Journal archives for December 2018

December 30, 2018

2018-12-28, Unnamed wash W of Military Wash N off Big Wash just E of Buttes Pass Road x Big Wash, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, San Diego County, California, US

RAIN HISTORY:: 12 Oct 2018 likely 1.0 inch. 5-6 Dec 2018 likely 1.0+ inch.

The mix of 4 Astragalus species was my highlight: A. aridus, A. crotalariae, A. didymocarpus var. dispermus, and A. lentiginosis var. borreganus.

This wash has the highest density we've seen for A. aridus, which we have been seeing singly. We found a patch with 20+ with one in flower and fruit. Using 20 as the minimum population to take a voucher, this patch will make it possible to voucher Astragalus aridus for Jon Rebman (Curator of Botany, San Diego Natural History Museum), since the Museum's herbarium has no San Diego County voucher in its Collection. In my Excel spreadsheet tab "Happy Home", I added this location for Astragalus aridus's Happy Home.

I also made this location the new Happy Home for Astragalus lentiginosus var.borreganus. 99+ (stopped counting at 99).

I saw 2 Astragalus didymocarpus var. dispermus.: one in flower and fruit to confirm the ID.

Astragalus crotalariae scattered in first 0.5 mile.

In one spot, there were 3 Astragalus species almost next to each other (not A.d.d.). Clear differences in the combination of leaf shape, color, size, and hairs for all 4 species. I could tell the species easily from a standing position.

First time seeing Cleomella obtusifolia--and it was freshly in flower (yellow).
First time I remember seeing Atriplex elegans var. fasciculata.
First time seeing Monolepis nuttalliana.
First time knowing that a particular Salsola NOT tragus is Salsola paulsenii (I pulled and bagged the one cluster of these seen today).

Brassica tournefortii much too dense to pull. A few already in flower. Sad. This area will likely be overrun and changed just few seasons from now.

End of my first iNat journal entry.

Posted on December 30, 2018 12:17 AM by botanywoman botanywoman | 0 comments | Leave a comment