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White-Ray Coreocarpus (Coreocarpus parthenioides var. parthenioides) Common, annual plant up to 50 cm tall. Leaves are opposite, with 1 - 2 pinnately divided leaves. The flower heads are radiate with yellow disc flowers in the middle surrounded by a variable number of white rays with distinctive rose-purple lines on the underside. These purple lines are not evident when looking down onto the white petals. Peak bloom time is in the spring months in northern BC and in the fall in the southern areas.

Baja California Plant Field Guide, Jon P. Rebman , Norman C. Roberts, 3rd. ed, 2012, pp. 136-137.

Large spherical Gall, almost the size of a golf ball, on Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata). The resinous spot is Exuviae (the molt or cast off outer skin of a pupa).

Large Creosote Gall Midge (Asphondylia auripila) Creosote gall midges are a species of gall-inducing Flies "in the Asphondylia auripila group (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae). Their life cycle begins when the female oviposits into the part of the plant which her species prefers, she inserts her egg along with a fungal spore from a mycangia (a small pocket to store fungal spores). A gall forms and the fungal mycelium grows to line the inside of the gall, when the egg hatches the developing larva feeds upon the fungus. Adult emergence is timed with periods of plant growth associated with winter, spring, or summer rain fall." https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/343241-Asphondylia-auripila

BugGuide https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Asphondylia+auripila&edit%5Btype%5D%5Bbgimage%5D=on

18 species of Galls on Creosote Bush are listed as options on Gallformers website as of (11/29/23): https://www.gallformers.org/id?hostOrTaxon=Larrea+tridentata&type=host&detachable=&alignment=&cells=&color=&locations=&season=&shape=&textures=&walls=&form=&undescribed=false
Per Steve Jones: "Of the 18 galling critters affecting creosote bush at Gallformers, 16 of them are in the genus Asphondylia; one Asphondylia species has not been named (Asphondylia l-tridentata-scimitar-leaf-gall). The other two are Contarinia l-tridentata-clasping-leaf-gall and Tachardiella larreae (arguably not a gall - tissue is produced by the scale insect, not the plant).
AFAIK all of the Asphondylia species should have exuviae that can be left behind in the gall; I think they all mature in the gall rather than dropping to the soil to mature. I've found them on a number of galls."
More info available at INaturalist Project-- Creosote Bush Galls: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/creosote-bush-galls

Exuviae is the molt or cast off outer skin of a pupa. Oddly enough the midge larva in several of these Asphondylia gall formers pupate in their exit hole, and after metamorphosis or even just overwintering, the adult emerges to fly away.
Here are a few others with remnant exuviae:
Asphondylia pila : https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13029709
Asphondylia resinosa: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13066192
Asphondylia discalis: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13100364
Asphondylia apicata: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/70794493
Asphondylia rosetta https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/192569803
Here's one where the midge hasn't exited or left yet https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/147802786, so it's a Pupa.
Here's one where the adult has exited so it's an Exuviae https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/156913910

Book: The Asphondylia (Cecidomyiidae: Diptera) of Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata) in North America

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What is a Gall? Gallformers: https://www.gallformers.org/
"Plant galls are abnormal growths of plant tissues, similar to tumors or warts in animals, that have an external cause--such as an insect, mite, nematode, virus, fungus, bacterium, or even another plant species. Growths caused by genetic mutations are not galls. Nor are lerps and other constructions on a plant that do not contain plant tissue. Plant galls are often complex structures that allow the insect or mite that caused the gall to be identified even if that insect or mite is not visible."

GALLS
Plant Galls of the Western United States: a photographic guide to 536 species of plant galls found west of the Rockies, with 400+ color images and plates, Ronald A. Russo, April 2021. (Available on Amazon)
Gallformers: Identify Galls by name or by host plant https://www.gallformers.org/id
INaturalist Project, Galls of California https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california
California Oak Galls (photo guide), Joyce Gross: https://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak.php
California Oak Galls Induced by Unknown or Undescribed Species (photo guide), Joyce Gross: https://joycegross.com/galls_ca_oak_undescribed.php
Nancy Asquith Journal: California Oak Galls https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-plants-with-mystery-galls/journal/44142-california-oak-galls
Nancy Asquith Journal: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/galls-of-california/journal/44203-where-to-learn-more-about-galls
BugGuide: Identification, Images, & Information for insects and other gall-inducers, (US & Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/3/bgpage
BugGuide: Unidentified Tracks, Larvae, Webs, Parasites, and Other Mysteries: https://bugguide.net/node/view/696662/bgpage
INaturalist Project: https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/all-your-galls-are-belong-to-us

This is the second of three types of "gall" on a single Ericameria ericoides bush (California Goldenbush):

A. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159784180 This apparently undescribed gall seems to consist of five plate-like bracts much wider than a typical leaf but approximately the same length.

