly colored petals. The shrub can grown to ten feet tall, and right now every foot is covered with blooms. What they lack in color they make up for in fragrance, releasing a strong, sweet odor that can be detected long before you spot the plant. Mountain mahogany can be found on almost any trail in Los Alamos.

A challenge to find is the small-flowered Nevada peavine (Lathryus lanszwertii). The white flowers are only a half centimeter across, are pea family-shaped, and have fine purple lines. Right now the narrow-leaved variety is growing in town, but a broad-leaved variety is found higher in the mountains in summer .

This week’s star blooming plant is a local favorite, the Sidebells Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus). A tall, stringy plant of rocky places, Sidebells have thick, flesh, grayish leaves and bright pink or purplish flowers. The flowers are secund, growing on one side of the flower stalk. It’s worth a trip to Graduation Point below East Park on the Graduation Canyon Trail to see the abundance of this species there, but it is also common on the Bayo Canyon and Dot Grant trails.

It’s a great time to go for a socially-distanced walk on any of the trails in Los Alamos County!

My Los Alamos County List May 1 to May 13, 2020

Family	Genus	Species	JMP common name	Survey location
Brassicaceae	Barbarea	vulgaris	yellow rocket	Dot Grant Trail
Euphorbiaceae	Euphorbia	brachycera	horned spurge	Dot Grant Trail
Ranunculaceae	Ranunculus	ranunculinus	tadpole buttercup	Dot Grant Trail
Fabaceae	Vicia	villosa	woolly vetch	Graduation Canyon
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	secundiflorus	sidebells penstemon	Graduation Canyon
Rosaceae	Physocarpus	monogynus	ninebark	Graduation Canyon
Poaceae	Agropyron	cristatum	crested wheatgrass	North Commuity
Poeaceae	Poa	pratense	Kentucky bluegrass	North Community
Apocynaceae	Asclepias	asperula	antelope horns	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Chaetopappa	ericoides	sand aster	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Gaillardia	pinnatifida	red-dome blanketflower	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Hymenopappus	filifolius	fineleaf woolly white	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Malacothrix	fendleri	Fendler’s desert dandelion	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Scorzonera	laciniata	cutleaf vipergrass	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Tetraneuris	argentea	Perky Sue	Overlook Park
Boraginaceae	Cryptantha	cinerea	James’ hiddenflower	Overlook Park
Brassicaceae	Descurainia	sophia	flixweed	Overlook Park
Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium	altissimum	tumble mustard	Overlook Park
Fabaceae	Astragalus	missouriensis	Missouri milkvetch	Overlook Park
Fabaceae	Melilotus	officinalis	yellow sweetclover	Overlook Park
Geraniaceae	Erodium	cicutarium	filaree	Overlook Park
Onagraceae	Oenothera	albicaulis	white-stem evening-primrose	Overlook Park
Onagraceae	Oenothera	hartwegii	Hartweg’s sundrops	Overlook Park
Onagraceae	Oenothera	suffrutescens	scarlet bee-blossom	Overlook Park
Orobanchaceae	Castilleja	integra	foothills paintbrush	Overlook Park
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	jamesii	James’ penstemon	Overlook Park
Poacea	Hesperostipa	comata	needle-and-thread grass	Overlook Park
Poaceae	Elymus	longifolius	squirreltail	Overlook Park
Poaceae	Hilaria	jamesii	galleta	Overlook Park
Poaceae	Vulpia	octoflora	six-weeks fescue	Overlook Park
Asteraceae	Antennaria	marginata	white-margined pussytoes	Perimeter Trail
Asteraceae	Packera	neomexicana	New Mexico groundsel	Perimeter Trail
Cyperaceae	Carex	siccata	dryland sedge	Perimeter Trail
Fabaceae	Lathyrus	lanszwertii	Nevada peavine	Perimeter Trail
Fabaceae	Lupinus	caudatus	spurred lupine	Perimeter Trail
Linaceae	Linum	lewisii	western blue flax	Perimeter Trail
Adoxaceae	Sambucus	racemosa	red elderberry	Upper Water Cyn
Asparagaceae	Maianthemum	racemosum	false Solomon’s seal	Upper Water Cyn
Asparagaceae	Maianthemum	stellatum	starry false Solomon’s seal	Upper Water Cyn
Asteraceae	Antennaria	parvifolia	small-flowered pussytoes	Upper Water Cyn
Asteraceae	Erigeron	flagellaris	trailing fleabane	Upper Water Cyn
Asteraceae	Packera	neomexicana	New Mexico groundsel	Upper Water Cyn
Asteraceae	Senecio	wootonii	Wooton’s senecio	Upper Water Cyn
Boraginaceae	Lappula	occidentalis	flatspine stickseed	Upper Water Cyn
Boraginaceae	Mertensia	lanceolata	chimingbells	Upper Water Cyn
Caryophyllaceae	Cerastium	arvense	meadow chickweed	Upper Water Cyn
Fabaceae	Thermopsis	montana	big golden pea	Upper Water Cyn
Fagaceae	Quercus	gambelii	Gambel’s oak	Upper Water Cyn
Grossulariaceae	Ribes	cereum	wax currant	Upper Water Cyn
Grossulariaceae	Ribes	inerme	white-stem gooseberry	Upper Water Cyn
Polygonaceae	Rumex	crispus	curly dock	Upper Water Cyn
Primulaceae	Androsace	septentrionalis	northern rock-jasmine	Upper Water Cyn
Ranunculaceae	Clematis	columbiana	Rocky Mountain clematis	Upper Water Cyn
Rosaceae	Amelanchier	utahensis	Utah serviceberry	Upper Water Cyn
Rosaceae	Fragaria	vesca	wild strawberry	Upper Water Cyn
Sapindaceae	Acer	glabrum	Rocky Mountain maple	Upper Water Cyn
Violaceae	Viola	canadensis	Canada violet	Upper Water Cyn
Fabaceae	Lathyrus	eucosmus	bush vetchling	Woodland Trail
Rosaceae	Cercocarpus	montanus	mountain mahogany	Woodland Trail

