Plant Guide to South Gate to Temecula Gorge, Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve

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

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

(Introduction to be supplied.) For general information, see Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve.
Note that SMER is not open to the public except via pre-arranged tour.
Highlights of This Trail

Some of the botanical highlights of this trail are:

Plant Communities and Floristics

(Plant community info to be supplied.)
The following summary was made using the trail list after the 2/13/04 fieldwork, and has not been updated from later fieldwork.
The Trail plant list contains 190 taxa, of which 183 have so far been identified, in 3.49 unique miles of trail. Of these 183 taxa, 44 (24%) are non-native.
I have plotted these numbers against the other trails in my database. The plots show:

For its elevation, the percentage of native taxa is a bit higher than the average of the other trails in my database.
The number of native taxa is just a bit higher than that expected from my other trails.

Summary statistics:
By Number

Lifeform Native Non-native Total Taxa
Trees 7 2 9
Shrubs 38 0 38
Pteridophytes 5 0 5
Perennial Herbs 43 6 49
Perennial Grasses 6 3 9
Annual Grasses 2 9 11
Annual Herbs 38 24 62
Total 139 44 183

By Percent

Lifeform Native Non-native Total Taxa
Trees 5% 5% 5%
Shrubs 27% 0% 21%
Pteridophytes 4% 0% 3%
Perennial Herbs 31% 14% 27%
Perennial Grasses 4% 7% 5%
Annual Grasses 1% 20% 6%
Annual Herbs 27% 55% 34%
Total 100% 100% 100%

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in my database that contain each taxon on this trail. I had 90 trails in my database when this histogram was made; 4 of those trails, including this one, are at the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in my database; numbers of "4" or smaller may indicate taxa found only at the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve.

Number of Trails
Containing A Taxon Number Of Taxa
On This Trail % of Taxa
On This Trail
1 4 2%
2 6 3%
3 9 4%
4 5 2%
5 3 1%

1-5 27 12%
6-10 26 12%
11-15 33 15%
16-20 35 16%
21-25 31 14%
26-30 20 9%
31-35 10 5%
36-40 10 5%
41-45 14 6%
46-50 4 2%
51-55 7 3%
Total Taxa 217 100%

The table above does not contain the two taxa in the orchard that are not numbered in the guide. I found 6 additional species not in the above table, since they have not been identified yet. The unidentified ones are marked with ? or sp in the id? column in the guide, and do not have any number given in the #all column.
The taxa that are truly unique, or almost unique, to this trail or area, out of the 73 trails in my database on 16 February 2004, are:

#all Latin Name Common Name Distribution in Southern California / Distribution in Trail Guides
1 Chloris virgata *feather finger grass SCo. This weed is not on the trail; it is found in the orchard prior to the beginning of the plant guide.
1 Lemna sp. duckweed TBS. Duckweeds appear in only in two guides: here on the Santa Margarita River and on Palomar Mountain on Pauma Creek at the Weir. Note that the species here is so far unidentified, and could be the same species as at Palomar.
1 Medicago sativa *alfalfa CA.
1 Muhlenbergia microsperma littleseed muhly SW.
1 Navarretia intertexta ssp. propinqua needleleaf navarretia -. Oddly, the Jepson Manual doesn't place this in Southern California. However, Munz has it cismontane and montane from San Diego County north.
1 Oxalis albicans ssp. pilosa California oxalis SCo, ChI, WTR. There are two other observations of Oxalis albicans: one not identified to subspecies on the south Santa Margarita River Trail ~5 miles southwest, and one of ssp. californica on the Los Santos Trail at the Santa Rosa Plateau ~5 miles northwest.
2 Apium graveolens *celery CA. Found only at SMER at the Santa Margarita River.
2 Aristida adscensionis six-weeks three-awn SCo, s ChI, WTR, SnGb, PR, D. Found also at Monserate Mountain in Fallbrook, ~5 miles south.
2 Baccharis emoryi Emory's baccharis SCo, WTR, PR, D. Found only at SMER, plus another occurrence just off-trail on the Vista Grande Trail at the Santa Rosa Plateau.
2 Caulanthus heterophyllus var. pseudosimulans slender-pod jewelflower TR, n PR. Found only at SMER. Note that this id is not 100% yet.
2 Euthamia occidentalis western goldenrod CA. Found only at the Santa Margarita River at SMER on our trails.
2 Juncus textilis basket rush n&c SW. Found only at SMER on our trails. Note that the id is not 100%, since I haven't seen the plant bloom yet.
2 Kickxia spuria *roundleaf fluellin CA-FP. Found only at SMER. This weed is not on the trail; it is found in the orchard prior to the beginning of the plant guide.
2 Tetracoccus dioicus Parry's tetracoccus RARE. s SCo (San Diego County), w PR; Baja CA. Found also at Monserate Mountain, ~5 miles south.
3 Cheilanthes newberryi cotton fern SW. Found only at SMER and the south Santa Margarita River Trail.
3 Scirpus americanus American tule CA. Found only at SMER and the Los Jilqueros Preserve in Fallbrook, ~5 miles southwest.

Note that many of these taxa are found only along streams or on ponds, and are uncommon among my trails simply due to the lack of streams with perennial water, and ponds, along most of my trails.
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 Date Visit # # taxa # "?" # "sp" # "~" # "ssp"
11/8/2001 1
12/6/2001 2
2/2/2002 3 142 28
4/7/2002 4 163 26
6/22/2002 5
8/3/2002 6 170 17 3 5 0
12/11/2002 7 186 11 7 6 1
12/18/2002 8 185 11 5 7 0
3/3/2003 9 195 8 4 16 0
12/18/2003 10 192 7 4 16 0
2/13/2004 11 190 6 4 16 0
7/5/2004 12 194 6 5 17 1
8/16/2004 13 195 6 5 17 1
1/29/2005 14 200 5 5 15 2
4/3/2005 15 208 7 3 8 2
4/15/2005 16 218 7 3 8 0
8/20/2005 17 223 6 2 10 0

The unknowns were not broken down further than ? prior to 8/3/02.
The fieldwork on 7/5/04 was limited to the Temecula Gorge area, and a spotcheck at one other location on a single unknown species. The fieldwork on 8/16/04 was entirely confined to the Santa Margarita River crossing. The fieldwork on 1/29/05 was limited, since that was mostly just a hike. The fieldwork on 4/3/05 was just to mile 1.34. The fieldwork on 4/15/05 was limited to the Temecula Gorge area. The fieldwork on 8/20/05 was limited to the Stone Creek and Temecula Gorge areas.
Botanical Trip Reports

13 February 2004
5 July 2004
The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (9 pages)
This guide has an extra character before the mile for some taxa, which indicates whether it has been vouchered (V), needs a better voucher (v), or needs a voucher for the SMER flora (N).

