Flora of San Jacinto Mountain: Selected Portions of the Hall 1902 Flora Introduction
Region Covered and Collections Made
Dates for Hall Visits
Plant Distribution On San Jacinto Mountain
The Phytogeographic Formations
The crest formation
The riparian formationCatalog Of Species Collected In And Above The Yellow Pine Belt
CONIFERS AND RELATED SPECIES
Cupressaceae
PinaceaeMONOCOTS
Cyperaceae
Liliaceae
Orchidaceae
PoaceaeDICOTS
Aceraceae
Apiaceae
Asteraceae
Celastraceae
Crassulaceae
Fabaceae
Fagaceae
Grossulariaceae
Hydrophyllaceae
Hypericiaceae
Lamiaceae
Philadelphaceae
Onagraceae
Polemoniaceae
Polygonaceae
Portulacaceae
Primulaceae
Rosaceae
Rubiaceae
Saxifragaceae
My Introduction to this updated version of Hall's Flora This page contains portions of the 1902 Hall Flora, including some taxa with the Hall descriptions. The entries here were ones that haphazardly struck my interest as part of my fieldwork there when I had time to enter them here. Eventually, this page will become part of the updated Hall Flora.
As of 13 September 2009, this page contained 55 taxa, 12% of the 455 taxa given in the original Hall Flora. As of 5 August 2010, this page contained 65 taxa.
Google scanned the printed version of Hall's original pine belt survey of 1902, A Botanical Survey of San Jacinto Mountain, on 12 March 2007, and has now made it easily available online. However, I found it not available online on 8/13/07, so it may no longer be online. It was back online as of 3 June 2009.
The original paper often uses taxon names that have been changed since 1902. Most of the time one can get updated taxon names by searching the Consortium of California Herbaria putting "Hall" in the field for "Collector (last name only)" and the Hall collection number from his flora in the field "Collection Number (numerical part only)".
In all of the following, the first scientific name is the Jepson Manual name, with the Hall name given in parentheses if it is different.
I also sometimes give brief notes about how to discriminate the species.
All text from Hall is italicized. Text in [these brackets] within Hall's text is supplied by me. Examples include a species name supplied by me to replace a general pronoun referring to the species name given in earlier text not reproduced below, or a synonym for a Hall word.
For many species, Hall does not give elevation ranges, but instead gives plant communities, aka Life Zones. These plant communities have different elevations depending on slope aspect and location, and hence are more precise than giving elevation ranges. Hall provides a topographic map on which he has mapped these plant communities.
However, since it is cumbersome to refer to his map, and people typically think in terms of elevations, the following table gives a rough range of elevations at San Jacinto Mountain that correspond to Hall's plant communities:
Hall's Life Zone Rough Elevation Range Upper Sonoran base of the Mountain to 3000 to 7000 feet Lower Transition ~5,000 to ~ 8,000 feet Upper Transition above> ~7,500 feet to 8,500 to 9,000 feet Canadian / Hudsonian 8,500 to 10,000 feet Arctic-alpine 10,000 to 10,800 feet
Introduction
Region Covered and Collections Made Dates for Hall Visits
Date Area Collections Taken 1896: six weeks during August and September The south side, plus one trip through some of the higher valleys of the east side to the main peak Yes 1897: four trips from May 1 to the end of July Lower elevations (due to snow), until July, when two visits to the region around the highest peaks Yes 1898: a few days in late June and 1 July south side up to Strawberry Valley, and Toro and Santa Rosa Mountains Yes 1899: a few days in latter part of May south side up to Strawberry Valley, and Toro and Santa Rosa Mountains Yes 1901: May 15 to June 1 Strawberry Valley, Palm Cañon, Santa Rosa Mountain, and other localities to the south Yes 1901: June 19 to August 7 All parts of San Jacinto Mountain above the chaparral belt Yes Of the visits made to the mountain the first on which any extensive botanical collecting was done was in 1896, when about six weeks during the months of August and September were spent in botanizing principally over the south side, but a trip was also made through some of the higher valleys of the east side to the main peak. ... The next year four excursions were made to the mountain, beginning with May 1 and extending to the last of July.... In 1898 a few days in the latter part of June and the first of July were spent botanizing along the south side and as far up as Strawberry Valley, and on this trip Toro and Santa Rosa Mountains, the southeastern continuation of San Jacinto, were visited for the second time. Practically the same ground was covered in 1899, but this time during the latter part of May.
From May 15 to June 1, 1901, a collecting trip in company with Professor W. L. Jepson was made to Strawberry Valley, Palm Cañon, Santa Rosa Mountain, and other localities to the south. The author of this paper then decided to make as thorough an exploration of the Flora of San Jacinto Mountain as time would permit. A camp was therefore established in Strawberry Valley, and between June 19 and August 7 all parts of the mountain above the chaparral belt were again gone over, collections of the flowering plants made, and notes on distribution and abundance taken. The results of this survey are given in the following pages.
Plant Distribution On San Jacinto Mountain
The Phytogeographic Formations The crest formation
In examining the flora of the high ridges of San Jacinto Mountain it very soon becomes evident that we are dealing with a type of vegetation quite different from that of any of the formations just discussed and, since it cannot be classed with any of these, we have decided to treat it as a distinct group, for which the name crest formation has been selected.
