Plant Guide to Backbone Trail, Stunt Road to Saddle Peak

Plant Guide to Backbone Trail, Stunt Road to Saddle Peak

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

The preliminary identifications might be worse than a normal first-time guide since some of them were from dead plant remnants or young plants.
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

Directions to the trailhead:: From the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles, take the 101 to the Mulholland Drive / Valley Circle Blvd. exit. Go left on Mulholland Drive for about 0.5 miles to Valmar / Old Topanga Canyon Road. Take Valmar / Old Topanga Canyon Road to its end at Mulholland Highway, about 1.0 mile, and turn right. Take Mulholland Highway about 3.5 miles to Stunt Road, and turn left. Take Stunt Road for 2.8 miles to the trailhead on the right.
Note the confusing existence of TWO roads with the name Mulholland in them. We strongly recommend you look at a map to avoid confusion.
Getting back on the freeway is no piece of cake either. The entrance to 101 "south" (actually east, of course) is immediately before the freeway on the right. The exit is the second right at the intersection, which comes just as the overpass begins to rise over the freeway. The sign makes you think it is farther away. By the time you realize it isn't, you are over the freeway, with no easy way to get back to the entrance.
Parking is along the road from the trailhead to mile marker 2.9. The trailhead is not very visible; one primarily notices just a chainlink gate without an obvious identifying sign. There is a small sign, obscured by overgrown vegetation, that is visible only when driving the other direction on Stunt Road.
Thomas Brothers map #589; the trailhead is in D7.
Highlights of This Trail

The botanical highlights of this trail are:

The Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 73 trails in our database when this histogram was made; of those, this is the only trail in the Santa Monica Mountains. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database.

Number of Trails
Containing A Taxon Number Of Taxa
On This Trail % of Taxa
On This Trail
1 9 8%
2 8 7%
3 4 4%
4 6 5%
5 3 3%

1-5 30 26%
6-10 16 14%
11-15 17 15%
16-20 17 15%
21-25 7 6%
26-30 11 10%
31-35 9 8%
36-40 6 5%
41-45 1 1%
Total Taxa 114 100%

We found 14 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 have no entries in the #all column.
The taxa that are truly unique to this trail, out of our 72 trails on 5 January 2004, are (this has not yet been updated for later fieldwork):

Latin Name Common Name Distribution
Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa Eastwood manzanita Supposedly, in the JM and from Wells book, the Manzanitas of California, this subspecies occurs only from the San Francisco basin north, but it is the only subspecies given in the SMM Flora, and we have verified the identification. Recent floras such as the San Mateo Flora by Steve Boyd also list this subspecies.
Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus buck brush Although this is given as CA-FP in the JM, it appears only in the SMM and the Cuyamaca / Laguna Floras in our database. In the SMM, it is only found in the Malibu Creek State Park Flora of Bob Muns, and not in his other five SMM subarea floras.
Salvia leucophylla purple sage SCo, WTR, and SnGb. It is in the Eaton Canyon and Placerita Canyon SnGb Floras by Bob Muns, and in four of his SMM subarea floras.
Hieracium argutum? southern hawkweed? SCo, WTR, and SnGb. It is in the SMM Flora, the Cuyamaca and Laguna Flora, and the Chantry Flats flora by Bob Muns. Note that our id is uncertain.

The following taxa are listed as being found only on this trail, but are not unique for the reasons given below:

Latin Name Common Name Comment
Leptodactylon californicum ssp. californicum prickly phlox This subspecies is an optional one in the JM. This subspecies is listed here since it is given in the SMM flora. We have two other trail lists that contain this species where we have not identified a subspecies.

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"
1/3/2004 1 75 4 10 8 4
1/17/2004 2 100 6 8 10 3
3/22/2004 3 128 10 6 13 1

The 1/3/04 fieldwork was only to mile 1.44, the junction with the overlook path.
Botanical Trip Reports

