Plant Guide to South Ridge Trail, San Jacinto Mountains

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Begin trail at lower trailhead; elevation ~6480 feet (1975 m)
0.00	r			(snow-plant, Sarcodes sanguinea, 40 feet away)
0.00	r	1		Parish' Jacumba milk-vetch	Astragalus douglasii var. parishii	30 / 9	4
0.00	r	2		purple-root cryptantha	Cryptantha micrantha	99 / 5	8
0.00	b	3		Wright's buckwheat	Eriogonum wrightii var. membranaceum	30 / 9	1
0.00	b	4		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	20 / 9	53
0.00	r	5		Sierra Nevada lotus	Lotus nevadensis var. nevadensis	20 / 9	6
0.00	r	6	ssp	squirreltail	Elymus elymoides	20 / 5	14
0.00	b	7		pink-bracted manzanita	Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea	99 / 9	2
0.00	r	8		confusing fescue	Vulpia microstachys var. confusa	20 / 1	2
0.00	r	9		Indian milkweed	Asclepias eriocarpa	1 / 1	19
0.00				Trail turns left 90°
0.00	r			Sign: "South Ridge Trail ..."
0.00	r	10		canyon live oak	Quercus chrysolepis	99 / 9	22
0.00	b	11		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	30 / 4	57
0.00	r	12		leafy daisy	Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus	1 / 1	45
0.00	r	13		strigose lotus	Lotus strigosus	30 / 9	39
0.00	r	14		whisker-brush	Linanthus ciliatus	5 / 1	5
0.00	r	15		*downy brome	Bromus tectorum	50 / 5	22
0.00	b	16		Coulter pine	Pinus coulteri	1 / 1	11
0.00	r	17		pine dwarf-mistletoe	Arceuthobium campylopodum	1 / 1	1
0.01	b	18	ssp	slender bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. gracillimum	10 / 5	3
0.01	b	19		California black oak	Quercus kelloggii	3 / 1	12
0.01	r	20	sp	perennial rock-cress?	Arabis perennans?+	50 / 9	7
0.01	r	21		oak mistletoe	Phoradendron villosum	2 / 2	5
0.01	r	22	sp	rush blue grass or June grass	Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia, or Koeleria macrantha+	30 / 5	1
0.01	b	23		goldenrod	Solidago californica	10 / 1	37
0.01	l	24		incense-cedar	Calocedrus decurrens	5 / 1	13
0.02	r			Check for white catch-fly, Silene verecunda ssp. platyota11
0.02	r	25		white fir	Abies concolor	30 / 9	20
0.02	r	26		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	2 / 2	44
0.02	r	27		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum	10 / 3	14
0.02	r	28		short-flowered monardella	Monardella nana ssp. tenuiflora	50 / 9	2
0.03				Switchback left at drainage
0.03	r	29		Cleveland's horkelia	Horkelia clevelandii	1 / 1	4
0.04	r	30		Nevin's bird's beak	Cordylanthus nevinii	20 / 2	8
0.04	r	31		white-margined oxytheca	Oxytheca emarginata	30 / 3	1
0.04	r			Sign: Be prepared for hazardous conditions; permit required for wilderness area..."
0.04	r	32		incense-cedar mistletoe	Phoradendron libocedri	1 / 1	3
0.06	l	33		interior live oak	Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens	4 / 2	8
0.08				Switchback right
0.08	l	34		chaparral whitethorn	Ceanothus leucodermis	4 / 2	15
0.08	r	35		Mexican manzanita	Arctostaphylos pungens	1 / 1	3
0.08	b	36		Jeffrey pine	Pinus jeffreyi	99 / 9	21
0.10				Switchback left
0.10	r	37		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	5 / 1	43
0.12	r	38		Parish's chaenactis	Chaenactis parishii	10 / 1	1
0.12	r	39		California coffeeberry	Rhamnus californica+	1 / 1	2
0.12	l	40		sugar pine	Pinus lambertiana	50 / 9	12
0.12	r	41	~	popcorn flower	Cryptantha intermedia	10 / 1	30
0.13				Trail curves right
0.14	r	42		naked buckwheat	Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum	30 / 9	3
0.14	l	43		volcanic gilia	Gilia ochroleuca ssp. exilis	5 / 2	4
0.15				Trail curves right
0.17	l			(beautiful hulsea, Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha)
0.20	r			Several 6 inch wide yellow-brown mushrooms
0.21				Trail curves right
0.21	r	44	~	mountain grape-soda lupine	Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus	4 / 3	5
0.22	r	45		Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower	Streptanthus bernardinus	2 / 2	4
0.22	r			Boulders showing old soil line by absence of lichens at base
0.25	l	46		mountain whitethorn	Ceanothus cordulatus	50 / 9	15
0.27	b	47		little prince's pine	Chimaphila menziesii	10 / 3	2
0.27	l			(snow-plant, Sarcodes sanguinea)