mile s # id Common Name Latin Name #here #all
0.00 Begin guide at parking lot below South Field Station, elevation ~560 feet (170 m); only a few notable species not found subsequently are given here until the end of the orchard.
0.10 South Field Station
l *roundleaf fluellin Kickxia spuria 5 / 1
l *feather finger grass Chloris virgata 20 / 1
0.43 End of orchard; elevation ~650 feet (200 m); begin guide at the coast live oak and descend to Stone Creek.
0.43 l (Mohave yucca, Yucca schidigera)
0.43 l (bush monkeyflower, Mimulus aurantiacus)
0.43 l (Torrey's scrub oak, Quercus acutidens)
0.43 l 1 coast live oak Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia 30 / 5 42
V0.43 r 2 *rattail fescue Vulpia myuros var. myuros / 20
0.43 l 3 short-winged deerweed Lotus scoparius var. brevialatus 30 / 9 22
0.43 l 4 *shortpod mustard Hirschfeldia incana 99 / 9 51
N0.43 l 5 *red brome Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens 99 / 9 52
0.43 l 6 *redstem filaree Erodium cicutarium 99 / 9 55
0.43 l 7 popcorn flower Cryptantha intermedia 99 / 9 27
V0.43 l 8 *Mediterranean schismus Schismus barbatus 99 / 9 22
0.43 l 9 threadstem Pterostegia drymarioides 10 / 2 30
0.43 b 10 chia Salvia columbariae 99 / 9 21
0.43 r 11 *ripgut brome Bromus diandrus / 51
0.43 l 12 chaparral yucca Yucca whipplei 20 / 9 31
0.43 l 13 *slender wild oats Avena barbata / 39
0.43 c 14 dove weed Eremocarpus setigerus / 24
V0.43 b 15 eucrypta Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia 99 / 9 25
0.43 r 16 *little horseweed Conyza bonariensis / 16
0.43 r 17 *prickly lettuce Lactuca serriola / 42
0.43 r 18 *sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus / 41
N0.43 r 19 *common cudweed Gnaphalium luteo-album 30 / 1 16
0.43 r 20 *smooth cat's ear Hypochaeris glabra / 35
0.43 r 21 wild grape Vitis girdiana 99 / 2 7
0.43 l 22 California sagebrush Artemisia californica 99 / 9 47
0.43 r 23 California suncup Camissonia californica 99 / 3 20
0.43 l 24 silver puffs Uropappus lindleyi / 26
0.43 l 25 leafy daisy Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus / 43
0.43 l 26 coast-range melic Melica imperfecta 50 / 5 43
0.44 l 27 laurel sumac Malosma laurina 99 / 9 42
0.44 l 28 black sage Salvia mellifera 50 / 9 40
0.44 l 29 blue elderberry Sambucus mexicana 1 / 1 48
0.44 l 30 golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum / 55
0.44 l 31 narrowleaf bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium 5 / 5 48
N0.44 r 32 *gazania Gazania X (mounding hybrid) 1 / 1 6
N0.44 r 33 ~ rattlesnake weed Daucus pusillus / 28
0.44 r 34 *California burclover Medicago polymorpha 99 / 5 40
0.44 r 35 *common groundsel Senecio vulgaris 99 / 9 18
0.44 r 36 white sage Salvia apiana 50 / 9 38
N0.44 r 37 coyote bush Baccharis pilularis 5 / 3 25
V0.44 r 38 bush monkeyflower Mimulus aurantiacus 10 / 5 42
0.44 r 39 *English plantain Plantago lanceolata 50 / 1 19
N l 40 ~ soap plant Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum 10 / 1 18
l 41 California poppy Eschscholzia californica / 29
r *Check for first windmill pink, Silene gallica, here or later
0.46 r (nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus.)
0.46 r Jct. another orchard road.
0.46 l (chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum)
0.47 b 42 sugar bush Rhus ovata 10 / 3 25
0.47 l 43 hollyleaf redberry Rhamnus ilicifolia 5 / 5 43
0.47 b 44 southern honeysuckle Lonicera subspicata var. denudata 50 / 9 40
0.47 b 45 collar lupine Lupinus truncatus 50 / 2 24
0.47 r 46 bristly bird's beak Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. setigerus / 26
N0.47 l 47 Torrey's scrub oak Quercus acutidens 50 / 9 26
0.47 b 48 San Diego pea Lathyrus vestitus var. alefeldii 20 / 9 21
N0.47 r 49 California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum 99 / 9 51
0.47 old gate
0.47 r 50 California everlasting Gnaphalium californicum / 42
0.48 l 51 saw-toothed goldenbush Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides 99 / 9 35
0.48 r 52 poison oak Toxicodendron diversilobum 99 / 9 43
0.48 r 53 basketbush Rhus trilobata 3 / 1 24
0.48 Jct. Road (the old Stagecoach Lane) at Stone Creek, elevation 580', turn left
0.48 l 54 toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia 9 / 9 44
0.48 r 55 western ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya 99 / 5 36
N0.48 r 56 California brome Bromus carinatus var. carinatus 20 / 2 24
N0.48 l 57 Pacific sanicle Sanicula crassicaulis 50 / 3 20
0.49 r 58 heartleaf penstemon Keckiella cordifolia 20 / 2 27
0.49 r 59 mugwort Artemisia douglasiana 30 / 5 28
N0.49 60 *Crete weed Hedypnois cretica 99 / 3 19
0.49 r 61 California blackberry Rubus ursinus 20 / 2 13
N0.49 r 62 triangular-fruit sedge Carex triquetra 99 / 2 17
0.49 l 63 checkerbloom Sidalcea malviflora ssp. sparsifolia 20 / 4 25
0.50 r 64 giant wild-rye Leymus condensatus 20 / 5 27
0.50 r 65 California wild rose Rosa californica 20 / 5 11
N0.51 r 66 ~ virgin's bower Clematis lasiantha 10 / 3 6
0.51 r 67 western sycamore Platanus racemosa 30 / 4 27
N0.52 r 68 climbing bedstraw Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii 20 / 9 30
0.52 r (6 foot high San Diego sedge, Carex spissa, across stream)
0.52 r 69 ~ Emory's baccharis Baccharis emoryi 3 / 2 8
0.52 r 70 San Diego morning-glory Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenuifolia 50 / 9 18
0.52 l 71 Parish's purple nightshade Solanum parishii 10 / 9 20
0.53 r 72 red willow Salix laevigata 6 / 3 21
0.53 r 73 silky lotus Lotus heermannii var. heermannii 5 / 3 6
0.53 r 74 southern miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana / 25
0.53 l 75 stinging lupine Lupinus hirsutissimus 2 / 2 15
V0.53 b 76 white everlasting Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum 3 / 3 36
0.54 r 77 arroyo willow Salix lasiolepis 2 / 2 34
0.54 b 78 blue dicks Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum 99 / 9 46
0.54 79 California dodder Cuscuta californica var. californica / 17
0.54 l 80 California oxalis Oxalis albicans ssp. pilosa 1 / 1 1
0.54 l 81 wild canterbury bells Phacelia minor 99 / 9 21
N0.54 l 82 California chalk lettuce Dudleya pulverulenta ssp. pulverulenta 20 / 1 10
