Natural History Wanderings

Ring Mt. Wildflower Report
submitted by Libby Ingalls

We entered from the trailhead at the end of Woodward Drive and headed straight up the mountain on the main trail. The grasslands were full of Triteleia laxa, Hemizonia congesta, and Hesperolinon congestum, all flourishing from the rain. These were predominant, but we also saw most of the flowers on your list, with the addition of beautiful examples of Triteleia peduncularis, Brodiaea elegans, Castilleja rubicundula, Sanicula bipinnatifida, Trifolium willdenovii, Trifolium fucatum, and Calystegia subacaulis. The Calochortus tiburonensis continues to bloom all along the trail along the top, with still many buds of flowers yet to come. We looped around the north side of the mountain where we saw more additions to your list: Silene californica, Gila capitatum, Gindelia hirsutula, Castilleja affinis, ssp neglecta, Clarkia rubicunda, Monardella villosa, and Linanthus androsaceus. We were there around 4 PM so were able to experience the flowers of the soap plant opening.

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Ring Mountain Plant List 5/29/11

Achillea millefolium Yarrow, Common Aesculus californica Buckeye, California Allium lacunosum var. lacunosum Onion, Pitted Allium unifolium Onion, One-leaf Anaphalis margartiacea Pearly Everlasting Calochortus tiburonensis Lily, Tiburon Mariposa Carduus pycnocephalus Thistle, Italian Chlorogalum pomeridianum Soap Plant Collinsia heterophylla Chinese Houses Delphinium hesperium ssp. hesperium Larkspur, Western Dudleya farinosa Dudleya, Powdery Liveforever Eriogonum nudum var. nudum Buckwheat, Nude var. nudum Eriophyllum confertiflorum Golden Yarrow Eschscholzia californica Poppy, California Hemizonia congesta ssp. lutescens Tarweed, Yellow Hayfield ssp. lutescens Hesperolinon congestum Flax, Marin Dwarf Lasthenia gracilis Goldfields, Slender Layia platyglossa Tidy-tips Linum bienne Flax, Narrow-leaved/Small-flowered/Pale Lomatium dasycarpum ssp. dasycarpum Lomatium, Woolly-fruited Lotus sp. Trefoil Lupinus microcarpus White Lupine Lupinus nanus Lupine, Sky Madia sativa Tarweed, Coast/Common Mimulus aurantiacus Monkeyflower, Sticky/Bush/Island Mimulus guttatus Monkeyflower, Large/Yellow/Seep Minuartia douglasii Sandwort, Douglas’ Phacelia californica Phacelia, California Physocarpus capitatus Ninebark, Pacific/Western ( in fruit) Ranunculus californicus Buttercup, California Rosa californica Rose, California Rubus ursinus Blackberry, California Sambucus nigra ssp. caerulea Elderberry, Blue Sisyrinchium bellum Blue-eyed-grass Stachys ajugoides var. rigida Hedge Nettle, Rigid Thermopsis macrophylla False-Lupine, Santa Inez Triphysaria versicolor ssp. faucibarbata Clover, Smooth/Yellowbeak Owl’s Triteleia hyacinthina Brodiaea, White Triteleia laxa Ithuriel’s Spear Wyethia angustifolia Mule Ears, Narrow-leaved

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• Ring Mountain Wildflower Report 5/29/11 – updated 6/1/11 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
• Ring Mountain Wildflower Report 5/29/11 (naturalhistorywanderings.com)
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