22 March 2004
The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (7 pages)

Mile S # id? Common Name Latin Name #here #all
Begin obscurely-signed Backbone Trail near mile marker 2.8 on Stunt Road; elevation 1925 feet (585 m)
0.00 b 1 *smilo grass Piptatherum miliaceum 99 / 9 16
0.00 l 2 scrub oak Quercus berberidifolia 99 / 9 8
0.00 b 3 ssp branching phacelia Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia 20 / 9 25
0.00 l 4 heartleaf penstemon Keckiella cordifolia 20 / 9 19
0.00 l 5 goldback fern Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis 10 / 9 14
0.00 b 6 chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum 99 / 9 28
0.00 b 7 coyote bush Baccharis pilularis 50 / 9 18
0.00 l 8 California-aster Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia 99 / 9 39
0.00 l 9 deerweed Lotus scoparius var. scoparius 50 / 9 19
0.00 l 10 coast live oak Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia 20 / 9 31
0.00 b 11 *shortpod mustard Hirschfeldia incana 99 / 9 38
0.00 l 12 climbing bedstraw Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii 7 / 5 19
0.00 r 13 golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum 50 / 9 42
0.00 l 14 southern honeysuckle Lonicera subspicata var. denudata⁺ 50 / 9 30
0.00 r 15 *red brome Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens 99 / 9 38
0.01 r 16 toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia 30 / 9 35
0.01 l 17 bush monkeyflower Mimulus aurantiacus 20 / 9 31
0.01 r 18 Eastwood manzanita Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa 99 / 9 1
0.01 r 19 *tocalote Centaurea melitensis 99 / 9 32
0.01 l 20 saw-toothed goldenbush Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides 50 / 9 27
0.01 r 21 sp 1-2 foot tall suncup Camissonia sp. 20 / 3
0.01 b 22 wild-cucumber Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus 20 / 9 35
0.01 l 23 hairy ceanothus Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus 99 / 9 3
0.01 l 24 canyon sunflower Venegasia carpesioides 20 / 9 2
0.02 r 25 *narrowleaf filago Filago gallica 20 / 3 30
0.02 l (white-flowering currant, Ribes indecorum)
0.02 l 26 chaparral bush mallow Malacothamnus fasciculatus 99 / 9 10
0.02 l Jct. path
0.03 r 27 purple nightshade Solanum xanti⁺ 30 / 9 11
0.05 b 28 *prickly lettuce Lactuca serriola 10 / 9 22
0.05 r 29 California sagebrush Artemisia californica 1 / 1 32
0.05 r 30 San Diego wreathplant Stephanomeria diegensis 20 / 3 14
0.06 r (greenbark ceanothus, Ceanothus spinosus)
0.06 l 31 blue elderberry Sambucus mexicana 3 / 3 35
0.07 l 32 ? unk dead annual like tarragon or a chenopod ? 10 / 3
0.07 l 33 *horehound Marrubium vulgare 3 / 1 20
0.07 r 34 black sage Salvia mellifera 5 / 1 31
0.07 r 35 California everlasting Gnaphalium californicum 10 / 9 26
0.07 l First telephone pole
0.08 l 36 white-flowering currant Ribes indecorum⁺ 30 / 9 13
0.08 37 *soft chess Bromus hordeaceus 50 / 2 26
0.08 l 38 ~ goldenstar Bloomeria crocea 30 / 5 9
0.08 l 39 buck brush Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus 99 / 9 1
0.09 r Second telephone pole
0.10 l 40 California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum 50 / 9 2
0.10 l 41 eucrypta Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia 10 / 3 17
0.10 r 42 ~ short-leaved cliff-aster Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia 20 / 5 9
0.11 r 43 sugar bush Rhus ovata⁺ 50 / 9 20
0.12 r 44 birch-leaf mountain-mahogany Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides 20 / 9 16
0.12 l 45 ~ rattlesnake weed Daucus pusillus 5 / 2 16
0.13 l 46 *downy brome Bromus tectorum 5 / 1 18
0.13 b 47 ~ soap plant Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum⁺ 20 / 5 13
0.14 r 48 blue dicks Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum / 30
0.15 l (laurel sumac, Malosma laurina)
0.16 r 49 ~ common fiddleneck Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia 5 / 1 9
0.20 r 50 long-leaf bush lupine Lupinus longifolius 5 / 3 2