V0.54 l 83 bicolored everlasting Gnaphalium bicolor 3 / 3 29
0.54 r 84 mule fat Baccharis salicifolia 20 / 5 40
N0.54 85 blue wildrye Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus 20 / 3 21
0.54 l 86 coffee fern Pellaea andromedifolia 5 / 2 22
0.54 l 87 Bigelow's spike-moss Selaginella bigelovii 20 / 1 19
N0.54 l 88 *white-stemmed filaree Erodium moschatum 5 / 1 20
0.55 l 89 meally white pincushion Chaenactis artemisiifolia 10 / 1 14
V0.55 l 90 yellow pincushion Chaenactis glabriuscula var. glabriuscula 10 / 1 13
0.55 l 91 Coulter's lupine Lupinus sparsiflorus 10 / 1 11
0.55 l Interesting weathering of rock on cliff, called "tafoni", "honeycomb" or "alveolar" weathering. How it forms is not known.
0.55 l 92 wide-throated yellow monkeyflower Mimulus brevipes 5 / 1 12
0.55 93 *soft chess Bromus hordeaceus / 40
v0.55 l 94 southern suncup Camissonia bistorta 10 / 1 11
0.56 l 95 bird's-foot fern Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata 4 / 4 30
0.56 l 96 ? snapdragon campion? Silene antirrhina? /
0.56 l 97 odora Porophyllum gracile 10 / 2 6
0.56 l 98 California four o'clock Mirabilis californica 20 / 9 23
0.56 l 99 California chicory Rafinesquia californica 2 / 2 22
0.56 r 100 bracken Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens 20 / 1 9
V0.58 r 101 *smilo grass Piptatherum miliaceum 50 / 2 19
0.58 r (San Diego sedge, Carex spissa)
0.58 r 102 telegraph weed Heterotheca grandiflora 30 / 3 35
0.58 103 *sourclover Melilotus indicus 30 / 2 24
0.58 Cut bank for microrhiza association with coast live oak research
V0.58 b 104 horseweed Conyza canadensis / 35
V0.58 b 105 slender wreathplant Stephanomeria exigua ssp. deanei 99 / 9 13
N0.58 l 106 *prickly sow thistle Sonchus asper ssp. asper 1 / 1 30
0.59 r 107 branching phacelia Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia 20 / 4 34
0.59 r ~ (~leather root, ~Hoita macrostachya; rigid hedge-nettle, Stachys ajugoides var. rigida)
0.59 r 108 hoaryleaf ceanothus Ceanothus crassifolius 20 / 9 12
N0.59 r 109 Ramona lilac Ceanothus tomentosus var. olivaceus 20 / 5 9
0.59 r (Check for autumn willowweed, Epilobium brachycarpum)
0.60 l 110 goldenrod Solidago californica 20 / 2 35
0.63 l 111 ? unk. branched plant, leafy infl with capsule seed Eustoma exaltatum? /
N0.66 b 112 *Italian thistle Carduus pycnocephalus 6 / 3 21
0.68 r Erosion claimed the road here in 2004, which was repaired then.
0.68 r 113 chaparral bush mallow Malacothamnus fasciculatus 4 / 4 14
114 ~ caterpillar phacelia Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida / 16
l 115 angel's gilia Gilia angelensis 5 / 1 14
l (woodrat's nest)
0.70 r (pampas grass, Cortaderia jubata, in Stone Creek)
0.72 Cross small creek draining into Stone Creek
0.74 l 116 red maids Calandrinia ciliata 1 / 1 18
0.75 Leave shade of Stone Creek; elevation ~640 feet (195 m)
0.75 r 117 purple head Acourtia microcephala 1 / 1 19
N0.75 l 118 *nit grass Gastridium ventricosum / 24
0.75 l 119 slender tarweed Hemizonia fasciculata 99 / 9 17
N0.75 l 120 ~ Robinson's pepper-grass Lepidium virginicum var. robinsonii 5 / 1 7
0.75 l 121 California plantain Plantago erecta 99 / 9 13
0.75 l 122 San Diego birdsfoot lotus Lotus hamatus / 24
0.75 l 123 three spot Osmadenia tenella 5 / 1 13
0.75 l 124 splendid mariposa lily Calochortus splendens 50 / 2 19
0.75 125 *tocalote Centaurea melitensis 99 / 9 45
0.75 l 126 California matchweed Gutierrezia californica 99 / 9 4
0.76 l 127 sp clarkia Clarkia sp. /
0.76 l 128 *Russian thistle Salsola tragus 99 / 9 25
0.76 r 129 chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum 99 / 9 37
0.78 r 130 California-aster Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia 20 / 5 51
0.80 r 131 *narrowleaf filago Filago gallica 10 / 1 45
v0.80 l 132 ~ slender-pod jewelflower Caulanthus heterophyllus var. pseudosimulans / 3
N0.80 l 133 slender combseed Pectocarya linearis ssp. ferocula 99 / 9 5
0.80 l 134 small-seeded spurge Chamaesyce polycarpa 10 / 2 13
0.82 r 135 strigose lotus Lotus strigosus 10 / 2 33
0.83 l Jct. Tourmaline Mine Road; elevation ~680 feet (205 m)
0.83 r Check for navarretia here.
V0.83 r 136 wild-cucumber Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus 10 / 9 44
0.84 r 137 foothill needlegrass Nassella lepida 1 / 1 20
V0.85 l 138 snapdragon campion Silene antirrhina / 7
0.85 l Field of splendid Mariposa lily, Calochortus splendens
v0.86 l 139 bajada lupine Lupinus concinnus 5 / 1 11
0.87 Cross small creek draining into Stone Creek
0.87 l 140 San Diego sedge Carex spissa 50 / 2 5
V0.87 b 141 basket rush Juncus textilis⁺ 20 / 1 5
0.88 l 142 littleseed muhly Muhlenbergia microsperma 50 / 3 2
N0.88 b 143 Vasey's prickly-pear Opuntia vaseyi 5 / 1 24
0.88 r 144 mission manzanita Xylococcus bicolor 40 / 9 14
N0.88 r 145 *wild oats Avena fatua / 26
v0.91 l 146 cane bluestem Bothriochloa barbinodis 1 / 1 2
0.91 r A Torrey oak, Q. acutidens, showing its more Engelman phase.
0.94 r 147 slender sunflower Helianthus gracilentus 20 / 2 13
0.95 Cross small creek draining into Stone Creek
0.95 l Cluster of slender sunflowers, Helianthus gracilentus.
0.99 l Woodrat's nest
1.00 Cross small drainage going into Stone Creek; road bends to right
N1.01 l 148 *pampas grass Cortaderia jubata 1 / 1 2
V1.01 r 149 south coast morning-glory Calystegia macrostegia ssp. intermedia 1 / 1 19
1.03 l Woodrat's nest
1.04 l A small rockfall that occurred in 2003.
1.04 l 150 giant needlegrass Achnatherum coronatum 3 / 3 22
1.05 l morning-glory hybrid, intergrade between Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenuifolia and ssp. intermedia.
1.05 b 151 sweetbush Bebbia juncea var. aspera 5 / 2 8
1.05 Cross broad small drainage
N1.06 l 152 six-weeks three-awn Aristida adscensionis 5 / 1 4
1.07 r Cross head of small drainage
1.10 Cross broad small drainage
1.11 l 153 fringed spineflower Chorizanthe fimbriata var. fimbriata 2 / 1 7
N1.14 154 *goldentop Lamarckia aurea / 21
1.16 r (chaparral beard-tongue, Keckiella antirrhinoides var. antirrhinoides)
1.16 Cross broad small drainage
1.19 l 155 chaparral beard-tongue Keckiella antirrhinoides var. antirrhinoides 3 / 2 10
1.25 Cross very small broad drainage
1.28 l 156 California filago Filago californica 99 / 2 21