By the crest formation is meant that assemblage of plants, other than trees, found growing on the peaks and ridges above 7000 feet altitude...
The shrubby vegetation is most abundant among the rocks, often springing from fissures in their sides... Cercocarpus ledifolius...Holodiscus microphyllus (Holodiscus discolor dumosa)...Philadelphus microphyllus (Philadelphus serpyllifolius)...Ericameria cuneata...
The herbs of the crest formation are almost entirely perennials.. Among the commoner species may be mentioned Eriogonum saxatile, Silene parishii, Leptodactylon jaegeri (Gilia pungens), and Hieraceum horridum.
The riparian formation
The riparian formation on San Jacinto Mountain is not a prominent one. The streams usually flow through cañons or valleys whose sides rise, either gradually or abruptly, from the very water's-edge, leaving scarcely room for a strip of saturated soil such as is common along streams of the lowlands. In some of the larger valleys, however, the flora of the stream banks becomes quite conspicuous.
In Strawberry and Onstatt [May] Valleys the streams are lined with a growth of White Alder (Alnus rhombifolia) and two species of willow (Salix lasiolepis and S. laevigata). In the cañons the Western Azalea (Rhododendron occidentale) is found adorning the streams and occasionally also the Common Dogwood (Cornus sericea ssp. occidentalis {C. pubescens}), but there are no shrubs or trees common to a majority of the streams.
Of the endogenous [monocot] species a large percentage may be classed as riparian. The moist soil and the deep shade supply the conditions favorable to their growth, and as a result of these conditions they exhibit a more or less strongly developed hydrophilous character; the stems are often short, and the broad, thin leaves are commonly glabrous and sessile. Given in the order of their relative abundance, a few of the endogens are the following: Lilium parryi, Platanthera leucostachys (Habenaria leucostachys), Veratrum californicum var. californicum (V. speciosum), Epipactis gigantea, and Smilacina racemosa (S. amplexicaulis).
Growing with the above and scarcely less characteristic of the riparian formation are many annual [perennial] exogenous [dicot] plants, the majority of which are quite conspicuous, and of these Aquilegia formosa, Castilleja miniata, Epilobium glaberrimum, Lotus oblongifolius, and the different species of Veronica and Thalictrum are the more common and noticeable.
It is odd that Hall used the word annual in the above paragraph, since all of the species he mentioned are perennials.
Catalog Of Species Collected In And Above The Yellow Pine Belt The Hall descriptions are italicized; my comments are not.
As mentioned before, in the following, the first scientific name is the Jepson Manual name, with the Hall name given in parentheses if it is different. All voucher numbers have been determined as the Jepson Manual name, or a synonym, from online UC records, with exceptions noted.
This updating would have very difficult without the wonderful resources of the Consortium of California Herbaria, the digitization of the UC herbarium vouchers, and the efforts of botanists who have redetermined the Hall vouchers over the years. I am deeply grateful for all the work that went into creating this rich resource.
CONIFERS AND RELATED SPECIES Interestingly, Hall gives no voucher numbers for any of these species! In fact, he apparently mostly collected very few vouchers either. The notable exception is for Pinus lambertiana, where he collected ten vouchers, many more than the typical one or two vouchers. He does have vouchers for all species except for Calocedrus decurrens, Pinus ponderosa, and Pseudotsuga macrocarpa.
Cupressaceae Calocedrus decurrens (Libocedrus decurrens). Commonly met with from the lower edge of the pine belt up to about 8000 ft. elevation, but it is nowhere abundant. It requires more moisture than the Yellow Pine and is therefore restricted to the larger valleys and to the vicinity of streams.
James Dillane and I, with the help of two other people, surveyed the Devils Slide Trail for locations on 11 August 2006, and found this species in the first 0.20 miles of trail, below 6650 feet elevation, and then in each of the next wet drainages of Jolley Spring, Powderbox Spring, and Middle Spring, up to 7400 feet. This species skips the two upper crossings of the moist Powderbox Spring drainage.
Pinaceae Pinus flexilis. The dominant tree on the high slopes and ridges around San Jacinto and Marion Peaks; also plentiful on Tahquitz Peak. It was found as low as 8200 ft. alt., but it is less common in the lower part of its range.
With the exception of the [lodgepole pine] this is the only tree that inhabits the higher slopes and ridges of San Jacinto Mountain. It does not occur in the lower part of the range of [lodgepole pine] and may be considered as a Hudsonian Zone species, as far as its distribution on this mountain is concerned, although it occasionally reaches over into the Canadian. It grows on the rocky summits just west of Lake Surprise, at 9200 feet altitude, and extends down the west side of Marion Peak nearly to Deer Springs. The lowest point at which it was found was on the ridge between Marion and Tahquitz Peaks, at an altitude of 8200 feet.
Pinus lambertiana. The Sugar Pine ranges from an altitude of 5000 ft. to the upper limits of the Transition Zone, usually in scattered patches but occasionally forming small groves.
This pine begins at about 5000 feet altitude and extends from that contour nearly throughout the Transition Zone. It is very common and of large size along the trail that skirts the western side at about 6000 feet, but is less common both above and below that altitude, while on the southwest side of the Tahquitz-Strawberry Divide the Sugar Pine is the most abundant tree; but it is rarely met with in Tahquitz and Round Valleys, except on rocky slopes, which it seems to prefer. It is its frequent occurrence along the two principal trails, perhaps, that has led some to over-estimate the amount of Sugar Pine on the mountain.