0.20 r 51 sp clarkia Clarkia sp. 10 / 1
0.20 r 52 purple sage Salvia leucophylla 4 / 1 1
0.22 b 53 greenbark ceanothus Ceanothus spinosus 99 / 9 2
0.22 b 54 poison oak Toxicodendron diversilobum 50 / 9 30
0.23 T-Jct.; go left to Saddle Peak. A sign faces the other way on the right. Elevation 1990 feet (605 m).
0.24 l 55 bush poppy Dendromecon rigida 30 / 9 4
0.25 r 56 chaparral currant Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium⁺ 20 / 9 3
0.27 Cross drainage.
0.27 r 57 ~ white star-lily Zigadenus fremontii 30 / 9 3
0.27 r 58 ? unk annual Apiaceae. ? 30 / 3
0.27 r 59 ~ sharp-toothed sanicle Sanicula arguta 20 / 4 8
0.28 b 60 woolly bluecurls Trichostema lanatum 20 / 5 2
0.33 Switchback right at ridge
0.34 l 61 sp dodder Cuscuta sp. 2 / 2
0.35 Trail turns right 90°
0.36 l 62 sp baby popcorn flower Cryptantha sp. 10 / 3
0.37 Trail turns left 90°
0.37 Cross drainage.
0.40 r 63 hollyleaf redberry Rhamnus ilicifolia 1 / 1 31
0.42 Cross drainage.
0.43 Trail turns right 90°
0.45 r A 2.4 m (8 foot) tall long-leaf bush lupine, Lupinus longifolius!
0.45 r 64 *tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca 1 / 1 16
0.45 r 65 ~ *bull thistle Cirsium vulgare 3 / 1 11
0.47 l 66 *blue gum Eucalyptus globulus 1 / 1 4
0.47 Cross drainage; Trail turns left 90°
0.48 saw-toothed goldenbush, Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides, is the very-unusual understory in this shady area.
0.49 r 67 red shanks Adenostoma sparsifolium 5 / 2 2
0.51 Trail turns right 90°
0.54 Cross small drainage.
0.58 Switchback right.
0.59 r 68 chaparral whitethorn Ceanothus leucodermis⁺ 20 / 9 11
0.62 Switchback left.
0.62 Four species of Ceanothus are found in the next 0.03 mile (0.62 b C. oliganthus; 0.62 l C. spinosus; 0.63 r C. cuneatus; 0.65 C. leucodermis)
0.64 Cross small drainage.
0.65 Switchback right.
0.67 l A chaparral whitethorn, Ceanothus leucodermis, with 1/4 of the bush with gray-glaucous twigs and the rest green twigs.
0.69 r A greenbark ceanothus, Ceanothus spinosus, with dull, but not glaucous, lower leaf surfaces on older leaves in January 2004.
0.69 Switchback left.
0.72 Cross small drainage.
0.73 Switchback right.
0.74 l 69 rockrose Helianthemum scoparium 20 / 9 9
0.76 Switchback left.
0.77 Switchback right.
0.78 r 70 bigberry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca 5 / 4 8
0.80 Switchback left.
0.81 r 71 canyon silktassel Garrya veatchii 5 / 3 4
0.81 r 72 southern tauschia Tauschia arguta 30 / 9 5
0.83 Switchback right.
0.88 Cross drainage.
0.90 r 73 phlox-leaved bedstraw Galium andrewsii ssp. andrewsii 1 / 1 3
0.90 Switchback left.
0.96 Switchback right.
1.07 Long switchback left.
1.12 Switchback left.
1.12 r 74 chaparral pea Pickeringia montana var. montana 10 / 2 1
1.13 Long switchback right.
1.17 r 75 ~ showy penstemon Penstemon spectabilis var. subviscosus 1 / 1 1
1.18 Trail turns right 90° at small drainage.
1.20 Switchback left.
1.25 Switchback right.
1.26 l First sticky-leaved Ribes malvaceum.
1.27 Trail turns left 90°
1.30 Trail turns right 90°
1.31 l 76 chaparral lotus Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus 6 / 5 2
1.32 l 77 fuchsia-flowered gooseberry Ribes speciosum 2 / 2 5
1.32 l 78 ? unk per. with alt entire ~oblong 4-ranked lvs. ? 1 / 1
1.32 l 79 ? unk baby annual grass with very fine lvs.
1.32 l 80 ~ small-flowered melica Melica imperfecta 2 / 2 29
1.36 r 81 ? scroph? ? 10 / 2
1.36 Switchback left.
1.38 l 82 ? baby California chicory? Rafinesquia californica? /
1.39 r 83 California fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. canum 5 / 1 11
1.39 r 84 ? southern hawkweed Hieracium argutum 1 / 1 1
1.40 r Pile of big boulders frame a picture window.
1.40 r 85 laurel sumac Malosma laurina 5 / 4 29
1.40 l Check to see if this what-looks-like-a-gray-leaved cliff-aster turns into something else.
1.40 Trail turns left 90°
1.40 r 86 California wood fern Dryopteris arguta 3 / 2 10