0.28	l			(pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea)
0.28	l			Rock window formed by two huge boulders
0.28	l	48		Wright's buckwheat	Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum	50 / 9	14
0.29	l	49		small fescue	Vulpia microstachys var. microstachys	20 / 2	1
0.30				Trail jogs right, then left
0.30	r	50		white catch-fly	Silene verecunda ssp. platyota	30 / 9	12
0.30	b	51		southern mountain woolly-star	Eriastrum densifolium ssp. austromontanum	30 / 2	11
0.31	r	52		San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus	50 / 9	15
0.31	r	53		bajada lupine	Lupinus concinnus	10 / 2	13
0.32	l	54		Jepson's blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii	10 / 2	14
0.33				Trail turns left 90° at drainage; elevation 6640 feet (2024 m)
0.33	b			(plain mariposa lily, Calochortus invenustus)
0.33	r			(splendid gilia, Gilia splendens ssp. splendens)
0.34	r	55		beautiful hulsea	Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha	30 / 9	2
0.34	r	56	sp	ann buckwheat	Eriogonum with kidney-shaped leaf, wider than long	/
0.35				Trail curves right
0.37				Trail turns right 90°
0.37	r	57	~	slender wreathplant	Stephanomeria exigua	/
0.38	r			San Jacinto buckwheat	Eriogonum apiculatum	30 / 3	4
0.38	b	58		groundsmoke	Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum	10 / 1	9
0.38	l			Impressive flat-topped rock outcrop
0.40	r			Jct. old road
0.40	l			(Grinnell's beardtongue, Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii)
0.41	r			Sign: "San Jacinto Wilderness"
0.42	b	59		bracken	Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens	2 / 1	11
0.42				Center of long curve right
0.43	l			(woodland spurge, Euphorbia palmeri)
0.43	r	60		Parish's tauschia	Tauschia parishii	30 / 9	5
0.43	l	61		Grinnell's beardtongue	Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii	30 / 5	16
0.45	l			View of Lily Rock and Tahquitz Peak
0.46				Trail curves right
0.48				Switchback left
0.50	b	62		western wallflower	Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum	20 / 2	19
0.60				Trail curves left 90°
0.64				Switchback right, then trail curves left; elevation ~6840 feet (2085 m)
0.67				Trail curves right at drainage, then curves left again; some honking pink-bracted manzanita, Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea here
0.71	r			(rock goldenbush, Ericameria cuneata var. cuneata)
0.72				Switchback left; elevation ~6900 feet (2103 m)
0.76				Switchback right
0.78				Switchback left
0.79	l	63		snow-plant	Sarcodes sanguinea	10 / 4	9
0.81				Switchback right
0.83	r			View of desert
0.85	r			View of Garner Valley, Lake Hemet, Palomar, Thomas, Cahuilla and Hot Springs Mountains
0.88				Switchback left
0.92	l			Rock / tree window; trail curves right at ridge
0.96				Switchback right; elevation 7000 feet (2134 m)
1.03				Switchback left
1.07				Switchback right
1.10				Switchback left
1.13	l			View of Santa Margarita Mountains at 9:00, to left of Santa Ana Mountains
1.16				Switchback right
1.19				Trail curves left at ridge
1.24				Switchback left; elevation 7200 feet (2195 m)
1.25	r	64		southern mountain-monardella	Monardella australis	10 / 3	8
1.29				Switchback right
1.33	r			Good view of Desert Divide and Santa Rosa Mountain peaks; switchback left
1.38				Switchback right
1.40				Switchback left
1.43	l			(fir mistletoe, Phoradendron pauciflorum)
1.43				Switchback right and curve left 90°
1.58				Switchback left at rock window with 3 subpanes; elevation 7400 feet (2256 m)
1.62				Switchback right
1.65				Switchback left
1.67				Switchback right
1.76				Y-jct; trail splits for 0.02 miles; stay right
1.79				Switchback right and curve left
1.79	l			Sign: "Entering San Jacinto Wild Area"; elevation ~7520 feet (2292 m)
1.79	l	65		spreading dogbane	Apocynum androsaemifolium+	10 / 1	4
1.82	r			View of Tahquitz Lookout; local high point; trail briefly descends
1.88				Local low point at drainage to east; only sandy section of trail; next short stretch is not as steep
1.88	r	66		pinedrops	Pterospora andromedea	4 / 2	6
1.89	l			(bush chinquapin, Chrysolepis sempervirens)