This species is the most common pine along the Devils Slide Trail, being abundant at nearly every spot on the trail. It is also very common along the Ernie Maxwell Trail, which might be Hall's trail that skirts the western side at about 6000 feet.
On the high ridges that run out from Tahquitz Peak the trees take on some peculiar forms, which are probably best accounted for by the altitude and the strong winds that sometimes sweep over that region. In one of these forms the dense, smooth bark is of a deep red color, the lower branches are given off from near the base and spread out over the rocks, while the leaves are only one and one-half to two inches long, scarcely one-half their usual length; but the cones, many of which may be reached from the ground, are of the usual shape and size. Another form approaches P. monticola in general appearance and in the characters of the cone but is plainly only a form of P. lambertiana. It deserves further study in the field.
Pseudotsuga macrocarpa. Common in well watered canyons of the west side just below the Yellow Pine belt.
The Big-cone Spruce is found only in a few well watered canyons of the west side, below the range of the pines. It is common in the canyons of all three forks of the San Jacinto River, running down to an altitude of 3000 feet. That this species requires considerable moisture is shown by the way in which the individuals are huddled along the streams and on north slopes, often the south side and bottom of a canyon being forested with groves of the Big-cone Spruce, while the north side will support only a chaparral formation.
MONOCOTS
Cyperaceae Carex. See Carex Species of San Jacinto Mountain.
For the determination of this and the following species of Carex the author is indebted to Professor C.F. Wheeler, of the Michigan Agricultural College.
Liliaceae Allium burlewii (A. Parryi?). A small onion which probably belongs to this species was collected among the rocks of Tahquitz Ridge at 6500 ft. alt., but in too poor a condition to be definitely determined. (No. 2310.)
A. burlewii wasn't recognized until 1916, so Hall didn't have that determination available to him. A. parryi is similar, but it has a terete leaf, whereas A. burlewii has a flat channeled leaf. The leaves were probably very dried and shriveled when Hall collected his specimen.
Calochortus invenustus. Very common, usually in meadows but also on shaded hills throughout the Transition and Canadian zones, reaching an altitude of 9400 ft. near Round Valley. (Nos. 2297, 2475.)
Jepson collected a specimen on 8 August 1903, JEPS17807, which is determined as C. excavatus, and even has the red spot at the base of the petals which supposedly distinguishes C. excavatus from C. invenustus (see scan of voucher). However, C. excavatus is a RARE species found only in Mono and Inyo counties, so that determination is unlikely. The Jepson Manual says C. invenustus is "sometimes purple-spotted below nectary"; this specimen may just be an extreme limit of purple-spotting. These two species are extremely similar in most characteristics.
Calochortus concolor. This handsome lily of the Mariposa Group, so common in the chaparral belt bordering on the desert, does not enter the pine forests but reaches an altitude of 5300 ft. on Chalk Hill, which is surrounded by groves of Yellow Pine. (No. 2285).
Hall did find a specimen at 8300 feet at Toro Peak in the Santa Rosa Mountains, so it is possible it occurs at higher elevation at SnJt as well.
Lilium parryi. This lily, with its tall, erect stems and conspicuous flowers either clear yellow or peppered with black, is a great favorite with the tourists and campers that annually visit the mountain. It was only a few years ago that the showy blossoms were very frequently met with along all the streams and bogs from nearly the lower edge of the Transition Zone up to an altitude of 9000 ft., thus reaching into the lower part of the Canadian Zone. While it is now by no means rare, still it is found in profusion only on the more remote parts of the mountain. That this is due entirely to the diligence of the bulb hunters is difficult to believe, and yet one party took out over 5000 bulbs in a single season. Perhaps this, in addition to several consecutive dry summers, is responsible for the rapid depletion in their numbers.
At the lower altitudes the first blossoms appear about June 20, and by the first of July they may be expected along any of the streams.
The anthers of the Parry Lily appear to be erect and basifixed at first and later become versatile. This change is brought about as follows: The filament is attached to one side and near the middle of the anther, but the latter, instead of swinging free, is held to the filament by the two anther cells which, swollen with pollen, press firmly against its upper part, holding it as in a vise. As the pollen is shed these cells collapse and the anther is then free to take up a horizontal position on the tip of the filament. (Nos. 695, 798, 963, 2451.)
Orchidaceae Corallorhiza maculata (C. multiflora). Coral-root. Found only in upper Strawberry Valley and in Tahquitz Valley but to be expected anywhere in the Yellow Pine and Fir forests. (Nos. 2345, 2523.)
Epipactis gigantea. Stream Orchis. This orchis was collected along streams of the south side between 4200 and 6000 ft. alt. It is plentiful in Lily Cañon. (Nos. 668, 2370.)
I couldn't find a source that said where Lily Cañon, but there is a picture in the book Idyllwild and the High San Jacintos By Robert B. Smith. My guess is that this is either in the steep part of Lilly Creek in Idyllwild Park, or in Strawberry Creek near its waterfall near Idyllwild Arts Academy.
