Plant Guide to Mt. Wilson Trail This is a working list, about which we make no guarantees at all until we officially release it. Use at your own risk!
Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides
Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
Botanical Trip Reports
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species
Introduction The trailhead is at Mira Monte and Mt. Wilson Trail, in Sierra Madre (just north of Arcadia). See map.
Highlights of This Trail The botanical highlights of this trail are:
Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail
The following histogram gives the number of trails in my database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 89 trails in our database when this histogram was made; 7 trails, including this one, are in this south foothill area of the San Gabriel Mountains. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database; numbers of "7" or smaller may indicate taxa found only in this area.
Number of Trails
Containing A TaxonNumber Of Taxa
On This Trail% of Taxa
On This Trail1 5 4% 2 4 3% 3 5 4% 4 5 4% 5 3 2% 1-5 22 17% 6-10 13 10% 11-15 18 14% 16-20 16 13% 21-25 14 11% 26-30 11 9% 31-35 4 3% 36-40 10 8% 41-45 14 11% 46-50 2 2% 51-55 2 2% Total Taxa 126 100% We found 23 additional species not in the above table, since they have not been fully identified yet. The unidentified ones are marked with ? or sp in the id? column in the guide, and have no entries in the #all column.
The taxa that are unique, or nearly so, to this trail are:
#all Latin Name 1 ~Acacia baileyana 1 ~Rupertia physodes 1 Lantana montevidensis 1 Hedera helix 1 Cosmos bipinnatus 2 Chasmanthe floribunda 2 Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus 2 ~Phoenix canariensis 2 ~Phacelia imbricata ssp. imbricata 3 ~Acacia longifolia 3 ~Quercus berberidifolia X Q. engelmannii 3 Crassula ovata 3 Nerium oleander 4 ~Pinus halapensis 4 Quercus durata var. gabrielensis X Q. engelmannii 4 Brickellia nevinii 4 Bidens pilosa var. pilosa 4 ~Clarkia unguiculata Taxa with "~" before their name have not been definitely identified yet.
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" 1/27/2005 1 148 15 10 18 3 In addition, Michael Charters found the cosmos on a hiking trip on 2/4/05.
We thank Jane Strong for considerable assistance in helping us with miles 0.00-0.28.
Botanical Trip Reports 14 December 2004
15 January 2005
The Plant Guide Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (6 pages)
The mileages have been rectified to a GPS recording of the trail on 1/27/05, and should be accurate to within a few hundredths.
Mile s # id? Common Name Latin Name #here #all 0.00 r Begin guide at trail sign-in post; elevation 1000 feet (305 m). Check for german ivy, Senecio mikanioides, offtrail to left. 0.00 l 1 *Bermuda buttercup Oxalis pes-caprae 99 / 9 7 0.00 r 2 *sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus 20 / 9 28 0.00 b 3 *smilo grass Piptatherum miliaceum 99 / 9 20 0.00 b 4 ~ *Cootamundra wattle Acacia baileyana 2 / 2 1 0.00 l 5 wild-cucumber Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus 20 / 9 42 0.00 b 6 coast live oak Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia / 43 0.00 l 7 poison oak Toxicodendron diversilobum 50 / 9 43 0.00 l 8 ? oak? 0.00 l (American agave, Agave americana) 0.00 r 9 *common chickweed Stellaria media 99 / 9 22 0.02 l (chasmanthe, Chasmanthe floribunda) 0.02 l 10 ~ *golden wattle Acacia longifolia 1 / 1 3 0.02 r 11 laurel sumac Malosma laurina 10 / 9 40 0.02 l 12 San Gabriel Mtns. leather oak Quercus durata var. gabrielensis 10 / 9 5 0.02 l 13 ? baby plant like cheeseweed, Malva parviflora 0.03 r 14 heartleaf penstemon Keckiella cordifolia 30 / 9 26 0.04 r 15 hollyleaf redberry Rhamnus ilicifolia 10 / 9 42 0.04 l 16 toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia 10 / 9 44 0.04 r 17 *greater periwinkle Vinca major 5 / 1 8 0.04 l 18 sp gooseberry Ribes sp. 2 / 2 0.04 l 19 southern honeysuckle Lonicera subspicata var. denudata 10 / 9 40 0.04 r 20 ? unk young annual, rosette of lvs like an Asteraceae 0.04 r 21 *petty spurge Euphorbia peplus 10 / 1 9 0.04 r 22 sp phacelia or eucrypta 0.04 r 23 blue elderberry Sambucus mexicana 1 / 1 44 0.05 r 24 sp young 3 needle pine Pinus sp. 1 / 1 0.06 r 25 sp annual grass 0.06 b 26 ~ bittercress Cardamine oligosperma 30 / 9 6 0.07 r 27 ~ *bur chervil Anthriscus caucalis 30 / 5 8 0.07 r 28 black sage Salvia mellifera 10 / 9 39 0.07 r 29 California sagebrush Artemisia californica 10 / 9 44 0.08 r (unidentified planted tree) 0.08 l 30 Southern California black walnut Juglans californica var. californica 1 / 1 6 0.09 r 31 short-leaved cliff-aster Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia 20 / 9 12 0.10 r 32 ~ scrub oak X Engelmann oak Quercus berberidifolia X Q. engelmannii+ 2 / 2 3 0.10 r 33 coffee fern Pellaea andromedifolia 5 / 5 22 0.10 l 34 hollyleaf cherry Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia 10 / 9 12 0.10 l 35 *shortpod mustard Hirschfeldia incana 30 / 9 51 0.10 r 36 *jade plant Crassula ovata 1 / 1 3 0.12 r 37 ~ common rupertia Rupertia physodes 10 / 3 1 0.12 r 38 mule fat Baccharis salicifolia 1 / 1 36 0.12 r 39 *sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima 99 / 9 5 0.12 r 40 ? unk lily-like per ? 2 / 2 0.13 r 41 *trailing lantana Lantana montevidensis 5 / 1 1 0.13 r 42 *Australian brass-buttons Cotula australis 10 / 1 15 0.13 l 43 annual sunflower Helianthus annuus 3 / 3 10 0.14 l 44 birch-leaf mountain-mahogany Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides 20 / 9 18 0.16 r 45 ~ Aleppo pine Pinus halapensis 1 / 1 4 0.16 r 46 sp aonium Aonium sp. 1 / 1 0.17 l 47 *chasmanthe Chasmanthe floribunda 5 / 1 2 0.17 r 48 California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum 20 / 9 48 0.18 r 49 ? unk small plant like beeplant, sans a bad smell ? 3 / 1 0.18 r 50 aloe Aloe sp. / 0.19 Trail has steps up to road; turn left on road 0.20 r 51 half-hairy ceanothus Ceanothus oliganthus var. sorediatus 2 / 2 2 0.20 l 52 ? unk per / ss ? 1 / 1 0.20 l Sign: "Mt. Wilson Trail: First Water 1.3 [mi]; Orchard Camp 3.3; Manzanita Ridge ?; Mt. Wilson 6.8" 0.20 r 53 *English ivy Hedera helix 5 / 1 1 0.20 r 54 *oleander Nerium oleander 1 / 1 3 0.21 r Fire hydrant; open gate across road 0.22 b 55 *redstem filaree Erodium cicutarium 99 / 9 50 0.22 l 56 *soft chess Bromus hordeaceus / 38 0.22 l 57 *Bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon 1 / 1 26 0.22 l 58 *white-stemmed filaree Erodium moschatum 50 / 5 18 0.22 l 59 *California burclover Medicago polymorpha 30 / 5 39 0.22 l *cheeseweed Malva parviflora+ 10 / 1 18 0.22 r 60 chaparral yucca Yucca whipplei 3 / 3 29 0.22 r 61 *slender wild oats Avena barbata 10 / 1 26 0.22 l 62 *goldentop Lamarckia aurea 10 / 1 13 0.22 l 63 bur-ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa 1 / 1 15 0.22 r 64 *horehound Marrubium vulgare 1 / 1 30 0.23 l Sign: "No Campfires" 0.23 l 65 ~ *Canary Island date palm Phoenix canariensis 1 / 1 2 0.24 l 66 ssp *foxtail barley Hordeum murinum 10 / 1 3 0.24 l 67 white nightshade Solanum douglasii 3 / 3 15 0.26 l Jct. use path; Trail rounds ridge to left 0.26 Road curves left 90° 0.26 r 68 *ripgut brome Bromus diandrus 10 / 1 45 0.26 r 69 *narrowleaf filago Filago gallica 20 / 5 43 0.27 l 70 ? unk small plant like beeplant, sans a bad smell, different from previous one 0.27 l 71 Engelmann - leather oak hybrid Quercus durata var. gabrielensis X Q. engelmannii 2 / 2 4 0.27 l (mission cactus, Opuntia ficus-indica) 0.28 r 72 wild sweetpea Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus 10 / 9 10 0.28 l 73 ssp deerweed Lotus scoparius var. scoparius 20 / 9 23 0.28 l 74 ~ *tocalote Centaurea melitensis 10 / 1 