The wildflower season is off to a pretty good start in 2020, which is good because we are all staying close to home and maintaining social distance. Here’s a short list of the highlights of flowering plants happening in and around Los Alamos now.

Big Golden Pea (Thermopsis montana) is the star of the show right now. There are dozens of patches along the trails. Since the plant spreads by rhizomes, these colonies can get quite dense. The large, brilliant yellow pea flowers come in crowded groups at the top of the plant, which is usually about a foot or more high. It has a compound leaf with three large leaflets. Look for nice patches along the Perimeter Trail between the Mitchell Trailhead and the cemetery, in Upper Water Canyon, and the Dot Grant Trail.

A more delicate favorite that you have to watch closely for is Chimingbells (Mertensia lanceolata). This low-growing species is found amid pine needles and duff in ponderosa pine and mixed conifer forests. No more than 9-inches tall the plant is usually bent over, with the leaves climbing the stem and attached to the hook, the inflorescence hanging. The bell-shaped flowers are pale blue, have a narrow throat that expands into a broader cup, resembling small chimes. Solitary and easy to miss, look for this species along the Perimeter Trail behind Arizona Avenue, Los Alamos Canyon, and Upper Water Canyon.

Another species having a banner year is Rocky Mountain clematis. The unusually-shaped buttercup is a twining vine that wraps around shrubs or stands alone. The flowers are a bluish-purple, have four petals, and are usually drooping. There might be 20 or more blossoms draped over shrub like decorations. It is particularly spectacular now along the Ranch School Trail, Upper Water Canyon, and the Graduation Canyon Trail.

This is the week to see our two species of False Solomon’s Seal in bloom in Upper Water Canyon and Los Alamos Canyon. False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum racemosum) and Star False Solomon’s Seal (Maianthemum stellatum) are similar but in a couple of ways are opposites. False Solomon’s Seal has a tight arrangement of small, six-parted flowers and a loose, ladder-like arrangement of broad, rounded leaves. In contrast, Star False Solomon’s Seals has a loose arrangement of six-parted, star-shaped flowers and a tightly packed, ladder-like arrangement of narrow, pointed leaves. Both are found in partially shaded areas in the canyon.

Two violets are blooming in Water and Los Alamos canyons, the white Canada Violet (Viola canadensis), and blue Dog Violet (Viola adunca).