B. (this one) https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159784447 Prodiplosis falcata (Goldenbush Bud Gall Midge)

C. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/159784834 In this case the terminal leaves are bound together to form a chamber for the larva. If you pick one apart you will find a caterpillar and a bunch of frass. Several people have made an observation of this gall and based on http://www.troplep.org/OCR%202001%20Holaritc%20Vol.%208%20Sup.%201%20Powell%20&%20Povolny.pdf (see p. 8 of publication, 12 of PDF) it is thought perhaps to be Gnorimoschema ericameriae in the Family Gelechioidea.
See also:

• https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/118745975

See notes https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/107933243

Anther tips not obtuse and anthers yellow-black.

Yellow patches at base of anthers.

Very interesting patch of Padre's Shooting Star restricted to a sunken circular area where it looks like two or three inches of soil was removed (See photos 5 & 6).

For once I got a clear view of the sinus appendages. For a view of the wide winged petiole see: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/107933538

Nice botany video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDaL02zJdTA&t=38s

https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=37885

• Calyx sinus appendages 0; calyx not enclosing mature fruit ..... P. membranaceum
• Calyx sinus appendages present; calyx enclosing mature fruit
• - Petiole narrow-winged; style 1–3 mm; seeds 1–2 mm ..... P. racemosum
• - Petiole wide-winged; style 4–8 mm; seeds 2–3 mm ..... P. auritum
• - - Corolla < 10 mm wide ..... var. arizonicum
• - - Corolla 10–30 mm wide ..... var. auritum

Recorded with Tascam DR-05X.
Edited with Audacity according to the recommendations in the following video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYqogvHYn28

High-pass Filter:
Frequency: 1000 Hz
Roll-off: 48 dB
Normalize Peak Amplitude: -3 dB
Silenced a few clicks.

The burl could be prominent but maybe not... it was under a lot of leaf litter.
Here is the path I followed on Jepson (Keybase CW) to get to ssp. crustacea:

• I did not see a burl, but the branches leading into the base suggested on (see photo #2 )
• Leaves with stomata generally only abaxially, surfaces generally differing in color and/or hairiness
• Old stem bark generally smooth or peeling, +- red {This gets it to A. crustacea}
• Plant erect, not prostrate; burls at base of main stem; leaf blades oblong-ovate to lance-oblong;
• Twig with short and long hairs
• Leaf abaxially +- nonglandular-hairy, not densely hairy; in age glabrous

Comments/disputes welcome as always!

I observed this mushroom on December 8th, three weeks ago ( https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/102822427 ) and decided to come back to see how it was getting along. Fortunately no one had disturbed it despite being in the center of a soccer field.

Collected in early 1990s. 4th image shows "windows" in shell arranged in two lateral rays. Animal is largely nocturnal, and avoids bright light by sensing light levels in part through these translucent areas.

Go out at dawn, and you'll see these limpets out in the open on rocks (as 1st image here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26303620); have a look at the same rocks after sunrise, and they will all be largely out of sight, tucked into crevices, or underneath overhangs, etc. (see 2nd image here: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/26303620)

Katydids (family Tettigoniidae) are also called longhorned grasshoppers. The nine species of Scudderia are the bush katydids. Males have distinctive tail plates that can be used to identify the species. All species lay their eggs between layers of leaves.
Kaufman Field Guide to Insects of North America. Eaton and Kaufman, 2006, p. 76-77.

I hiked up a knoll in Fort Ord National Monument above Guidotti bridge, through foxtails, to find 100+- Clay Mariposa Lilies.

Similar in appearance to Butterfly Mariposa Lily (Calochortus venustus) but WITHOUT the maroon spot at outer end of petal. These lillies were all growing on grassy foothills. Substrate is decomposing sandstone on a former marine terrace.

Taxonomy: Clay Mariposa Lily (Calochortus argillosus). Native plant in the Lilies (Liliaceae) family, and in the Mariposa Lilies (Calochortus) genus.

Jepson eFlora:
"Stem: 40--60 cm, simple, bulblets present. Leaf: basal 20--30 cm, withering; cauline reduced upward. Inflorescence: +- umbel-like; flowers 1--4, erect; bracts 2--8 cm. Flower: perianth bell-shaped; sepals 20--40 mm; petals 20--40 mm, +- rounded, white to purple or pale yellow, central red spot within pale yellow, sparsely hairy; nectary 1 crescent or chevron, not depressed, densely short-hairy; filaments not dilated at base, anthers purple, pink to yellow-white. Fruit: erect, 4--6 cm, lanceolate. Ecology: Hard clay from volcanic or metamorphic rocks; Elevation: < 800 m. Peak bloom: April-June. Note: Flowers highly variable, generally showy."
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=76542

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016--not listed
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015--not listed.
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019--not listed
Monterey County Wildflowers, Trees & Ferns--not listed

See interesting discussion/comments re the Clay Mariposa Lilly in this location:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/49858393