1.29 Cross broad small drainage
1.34 l Jct. Red Mountain Truck Trail
v1.37 r 157 cotton-batting plant Gnaphalium stramineum / 15
1.37 158 pygmy-weed Crassula connata 20 / 1 28
1.43 Enter inholding (Clegg parcel)
1.54 Leave inholding; Jct. Aqueduct Road; elevation 900 feet (275 m); go left and climb 270 feet (80 m) on the steep Aqueduct Road.
1.59 l 159 brittlebush Encelia farinosa 3 / 2 6
1.63 160 *fennel Foeniculum vulgare 20 / 3 13
1.99 r Jct. Aqueduct road shortcut; continue on left branch
2.01 End steep section; curve right and continue with a now-slight ascent
2.02 l Jct. Aqueduct road shortcut = Jct. Via Tornado / Red Mountain Truck Trail; continue straight.
2.40 Jct. Rainbow Glen Road; you're now at the peak elevation of 1230 feet (375 m) ; descend left on Via Tornado
2.48 r 161 San Diego mountain mahogany Cercocarpus minutiflorus 5 / 2 12
2.57 r 162 Parry's tetracoccus Tetracoccus dioicus 5 / 1 2
l (common sun rose, Helianthemum scoparium, visible on bank to left of road)
N2.71 l 163 woolly-fruited lomatium Lomatium dasycarpum ssp. dasycarpum 3 / 1 6
2.71 l Check for unknown herb off trail (purplish leaves, 4-fold alt leaves, 2' high in deep shade)
2.73 Cross drainage
2.83 Cross small drainage
N2.85 r 164 sand cress Calyptridium monandrum 20 / 1 11
2.92 Jct. Aqueduct Road shortcut; stay right
2.99 l (saltcedar, Tamarix ramosissima, in drainage.)
3.06 r Single trunk form of Q. acutidens.
3.10 Road curves left. Straight ahead is a short detour to the top of the gorge, but without much of a view.
3.10 r Male and female mule fat plants side by side.
3.10 165 *creeping Australian saltbush Atriplex semibaccata 5 / 1 10
V3.14 r 166 *tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca 3 / 1 19
l 167 cocklebur Xanthium strumarium 3 / 2 15
3.15 l 168 California bee plant Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda 5 / 1 17
N3.15 l 169 sp meadow-rue Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum 3 / 1 6
3.15 l 170 California brickellbush Brickellia californica 20 / 2 28
3.15 Gate at 1000 feet (305 m) elevation. Descend to Gorge.
3.16 l (California polypody, Polypodium californicum)
3.17 Switchback right.
3.17 r 171 ladies fingers Dudleya edulis 30 / 2 9
3.17 r 172 California fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. canum 5 / 2 20
3.18 r 173 purple snapdragon Antirrhinum nuttallianum ssp. nuttallianum 5 / 1 18
V3.18 l 174 pit-seed goosefoot Chenopodium berlandieri 10 / 3 7
3.18 r 175 miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata / 22
v3.18 r 176 hoary bowlesia Bowlesia incana 5 / 1 3
N3.18 r 177 black-hair nettle Hesperocnide tenella 2 / 1 3
V3.18 r 178 canyon clarkia Clarkia epilobioides 20 / 4 11
3.18 r 179 twining snapdragon Antirrhinum kelloggii / 7
3.19 r 180 lanceleaf dudleya Dudleya lanceolata 20 / 1 20
N l 181 *rose clover Trifolium hirtum / 12
3.22 r 182 virgin's bower Clematis pauciflora 10 / 3 12
3.23 r 183 cottony fern Cheilanthes newberryi 5 / 1 4
N l 184 cobwebby thistle Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale / 10
3.26 Road curves right 90° at ridge.
N3.26 r 185 goldback fern Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis 3 / 3 24
N r 186 fire poppy Papaver californicum / 3
3.27 r 187 Chinese houses Collinsia heterophylla 20 / 1 12
V 188 *hairy rattail fescue Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta / 18
V r 189 Bolander's woodland star Lithophragma bolanderi / 3
3.28 r 190 ? fiddleneck? Amsinckia sp.? 20 / 1
3.29 r 191 fiesta flower Pholistoma auritum var. auritum 99 / 1 11
3.30 r 192 southern Indian pink Silene laciniata ssp. major 1 / 1 20
3.30 r Check for different clover, Trifolium sp..
3.30 Road curves left 45°.
3.35 Cross drainage
3.35 r (California wood fern, Dryopteris arguta)
3.42 Road bottoms at River; switchback left.
3.42 r (coast jepsonia, Jepsonia parryi)
3.42 r 193 *white sweetclover Melilotus albus 20 / 1 7
3.42 r 194 *bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon 20 / 1 30
3.42 r 195 Spanish clover Lotus purshianus var. purshianus 5 / 1 31
3.43 r 196 sacred datura Datura wrightii 3 / 1 16
V3.44 l 197 *annual veldt grass Ehrharta longiflora 50 / 3 3
V l 198 *Oriental mustard Sisymbrium orientale 2 / 1 12
N l 199 red goosefoot Chenopodium rubrum 2 / 1 3
r 200 dwarf lupine Lupinus bicolor / 29
3.50 r 201 white alder Alnus rhombifolia 2 / 1 10
N 202 *pineapple weed Chamomilla suaveolens 5 / 1 19
203 *purple wild radish Raphanus sativus / 11
N r 204 *winter vetch Vicia villosa ssp. varia 5 / 1 19
N3.56 r 205 bur-ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa 1 / 1 16
N3.56 r 206 *tumble pigweed Amaranthus albus 1 / 1 11
3.56 r 207 ~ willow weed Polygonum lapathifolium 10 / 1 1
3.56 b 208 umbrella sedge Cyperus eragrostis 20 / 1 11
3.56 b 209 willowherb Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum 10 / 1 17
3.56 r 210 *rabbits-foot grass Polypogon monspeliensis 3 / 1 22
3.56 Road turns right 90° onto concrete river crossing.
3.56 l 211 ? *black walnut? Juglans nigra? 1 / 1
3.56 (sand spikerush, Eleocharis montevidensis)
3.56 r 212 ~ broadleaf cattail Typha latifolia 10 / 1 4
3.56 r 213 ? duckweed Lemna sp. 50 / 1 1
3.56 r 214 ? unk light green floating plant forming 3-6-sided polygons ? 50 / 1
3.56 r 215 water cress Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum 50 / 1 11
N3.56 b 216 western goldenrod Euthamia occidentalis 20 / 1 2
3.56 r 217 narrowleaf willow Salix exigua 1 / 1 7
3.56 l 218 American tule Scirpus americanus 20 / 1 4
3.56 l 219 California loosestrife Lythrum californicum 5 / 1 1
3.56 r 220 *celery Apium graveolens 3 / 1 3
3.56 r 221 knot grass Paspalum distichum 5 / 1 6
3.56 Check for Pluchea odorata.
3.56 SMR flows across concrete road crossing at 775 feet (235 m) elevation.
3.56 Return the same way until reaching the Aqueduct road shortcut
4.20 Jct. Aqueduct road shortcut; take it this time, the rightmost branch.
4.36 Cross drainage
4.36 r 222 *alfalfa Medicago sativa 10 / 1 2
4.36 r 223 *saltcedar Tamarix ramosissima 1 / 1 3
4.59 Jct. Via Tornado / Red Mountain Truck Trail; turn right, returning the same way you reached this point.
6.61 End of hike at parking lot.