Mountain Parsley seems more abundant this year than in the last few years. Look for flat-topped clusters of tiny yellow flowers in a tight group, with spreading leaves divided into broad or very narrow segments. Quite variable, Mountain Parsley can be from 4- to 18-inches tall. It’s found now along the Perimeter Trail, the Dot Grant Trail, in Acid Canyon, and along the Pajarito Trail.

Of the many fleabanes that appear in Los Alamos, right now there are two in bloom. Bluetop Fleabane (Erigeron vetensis) is found in isolated spots, but Trailing Fleabane (Erigeron flagellaris) is much more common, growing along sidewalks, in Water Canyon, and in Acid Canyon.

So get out there, explore, keep your distance, I wear a bandanna that I pull up to cover my face when I encounter other trail users, and enjoy spring!

I love exploring the sandy hills of the northern foothills of the Jemez Mountains just south of US Highway 84 between Española and Abiquiu, particularly in the spring when it’s the first area to show plenty of flowers in bloom. When I figured out that I could stay within 20 miles of my house and explore there today, I felt like I was within my pandemic guidelines of traveling no more than 20 miles.

While driving to my favorite spot, Arroyo del Toro, I remembered that on Monday of this week we had snow and a cold night followed by a chilly day. I wondered if that would have an effect on the bloom. Usually I can spot five species blooming in the parking area, but today, nothing. The first half mile of trail, a single Golden Smoke was hiding in the leafless stems of a Dunebroom. I decided to get out of the bottom of the drainage and explore the south-facing slopes that soak up a bit more warmth during the day. Just above the drainage, I spotted a pale flower that looked a lot like a Yellow Hiddenflower (Oreocarya flava), and in a minute a long-tubed orange thing that looked like it used to be a Fringed Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum) flower.

Indeed, the freeze had nipped these plants in the bud!

Each night, cold air flows down drainages and often lingers into the morning hours until the sun heats up the ground and sets up mixing of the cold air. The lower slopes, home to this hiddenflower, were hit hardest by the freeze. I thought maybe going uphill, where the cold air hadn’t settled in for a longer time, I might find a few blooms. Particularly in the dark rocks that would radiate some heat after the sun went down on that cold night.

About 150 feet above the drainage bottom, on southeast-facing slopes with dark rocks, I found the spring bloom. Some of the Yellow Hiddenflowers had been frozen, but not so hard, and they were already producing new flowers. More so with the Fringed Puccoons for they grew in profusion, more than I’ve ever seen in one place before.

Red Bluets (Houstonia rubra) were nestled under the dark rocks.

I found Twistflower (Streptanthella longirostris) both on the rocky slopes and in the sand of the smaller drainages.

I found only one Painted Milkvetch (Astragalus ceramicus) on the slopes, but it was a perfect specimen.

The northern foothills reach their peak spring bloom in early May, but the scenery is always rewarding any day.

Native plants are adapted to the erratic spring weather in northern New Mexico!

Plant List for Arroyo del Toro, April 19, 2020

Genus	Species	JMP common name
Asclepias	involucrata	dwarf milkweed
Chaetopappa	ericoides	sand aster
Erigeron	tracyi	running fleabane
Tetraneuris	argentea	Perky Sue
Cryptantha	cinerea	James’ hiddenflower
Cryptantha	crassisepala	thicksepal hiddenflower
Cryptantha	flava	yellow hiddenflower
Cryptantha	fulvocanescens	tawny hiddenflower
Lithospermum	incisum	fringed puccoon
Descurainia	pinnata	western tansy mustard
Erysimum	capitatum	western wallflower
Physaria	rectipes	straight bladderpod
Streptanthella	longirostris	longbeak twistflower
Echinocereus	viridiflorus	green-flowered hedgehog
Echinocereus	coccineus	scarlet hedgehog
Astragalus	ceramicus	painted milkvetch
Castilleja	integra	foothills paintbrush
Corydalis	aurea	golden smoke
Pinus	edulis	piñon pine
Pinus	ponderosa	ponderosa pine
Houstonia	rubra	red bluet

WARNING! THIS POST IS NOT ABOUT THE JEMEZ MOUNTAINS!