Platanthera leucostachys (Habenaria leucostachys). Sierra Rein-orchis. Much more general in its distribution than the last, being found along streams on all sides of the mountain and up to 9000 ft. alt. (Nos. 729, 961, 2448, 2513.)
Listera convallarioides. Broad-lipped Twayblade. The range of this species was considerably extended by its discovery in cool, shaded canyons on the north side of San Jacinto Mountain at about 7500 ft. alt. (No. 2534.)
For the determination of the plants of this difficult order the author is under obligations to Mr. Joseph Burtt Davy, of the University of California.
Poaceae Agrostis idahoensis (A. tenuis). (No common name given.) This delicate grass is plentiful in meadows and around springs at 7500-9000 ft. alt., wherever there is abundant moisture. In some of the Tahquitz meadows it is the dominant grass. (Nos. 2363, 2476, 2533, 2570.) Voucher 2570 is not online, so it couldn't be verified as being A. idahoensis.
It is possible that Hall took A. scabra as just a larger version of this species, since Hall didn't have A. scabra in his flora, even though it was defined in 1797. Hence these two species are probably combined in his description above.
Agrostis scabra. See note under Agrostis idahoensis above.
Deschampsia elongata (--). Oddly, Hall does not have this fairly common grass listed in his flora, despite having collected a voucher at Tahquitz Creek on 17 July 1901 (No. 2458). There are vouchers from other collectors from Strawberry Valley, Black Mountain, Dark Canyon, Pine Flats, Hall Canyon, and Strawberry Creek above Idyllwild.
Glyceria elata (Panicularia nervata). Fowl Meadow-grass. This occurs on all sides of the mountain below the 7000 foot contour, but is nowhere abundant, and is restricted to the wet meadows and stream banks. (Nos. 2244, 2457, 2553.)
The statement about the 7000 foot contour is interesting. The three cited vouchers are from elevations of 6000, 6700 and 7000 feet, so his cited vouchers support his statement. However, Glyceria elata is actually abundant above 7000 feet, with the highest elevation location being Round Valley Meadow at 9160 feet.
I suspect the reason Hall only found it below 7000 feet is that he ended his SnJt field survey before the specimens above 7000 feet bloomed.
However, Hall has an unnumbered voucher from 8500 feet elevation from vicinity Deer Springs (Mistake Canyon). This voucher has two odd characteristics. First, this is his only voucher in which he uses the location Mistake Canyon, a location I've never heard of. Second, this voucher has a very unusual UC accession number, 1714327, very different from his other accession numbers of 39036 to 69360 from his survey. Nearby large accession numbers contain some very old vouchers from the years 1884, 1885, and 1905. One of those vouchers has a note saying Re-Accessioned from 205949, a duplicated number on 5/12/98, so such high numbers may simply be ones assigned to resolve such duplication.
Hall used voucher no. 2244 twice, for two separate locations. There are in fact two different UC specimen numbers that both have Hall 2244 on them. One is a single voucher from Dark Canyon; the other is applied to two specimens from North Fork San Jacinto River. The latter two specimens are now Panicum acuminatum var.acuminatum, a much different species (smaller, with only two florets instead of 4-8). The Dark Canyon voucher is determined as Glyceria elata.
Voucher no. 2457 is now determined as G. elata, but no. 2553 is now determined as the very-similar taxon G. striata. Since there are no other records of G. striata anywhere close to southern California, this determination is probably in error and no. 2553 is probably also G. elata. I added a comment to this effect for the online voucher.
Muhlenbergia filiformis (Sporobolus gracillimus). (No common name given.) This species requires a moister soil than does [Muhlenbergia richardsonis] and it is probably for this reason that it is less common on the mountain, the only collections being made in damp meadows and around springs in Strawberry and Tahquitz Valleys (Nos. 2290, 2359.)
Muhlenbergia richardsonis (Sporobolus depauperatus). (No common name given.) Common and well-distributed between the 5000 and 9200 foot contours. (Nos. 2341, 2428, 2477, 2545.)
Panicum acuminatum var.acuminatum (P. thermale). (No common name given.) Collected among the rocks on Chalk Hill at 5000 ft. alt, and also on the North Fork on the San Jacinto River at 3000 ft. alt. (No. 2244.)
Hall used voucher no. 2244 twice; see Glyceria elata.
Phleum alpinum. Alpine Timothy. Abundant in the wet meadows of Tahquitz Valley at 7500-8500 ft. alt. (No. 2351.)
Poa bolanderi (P. Howellii Chandleri). Chandler's Meadowgrass. (Botanical description of this taxon.)
... collected ... in damp places in the vicinity of Deer Springs, at 2760 meters (9000 ft.) alt., July, 1901 (H.M. Hall, no. 2573.5), and in Round Valley at 2800 meters (9200 ft.) alt. (H.M. Hall, no. 2594).
Poa fendleriana ssp. longiligula (--). Hall does not have this species in his flora. He has a voucher from San Jacinto Mountain from May 1899 (No. 1174), but it is possible he didn't know for sure whether it was collected in the Pine Belt or not.
Poa pratensis (P. alpina). Mountain Spear-grass. Common in the Carex meadows of Round Valley, altitude 9000 ft. (No. 2482.)
Poa secunda ssp. secunda (P. Buckleyana). Bunch Red-top. Beneath pines of the south and west sides at 5000-6000 ft. alt. (Nos. 2064, 2257.)