1.41 l 87 California bay Umbellularia californica 1 / 1 9
1.41 b 88 hollyleaf cherry Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia 2 / 1 9
1.42 Switchback right.
1.42 r 89 ~ oceanspray Holodiscus discolor 1 / 1 2
1.42 b 90 prickly phlox Leptodactylon californicum ssp. californicum 5 / 3 1
1.44 r Jct. huge sandstone rectangular outcrop at ridgeline; jct. overlook path; switchback left; elevation 2650 feet (810 m)
1.49 l Nice view to north
1.56 Trail flattens out; grove of chaparral pea, Pickeringia montana var. montana.
1.56 r 91 *Spanish broom Spartium junceum 99 / 5 7
1.57 T-jct with road; elevation 2720 feet (830 m); go right on that road, leaving the Backbone Trail. Unlike the trail so far, the road is dominated by non-native weeds.
1.57 b 92 *redstem filaree Erodium cicutarium 50 / 9 38
1.62 Road makes a small curve left.
1.63 l 93 ~ slender sunflower Helianthus gracilentus 1 / 1 11
1.65 r 94 *fennel Foeniculum vulgare 2 / 1 12
1.70 T-jct with gravel road at ridgeline; go left on it.
1.73 Road turns left 90°
1.75 l 95 long-stemmed buckwheat Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum 3 / 1 17
1.76 Switchback right.
1.77 l 96 *Mediterranean schismus Schismus barbatus 10 / 1 14
1.79 East peak of Saddle Peak; elevation 2825 feet (860 m). The following species are found a few steps south.
1.79 97 *sourclover Melilotus indicus 5 / 1 12
1.79 98 California suncup Camissonia californica 2 / 2 16
1.79 Retrace your steps to the jct with the Backbone Trail.
1.86 r Jct. road to Backbone Trail; go right
1.98 Jct. Backbone Trail; go right (same location as mile 1.57)
2.00 Trail makes a small curve right.
2.04 l 99 southern miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana 10 / 1 15
2.06 r 100 ? unk per with lvs with basal lobes. ? 1 / 1
2.11 r 101 wild sweetpea Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus 5 / 2 7
2.22 r 102 ? unk baby tree. ? 1 / 1
2.25 r Jct. short path to ridge.
2.29 b 103 *wild oats Avena fatua 50 / 5 14
2.30 b 104 *ripgut brome Bromus diandrus 50 / 5 36
2.31 r 105 *slender wild oats Avena barbata 10 / 1 21
2.31 r 106 *California burclover Medicago polymorpha 40 / 2 26
2.32 r 107 collar lupine Lupinus truncatus 10 / 2 17
2.32 l Four dark green tanks.
2.34 r 108 big-pod ceanothus Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus 2 / 1 1
2.36 l 109 telegraph weed Heterotheca grandiflora 3 / 1 22
2.36 l 110 horseweed Conyza canadensis 3 / 1 24
2.36 Water Tank; elevation 2475 feet (755 m)
2.36 l 111 *rose clover Trifolium hirtum 3 / 1 6
2.36 r Possibly the world's oldest coyote bush, , with an incredibly-thick trunk.
2.37 r 112 small-flowered evening-primrose Camissonia micrantha⁺ 5 / 1 4
2.38 r 113 ~ *cheeseweed Malva parviflora 40 / 2 12
2.38 Cross through gate.
2.43 Cross Mildas Drive.
2.44 l 114 *fountain grass Pennisetum setaceum 20 / 2 8
2.44 b 115 *gazania Gazania X (mounding hybrid) 20 / 2 4
2.45 b 116 *winter vetch Vicia villosa ssp. varia 30 / 1 10
2.45 b 117 *foxtail barley Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum⁺ 99 / 3 5
2.56 l 118 narrowleaf bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium 5 / 2 40
2.56 l 119 sp Mariposa lily Calochortus sp. 5 / 2
2.56 l 120 bicolored everlasting Gnaphalium bicolor 3 / 2 23
2.59 l prickly cryptantha Cryptantha muricata⁺ 10 / 1 14
2.60 l 121 ? dead tall suncup? Camissonia sp.? 5 / 1
2.62 l 122 California brickellbush Brickellia californica 3 / 1 23
2.62 l 123 sp annual phacelia Phacelia sp. 5 / 1
2.62 l 124 *goldentop Lamarckia aurea 5 / 1 11
2.62 l (chaparral yucca, Yucca whipplei)
2.66 r 125 southern California silver-lotus Lotus argophyllus var. argophyllus 1 / 1 1
2.66 r 126 lanceleaf dudleya Dudleya lanceolata 1 / 1 17
2.66 r 127 one-sided bluegrass Poa secunda ssp. secunda 5 / 1 20
2.67 Y-jct; go left
2.75 Jct. Stunt Road; elevation 2350 feet (715 m); end detailed guide; go left to return to cars.
3.36 r 128 arroyo lupine Lupinus succulentus 3 / 1 4
3.86 Trailhead.