In another world, before I ever heard the term social distancing, I loaded up the camper and headed to southern Arizona to learn some of the plants that I didn’t know when I lived there for six years. With a rare display of luck, my timing was perfect and the desert was at the peak of bloom. Most of the time was spent in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and while hiking 40 or so miles I trails, I photographed 140 species in bloom. Here’s a sampling of spring in Arizona.

Fairy Duster (Calliandra eriophylla) is a part of the Pea family, as you might suspect from it’s compound leaves. It’s a low-growing shrub, and a friendly plant that sports no spines, a rarity in the Sonoran flora. The starburst flowers have an unusual structure: the petals are inconspicuous and the show of color is from many, many pink, white, or purple stamens radiating in all directions.

Jewelflowers are found in New Mexico, but Streptanthus carinatus ssp. arizonicus is an early blooming desert member of the Mustard family. They are common on roadsides and on rocky slopes, and most of the plants had cream-white flowers. On this plant, the urn-shaped sepals are yellow and hide all but the tips of the brownish purple petals, which are strongly curved backwards.

At first glance, I thought Desert Rose Mallow (Hibiscus coulteri) was a species of Calochortus (Mariposa Lily)–superficially it looks a lot like Sego Lily. One look inside the flower revealed a column of fused stamens, characteristic of the Mallow family. The watercolor tones of this flower is particularly attractive. The plant is a weak-stemmed, few-branched shrub that often leans against other vegetation.

Coursetia glandulosa, affectionately known as Baby Bonnets or Baby Bottoms, is a tall, thornless shrub that grows along desert washes. Typical of the Pea family (Fabaceae), Coursetia has compound leaves and odd-shaped flowers with contrasting colors on its upper and lower petals and sepals. The flowers appear before the leaves in early spring.

The hot-pink species of named Purple Owl-clover (Castilleja exserta) was a surprising find along washes and up off the desert floor. Like other paintbrush species, it’s a delightfully hairy plant that sports pink bracts, and the yellow tips of the stamens sometimes peek out of the tube. It grows in patches, which are a striking spot of color in the green of the mountain foothills.

Chuparosa (Justicia californica) is a colorful shrub found only in the US in southern Arizona and California. Chuparosa is Spanish for hummingbird, and that emphasizes the importance of this plant to hummers. I found both Costa’s and Anna’s Hummingbird hanging around these plants that grow along washes. The long tube and high-positioned stamens of the flowers are strikingly similar to those of Cardinal Flower except for the lower lip (which is divided into three lobes in Cardinal Flower).

I’ve seen Desert Holly in many places, and expected that all species in the genus Acourtia were tiny plants with mostly closed flower heads. But this tall shrublike perennial, found along the Arch Canyon Trail in the Ajo Mountains, is the other species of Acourtia found in Arizona. Brownfoot or Perezia (Acourtia wrightii) has clasping leaves and pinkish lavender flowers surrounded by white bristles. The red-margined phyllaries add to the striking nature of the flower heads.

Larkspurs mean high-elevation to me, but not anymore. Barestem Larkspur (Delphinium scaposum) is only found below about 4,000 feet and at Organ Pipe often splashes a bright blue in the desert flats but more often in the foothills of the Ajo Mountains.

One of my favorite color combinations of any flower is found in the San Filipe Dogweed (Adenophyllum porophylloides): maroon, red, orange, pale green, and yellow, with dots, lines, and bands. The plant has a strong camphor-like odor that a hiker usually detects before spying the flower. It is in the Sunflower family and has a few translucent ray flowers, a bunch of red and yellow disk flowers, phyllaries with maroon spots, and a circle of reddish bracts at the base of the flower head. Exquisite!

The most complex flower I found was White Ratany (Krameria bicolor), a strange mix of form and color. Three swept-back, flaring petals are magenta, but then things get really interesting. Two more petals are upright, reduced, yellow-green, and tipped with red. A red collar of beadlike glands supports the thick, crimson stamens and style. Wow!

Alas, the trip was cut short as campgrounds and parks shut down. Next year might not have the same spectacular bloom, but I’ll be there (I hope) to see what happens!