Comments On Specific Species

Juncus textilis. These plants considerably surpass the 1-2 m heights given in Munz and the Jepson Manual, being a minimum of 2.5 m high (voucher TC721). The voucher specimen was one of the few stems with blooms; there are longer stems here.
I thank Jane Strong for her considerable assistance with helping me with some of the identifications, and for her help on one of my field trips.

Lifeform	Native	Non-native	Total Taxa
Trees	7	2	9
Shrubs	38	0	38
Pteridophytes	5	0	5
Perennial Herbs	43	6	49
Perennial Grasses	6	3	9
Annual Grasses	2	9	11
Annual Herbs	38	24	62
Total	139	44	183

Lifeform	Native	Non-native	Total Taxa
Trees	5%	5%	5%
Shrubs	27%	0%	21%
Pteridophytes	4%	0%	3%
Perennial Herbs	31%	14%	27%
Perennial Grasses	4%	7%	5%
Annual Grasses	1%	20%	6%
Annual Herbs	27%	55%	34%
Total	100%	100%	100%

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
1	4	2%
2	6	3%
3	9	4%
4	5	2%
5	3	1%

1-5	27	12%
6-10	26	12%
11-15	33	15%
16-20	35	16%
21-25	31	14%
26-30	20	9%
31-35	10	5%
36-40	10	5%
41-45	14	6%
46-50	4	2%
51-55	7	3%
Total Taxa	217	100%

#all	Latin Name	Common Name	Distribution in Southern California / Distribution in Trail Guides
1	Chloris virgata	*feather finger grass	SCo. This weed is not on the trail; it is found in the orchard prior to the beginning of the plant guide.
1	Lemna sp.	duckweed	TBS. Duckweeds appear in only in two guides: here on the Santa Margarita River and on Palomar Mountain on Pauma Creek at the Weir. Note that the species here is so far unidentified, and could be the same species as at Palomar.
1	Medicago sativa	*alfalfa	CA.
1	Muhlenbergia microsperma	littleseed muhly	SW.
1	Navarretia intertexta ssp. propinqua	needleleaf navarretia	-. Oddly, the Jepson Manual doesn't place this in Southern California. However, Munz has it cismontane and montane from San Diego County north.
1	Oxalis albicans ssp. pilosa	California oxalis	SCo, ChI, WTR. There are two other observations of Oxalis albicans: one not identified to subspecies on the south Santa Margarita River Trail ~5 miles southwest, and one of ssp. californica on the Los Santos Trail at the Santa Rosa Plateau ~5 miles northwest.
2	Apium graveolens	*celery	CA. Found only at SMER at the Santa Margarita River.
2	Aristida adscensionis	six-weeks three-awn	SCo, s ChI, WTR, SnGb, PR, D. Found also at Monserate Mountain in Fallbrook, ~5 miles south.
2	Baccharis emoryi	Emory's baccharis	SCo, WTR, PR, D. Found only at SMER, plus another occurrence just off-trail on the Vista Grande Trail at the Santa Rosa Plateau.
2	Caulanthus heterophyllus var. pseudosimulans	slender-pod jewelflower	TR, n PR. Found only at SMER. Note that this id is not 100% yet.
2	Euthamia occidentalis	western goldenrod	CA. Found only at the Santa Margarita River at SMER on our trails.
2	Juncus textilis	basket rush	n&c SW. Found only at SMER on our trails. Note that the id is not 100%, since I haven't seen the plant bloom yet.
2	Kickxia spuria	*roundleaf fluellin	CA-FP. Found only at SMER. This weed is not on the trail; it is found in the orchard prior to the beginning of the plant guide.
2	Tetracoccus dioicus	Parry's tetracoccus	RARE. s SCo (San Diego County), w PR; Baja CA. Found also at Monserate Mountain, ~5 miles south.
3	Cheilanthes newberryi	cotton fern	SW. Found only at SMER and the south Santa Margarita River Trail.
3	Scirpus americanus	American tule	CA. Found only at SMER and the Los Jilqueros Preserve in Fallbrook, ~5 miles southwest.

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"
11/8/2001	1
12/6/2001	2
2/2/2002	3	142	28
4/7/2002	4	163	26
6/22/2002	5
8/3/2002	6	170	17	3	5	0
12/11/2002	7	186	11	7	6	1
12/18/2002	8	185	11	5	7	0
3/3/2003	9	195	8	4	16	0
12/18/2003	10	192	7	4	16	0
2/13/2004	11	190	6	4	16	0
7/5/2004	12	194	6	5	17	1
8/16/2004	13	195	6	5	17	1
1/29/2005	14	200	5	5	15	2
4/3/2005	15	208	7	3	8	2
4/15/2005	16	218	7	3	8	0
8/20/2005	17	223	6	2	10	0