Comments On Specific Species

Lonicera subspicata var. denudata. This is the former variety johnstonii, with leaf blades that are white underneath, which was combined into var. denudata in the JM.
Solanum xanti. We were surprised to see these specimens, which were different from our previous experience with S. xanti, since they are erect subshrubs. It turns out that this is var. intermedium, as given in Munz, which is not recognized in the JM.
Ribes indecorum, R. malvaceum var. viridifolium. The plants on this trail are so similar it is quite understandable that the SMM Flora lists R. indecorum as a subspecies of R. malvaceum. The only clear difference is the color of the sepals (white for R. indecorum; pink for R. malvaceum).
The SMM Flora says that intergrades between the two species occur, but it is difficult to detect them without detailed analysis. In particular, the JM criterion on the length of the hypanthium is not a good discriminant, since many pure plants of R. indecorum have a hypanthium twice as long as wide (see Munz).
Rhus ovata. We were stunned to see the serrate leaves on these specimens! We have only seen entire leaves in our previous extensive experience with this species in Southern California. In fact, the Jepson Manual uses entire leaves for R. ovata as part of the key to separate it from R. integrifolia, which can have entire or toothed leaves. But other references clearly state that R. ovata can have serrate leaves.
Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum. We have so far observed only leaves, accounting for the ~ in the id? column. Some of the leaves are much wider, up to 51 mm wide, than the maximum of 25 mm given in the floras.
Ceanothus leucodermis. The first plant here has the usual glaucous gray twigs; within 0.01 mile is another with green twigs. One cannot distinguish this from C. spinosus simply by the color of the twigs. As mentioned in the guide, a shrub at mile 0.67 has one-fourth of the bush with gray glaucous twigs and the rest with green twigs.
The key in the SMM Flora is:
3a. Leaves glossy on lower surface, with 1 prominent vein from base C. spinosus
3b. Leaves glaucous on lower surface, with 3 prominent veins from base, the lateral 2 may be obscure C. leucodermis.

The number of veins often works to distinguish them, but not in every case. The glaucousness of the leaf is the only certain distinguishing characteristic.
Camissonia micrantha. The width of the fruit is larger than usually seen for this species, 1.5-2.0 mm, but this is the only possible identification.
Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum. As we have also seen on the Mt. Wilson Toll Road, these plants key perfectly to ssp. leporinum in Munz, but are perfect ssp. glaucum in JM. Our id is due to our conformance with the JM. The SMM Flora keys it in the same way as the JM.
Cryptantha muricata. This taxon is not numbered, since the previous Cryptantha sp. may turn out to be this id as well.

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
1	9	8%
2	8	7%
3	4	4%
4	6	5%
5	3	3%

1-5	30	26%
6-10	16	14%
11-15	17	15%
16-20	17	15%
21-25	7	6%
26-30	11	10%
31-35	9	8%
36-40	6	5%
41-45	1	1%
Total Taxa	114	100%

Latin Name	Common Name	Distribution
Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa	Eastwood manzanita	Supposedly, in the JM and from Wells book, the Manzanitas of California, this subspecies occurs only from the San Francisco basin north, but it is the only subspecies given in the SMM Flora, and we have verified the identification. Recent floras such as the San Mateo Flora by Steve Boyd also list this subspecies.
Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus	buck brush	Although this is given as CA-FP in the JM, it appears only in the SMM and the Cuyamaca / Laguna Floras in our database. In the SMM, it is only found in the Malibu Creek State Park Flora of Bob Muns, and not in his other five SMM subarea floras.
Salvia leucophylla	purple sage	SCo, WTR, and SnGb. It is in the Eaton Canyon and Placerita Canyon SnGb Floras by Bob Muns, and in four of his SMM subarea floras.
Hieracium argutum?	southern hawkweed?	SCo, WTR, and SnGb. It is in the SMM Flora, the Cuyamaca and Laguna Flora, and the Chantry Flats flora by Bob Muns. Note that our id is uncertain.

Latin Name	Common Name	Comment
Leptodactylon californicum ssp. californicum	prickly phlox	This subspecies is an optional one in the JM. This subspecies is listed here since it is given in the SMM flora. We have two other trail lists that contain this species where we have not identified a subspecies.