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is in far southwest Arizona, down good, narrow roads, about 120 miles from Tucson. The park borders Mexico, and features a few plants found nowhere else in the United States. The park roads are good gravel roads that lead to most of the interesting places, with a couple of rough roads that might require high clearance to travel (I didn’t do those roads this time). Gas is 25 miles away, and stock up on groceries before leaving Tucson…the nearest food supply is in a Family Dollar in Ajo that didn’t offer a vegetarian many choices! Hot from mid-April to October, good weather over the winter and into spring, but the bloom starts in late February and continues to late March.

Seemingly off to a slow start, over the past week the spring bloom quietly exploded in White Rock Canyon. On the eight-mile trip down the Blue Dot Trail, across the River Trail, up the Red Dot Trail, and back along the canyon rim, I doubled my species count for the year, photographing 39 species along the way. There is no need to make the loop trip as most of the blooming plants were along the Blue Dot Trail and the first half-mile of the River Trail, a mere three-mile hike, yeah, but there’s no way to escape that 900-foot elevation change.

Surprisingly, two cacti were in bloom. First, on one of the switchbacks on the Blue Dot that face the warming south sun, a multi-stem, rounded mound of Scarlet Hedgehog (Echinocereus coccineus) was just off the trail, filled with blossoms in all stages of development.

Along the River Trail were two small Green-flowered Hedgehogs. The flowers weren’t quite open all the way, but their striped cylinders seemed filled with yellow-green liquid, a striking effect. Both the cacti showed their colors a bit earlier than during the last two springs.

Flowers expected this time of the year were found trailside in their usual places and in usual numbers: Scarlet Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea coccina), Chocolate Flower (Berlandiera lyrata), Tracy’s Fleabane (Erigeron tracyi), Fringed Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum), and Sand Aster (Chaetopappa ericoides).

Two species were conspicuous in their absence: Spectacle Pod (Dimorphocarpa wislizenii) and Thicksepal Hiddenflower (Cryptantha crassisepala). Spectacle Pod is usually found in fair numbers in the sand just south of the Red Dot Trail at the river, and the hiddenflower usually lines the trail and covers the ground on the first bench of the Blue Dot Trail. I did find a single hiddenflower along the River Trail.

Surprises included Sidebells Penstemon (Penstemon secundiflorus), which usually blooms in May along the river, and Nuttall’s Sophora (Sophora nuttalliana), which seemed a tad early.

Four milkvetches were along the trails: Missouri Milkvetch (Astragalus missouriensis), Stinking Milkvetch (Astragalus praelongus), Lotus-flowered Milkvetch (Astragalus lotiflorus), and in much fewer numbers that usual, Nuttall’s or Small-flowered Milkvetch (Astragalus nuttallianus).

Eight miles 1,000 feet of elevation gain, 39 species in bloom, glorious spring weather.

The trailhead: Reach the trailhead by entering White Rock on Rover Boulevard on New Mxico Highway 4, the only traffic light in White Rock. Head east for a quarter mile and turn left onto Meadow Lane. In a half mile, turn left into Overlook Park. In a quarter mile, watch for a sign for the Blue Dot Trail to the right. There is an information kiosk at the trailhead (with no information) and plenty of parking. Signs point to the Blue Dot Trail about 200 feet ahead. The Blue Dot Trail immediately begins its long drop to the Rio Grande and is easy to follow. At the River Trail, turn right and head south at least to the first sand flats about a quarter mile away. The entire loop is long and tough, and you can find a description and map at the Los Alamos County website at:

https://www.losalamosnm.us/government/departments/community_services/parks_recreation_and_open_spaces/openspaceandtrails/white_rock_canyon_trailheads