mile	s	#	id	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Begin guide at parking lot below South Field Station, elevation ~560 feet (170 m); only a few notable species not found subsequently are given here until the end of the orchard.
0.10				South Field Station
	l			*roundleaf fluellin	Kickxia spuria	5 / 1
	l			*feather finger grass	Chloris virgata	20 / 1
0.43				End of orchard; elevation ~650 feet (200 m); begin guide at the coast live oak and descend to Stone Creek.
0.43	l			(Mohave yucca, Yucca schidigera)
0.43	l			(bush monkeyflower, Mimulus aurantiacus)
0.43	l			(Torrey's scrub oak, Quercus acutidens)
0.43	l	1		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	30 / 5	42
V0.43	r	2		*rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. myuros	/	20
0.43	l	3		short-winged deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. brevialatus	30 / 9	22
0.43	l	4		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	51
N0.43	l	5		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	99 / 9	52
0.43	l	6		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	99 / 9	55
0.43	l	7		popcorn flower	Cryptantha intermedia	99 / 9	27
V0.43	l	8		*Mediterranean schismus	Schismus barbatus	99 / 9	22
0.43	l	9		threadstem	Pterostegia drymarioides	10 / 2	30
0.43	b	10		chia	Salvia columbariae	99 / 9	21
0.43	r	11		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	/	51
0.43	l	12		chaparral yucca	Yucca whipplei	20 / 9	31
0.43	l	13		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	/	39
0.43	c	14		dove weed	Eremocarpus setigerus	/	24
V0.43	b	15		eucrypta	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia	99 / 9	25
0.43	r	16		*little horseweed	Conyza bonariensis	/	16
0.43	r	17		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	/	42
0.43	r	18		*sow thistle	Sonchus oleraceus	/	41
N0.43	r	19		*common cudweed	Gnaphalium luteo-album	30 / 1	16
0.43	r	20		*smooth cat's ear	Hypochaeris glabra	/	35
0.43	r	21		wild grape	Vitis girdiana	99 / 2	7
0.43	l	22		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	99 / 9	47
0.43	r	23		California suncup	Camissonia californica	99 / 3	20
0.43	l	24		silver puffs	Uropappus lindleyi	/	26
0.43	l	25		leafy daisy	Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus	/	43
0.43	l	26		coast-range melic	Melica imperfecta	50 / 5	43
0.44	l	27		laurel sumac	Malosma laurina	99 / 9	42
0.44	l	28		black sage	Salvia mellifera	50 / 9	40
0.44	l	29		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	1 / 1	48
0.44	l	30		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	/	55
0.44	l	31		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	5 / 5	48
N0.44	r	32		*gazania	Gazania X (mounding hybrid)	1 / 1	6
N0.44	r	33	~	rattlesnake weed	Daucus pusillus	/	28
0.44	r	34		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	99 / 5	40
0.44	r	35		*common groundsel	Senecio vulgaris	99 / 9	18
0.44	r	36		white sage	Salvia apiana	50 / 9	38
N0.44	r	37		coyote bush	Baccharis pilularis	5 / 3	25
V0.44	r	38		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	10 / 5	42
0.44	r	39		*English plantain	Plantago lanceolata	50 / 1	19
N	l	40	~	soap plant	Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum	10 / 1	18
	l	41		California poppy	Eschscholzia californica	/	29
	r			Check for first windmill pink, Silene gallica*, here or later
0.46	r			(nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus.)
0.46	r			Jct. another orchard road.
0.46	l			(chamise, Adenostoma fasciculatum)
0.47	b	42		sugar bush	Rhus ovata	10 / 3	25
0.47	l	43		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	5 / 5	43
0.47	b	44		southern honeysuckle	Lonicera subspicata var. denudata	50 / 9	40
0.47	b	45		collar lupine	Lupinus truncatus	50 / 2	24
0.47	r	46		bristly bird's beak	Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. setigerus	/	26
N0.47	l	47		Torrey's scrub oak	Quercus acutidens	50 / 9	26
0.47	b	48		San Diego pea	Lathyrus vestitus var. alefeldii	20 / 9	21
N0.47	r	49		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum	99 / 9	51
0.47				old gate
0.47	r	50		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	/	42
0.48	l	51		saw-toothed goldenbush	Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides	99 / 9	35
0.48	r	52		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	99 / 9	43
0.48	r	53		basketbush	Rhus trilobata	3 / 1	24
0.48				Jct. Road (the old Stagecoach Lane) at Stone Creek, elevation 580', turn left
0.48	l	54		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia	9 / 9	44
0.48	r	55		western ragweed	Ambrosia psilostachya	99 / 5	36
N0.48	r	56		California brome	Bromus carinatus var. carinatus	20 / 2	24
N0.48	l	57		Pacific sanicle	Sanicula crassicaulis	50 / 3	20
0.49	r	58		heartleaf penstemon	Keckiella cordifolia	20 / 2	27
0.49	r	59		mugwort	Artemisia douglasiana	30 / 5	28
N0.49		60		*Crete weed	Hedypnois cretica	99 / 3	19
0.49	r	61		California blackberry	Rubus ursinus	20 / 2	13
N0.49	r	62		triangular-fruit sedge	Carex triquetra	99 / 2	17
0.49	l	63		checkerbloom	Sidalcea malviflora ssp. sparsifolia	20 / 4	25
0.50	r	64		giant wild-rye	Leymus condensatus	20 / 5	27
0.50	r	65		California wild rose	Rosa californica	20 / 5	11
N0.51	r	66	~	virgin's bower	Clematis lasiantha	10 / 3	6
0.51	r	67		western sycamore	Platanus racemosa	30 / 4	27
N0.52	r	68		climbing bedstraw	Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii	20 / 9	30
0.52	r			(6 foot high San Diego sedge, Carex spissa, across stream)
0.52	r	69	~	Emory's baccharis	Baccharis emoryi	3 / 2	8
0.52	r	70		San Diego morning-glory	Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenuifolia	50 / 9	18
0.52	l	71		Parish's purple nightshade	Solanum parishii	10 / 9	20
0.53	r	72		red willow	Salix laevigata	6 / 3	21
0.53	r	73		silky lotus	Lotus heermannii var. heermannii	5 / 3	6
0.53	r	74		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	/	25
0.53	l	75		stinging lupine	Lupinus hirsutissimus	2 / 2	15
V0.53	b	76		white everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum	3 / 3	36
0.54	r	77		arroyo willow	Salix lasiolepis	2 / 2	34
0.54	b	78		blue dicks	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	99 / 9	46
0.54		79		California dodder	Cuscuta californica var. californica	/	17
0.54	l	80		California oxalis	Oxalis albicans ssp. pilosa	1 / 1	1
0.54	l	81		wild canterbury bells	Phacelia minor	99 / 9	21
N0.54	l	82		California chalk lettuce	Dudleya pulverulenta ssp. pulverulenta	20 / 1	10
V0.54	l	83		bicolored everlasting	Gnaphalium bicolor	3 / 3	29
0.54	r	84		mule fat	Baccharis salicifolia	20 / 5	40
