Plant Guide to Round Valley Trail, San Jacinto Mountains

This is a working list, about which we make no guarantees at all until we officially release it. Use at your own risk!

Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides

Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
Botanical Trip Reports
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species

Introduction

This guide is from the Long Valley Ranger Station, elevation ~8390 feet, in Long Valley to Wellman Divide, elevation ~9720 feet, going through Round Valley. It begins 0.2 miles west of the upper Palm Springs Tramway Station. The part of this trail from the Ranger Station to Round Valley is called the Low Trail by the rangers at the State Park, with the rest of this trail called the Wellmans Divide Trail.

The trail is somewhere between 2.8 and 3.3 miles long (see below), with about 1400 total feet of elevation gain.

A free wilderness permit is required, available at the Ranger Station.

Highlights of This Trail

The botanical highlights of this trail are:

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail (not including the taxa seen only off-trail given at the end of the guide). We had 109 trails in our database when this histogram was made; 10 of those trails, including this one, are in this area of San Jacinto Mountain. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database; numbers of "10" or smaller may indicate taxa found only in this area of San Jacinto Mountain.

Number of Trails
Containing A Taxon
Number Of Taxa
On This Trail
% of Taxa
On This Trail
113%
238%
338%
400%
500%
 
1-5718%
6-10924%
11-151232%
16-20411%
21-2513%
26-30411%
31-3500%
36-4000%
41-4500%
46-5013%
Total Taxa38100%

We found 4 additional species not in the above table, since they have not been fully identified yet. The unidentified ones are marked with ? or sp in the id? column in the guide, and have no entries in the #all column.

Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time

The following table gives the dates the trail was walked and taxa recorded. After each visit, the table gives the total number of taxa on the list and the breakdown of the taxa without positive identification. See Explanation of Plant Trail Guides to understand the symbols below.

Visit DateVisit ## taxa# "?"# "sp"# "~"# "ssp"
8/7/20071402461
8/12/20072422560

We thank Gabi and Cliff Mclean, and Linda and Ted St. John, for help with the fieldwork on 8/12/07.

Botanical Trip Reports

7 August 2007
12 August 2007

The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page: html (4 pages) or pdf Clickbook booklet (1 double-sided page). (See printing instructions for an explanation of these options)

The mileages in the guide come from Topo!. The total mileage is almost surely slightly underestimated, probably by no more than 10%, due to some tight switchbacks on the trail that are not accurately measured by that program. The elevations come from the topo map, and should be fairly precise.

The mileage of this trail according to Tom Harrison maps is about a half mile more than given in this guide. Further work needs to be done to see which mileage is more accurate.