Species List for Blue Dot-Red Dot Loop on April 11, 2020

Family	Genus	Species	JMP common name
Anacardiaceae	Rhus	trilobata	skunkbush
Apiaceae	Vesper	constancei	wafer parsnip
Asteraceae	Berlandiera	lyrata	lyre leaf
Asteraceae	Chaetopappa	ericoides	sand aster
Asteraceae	Erigeron	tracyi	running fleabane
Asteraceae	Matricaria	discoidea	pineappleweed
Asteraceae	Scorzonera	laciniata	cutleaf vipergrass
Asteraceae	Taraxacum	officinale	common dandelion
Asteraceae	Tetraneuris	argentea	Perky Sue
Asteraceae	Townsendia	exscapa	Easter daisy
Boraginaceae	Cryptantha	cinerea	James’ hiddenflower
Boraginaceae	Cryptantha	crassisepala	thicksepal hiddenflower
Boraginaceae	Lappula	occidentalis	flatspine stickseed
Boraginaceae	Lithospermum	incisum	fringed puccoon
Brassicaceae	Boechera	fendleri	Fendler’s rockcress
Brassicaceae	Descurainia	sophia	flixweed
Brassicaceae	Descurainia	pinnata	western tansy mustard
Brassicaceae	Erysimum	capitatum	western wallflower
Brassicaceae	Lepidium	virginicum	Virginia peppergrass
Cactaceae	Echinocereus	viridiflorus	green-flowered hedgehog
Cactaceae	Echinocereus	coccineus	scarlet hedgehog
Cupressaceae	Juniperus	monosperma	one-seed juniper
Fabaceae	Astragalus	praelongus	stinking milkvetch
Fabaceae	Astragalus	nuttallianus	Nuttall’s milkvetch
Fabaceae	Astragalus	missouriensis	Missouri milkvetch
Fabaceae	Sophora	nuttalliana	Nuttall’s sophora
Grossulariaceae	Ribes	cereum	wax currant
Hydrangeaceae	Fendlera	rupicola	fendlerbush
Malvaceae	Sphaeralcea	coccinea	scarlet globe mallow
Oleaceae	Forestiera	pubescens	New Mexico olive
Onagraceae	Oenothera	albicaulis	white-stem evening-primrose
Orobanchaceae	Castilleja	integra	foothills paintbrush
Papaveraceae	Corydalis	aurea	golden smoke
Plantaginaceae	Penstemon	secundiflorus	sidebells penstemon
Sapindaceae	Acer	negundo	box-elder
Solanaceae	Lycium	pallidum	pale wolfberry
Verbenaceae	Glandularia	wrightii	desert verbana

No matter how radically our lives have changed in the past six weeks, the sun rises each day and the plants are soaking in the warmth, and, almost suddenly, sprouting and blooming. I don’t go for hikes far from home, high-adventure is out of the question for now, mostly just out the back door, but over the past two weeks I’ve found spring is advancing quite nicely, albeit maybe a week behind last year.

Around Los Alamos, sidewalks and the Perimeter Trail parallel to Arizona Avenue are beginning to show some color. Of course the star of the early season in ponderosa pine woods is the pasqueflower. The large, delicate blooms are a couple inches across, a cup of faintly purple-tinged white sepals with non-socially-distancing stamens in the middle. Sepals are usually a cup that surrounds a flower’s petals, but many members of the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) do not have petals but instead show colorful sepals. And adding to the attractiveness of the bloom, a ring of narrow, very hairy, leaf-like bracts seem to reach up like fingers supporting the flower.

Now usually I add a scientific name immediately following the first mention of a plant’s common name. But this is one of the evolving DNA-Wheel-of-Fortune plants. I learned it ten years ago as Pulsatilla patens, but last year when Plants of the Jemez went to print, I used the common revision of Anemone patens. However, it seems that species was believed to have a wide distribution in the Northern Hemisphere, including in Europe. DNA analysis discovered a different gene sequence in North American and European populations, so the taxonomists put our pasqueflower back in the genus Pulsatilla and gave it the species epitaph nuttalliana. For now Pulsatilla nuttalliana is the accepted name.

On moist, shady hillsides around Los Alamos, look for the white balls of Arizona Valerians (Valeriana arizonica). The plant is usually only a couple inches tall, but they grow in nice clusters, making them easy to spot once they get going. Before the flowers pop open, the purple sepals may fool you into thinking you found an odd flower. Find this species in the Rendija Crack or near the small marshy area along the right fork of upper Water Canyon about a mile from the trailhead.

Also in upper Water Canyon now, find the diminutive Northern Rock-jasmine (Androsace septentrionalis). From a tight-packed, perfectly round rosette of leaves, the plant produces an array of threadlike flower stalks, leaving the tiny, white, five-petaled flowers to seemly hang in the air like little stars. (The species name, septentrionalis, is a reference to the seven bright stars of the Big Dipper.)

