Natural History Wanderings

I just spent four days at Yosemite for a wedding. Between events I managed to do some wildflower exploring. Most flowers are between 4000 and 6000 feet Dogwoods are in bloom in many parts of the park. They are just past peak at the lower elevations but still coming out at higher ones. The most species were seen at the Wawona Loop Trail. There are also a good number of species including Calochortus minimus. There is a fair amount of Blue Lupines on highway 120 and highway 41 in the park. There were also several patches of the colorful Harlequin Lupine between Cinquapin and the Valley on Highway 41. Crane Flat had very little as it was too early there.

Here is a slideshow of some of the flowers as well as a few animal shots and landscapes.

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click read more to see plant lists

We drove down  the first four miles Evergreen Road where there were a number of plants to see although no large displays. The favorite plant was Calochortus minimus, which was in bloom in a good numbers. Most abundant was Buttercup. Other plants in bloom included Viola purpurea, a yellow Lomatium, a small lupine, a small 5 Spot, Larkspur, Iris, Balsamroot, Strawberry, Woodland Star and Indian Pink.

We stopped at Crane Flat but it was too early there. The only plants in bloom were Buttercups and a small yellow violet.  Lots of foliage including Corn Lily.

Wawona Loop Trail

Hiked the mostly flat Wawona Loop trail. Took us five and half hours to do 3.4 miles. Lots of photos and plant id. Most abundant were Pine Violet, Dog Violet(which was only in the meadow not along the trail), Mountain Strawberry, Dogwood, Waterlead and Nemophila heterophilla. Favorites were the Wild Ginger, Fritillaria micrantha, Wake Robin/Trillium chloropetalum and Striped Coral Root. Only one Snow Plant.

Plant list:

1. Yarrow/Achillea millefolium
2. Mountain Strawberry/Fragaria virginians
3. Waterleaf/Hydrophyllum capitatum
4. Miner’s Lettuce/Claytonia perfoliata sup. perfiolata
5. Woodland Star/Lithophragma bulbifera
6. Dogwood/Conrus nutualli
7. Pine Violet/Viola purpurea
8. Dog Violet/Viola adunca
9. Nemophila heterophilla
10. Wild Ginger/ Asarum lemmonii
11. Slim False Solomon’s Seal/Mainthemum
12. Fat False Solmon’s Seal/Maianthemum racemosum
13. Snow Plant/Sarcodes sanguinea
14. Fairy Bells/Disporum hookeri
15. Striped Coral Root/Corallorhiza striata
16. Fritillaria micrantha
17. Sulphur-flowered Pea/Lathyrus sulphureus
18. two other peas or vetches
19. a small Lupine probably Dwarf Lupine/Lupinus nanus
20. Sierra Gooseberry/Ribes rooezlii var. rovezlii
21. Wake Robin/ Trillium chloropetalum
22. Mt. Misery/Chamaebatia foliosa
23. a Cinquefoil
24. Western Chokecherry/Prunus virginians var. demissa
25. Blue Dicks/Dichelastemma capitatum
26. Western Bleeding Heart/Dicentra formosa
27. Sierra Iris/Iris hartwegii
28. Light-veined/Shinleaf Pyrola picta
29. Round Leafed Butterwort/Senecio cymbalaroides
30. Baby Blue-eyes/Nemophila mensiesii
31. Whiteleaf Manzanita/Arctostaphylos viscida
32. Bastard Toadflax/Comandra umbellata sup. californica
33. Utah Serviceberry/Amelanchier utahensis