MileS#id?Common NameLatin Name#here#all
0.00l  Begin guide at sign at southwest of Ranger Station: "Round Valley Trail; Wilderness Permit Required", 0.22 miles from Tram Station; elevation ~8390 feet (2557 m)
0.00l1 wild tarragonArtemisia dracunculus50 / 928
0.00r2 San Jacinto buckwheatEriogonum apiculatum5 / 18
0.00l  (San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus)
0.00r3spgroundsmokeGayophytum sp.20 / 4 
0.02l4 San Gabriel beardtonguePenstemon labrosus+10 / 212
0.04r5 San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrushChrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus50 / 924
0.04b6 white firAbies concolor99 / 928
0.05r7 Jeffrey pinePinus jeffreyi50 / 929
0.07r  (sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana)
0.08l8 Parish's snowberrySymphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii99 / 915
0.08r9 green-leaf manzanitaArctostaphylos patula5 / 220
0.08r  (granite prickly phlox, Leptodactylon pungens)
0.09l10 San Jacinto Mts. keckiellaKeckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis50 / 98
0.09l  (Parish's bedstraw, Galium parishii)
0.10l ~(splendid gilia, Gilia splendens ssp. splendens)
0.10l  (little-leaf mock orange, Philadelphus microphyllus; mountain California-fuchsia, Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium)
0.12l  Jct. Long Valley to Willow Creek Trail; Sign: "[left] Willow Creek 3.7 mi; Skunk Cabbage Meadow 5 mi; Idyllwild 10.5 mi; [ahead] Long Valley; Round Valley 2 mi; Saddle Junction 5.5 mi; [back] Tramway 0.3 mi"
0.12r11 sugar pinePinus lambertiana50 / 920
0.13r  (curl-leaf mountain-mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifolius)
0.14b12?squirreltail?Elymus elymoides?5 / 1 
0.15l13 Parish's bedstrawGalium parishii1 / 19
0.15r14 goldenrodSolidago californica5 / 147
0.15   Trail begins series of minor high and low points, staying close to 8400 feet (2560 m)
0.15  ?(Cleveland's horkelia, Horkelia clevelandii; needlegrass?, Achnatherum sp.?)
0.24l  (southern mountain-monardella, Monardella australis)
0.25l  (Scouler's willow, Salix scouleriana)
0.25  sp(yarrow, Achillea millefolium; Idaho bentgrass, Agrostis idahoensis; sedge, Carex sp.; slimstem willowweed, Epilobium oregonense; floriferous monkeyflower, Mimulus floribundus; false monkeyflower, Mimulus pilosus; pine lousewort, Pedicularis semibarbata; ~rush blue grass, ~Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia; Nevada cinquefoil, Potentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis; thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus; willow-leaved dock, Rumex salicifolius var. salicifolius)
0.28l  (mountain pink currant, Ribes nevadense)
0.33r  Jct. use trail (climber's trail) to "Beach / Shangri-La"
0.33b  (lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana)
0.35l ~(swamp or Nebraska sedge, Carex senta or C. nebrascensis; tall mannagrass, Glyceria elata)
0.37r  (canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis)
0.37l15 bush chinquapinChrysolepis sempervirens50 / 915
0.41l16 lodgepole pinePinus contorta ssp. murrayana99 / 912
0.41r17 southern mountain-monardellaMonardella australis10 / 313
0.41l ~(rough bentgrass, Agrostis scabra)
0.41l18 Scouler's willowSalix scouleriana10 / 310
0.41l  (giant red paintbrush, Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata)
0.41l  (ranger's buttons, Sphenosciadium capitellatum in Creek; check for different sedge)
0.47   Tight squeeze through rock walls
0.48r  (mountain whitethorn, Ceanothus cordulatus)
0.49l19 Nevada cinquefoilPotentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis5 / 22
0.49l20 willow-leaved dockRumex salicifolius var. salicifolius10 / 23
0.50 21 bitter cherryPrunus emarginata10 / 111
    Check for rush blue grass, ~Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia, on trail here or later
0.51r  (western azalea, Rhododendron occidentale; wax currant, Ribes cereum var. cereum)
0.53l ~(thyme-leaved speedwell, Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa)
0.54r  Jct. use trail
0.55r22 thimbleberryRubus parviflorus5 / 17
0.55   Trail turns left to cross Long Valley Creek
0.55r  Sign: "Round Valley (ahead)"
0.55r23 mountain pink currantRibes nevadense20 / 912
0.55   Eric Baecht reports that cow parsnip, Heracleum lanatum, used to be here before the 2001-2002 severe drought.
0.55l  (western columbine, Aquilegia formosa)
0.55r24 ranger's buttonsSphenosciadium capitellatum20 / 910
0.55   Cross Long Valley Creek in middle of a switchback left; elevation ~8475 feet (2583 m)
0.59   First of a number of tight switchbacks; trail now climbs significantly
0.64r25 San Jacinto lupineLupinus hyacinthinus99 / 911
0.65l  (pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea)
0.73   Minor local high point
0.81l  (Parish's campion, Silene parishii)
0.82r26 mountain gooseberryRibes montigenum40 / 92
0.99r  (California corn lily, Veratrum californicum var. californicum)
1.03l  (bracken, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens)
1.03l27 pine lousewortPedicularis semibarbata20 / 415
1.06r  (Small meadowy area at Round Valley Creek); Trail is less steep for a while now
1.08l  (western wallflower, Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum)
1.12l ~(white catch-fly, Silene verecunda ssp. platyota)
1.15l  (pussy paws, Calyptridium monospermum1.20r sp(brittle bladder fern, Cystopteris fragilis; slender hairgrass, Deschampsia elongata; larger mountain monkeyflower, Mimulus tilingii; toad lily, Montia chamissoi; clover, Trifolium sp.)
1.25l28 western wallflowerErysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum5 / 126
1.51l  Jct. Round Valley to Willow Creek trail; elevation 8960 feet (2731 m); Sign: "[left] Willow Creek Trail 3.8 mi; [back] Long Valley 1.7 mi; [ahead] Round Valley 0.3 mi"
1.53l  (changeable phacelia, Phacelia mutabilis)
1.54l29 white catch-flySilene verecunda ssp. platyota2 / 116
1.57r  Begin Round Valley Meadow
1.68r30 brackenPteridium aquilinum var. pubescens2 / 119
1.69l31 California corn lilyVeratrum californicum var. californicum10 / 17
1.69b32 California geraniumGeranium californicum5 / 13
1.69l33spcloverTrifolium sp.10 / 2 
1.69l34 western bistortPolygonum bistortoides5 / 12
1.69l35 Idaho bentgrassAgrostis idahoensis5 / 19
1.69l36 larger mountain monkeyflowerMimulus tilingii5 / 111
1.69l37spswamp or Nebraska sedgeCarex nebrascensis or C. senta2 / 1 
1.69l38 tall mannagrassGlyceria elata5 / 13
1.69l39~toad lilyMontia chamissoi2 / 11
1.75l  Trail to outhouse (toilet)
1.82l  Trail to his and her outhouses
1.82r  Nice long log for a rest stop
1.84r40 changeable phaceliaPhacelia mutabilis10 / 311
1.84   Jct. trails to Wellman Divide (l) and Tamarack Valley (r); go left; elevation 9040 feet (2755 m). Sign: "[left] Wellman Divide 1 mi; San Jacinto Peak 3.3 mi; Saddle Junction 4.3 mi; Humber Park 6.8 mi; [right] Tamarack Valley 0.5 mi; [back] Long Valley 2.0 mi; Willow Creek 4.0 mi; Saddle Junction 5.5 mi"
1.84r  Tapped spring with available water
2.02r41 forest goosefootChenopodium atrovirens10 / 17
2.03b42 limber pinePinus flexilis20 / 911
2.77   Wellman Divide; elevation ~9720 feet (2963 m); Sign: "[right] San Jacinto Peak 2.3 mi; [back] Round Valley 1.0 mi; Long Valley 3.0 mi"

