Natural History Wanderings

Pacific Northwest Wildflowers, Wildflowers of Oregon and Washington, Flora of the Pacific Northwest has a new report from April 3 for  Scabland Benches Around the Rock Quarry Between US 30 and I-84 Between Hood River and Mosier in the Columbia River Gorge Area.  See older reports at Pacific Northwest Wildflower Bloom Reports.  Here is what they found

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Polytrichum Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Elongate Racomitrium Moss: Racomitrium (elongatum ?)

Wallace’s Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

* Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum

Deer Brush: Ceanothus integerrimus – Leafing out.

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana – Beginning to leaf out atop Castilleja Hill.

* Field Wood Rush: Luzula multiflora ssp. multiflora

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bristly Dog’s-tail Grass: Cynosurus echinatus

Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha

* Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Nevada Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. juncifolia – Beginning to bloom. Found mostly along the tops of cliff edges.

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicatum – Mostly along the tops of cliff edges.

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus – Basal leaves.

Ookow, Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum

Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum – Past bloom.

* Chocolate Lily: Fritillaria affinis

Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica – Past bloom.

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii – Buds forming.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii (old var. douglasii) – Fading out of bloom.

Rein Orchid: Piperia sp.

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Scabland Wild Buckwheat: Eriogonum sphaerocephalum var. sublineare – In bud.

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

*  Miner’s Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

Bitterroot: Lewisia rediviva

*  Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Chickweed: Stellaria media

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum

*  Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

*  Shining Oregon Grape: Berberis aquifolium

*  Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii – Fading out of bloom.

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

*  Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna var. boerhaavii

*  Fringe Pod: Thysanocarpus curvipes

Broad-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum spathulatum

* Fairy Poppy: Meconella oregana

Thin-leaved Alumroot: Heuchera grossulariifolia var. tenuifolia

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum – Fading out of bloom.

*  Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

*  Rustyhair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

Merten’s Saxifrage: Saxifraga mertensiana – On north-facing cliffs.

* Cusick’s Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. cusickii ?) – Beginning to bloom.

Ocean Spray: Holodiscus discolor – Beginning to leaf out.

* Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus

* Common Vetch: Vicia sativa – Beginning to bloom.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversiloba – Beginning to leaf out.

Chervil: Anthriscus scandicina

*  Pungent Desert Parsley: Lomatium grayi

*  Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

* Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

*  Poet’s Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum 

Western Starflower: Trientalis latifolia – Numerous under the oaks.

*  Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Silverleaf Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. hastata

* Menzie’s Fiddleneck: Amsinckia menziesii var. menziesii

* Great Hound’s Tongue: Cynoglossum grande

* Blue Scorpion Grass: Myosotis micrantha

*  Slender Popcorn Flower: Plagiobothrys tenellus

* Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

* Few-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia sparsiflora

Barrett’s Penstemon: Penstemon barrettiae

Cutleaf Penstemon: Penstemon richardsonii var. richardsonii

* Small-flowered Tonella: Tonella tenella

* Naked Broomrape: Orobanche uniflora – Quite abundant.

Bedstraw: Galium aparine var. echinospermum

Big Root: Marah oreganus

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus – Beginning to leaf out.

Rosy Plectritis: Plectritis congesta – In bud.

* White Plectritis: Plectritis macrocera

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia

Carey’s Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana – A number of young plants, but none old enough to bloom.

Bachelor’s Button: Centaurea cyanus

*  Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Columbia Gorge Fleabane: Erigeron oreganus – One plant with flower buds.

Hairy Goldaster: Heterotheca villosa (var. ?)

False Dandylion: Hypochaeris radicata

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Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

Black Bear – Fresh poop.

Turkey Vultures

Scrub Jays

Stellers Jays

American Robins

Dark-eyed Juncos

Yellow-rumped Warblers

Violet-green Swallows