Making a brief appearance each year in upper Water Canyon is Wild Candytuft (Noccaea fendleri), a small, early-blooming species in the Mustard family (Brassicaceae). Its flower head is a tight, nearly round cluster of tiny, four-petaled white flowers. The leaves wrap around the low stem that rarely reaches as much as a foot tall. They grow trailside in the canyon in only one or two patches, so watch carefully!

Mountain Lover, also known as Oregon Boxwood (Paxistima myrsinites), is a sprawling evergreen shrub with bright green, opposite leaves. It develops flower buds in late summer and holds onto them until early spring. The buds are only a millimeter around, and the flowers only a couple millimeters across. The four-parted flowers are a rich maroon color, and you really have to get on your hands and knees to spot this little gem. It grows in most canyons around Los Alamos, and usually puts on its subtle show in early April.

The flowering season usually begins in White Rock a few weeks earlier than in Los Alamos and continues to show interesting species until mid-May when things dry out. This week’s appearances included tall Western Wallflowers (Erysimum capitatum), low and silvery Perky Sue (Tetraneuris argenta), spreading Freckled Milkvetch (Astragalus lentiginosus) (the pods are spotted, not the flowers), and the ever eye-catching Foothills Paintbrush (Castilleja integra).

Even within a few miles of home, there is an abundance of beauty to be found in the little things. Keep you distance, wash your hands when you get home, and enjoy the outdoors as often as you can.

While practicing social distancing, and recently returning from the spectacular spring bloom in the Sonoran Desert, today marks my first multi-flower walk of 2020 in New Mexico. As usual, White Rock Canyon was my target, and although this year’s bloom dates and the number of plants in bloom lag far behind last year’s, it did manage to find five species making an appearance today.

First, on the flats of the canyon rim, my traditional first native wildflower of the year, the Wafer Parsnip (Versper constancei) was a bit past peak bloom, but still showy. The leaves give it away as a parsley/celery relative, but the flowers are much larger than most of the family. The purple stripes on the bracts make it especially attractive close-up.

Down the Blue Dot Trail were other species…my wife said, “I didn’t see them,” but I know the individual plants from previous years and so cheated, knowing exactly where to look. James’ Hiddenflower (Oreocarya suffrucicosa) was along the trail, and on the first flat, Stickseed (Lappula occidentalis), Golden Smoke (Corydalis aurea) , and on the long switchback, Dakota Mock Vervain (Glandularia bipinnatifida).

Even in this most unusual time, there is not reason to stay inside, just keep your group to less than five people, and give other outdoor users a wide berth on the trail. Spring, later than in the past couple of years, is on the way!

One of the most frustrating aspects of the science for amateur botanists is sorting out the ever-increasing name changes for species and families. As taxonomists offer genetic, historical, and sometimes even morphological evidence for rearranging families and genera, they often argue different points of view. In other words, the professionals are quite sure how to handle some plant relationships. I think the good news for amateurs is you don’t have to pick sides, just be aware that your favorite Cryptantha is now often called Oreocarya suffruticosa.

Cryptantha/Oreocarya is the first change I stumbled across this winter. Some authors and websites now place James’ Hiddenflower, Yellow Hiddenflower, and Tawny Hiddenflower in the genus Oreocarya. Back in 2014, taxonomists looked at the huge genus Cryptantha and found that species had several different parent groups. They reapplied some old names to several groups, including those placed in Oreocarya (a name much easier to type than Cryptantha!).

The other common hiddenflower in the Jemez, Thick-sepal Hiddenflower, stays in the genus Cryptantha.

While identifying ferns in the Sonoran desert in November, I was happy to note a couple of lip ferns in the genus Cheilanthes. When I entered my observations in iNaturalist, the names came up Myriopteris. A quick check with Google Scholar turned up a 2013 paper that split Cheilanthes into two species, resurrecting the genus Myriopteris. Simple enough: all the lip ferns found in the Jemez are placed in Myriopteris. But then when I cross-checked the name in my usual definitive source, the Plants of the World website from Kew Gardens, all the Myriopteris species are placed in the genus Hemoinitis. This is based on the opinion of Maarten Christenhusz that the whole Cheilanthes thing is a mess and everything should at least temporarily be dumped in the older name Hemoinitis until more research is done.

I’m sticking with Myiopteris for now!