Mile: 0.00 includes all mileages from 0.000 to 0.009; etc.

Side: Side of trail on which the first occurrence is found: left, right, both, or center

#: On-Trail species are numbered in order of first occurrence on trail (touchable without leaving the trail). Off-trail species are in parentheses.

id?: Species without an entry in this column are positively identified. "?" means we are just guessing the identification; "sp" means the genera is probably known, but the species name is uncertain; "~" means we have 95% confidence that this is the determination, but have not yet positively identified it; "ssp" means the subspecies or variety needs to be determined.

#here gives the minimum number of on-trail plants of this species on this trail, with the number of locations on this trail following the /, using maximum values of 99/9. 1/1 means a single plant in a single location; 10/9 means 10 plants occurring in at least 9 locations, etc.

#all gives the number of plant trail guides, from all over southern California, that contain this taxon.

Comments On Specific Species

Penstemon labrosus. The first specimens on the trail have the normal red flowers. Yellow-flowered penstemon reported later on the trail, but not seen by us so far, are probably just color variants of this species. The Jepson Manual reports that this species does rarely produce yellow flowers.

Red flowers often produce yellow variants; see Species With Color Variants.


I thank Nick Nixon for the names of the trails used by the Rangers.


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Copyright © 2007 by Tom Chester, James Dillane, Eric Baecht and Pete Dodge.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to us at this source:
http://tchester.org/sb/plants/guides/round_valley.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 15 August 2007.