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"
1/3/2004	1	75	4	10	8	4
1/17/2004	2	100	6	8	10	3
3/22/2004	3	128	10	6	13	1

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
				Begin obscurely-signed Backbone Trail near mile marker 2.8 on Stunt Road; elevation 1925 feet (585 m)
0.00	b	1		*smilo grass	Piptatherum miliaceum	99 / 9	16
0.00	l	2		scrub oak	Quercus berberidifolia	99 / 9	8
0.00	b	3	ssp	branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia	20 / 9	25
0.00	l	4		heartleaf penstemon	Keckiella cordifolia	20 / 9	19
0.00	l	5		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	10 / 9	14
0.00	b	6		chamise	Adenostoma fasciculatum	99 / 9	28
0.00	b	7		coyote bush	Baccharis pilularis	50 / 9	18
0.00	l	8		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	99 / 9	39
0.00	l	9		deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. scoparius	50 / 9	19
0.00	l	10		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	20 / 9	31
0.00	b	11		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	38
0.00	l	12		climbing bedstraw	Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii	7 / 5	19
0.00	r	13		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	50 / 9	42
0.00	l	14		southern honeysuckle	Lonicera subspicata var. denudata⁺	50 / 9	30
0.00	r	15		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	99 / 9	38
0.01	r	16		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia	30 / 9	35
0.01	l	17		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	20 / 9	31
0.01	r	18		Eastwood manzanita	Arctostaphylos glandulosa ssp. glandulosa	99 / 9	1
0.01	r	19		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	99 / 9	32
0.01	l	20		saw-toothed goldenbush	Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides	50 / 9	27
0.01	r	21	sp	1-2 foot tall suncup	Camissonia sp.	20 / 3
0.01	b	22		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	20 / 9	35
0.01	l	23		hairy ceanothus	Ceanothus oliganthus var. oliganthus	99 / 9	3
0.01	l	24		canyon sunflower	Venegasia carpesioides	20 / 9	2
0.02	r	25		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	20 / 3	30
0.02	l			(white-flowering currant, Ribes indecorum)
0.02	l	26		chaparral bush mallow	Malacothamnus fasciculatus	99 / 9	10
0.02	l			Jct. path
0.03	r	27		purple nightshade	Solanum xanti⁺	30 / 9	11
0.05	b	28		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	10 / 9	22
0.05	r	29		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	1 / 1	32
0.05	r	30		San Diego wreathplant	Stephanomeria diegensis	20 / 3	14
0.06	r			(greenbark ceanothus, Ceanothus spinosus)
0.06	l	31		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	3 / 3	35
0.07	l	32	?	unk dead annual like tarragon or a chenopod	?	10 / 3
0.07	l	33		*horehound	Marrubium vulgare	3 / 1	20
0.07	r	34		black sage	Salvia mellifera	5 / 1	31
0.07	r	35		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	10 / 9	26
0.07	l			First telephone pole
0.08	l	36		white-flowering currant	Ribes indecorum⁺	30 / 9	13
0.08		37		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	50 / 2	26
0.08	l	38	~	goldenstar	Bloomeria crocea	30 / 5	9
0.08	l	39		buck brush	Ceanothus cuneatus var. cuneatus	99 / 9	1
0.09	r			Second telephone pole
0.10	l	40		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. fasciculatum	50 / 9	2
0.10	l	41		eucrypta	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. chrysanthemifolia	10 / 3	17
0.10	r	42	~	short-leaved cliff-aster	Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia	20 / 5	9
0.11	r	43		sugar bush	Rhus ovata⁺	50 / 9	20
0.12	r	44		birch-leaf mountain-mahogany	Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides	20 / 9	16
0.12	l	45	~	rattlesnake weed	Daucus pusillus	5 / 2	16
0.13	l	46		*downy brome	Bromus tectorum	5 / 1	18
0.13	b	47	~	soap plant	Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum⁺	20 / 5	13
0.14	r	48		blue dicks	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	/	30
0.15	l			(laurel sumac, Malosma laurina)
0.16	r	49	~	common fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia	5 / 1	9
0.20	r	50		long-leaf bush lupine	Lupinus longifolius	5 / 3	2
0.20	r	51	sp	clarkia	Clarkia sp.	10 / 1
0.20	r	52		purple sage	Salvia leucophylla	4 / 1	1
0.22	b	53		greenbark ceanothus	Ceanothus spinosus	99 / 9	2