DICOTS
Aceraceae Acer glabrum var. diffusum. Only one specimen of this was found and that in a cañon of the east side below Round Valley at an estimated altitude of 7500-8500 ft. There is probably more of it in the same or neighboring cañons below our limits. (No. 2602.)
However, Hall's voucher says Tamarack Valley, with an elevation given of 8000 feet. There is only one other collection, by Ralph Hoffmann in 1929, with no location information other than "San Jacinto Mountains".
Apiaceae Angelica tomentosa. Frequent along lower edge of the pine belt on the south and west sides Vouchers all along SR243: Poppet Flats, Idyllwild, Mountain Center; north slopes 4500 feet 8 miles south of Banning; Lake Fulmor, Fullers Creek, San Jacinto Creek, Hall Canyon
Asteraceae Anisocoma acaulis. Occasional in the lower part of the Transition Zone and below. The long, prostrate peduncles spread out from the rosette of leaves like the spokes of a wheel and bear on their upturned tips the showy yellow heads, thus giving character to the gravelly hillsides on which they occur. When growing in partial shade the peduncles are ascending or erect. (No. 1807)
Chaenactis parishii. Collected on Tahquitz Ridge at 7200 ft and in the lower part of the pine belt of Tahquitz valley 6000 ft. It has been previously reported only from the arid region southeast of San Jacinto Mt., and from Lower California.
Our plants are from one to one and one-half feet high, scarcely woody below and well adapted, by their small leaves and tomentose puberulence, to the arid conditions under which they exist. (No. 2326.)
From the Flora of North America:
Chaenactis parishii is sometimes cultivated in rock gardens. It is known from small, isolated populations in the higher Peninsular Ranges of Riverside and San Diego counties and adjacent Baja California. Chaenactis parishii and C. suffrutescens form a species pair well marked by the (usually) subshrubby habit, proximal indument persistent, white, felty, heads relatively large, and largest leaf blades lance-ovate to deltate.Hemizonia mohavensis (Hemizonia Wrightii). Collected only twice; the first time at 4400 ft. alt., the second at 5200 ft., both stations being within the pine belt of the south side of the mountain. (Nos. 2420, 2657.)
Hemizonia mohavensis is now called Deinandra mohavensis, and is the probable determination for the SnJt plants, and Hall's vouchers, since the rediscovery of this supposed-extinct species in 1994. Vouchers of H. mohavensis essentially cover the entire region of SnJt.
Hall's voucher #2420 is from "in the vicinity of Strawberry Valley - San Jacinto Mountains, 5200-6000 ft.", which I wouldn't have called the "south side". Although that voucher is determined as D. kelloggii, along with an unnumbered Hall voucher "probably from Strawberry Valley" that was originally determined as H. Wrightii, all other vouchers of that species are in the flatlands west of SnJt. It is possible that these vouchers are of young plants that might be difficult to determine.
Hall 2657 doesn't exist online. But there is an unnumbered voucher of Hall from 4400 feet elevation from 6 August 1901 from "wooded slopes and benches of the s side", also originally determined as H. Wrightii that is almost surely Hall 2657. That voucher is now determined as D. mohavensis.
Also, there is another Hall voucher from his collection period for his flora, Hall 1801, with locality just "San Jacinto Mountains", from 7 May to 1 June 1901. That voucher is determined as D. paniculata, which again is a species with all other vouchers in the flatlands west of SnJt. This voucher wasn't mentioned in his flora, perhaps because he wasn't sure whether this was from the pine belt or not, or perhaps he wasn't able to determine it. This plant must be an even younger plant than the previous two vouchers.
Senecio triangularis. This Senecio reaches the southern limit of its range on San Jacinto Mt., where it occurs only along the creeks that flow down the north side, and again in the hillside bogs near Deer Springs. These stations have an altitude of 7500-9000 feet and are along the borderline between the Transition and Canadian zones. The species grows in similar localities in the San Bernardino Mountains. (Nos. 2535, 2571).
Hall also wrote no other stations have been reported for Southern California, but many vouchers have since been found in the San Gabriel Mountains.
Celastraceae Euonymus occidentalis var. parishii (E. Parishii). Found only at an altitude of about 6000 ft. in a canyon opening into Strawberry Valley from the east, this probably being the type locality. The shrubs were few in number, 8-10 feet high, and with long, slender branches. (No. 2299.)
Dave Stith and I came across what may be this population on the Ernie Maxwell Trail on 4 October 2007. The bushes were only ~3 feet high in that severe drought year. These bushes may also be stunted due to the stealing of water from the native plants in this canyon by humans in Idyllwild.
Interestingly, Hall's voucher description implies he found it in other canyons as well: water courses in vicinity of Strawberry Valley. Perhaps in his description in the flora he meant the word only to apply to the 6000 ft., and did not mean to just say in a canyon.
This species is also found in Hall Canyon at the James Reserve, and is more abundant there compared to Hall's report of the abundance near Strawberry Valley. There are also vouchers from Dark Canyon; the North Fork of the San Jacinto River; Strawberry Creek at Idyllwild; and Idyllwild Falls and nearby.