N0.54		85		blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus	20 / 3	21
0.54	l	86		coffee fern	Pellaea andromedifolia	5 / 2	22
0.54	l	87		Bigelow's spike-moss	Selaginella bigelovii	20 / 1	19
N0.54	l	88		*white-stemmed filaree	Erodium moschatum	5 / 1	20
0.55	l	89		meally white pincushion	Chaenactis artemisiifolia	10 / 1	14
V0.55	l	90		yellow pincushion	Chaenactis glabriuscula var. glabriuscula	10 / 1	13
0.55	l	91		Coulter's lupine	Lupinus sparsiflorus	10 / 1	11
0.55	l			Interesting weathering of rock on cliff, called "tafoni", "honeycomb" or "alveolar" weathering. How it forms is not known.
0.55	l	92		wide-throated yellow monkeyflower	Mimulus brevipes	5 / 1	12
0.55		93		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	/	40
v0.55	l	94		southern suncup	Camissonia bistorta	10 / 1	11
0.56	l	95		bird's-foot fern	Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata	4 / 4	30
0.56	l	96	?	snapdragon campion?	Silene antirrhina?	/
0.56	l	97		odora	Porophyllum gracile	10 / 2	6
0.56	l	98		California four o'clock	Mirabilis californica	20 / 9	23
0.56	l	99		California chicory	Rafinesquia californica	2 / 2	22
0.56	r	100		bracken	Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens	20 / 1	9
V0.58	r	101		*smilo grass	Piptatherum miliaceum	50 / 2	19
0.58	r			(San Diego sedge, Carex spissa)
0.58	r	102		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	30 / 3	35
0.58		103		*sourclover	Melilotus indicus	30 / 2	24
0.58				Cut bank for microrhiza association with coast live oak research
V0.58	b	104		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	/	35
V0.58	b	105		slender wreathplant	Stephanomeria exigua ssp. deanei	99 / 9	13
N0.58	l	106		*prickly sow thistle	Sonchus asper ssp. asper	1 / 1	30
0.59	r	107		branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia	20 / 4	34
0.59	r		~	(~leather root, ~Hoita macrostachya; rigid hedge-nettle, Stachys ajugoides var. rigida)
0.59	r	108		hoaryleaf ceanothus	Ceanothus crassifolius	20 / 9	12
N0.59	r	109		Ramona lilac	Ceanothus tomentosus var. olivaceus	20 / 5	9
0.59	r			(Check for autumn willowweed, Epilobium brachycarpum)
0.60	l	110		goldenrod	Solidago californica	20 / 2	35
0.63	l	111	?	unk. branched plant, leafy infl with capsule seed	Eustoma exaltatum?	/
N0.66	b	112		*Italian thistle	Carduus pycnocephalus	6 / 3	21
0.68	r			Erosion claimed the road here in 2004, which was repaired then.
0.68	r	113		chaparral bush mallow	Malacothamnus fasciculatus	4 / 4	14
		114	~	caterpillar phacelia	Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida	/	16
	l	115		angel's gilia	Gilia angelensis	5 / 1	14
	l			(woodrat's nest)
0.70	r			(pampas grass, Cortaderia jubata, in Stone Creek)
0.72				Cross small creek draining into Stone Creek
0.74	l	116		red maids	Calandrinia ciliata	1 / 1	18
0.75				Leave shade of Stone Creek; elevation ~640 feet (195 m)
0.75	r	117		purple head	Acourtia microcephala	1 / 1	19
N0.75	l	118		*nit grass	Gastridium ventricosum	/	24
0.75	l	119		slender tarweed	Hemizonia fasciculata	99 / 9	17
N0.75	l	120	~	Robinson's pepper-grass	Lepidium virginicum var. robinsonii	5 / 1	7
0.75	l	121		California plantain	Plantago erecta	99 / 9	13
0.75	l	122		San Diego birdsfoot lotus	Lotus hamatus	/	24
0.75	l	123		three spot	Osmadenia tenella	5 / 1	13
0.75	l	124		splendid mariposa lily	Calochortus splendens	50 / 2	19
0.75		125		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	99 / 9	45
0.75	l	126		California matchweed	Gutierrezia californica	99 / 9	4
0.76	l	127	sp	clarkia	Clarkia sp.	/
0.76	l	128		*Russian thistle	Salsola tragus	99 / 9	25
0.76	r	129		chamise	Adenostoma fasciculatum	99 / 9	37
0.78	r	130		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	20 / 5	51
0.80	r	131		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	10 / 1	45
v0.80	l	132	~	slender-pod jewelflower	Caulanthus heterophyllus var. pseudosimulans	/	3
N0.80	l	133		slender combseed	Pectocarya linearis ssp. ferocula	99 / 9	5
0.80	l	134		small-seeded spurge	Chamaesyce polycarpa	10 / 2	13
0.82	r	135		strigose lotus	Lotus strigosus	10 / 2	33
0.83	l			Jct. Tourmaline Mine Road; elevation ~680 feet (205 m)
0.83	r			Check for navarretia here.
V0.83	r	136		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	10 / 9	44
0.84	r	137		foothill needlegrass	Nassella lepida	1 / 1	20
V0.85	l	138		snapdragon campion	Silene antirrhina	/	7
0.85	l			Field of splendid Mariposa lily, Calochortus splendens
v0.86	l	139		bajada lupine	Lupinus concinnus	5 / 1	11
0.87				Cross small creek draining into Stone Creek
0.87	l	140		San Diego sedge	Carex spissa	50 / 2	5
V0.87	b	141		basket rush	Juncus textilis⁺	20 / 1	5
0.88	l	142		littleseed muhly	Muhlenbergia microsperma	50 / 3	2
N0.88	b	143		Vasey's prickly-pear	Opuntia vaseyi	5 / 1	24
0.88	r	144		mission manzanita	Xylococcus bicolor	40 / 9	14
N0.88	r	145		*wild oats	Avena fatua	/	26
v0.91	l	146		cane bluestem	Bothriochloa barbinodis	1 / 1	2
0.91	r			A Torrey oak, Q. acutidens, showing its more Engelman phase.
0.94	r	147		slender sunflower	Helianthus gracilentus	20 / 2	13
0.95				Cross small creek draining into Stone Creek
0.95	l			Cluster of slender sunflowers, Helianthus gracilentus.
0.99	l			Woodrat's nest
1.00				Cross small drainage going into Stone Creek; road bends to right
N1.01	l	148		*pampas grass	Cortaderia jubata	1 / 1	2
V1.01	r	149		south coast morning-glory	Calystegia macrostegia ssp. intermedia	1 / 1	19
1.03	l			Woodrat's nest
1.04	l			A small rockfall that occurred in 2003.
1.04	l	150		giant needlegrass	Achnatherum coronatum	3 / 3	22
1.05	l			morning-glory hybrid, intergrade between Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenuifolia and ssp. intermedia.
1.05	b	151		sweetbush	Bebbia juncea var. aspera	5 / 2	8
1.05				Cross broad small drainage
N1.06	l	152		six-weeks three-awn	Aristida adscensionis	5 / 1	4
1.07	r			Cross head of small drainage
1.10				Cross broad small drainage
1.11	l	153		fringed spineflower	Chorizanthe fimbriata var. fimbriata	2 / 1	7
N1.14		154		*goldentop	Lamarckia aurea	/	21
1.16	r			(chaparral beard-tongue, Keckiella antirrhinoides var. antirrhinoides)
1.16				Cross broad small drainage
1.19	l	155		chaparral beard-tongue	Keckiella antirrhinoides var. antirrhinoides	3 / 2	10
1.25				Cross very small broad drainage
1.28	l	156		California filago	Filago californica	99 / 2	21
1.29				Cross broad small drainage
1.34	l			Jct. Red Mountain Truck Trail
v1.37	r	157		cotton-batting plant	Gnaphalium stramineum	/	15
1.37		158		pygmy-weed	Crassula connata	20 / 1	28