0.22	b	54		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	50 / 9	30
0.23				T-Jct.; go left to Saddle Peak. A sign faces the other way on the right. Elevation 1990 feet (605 m).
0.24	l	55		bush poppy	Dendromecon rigida	30 / 9	4
0.25	r	56		chaparral currant	Ribes malvaceum var. viridifolium⁺	20 / 9	3
0.27				Cross drainage.
0.27	r	57	~	white star-lily	Zigadenus fremontii	30 / 9	3
0.27	r	58	?	unk annual Apiaceae.	?	30 / 3
0.27	r	59	~	sharp-toothed sanicle	Sanicula arguta	20 / 4	8
0.28	b	60		woolly bluecurls	Trichostema lanatum	20 / 5	2
0.33				Switchback right at ridge
0.34	l	61	sp	dodder	Cuscuta sp.	2 / 2
0.35				Trail turns right 90°
0.36	l	62	sp	baby popcorn flower	Cryptantha sp.	10 / 3
0.37				Trail turns left 90°
0.37				Cross drainage.
0.40	r	63		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	1 / 1	31
0.42				Cross drainage.
0.43				Trail turns right 90°
0.45	r			A 2.4 m (8 foot) tall long-leaf bush lupine, Lupinus longifolius!
0.45	r	64		*tree tobacco	Nicotiana glauca	1 / 1	16
0.45	r	65	~	*bull thistle	Cirsium vulgare	3 / 1	11
0.47	l	66		*blue gum	Eucalyptus globulus	1 / 1	4
0.47				Cross drainage; Trail turns left 90°
0.48				saw-toothed goldenbush, Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides, is the very-unusual understory in this shady area.
0.49	r	67		red shanks	Adenostoma sparsifolium	5 / 2	2
0.51				Trail turns right 90°
0.54				Cross small drainage.
0.58				Switchback right.
0.59	r	68		chaparral whitethorn	Ceanothus leucodermis⁺	20 / 9	11
0.62				Switchback left.
0.62				Four species of Ceanothus are found in the next 0.03 mile (0.62 b C. oliganthus; 0.62 l C. spinosus; 0.63 r C. cuneatus; 0.65 C. leucodermis)
0.64				Cross small drainage.
0.65				Switchback right.
0.67	l			A chaparral whitethorn, Ceanothus leucodermis, with 1/4 of the bush with gray-glaucous twigs and the rest green twigs.
0.69	r			A greenbark ceanothus, Ceanothus spinosus, with dull, but not glaucous, lower leaf surfaces on older leaves in January 2004.
0.69				Switchback left.
0.72				Cross small drainage.
0.73				Switchback right.
0.74	l	69		rockrose	Helianthemum scoparium	20 / 9	9
0.76				Switchback left.
0.77				Switchback right.
0.78	r	70		bigberry manzanita	Arctostaphylos glauca	5 / 4	8
0.80				Switchback left.
0.81	r	71		canyon silktassel	Garrya veatchii	5 / 3	4
0.81	r	72		southern tauschia	Tauschia arguta	30 / 9	5
0.83				Switchback right.
0.88				Cross drainage.
0.90	r	73		phlox-leaved bedstraw	Galium andrewsii ssp. andrewsii	1 / 1	3
0.90				Switchback left.
0.96				Switchback right.
1.07				Long switchback left.
1.12				Switchback left.
1.12	r	74		chaparral pea	Pickeringia montana var. montana	10 / 2	1
1.13				Long switchback right.
1.17	r	75	~	showy penstemon	Penstemon spectabilis var. subviscosus	1 / 1	1
1.18				Trail turns right 90° at small drainage.
1.20				Switchback left.
1.25				Switchback right.
1.26	l			First sticky-leaved Ribes malvaceum.
1.27				Trail turns left 90°
1.30				Trail turns right 90°
1.31	l	76		chaparral lotus	Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus	6 / 5	2
1.32	l	77		fuchsia-flowered gooseberry	Ribes speciosum	2 / 2	5
1.32	l	78	?	unk per. with alt entire ~oblong 4-ranked lvs.	?	1 / 1
1.32	l	79	?	unk baby annual grass with very fine lvs.
1.32	l	80	~	small-flowered melica	Melica imperfecta	2 / 2	29
1.36	r	81	?	scroph?	?	10 / 2
1.36				Switchback left.
1.38	l	82	?	baby California chicory?	Rafinesquia californica?	/
1.39	r	83		California fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. canum	5 / 1	11
1.39	r	84	?	southern hawkweed	Hieracium argutum	1 / 1	1
1.40	r			Pile of big boulders frame a picture window.
1.40	r	85		laurel sumac	Malosma laurina	5 / 4	29
1.40	l			Check to see if this what-looks-like-a-gray-leaved cliff-aster turns into something else.
1.40				Trail turns left 90°
1.40	r	86		California wood fern	Dryopteris arguta	3 / 2	10
1.41	l	87		California bay	Umbellularia californica	1 / 1	9
1.41	b	88		hollyleaf cherry	Prunus ilicifolia ssp. ilicifolia	2 / 1	9
1.42				Switchback right.
1.42	r	89	~	oceanspray	Holodiscus discolor	1 / 1	2
1.42	b	90		prickly phlox	Leptodactylon californicum ssp. californicum	5 / 3	1