Crassulaceae Sedum spathulifolium (S. obtusatum). Collected only on the walls of the rocky canon through which Strawberry Creek dashes at 5000 ft. alt. This is along the lower limits of the Transition Zone. (No. 734.)
The Hall Voucher 734 is of Polygonum douglasii ssp. douglasii, but there is an unnumbered Hall voucher from 30 May 1898 of this taxon from this location.
Fabaceae Astragalus filipes (A. Antiselli). Common around Kenworthy, in the lower edge of the pine belt. (Nos. 545, 2164 - Hemet Valley.)
Astragalus douglasii var. parishii (A. Parishii). Common in open pine forests of the south side below the 6000 foot contour, from which it extends down through the Sonoran Zone to the desert.
The pubescence of this species is very variable. At 6700 ft. alt. in the San Antonio Mountains (The Mt. Baldy portion of the San Gabriel Mountains) it is early glabrate (no. 1248 - this voucher is now called ssp. douglasii); at 5000-5500 ft. alt. on the San Jacinto Mountains it remains grayish pubescent even during the fruiting period (nos. 971, 1117, 2229); while in the lower valleys opening toward the Colorado Desert the leaves are clothed with a dense pubescence, which gives them a silvery sheen and which persists at least during the fruiting season,--perhaps permanently (no. 1158).
Trifolium longipes var. nevadense (T. Rusbyi). Per, no involucre. Collected only in the meadows of Tahquitz Valley at 8000 ft. alt. (No. 2365.)
Trifolium microcephalum. Ann, involucre cup-shaped, when pressed often partly hiding flowers. Occasional in meadows below the 9000 foot contour. (No. 650.) (Voucher with that number not online, but there is an unnumbered voucher from July 1901 from the w side.)
Trifolium monanthum var. grantianum (T. monanthum). Per, involucre present. Common along streams and around the borders of nearly all the meadows from 5000 to 10,000 ft alt. (Nos. 710, 1812, 2200, 2463, 2552.)
Trifolium obtusiflorum. Strawberry Valley, Shingle Valley, both below 5500 ft. alt. (No. 2075.)
Trifolium variegatum. Ann, involucre wheel-shaped, when pressed hiding only bases of fls. This species, the stems of which vary from a few inches in length when growing in dry soil to two feet or more when near streams, was found on the south and west sides up to an altitude of 8500 ft. (Nos. 2035, 2273.)
Trifolium willdenovii (T. tridentatum). Beneath pines of the south side at 4500 ft. alt. (No. 2029.)
Fagaceae Quercus kelloggii (Q. Californica). Very common in the Transition Zone of the south and west sides, rare in Tahquitz Valley, not seen on the north side; it is thus seen that the Kellogg Oak avoids the desert side of the mountain.
We found this taxon had an essentially identical distribution to that of Calocedrus decurrens on the Devils Slide Trail.
Grossulariaceae Ribes cereum. A common shrub from the 8000 foot contour to the summit. (Nos. 2353, 2411.)
Ribes montigenum (R. lacustre molle). Common on the summit and also collected at 9200 ft. alt. in Round Valley. Evidently confined to the Hudsonian Zone (No. 2410.).
Vouchers are still only from Round Valley, Tamarack Valley, and the summit.
Ribes nevadense. Frequent in moist soil throughout the Lower Transition Zone. (Nos. 2250, 2423).
Ribes roezlii var. roezlii (R. amictum). In the Lower Transition Zone. Not common and not found on the east side. (No. 2259.).
R. roezlii occurs a bit higher than found by Hall. There is a voucher at 9200 feet "Along trail from Tahquitz Valley to San Jacinto Peak. above the small stream and meadows feeding Tahquitz Creek".
Hydrophyllaceae Nemophila spatulata. Collected only in moist soil near streams in the forests of Round Valley at 9200 ft. (No. 2406.)
Hall gave No. 2046 as the voucher in his printed flora, but the online voucher is No. 2406. Also, the locality given in the online voucher is in meadows or along creeks of Tamarack Valley, so it is uncertain in which valley Hall found it. We have found it only along Round Valley Creek below Round Valley Meadow.
Hypericiaceae Hypericum anagalloides. In moist soil almost throughout the Transition Zone, but not common. (No. 659.)
Hypericum formosum var. scouleri (H. formosum). Confined to streams of the Lower Transition, where it is fiarly common. Not found in valleys opening upon the desert. (Nos. 665, 689, 973.)
We found a single plant in Tahquitz Creek at Caramba on 13 September 2009, so there is now one known occurrence in a valley opening upon the desert.
Lamiaceae Salvia pachyphylla (S. carnosa compacta). On San Jacinto Mt., [S. pachyphylla] is not rare beneath pines in the lower part of Tahquitz Valley, reaching an altitude of 8500 ft. on the ridges near Tahquitz Peak and Lake Surprise, while it ranges at least as low as 4500 ft. alt. in the chaparral belt of the east side".
The specimens described [from the chaparral belt of the southeast side of San Jacinto Mt.] are remarkable for their long corollas, but in others from Tahquitz Valley and from the San Bernardino Mts., the corolla is only slightly exserted and in some cases it is shorter than the bracts.