43 0.28 r 75 ~ California chicory Rafinesquia californica 10 / 9 20 0.29 l 76 blue dicks Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum 10 / 2 42 0.31 l 77 golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum 10 / 9 52 0.32 r 78 ~ acourtia Acourtia microcephala 1 / 1 13 0.32 l 79 California polypody Polypodium californicum 20 / 3 16 0.33 l 80 goldback fern Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis 20 / 5 23 0.33 l 81 ~ *scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis 30 / 5 25 0.33 l 82 branching phacelia Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia 30 / 9 33 0.33 l 83 ? California lace fern Aspidotis californica+ 30 / 9 9 0.33 l 84 narrowleaf bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium 10 / 9 43 0.34 r 85 ? unk young plants, ternate leaf 0.34 r 86 sp virgin's bower? Clematis lasiantha? 10 / 1 0.34 l 87 bicolored everlasting Gnaphalium bicolor 30 / 9 29 0.35 l 88 leafy daisy Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus / 35 0.35 l 89 common bedstraw Galium aparine 50 / 5 39 0.36 l 90 ~ coast-range melic Melica imperfecta 10 / 9 39 0.38 l 91 bush monkeyflower Mimulus aurantiacus 5 / 5 41 0.38 l 92 ? unk honking rosette Verbascum? 1 / 1 0.39 Trail turns right 90° 0.39 l 93 California brickellbush Brickellia californica 30 / 9 28 0.39 r 94 *castor bean Ricinus communis 10 / 3 15 0.40 l 95 collar lupine Lupinus truncatus 10 / 5 22 0.40 l 96 California suncup Camissonia californica 50 / 9 18 0.40 l 97 stinging lupine Lupinus hirsutissimus 20 / 9 13 0.40 l 98 *tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca 5 / 1 19 0.40 l 99 south coast morning-glory Calystegia macrostegia ssp. intermedia 1 / 1 16 0.41 l 100 Nevin's brickellia Brickellia nevinii 10 / 9 4 0.42 l 101 chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum 1 / 1 37 0.44 l 102 small-seeded spurge Chamaesyce polycarpa 30 / 9 12 0.44 l 103 giant needlegrass Achnatherum coronatum 10 / 9 23 0.47 l 104 climbing bedstraw Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii 5 / 5 30 0.48 l 105 long-stemmed buckwheat Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum 10 / 9 23 ? 106 *garden cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus 1 / 1 1 0.50 Trail rounds ridge to left 0.50 r 107 *mission cactus Opuntia ficus-indica 1 / 1 6 0.52 l 108 ~ chia Salvia columbariae 50 / 9 20 0.54 r 109 chaparral whitethorn Ceanothus leucodermis 3 / 2 14 0.54 l 110 ~ showy penstemon Penstemon spectabilis var. spectabilis 1 / 1 12 0.56 b 111 California four o'clock Mirabilis californica 50 / 9 19 0.59 Switchback left at ridge 0.62 r 112 ~ California dodder Cuscuta californica var. californica 1 / 1 15 0.64 l 113 ssp western thistle Cirsium occidentale 1 / 1 7 0.64 l 114 ? southern Indian pink? Silene laciniata ssp. major? 1 / 1 0.64 l 115 threadstem Pterostegia drymarioides 30 / 5 22 0.64 l 116 Bigelow's spike-moss Selaginella bigelovii 20 / 5 18 0.66 l 117 California fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. canum 5 / 1 17 0.67 l 118 scarlet larkspur Delphinium cardinale 30 / 9 6 0.70 l 119 saw-toothed goldenbush Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides 1 / 1 34 0.70 Trail curves right at drainage 0.73 l 120 *common beggar-ticks Bidens pilosa var. pilosa 10 / 1 4 0.73 l 121 sugar bush Rhus ovata 2 / 2 24 0.75 b 122 wild pepper-grass Lepidium virginicum var. pubescens 5 / 1 6 0.77 l 123 wild canterbury bells Phacelia minor 20 / 9 15 0.77 l 124 white sage Salvia apiana 2 / 2 35 0.79 l Switchback left at ridge; Jct. step use path (ridge route to Jones Peak) 0.79 l 125 ~ elegant clarkia Clarkia unguiculata 10 / 1 4 0.79 l 126 ? calochortus or muilla31 0.79 l 127 sp clover Trifolium sp. 20 / 5 0.81 l Beautiful "hanging garden" of polypody and spike-moss 0.84 l 128 sp dudleya Dudleya lanceolata or D. cymosa 10 / 5 0.84 l 129 bird's-foot