1.44	r			Jct. huge sandstone rectangular outcrop at ridgeline; jct. overlook path; switchback left; elevation 2650 feet (810 m)
1.49	l			Nice view to north
1.56				Trail flattens out; grove of chaparral pea, Pickeringia montana var. montana.
1.56	r	91		*Spanish broom	Spartium junceum	99 / 5	7
1.57				T-jct with road; elevation 2720 feet (830 m); go right on that road, leaving the Backbone Trail. Unlike the trail so far, the road is dominated by non-native weeds.
1.57	b	92		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	50 / 9	38
1.62				Road makes a small curve left.
1.63	l	93	~	slender sunflower	Helianthus gracilentus	1 / 1	11
1.65	r	94		*fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	2 / 1	12
1.70				T-jct with gravel road at ridgeline; go left on it.
1.73				Road turns left 90°
1.75	l	95		long-stemmed buckwheat	Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum	3 / 1	17
1.76				Switchback right.
1.77	l	96		*Mediterranean schismus	Schismus barbatus	10 / 1	14
1.79				East peak of Saddle Peak; elevation 2825 feet (860 m). The following species are found a few steps south.
1.79		97		*sourclover	Melilotus indicus	5 / 1	12
1.79		98		California suncup	Camissonia californica	2 / 2	16
1.79				Retrace your steps to the jct with the Backbone Trail.
1.86	r			Jct. road to Backbone Trail; go right
1.98				Jct. Backbone Trail; go right (same location as mile 1.57)
2.00				Trail makes a small curve right.
2.04	l	99		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	10 / 1	15
2.06	r	100	?	unk per with lvs with basal lobes.	?	1 / 1
2.11	r	101		wild sweetpea	Lathyrus vestitus var. vestitus	5 / 2	7
2.22	r	102	?	unk baby tree.	?	1 / 1
2.25	r			Jct. short path to ridge.
2.29	b	103		*wild oats	Avena fatua	50 / 5	14
2.30	b	104		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	50 / 5	36
2.31	r	105		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	10 / 1	21
2.31	r	106		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	40 / 2	26
2.32	r	107		collar lupine	Lupinus truncatus	10 / 2	17
2.32	l			Four dark green tanks.
2.34	r	108		big-pod ceanothus	Ceanothus megacarpus var. megacarpus	2 / 1	1
2.36	l	109		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	3 / 1	22
2.36	l	110		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	3 / 1	24
2.36				Water Tank; elevation 2475 feet (755 m)
2.36	l	111		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	3 / 1	6
2.36	r			Possibly the world's oldest coyote bush, , with an incredibly-thick trunk.
2.37	r	112		small-flowered evening-primrose	Camissonia micrantha⁺	5 / 1	4
2.38	r	113	~	*cheeseweed	Malva parviflora	40 / 2	12
2.38				Cross through gate.
2.43				Cross Mildas Drive.
2.44	l	114		*fountain grass	Pennisetum setaceum	20 / 2	8
2.44	b	115		*gazania	Gazania X (mounding hybrid)	20 / 2	4
2.45	b	116		*winter vetch	Vicia villosa ssp. varia	30 / 1	10
2.45	b	117		*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum⁺	99 / 3	5
2.56	l	118		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	5 / 2	40
2.56	l	119	sp	Mariposa lily	Calochortus sp.	5 / 2
2.56	l	120		bicolored everlasting	Gnaphalium bicolor	3 / 2	23
2.59	l			prickly cryptantha	Cryptantha muricata⁺	10 / 1	14
2.60	l	121	?	dead tall suncup?	Camissonia sp.?	5 / 1
2.62	l	122		California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	3 / 1	23
2.62	l	123	sp	annual phacelia	Phacelia sp.	5 / 1
2.62	l	124		*goldentop	Lamarckia aurea	5 / 1	11
2.62	l			(chaparral yucca, Yucca whipplei)
2.66	r	125		southern California silver-lotus	Lotus argophyllus var. argophyllus	1 / 1	1
2.66	r	126		lanceleaf dudleya	Dudleya lanceolata	1 / 1	17
2.66	r	127		one-sided bluegrass	Poa secunda ssp. secunda	5 / 1	20
2.67				Y-jct; go left
2.75				Jct. Stunt Road; elevation 2350 feet (715 m); end detailed guide; go left to return to cars.
3.36	r	128		arroyo lupine	Lupinus succulentus	3 / 1	4
3.86				Trailhead.

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Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2004 by Tom Chester, Jane Strong and Michael Charters.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to us at this source:
http://tchester.org/smm/plants/guides/saddle_peak.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester | Jane Strong | Michael Charters
Updated 26 March 2004.