For the specimens with short corollas, Hall seems to be describing S. dorrii! However, it is more likely that he is just describing depauperate versions of S. pachyphylla, since the Jepson Manual key to separate them, based on corolla and bract lengths, has "gen" for both species. Also, there are 13 vouchers of S. pachyphylla from the pine belt area of SnJt, and another 18 vouchers from the nearby Santa Rosa Mountains, but only two vouchers of S. dorrii from this area or nearby, none of which are close to Tahquitz Valley. The two vouchers of S. dorrii are Idyllwild; off Hwy 74. 4,000' (RSA651033, Kai 1970)" and from ridge e | Toro Peak | Santa Rosa Mts. (UCLA69849, Munz 1938)
S. dorrii rings the desert side of the eastern SnGb and northern SnBr. Hence the Santa Rosa Mountains voucher seems possible, but any voucher near Idyllwild seems questionable. The fact that vouchers of S. dorrii in this area are outnumbered by 31 to 2 makes it more likely that these two vouchers are misdetermined S. pachyphylla. But only re-examining the vouchers can say for sure.
S. pachyphylla is found higher in elevation and farther inland than S. dorrii, but still only on the desert sides of SnBr and SnJt.
Philadelphaceae Philadelphus microphyllus (Philadelphus serpyllifolius). Very common about rocks in the Upper Transition from Lake Surprise to the head of Round Valley. It is most plentiful on ridges overlooking the Colorado desert at 8000-9000 feet alt, where the low bushes, covered with a profusion of white flowers, are very conspicuous on the rocky walls in August and September.
This is a member of Hall's crest formation.
Onagraceae Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum and ssp. glandulosum (Epilobium adenocaulon (?) perplexans). Common in moist places throughout the Lower Transition. No. 2589 from the Upper Transition of Round Valley is probably this variety but is somewhat pubescent below while the pedicels and capsules are less pubescent than in the typical form. (Nos. 2378, 2562, 2640).
The question mark after adenocaulon is from Hall, and he offers no statement other than the above as to why he used it.
Vouchers #2378, 2589 and 2640 are currently determined as ssp. ciliatum, and #2562 is currently determined as ssp. glandulosum.
Epilobium glaberrimum ssp. glaberrimum (Epilobium glaberrimum). This is the most common Epilobium on the mountain and ranges throughout the Lower Transition Zone. (Nos. 2377, 2563.)
Epilobium oregonense (Epilobium oregonense (?) gracillimum). This variety was collected in Tahquitz Valley at an altitude of 8000 ft., where the flowers, rather conspicuous for so small a plant, dot the boggy meadows with white in a few places. The plants average only 6 inches high but are otherwise quite typical. (No. 2357).
The question mark after oregonense is from Hall, and he offers no statement other than the above as to why he used it.
Online vouchers for this species are at 8000-9000 feet from Tahquitz Valley, Round Valley and Wellman Cienega.
Polemoniaceae Allophyllum divaricatum / A. gilioides ssp. violaceum (Gilia glutinosa). Collected on all parts of the mountain from 5000 to 9000 ft. alt. (No. 2450.)
A. divaricatum is the most common Allophyllum in the Pine Belt. This was not separated from Gilia glutinosa until 1955. Some vouchers have never been redetermined other than updating the name to A. gilioides ssp. violaceum, and a number of vouchers that have been are misdetermined. Hence vouchers cannot be taken at face value unless it is known whether they are accurately determined.
Gilia ochroleuca ssp. exilis (Gilia latiflora exilis). Common in the upper part of the chaparral belt of the south and west sides and occasionally running over into the open pine forests (Nos. 2043, 2060, 2212.)
Some forms of this closely resemble forms of G. splendens (G. tenuiflora), but it may always be distinguished from that species by the radical [rosette] leaves, which are only once-parted into slender divisions, and by the corolla, the tube of which expands abruptly to form the wide throat.
Gilia splendens ssp. splendens (Gilia tenuiflora altissima). Common throughout the Lower Transition; [does not occur] on the higher portions of the mountain (Nos. 2211, 2305, 2516, 2544.)
Leptodactylon jaegeri (Gilia pungens). A small clump of this was found on the very summit of Tahquitz Peak, 8800 feet. It was again found growing in cracks of rocks at about the same altitude on a ridge near Lake Surprise. Nearly all the flowers found at the latter station, perhaps a hundred in number, were examined and all were abnormal in having 6 calyx-teeth, 6 corolla-lobes, 6 stamens and a 4-celled ovary. (Nos. 2323, 2596.)
In the JM, this taxon differs from L. pungens by being shorter than 10 cm, cespitose, with mostly opposite, pinnately 3-lobed leaves, and flowers parts in 6's with a tube plus throat of 17-30 mm. L. pungens has alternate, palmately-lobed leaves with a tube plus throat of 7-15 mm.
This is a member of Hall's crest formation.
Leptodactylon pungens (Gilia pungens hookeri). A form provisionally placed under this variety is well distributed among all the ridges of the Upper Transition Zone. It differs from the last in being scarcely at all cespitose, with taller, more woody stems and narrower, more rigid leaves. (Nos. 2329, 2418, 2597.)
Polygonaceae Rumex salicifolius var. salicifolius (R. salicifolius). In the Transition Zone, reaching 9000 ft. alt. (Nos. 2474, 2525.)