fern Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata 2 / 2 29 0.88 l Check for different delphinium 0.88 l 130 prickly cryptantha Cryptantha muricata 50 / 5 15 0.88 l 131 *common groundsel Senecio vulgaris 30 / 5 16 0.88 r 132 California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium / 16 0.90 l 133 lace-pod Thysanocarpus laciniatus 10 / 1 5 0.91 l eucrypta Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia+ 10 / 1 23 0.91 r 134 canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis 1 / 1 21 0.96 l 135 ? woodland star? Lithophragma sp.? 1 / 1 1.01 l 136 miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata+ 50 / 5 23 1.02 l 137 ? chicory-leaved stephanomeria? Stephanomeria cichoriacea? 2 / 2 1.02 l Check for different sp., small rosettes of thin pinnate leaf 1.05 r 138 sp different Brassicaceae?101 1.10 l Check for different phacelia. 1.11 Switchback left at jct. with original trail, now long-washed out. 1.12 r 139 sp suncup Camissonia sp. 50 / 2 1.12 r 140 ? rattail fescue? Vulpia myuros? / 1.14 Switchback right. 1.15 Switchback left. 1.17 Jct. fenced-off trail bypassed in 2004; continue straight 1.18 l 141 California bay Umbellularia californica 1 / 1 12 1.20 l 142 California wood fern Dryopteris arguta 1 / 1 16 1.20 Switchback right. 1.21 l 143 yarrow Achillea millefolium 5 / 1 12 1.24 l Check for Agoseris sp. 1.28 r 144 white everlasting Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum 1 / 1 36 1.32 r 145 purple nightshade Solanum xanti 1 / 1 12 1.45 r miner's lettuce population with mixed sspp. 1.45 l 146 ~ imbricate phacelia Phacelia imbricata ssp. imbricata 5 / 1 2 1.47 l 147 California everlasting Gnaphalium californicum 1 / 1 41 1.49 Jct. bypassed trail at drainage 1.49 r 148 mugwort Artemisia douglasiana 10 / 1 27 1.49 View of nice population of wallflower, Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum. 1.49 r 149 southern miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana+ 20 / 2 22 1.51 Jct. trail to First Water; elevation ~2040 feet (620 m); end plant guide.
Comments On Specific Species Quercus berberidifolia X Q. engelmannii. This specimen surprised us greatly, since the scrub oaks in the area are all Q. durata var. gabrielensis, and not Q. berberidifolia or Q. acutidens. Nonetheless, there is no doubt that it has the 0.1-0.2 mm diameter white trichomes (hairs) of Q. berberidifolia or Q. acutidens mixed in with ~0.4 mm trichomes of Q. engelmannii. The leaves are completely lacking the ~1.0 mm trichomes of Q. durata var. gabrielensis. This unquestionably makes this scrub oak a hybrid of Q. engelmannii with either Q. berberidifolia or Q. acutidens.
Because the density of the trichomes is low, and due to the proximity to the Q. berberidifolia in the Santa Monica Mountains, we have tentatively gone with Q. berberidifolia X Q. engelmannii, but we will be checking it again in the future to see if it could in fact be Q. acutidens X Q. engelmannii.
Of course, given all the non-native planted specimens in this area, this specimen could have been planted here.
Malva parviflora, Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia. These taxa are not numbered, since a previous unidentified plant may be the same taxa.
Aspidotis californica. Our written notes are a bit confusing here. The first noted occurrence of this taxon may in fact be a goldback fern. A definite Aspidotis californica was noted on the trail a short distance later.
Claytonia perfoliata. The subspecies intergrade on this trail in spots. Other spots show a clear dominance of one subspecies, but not as clear as on other trails in Southern California.
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Copyright © 2005 by Tom Chester and Michael Charters.
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Comments and feedback: Tom Chester | Michael Charters
Updated 6 February 2005.