1.94	l	67		bush chinquapin	Chrysolepis sempervirens	50 / 9	9
2.04				Trail curves right at ridge; elevation 7600 feet (2316 m)
2.17	b	68		green-leaf manzanita	Arctostaphylos patula	50 / 9	12
2.26	l	69		curl-leaf mountain-mahogany	Cercocarpus ledifolius var. intermontanus	10 / 9	10
2.30				Trail curves left 90° at gully leading uphill to steep cliffs with Tahquitz ivesia, Ivesia callida; elevation 7840 feet (2392 m)
				Look for Potentilla rimicola
2.38				Switchback right
2.44				Switchback left just short of ridge with many footprints giving access to the steep cliffs with Tahquitz ivesia, Ivesia callida
2.52				Switchback right just below saddle; elevation 8000 feet (2438 m)
2.64				Switchback left at huge split boulder
2.70	r	70		California groundcone	Boschniakia strobilacea	99 / 9	3
2.74				Switchback right
2.80				Switchback left; elevation 8240 feet (2512 m)
2.88				Switchback right
3.01				Switchback left; elevation 8400 feet (2560 m)
3.02	r			(Martin's paintbrush, Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii, 40 feet away)
3.08	r			(rock buckwheat, Eriogonum saxatile; San Jacinto Mtns. Daisy, Erigeron breweri var. jacinteus)
3.10	r	71		granite prickly phlox	Leptodactylon pungens	/	7
3.15				Switchback right
3.17				Switchback left
3.21				Switchback right
3.21	l	72		rock buckwheat	Eriogonum saxatile	5 / 2	11
3.24	r			(limber pine, Pinus flexilis)
3.24	r	73		San Jacinto Mtns. daisy	Erigeron breweri var. jacinteus	1 / 1	1
3.27				Switchback left; elevation ~8600 feet (2621 m)
3.31	r	74		Parish's bedstraw	Galium parishii	3 / 2	7
3.31	r	75		Martin's paintbrush	Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii	2 / 2	15
3.31	r			(Check for different grass)
3.31	r			(mountain spray, Holodiscus microphyllus var. microphyllus)
3.34	l	76	sp	5 needle pine, limber or sugar pine	Pinus flexilis or P. lambertiana	/
3.34				Switchback right at saddle
3.38	r	77		lodgepole pine	Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana	20 / 9	7
3.38	l			(beaked penstemon, Penstemon rostriflorus)
3.39	l	78		Parish's needlegrass	Achnatherum parishii	1 / 1	7
3.40	l			(San Jacinto prickly phlox, Leptodactylon jaegeri)
3.45				Switchback left
3.48				Switchback right
3.50				Switchback left
3.52				Switchback right
3.55				Switchback left
3.55				Switchback right
3.56	l	79		limber pine	Pinus flexilis	40 / 9	7
3.56				Jct. to Tahquitz Lookout; go right on it; elevation 8800 feet (2682 m)
3.58				Trail begins a series of zig-zags.
3.59	l	80		mountain spray	Holodiscus microphyllus var. microphyllus	2 / 2	7
3.60				Tahquitz Lookout base.
3.61				Catwalk of Tahquitz Lookout; elevation 8846 feet (2696 m); return to trail jct.
3.68				Jct. main South Ridge Trail; go right on it
				Species below are directly from guide going downhill; some have earlier locations
3.71	r	81	?	baby rosette - Arabis?
3.71	r	82		mountain holly fern	Polystichum scopulinum	3 / 1	1
3.71	r			(spike trisetum, Trisetum spicatum)
3.74				Trail curves right 90°.
3.76				Switchback left
3.77				Switchback right
3.77	b	83		white-veined wintergreen	Pyrola picta	10 / 4	3
3.81				Trail curves right
3.83	r	84		Watson's spike-moss	Selaginella watsonii	1 / 1	4
3.83	r			Alpine form of rush blue grass, Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia, formerly called Poa nevadensis.
3.83	r	85		shaggy-haired alumroot	Heuchera hirsutissima	6 / 2	1
3.90				Trail curves right
3.90	l			(limber-pine dwarf-mistletoe, Arceuthobium cyanocarpum)
3.94	r	86		Parish's campion	Silene parishii	10 / 2	6
4.05	b	87		Parish's snowberry	Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii	2 / 1	10
4.06	r	88		western needlegrass	Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale	2 / 2	1
4.06	r	89	?	mystery rush / sedge	?	2 / 2
4.06	r	90		San Jacinto Mts. Keckiella (in chinquapin)	Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis	1 / 1	4
4.08	r	91		pussy paws	Calyptridium monospermum	5 / 1	6
4.08				End South Ridge Trail at Chinquapin Jct with the PCT, elevation 8570 feet (2610 m)

http://tchester.org/sb/plants/guides/srt_up.html
Updated 26 May 2009.