Vouchers are few at high elevations, only Hall's at "Tahquitz Valley" and "vicinity Deer Springs", both at 9000 feet. The next highest voucher is "Dark Canyon" at 6000 feet, and at Lake Fulmor at 5400 feet.
I suspect this is primarily a function of the availability of flattish places along wet streams. Confirming this, I have found plants along Long Valley Creek at 8440 feet where the Creek is fairly flat, and in a flat area of Tahquitz Creek at 6600 feet just above the waterfall at Caramba.
Portulacaceae Calyptridium monospermum (Spraguea umbellata. Pussy-paws). Common from the upper part of the Transition Zone to the summit. The specimens from the summit approach var. caudicifera, while those from lower altitudes might pass for S. paniculata, since in many cases one or more of the cyme-branches are scattered along the stem. (Nos. 714, 2352.)
C. monospermum and C. umbellatum were confused until Hinton realized in 1975 that C. umbellatum had a single terminal inflorescence per rosette on a plant with multiple rosettes, whereas C. monospermum had axillary inflorescences from a single rosette. The plants at SnJt were all called C. umbellatum until his discovery, including in Munz (1974), and you can still find occasional plant lists or vouchers with that older determination for the plants at SnJt.
Jepson (1925) says var. caudiciferum is an Alpine perennial, all the parts much reduced; caudex branching, the branchlets short and densely leafy, bearing one terminal scape-like stem 1/2 to 2 in. high; leaves 3 to 6 (or 10) lines long; flowers glomerate-capitate. - Sierra Nevada, 8000 to 13,000 ft.; n. to Wash., e. to Wyo..
S. paniculata is probably the equivalent of C. monospermum, with axillary inflorescences, from Hall's description above.
Hall's comments about higher elevation plants approaching var. caudicifera simply reflects the usual situation where higher-elevation versions of plants also found at lower elevations become smaller, with fewer inflorescences or flowers.
Montia chamissoi (Montia chamissonis). Plentiful along the stream which flows through the Carex meadow of Round Valley, at 9000 ft. alt. This is probably the southern limit of its range. (No. 2402)
Hall's voucher 2402 doesn't exist online, but #2362 is of this species.
Round Valley is no longer the southern limit of the range of this species. At SnJt, it has also been vouchered from Tahquitz Valley at 7200 feet elevation. It has been vouchered at least three times from San Diego County, from 0.5 miles north of Big Laguna Lake; Scove Canyon along old road to Mount Laguna from Pine Valley; and Cuyamaca Rancho State Park.
Primulaceae Dodecatheon alpinum. Common in all the boggy meadows of the Upper Transition and Canadian Zones. (Nos. 326, 801, 2348.)
Dodecatheon redolens (D. jeffreyi redolens). This Sierran Dodecatheon was unexpected found at a few places on the west side of San Jacinto Mt. along streams and in wet soil at 8500-9200 ft. alt., in the vicinity of Deer Springs, this being near the lower edge of the Canadian Zone. In this specimens here collected the calyx is somewhat longer than the mature capsule. (No. 2335).
My observations on 20 July 2007 verify that the calyx lobes are still significantly longer than the mature capsule.
Rosaceae Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides (C. betulaefolius). Common in the foot-hills, and occasionally found beneath pines, but only on the south and west sides.
Cercocarpus ledifolius. This is a shrub of higher altitudes, being common on ridges above the 7500 foot contour. Near Round Valley it sometimes becomes arboreous with trunks 2 ft. in diameter. It is adapted to the xerophytic conditions prevailing on these ridges by its tough branches and small, leathery leaves. (Nos. 853, 2584.)
Voucher #853 is not online; voucher #2584 is called #2585 online, and is determined as var. ledifolius, as are all 15 southern California specimens determined to variety at the UC herbarium. Curiously, though, the 5 specimens determined to variety from the same areas housed at RSA and UCR are determined as var. intermontanus!
Most specimens, however, 87 of the 107 vouchers, are determined only to the species.
There is considerable debate about whether the varieties are valid; see Cercocarpus ledifolius: Botanical And Ecological Characteristics. The USDA Plants Database calls all the plants in the entire state of California var. intercedens, with var. intermontanus as a synonym, with var. ledifolius only outside of California! Yet the Jepson Manual only places var. ledifolius in the southern Sierra Nevada (s SNH) in California.
The plants at SnJt have the very narrowly lanceolate small leaves, and pine forest habitat, of var. ledifolius, but the leaves are only tomentose between the net-like veins, with the midvein clearly visible, which is characteristic of var. intermontanus.
Thus it seems wisest to determine the plants here only to species, and to ignore the questionable varieties.
Rubiaceae Kelloggia galioides. Plentiful in the lower part of Tahquitz Valley; also collected near Strawberry Valley, both localities being in the Lower Transition Zone.
Hall cites no voucher, and there is no online record of any voucher from him. There are two online vouchers, from Pine Cove and "San Jacinto Mountains". There is one beautiful patch of this on Laws Loop on the Caramba Trail.
Saxifragaceae Heuchera hirsutissima (H. rubescens). This occurs plentifully with [Sedum spathulifolium] on the walls of the rocky canon through which Strawberry Creek dashes at 5000 ft alt; also near the lower end of Hemet Lake, on Tahquitz Peak, and is abundant among the rocks around San Jacinto Peak.
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Updated 18 October 2011.