1.43				Enter inholding (Clegg parcel)
1.54				Leave inholding; Jct. Aqueduct Road; elevation 900 feet (275 m); go left and climb 270 feet (80 m) on the steep Aqueduct Road.
1.59	l	159		brittlebush	Encelia farinosa	3 / 2	6
1.63		160		*fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	20 / 3	13
1.99	r			Jct. Aqueduct road shortcut; continue on left branch
2.01				End steep section; curve right and continue with a now-slight ascent
2.02	l			Jct. Aqueduct road shortcut = Jct. Via Tornado / Red Mountain Truck Trail; continue straight.
2.40				Jct. Rainbow Glen Road; you're now at the peak elevation of 1230 feet (375 m) ; descend left on Via Tornado
2.48	r	161		San Diego mountain mahogany	Cercocarpus minutiflorus	5 / 2	12
2.57	r	162		Parry's tetracoccus	Tetracoccus dioicus	5 / 1	2
	l			(common sun rose, Helianthemum scoparium, visible on bank to left of road)
N2.71	l	163		woolly-fruited lomatium	Lomatium dasycarpum ssp. dasycarpum	3 / 1	6
2.71	l			Check for unknown herb off trail (purplish leaves, 4-fold alt leaves, 2' high in deep shade)
2.73				Cross drainage
2.83				Cross small drainage
N2.85	r	164		sand cress	Calyptridium monandrum	20 / 1	11
2.92				Jct. Aqueduct Road shortcut; stay right
2.99	l			(saltcedar, Tamarix ramosissima, in drainage.)
3.06	r			Single trunk form of Q. acutidens.
3.10				Road curves left. Straight ahead is a short detour to the top of the gorge, but without much of a view.
3.10	r			Male and female mule fat plants side by side.
3.10		165		*creeping Australian saltbush	Atriplex semibaccata	5 / 1	10
V3.14	r	166		*tree tobacco	Nicotiana glauca	3 / 1	19
	l	167		cocklebur	Xanthium strumarium	3 / 2	15
3.15	l	168		California bee plant	Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda	5 / 1	17
N3.15	l	169	sp	meadow-rue	Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum	3 / 1	6
3.15	l	170		California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	20 / 2	28
3.15				Gate at 1000 feet (305 m) elevation. Descend to Gorge.
3.16	l			(California polypody, Polypodium californicum)
3.17				Switchback right.
3.17	r	171		ladies fingers	Dudleya edulis	30 / 2	9
3.17	r	172		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. canum	5 / 2	20
3.18	r	173		purple snapdragon	Antirrhinum nuttallianum ssp. nuttallianum	5 / 1	18
V3.18	l	174		pit-seed goosefoot	Chenopodium berlandieri	10 / 3	7
3.18	r	175		miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata	/	22
v3.18	r	176		hoary bowlesia	Bowlesia incana	5 / 1	3
N3.18	r	177		black-hair nettle	Hesperocnide tenella	2 / 1	3
V3.18	r	178		canyon clarkia	Clarkia epilobioides	20 / 4	11
3.18	r	179		twining snapdragon	Antirrhinum kelloggii	/	7
3.19	r	180		lanceleaf dudleya	Dudleya lanceolata	20 / 1	20
N	l	181		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	/	12
3.22	r	182		virgin's bower	Clematis pauciflora	10 / 3	12
3.23	r	183		cottony fern	Cheilanthes newberryi	5 / 1	4
N	l	184		cobwebby thistle	Cirsium occidentale var. occidentale	/	10
3.26				Road curves right 90° at ridge.
N3.26	r	185		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	3 / 3	24
N	r	186		fire poppy	Papaver californicum	/	3
3.27	r	187		Chinese houses	Collinsia heterophylla	20 / 1	12
V		188		*hairy rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta	/	18
V	r	189		Bolander's woodland star	Lithophragma bolanderi	/	3
3.28	r	190	?	fiddleneck?	Amsinckia sp.?	20 / 1
3.29	r	191		fiesta flower	Pholistoma auritum var. auritum	99 / 1	11
3.30	r	192		southern Indian pink	Silene laciniata ssp. major	1 / 1	20
3.30	r			Check for different clover, Trifolium sp..
3.30				Road curves left 45°.
3.35				Cross drainage
3.35	r			(California wood fern, Dryopteris arguta)
3.42				Road bottoms at River; switchback left.
3.42	r			(coast jepsonia, Jepsonia parryi)
3.42	r	193		*white sweetclover	Melilotus albus	20 / 1	7
3.42	r	194		*bermuda grass	Cynodon dactylon	20 / 1	30
3.42	r	195		Spanish clover	Lotus purshianus var. purshianus	5 / 1	31
3.43	r	196		sacred datura	Datura wrightii	3 / 1	16
V3.44	l	197		*annual veldt grass	Ehrharta longiflora	50 / 3	3
V	l	198		*Oriental mustard	Sisymbrium orientale	2 / 1	12
N	l	199		red goosefoot	Chenopodium rubrum	2 / 1	3
	r	200		dwarf lupine	Lupinus bicolor	/	29
3.50	r	201		white alder	Alnus rhombifolia	2 / 1	10
N		202		*pineapple weed	Chamomilla suaveolens	5 / 1	19
		203		*purple wild radish	Raphanus sativus	/	11
N	r	204		*winter vetch	Vicia villosa ssp. varia	5 / 1	19
N3.56	r	205		bur-ragweed	Ambrosia acanthicarpa	1 / 1	16
N3.56	r	206		*tumble pigweed	Amaranthus albus	1 / 1	11
3.56	r	207	~	willow weed	Polygonum lapathifolium	10 / 1	1
3.56	b	208		umbrella sedge	Cyperus eragrostis	20 / 1	11
3.56	b	209		willowherb	Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum	10 / 1	17
3.56	r	210		*rabbits-foot grass	Polypogon monspeliensis	3 / 1	22
3.56				Road turns right 90° onto concrete river crossing.
3.56	l	211	?	*black walnut?	Juglans nigra?	1 / 1
3.56				(sand spikerush, Eleocharis montevidensis)
3.56	r	212	~	broadleaf cattail	Typha latifolia	10 / 1	4
3.56	r	213	?	duckweed	Lemna sp.	50 / 1	1
3.56	r	214	?	unk light green floating plant forming 3-6-sided polygons	?	50 / 1
3.56	r	215		water cress	Rorippa nasturtium-aquaticum	50 / 1	11
N3.56	b	216		western goldenrod	Euthamia occidentalis	20 / 1	2
3.56	r	217		narrowleaf willow	Salix exigua	1 / 1	7
3.56	l	218		American tule	Scirpus americanus	20 / 1	4
3.56	l	219		California loosestrife	Lythrum californicum	5 / 1	1
3.56	r	220		*celery	Apium graveolens	3 / 1	3
3.56	r	221		knot grass	Paspalum distichum	5 / 1	6
3.56				Check for Pluchea odorata.
3.56				SMR flows across concrete road crossing at 775 feet (235 m) elevation.
3.56				Return the same way until reaching the Aqueduct road shortcut
4.20				Jct. Aqueduct road shortcut; take it this time, the rightmost branch.
4.36				Cross drainage
4.36	r	222		*alfalfa	Medicago sativa	10 / 1	2
4.36	r	223		*saltcedar	Tamarix ramosissima	1 / 1	3
4.59				Jct. Via Tornado / Red Mountain Truck Trail; turn right, returning the same way you reached this point.
6.61				End of hike at parking lot.

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Field Guide to San Diego County: Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve
Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2002-2005 by Tom Chester.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to me at this source:
http://tchester.org/sd/plants/guides/smer/south_gate_to_gorge.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Last update: 22 August 2005.