Plant Guide to Bright Angel Trail Grand Canyon National Park Including Pictures of Most Species

(Click on pictures to get the species information pages)

Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides

Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
The Plant Guide
     Key to Plant Guide Information
     Introduction To The Linked Species Pages

Introduction

Some, but not all, of the results from three days of field work on 4-6 May 2008 have been added to the guide. All of the results from the field work on 22 August 2008 have been added. I have not yet modified the text outside of the guide to reflect the additions from the 2008 field work, which added a number of annuals and perennials to the guide, making it more complete.

This is a preliminary plant trail guide to the Bright Angel Trail to mile 3.7, resulting from just two days of field work on 5-6 September 2007 in a drought year. It is therefore undoubtedly incomplete, especially for annuals and perennials, missing a number of such species that are seen only in wetter years or earlier in the year. However, it should be fairly complete for the larger shrubs and trees on the trail.

A plant trail guide gives the location of the first occurrence of every taxon (species and subspecies) found on the trail, as well as an estimate of the abundance of each taxon. It enables a botanist to know exactly where to find a given species, and gives the identification for species seen as one hikes along a trail. It is much more useful in the field than a traditional plant list by family, since the plants are seen in the trail in the order of the plant trail guide, and one doesn't have to figure out the determination from a large plant list by family.

In this plant trail guide, the common name of nearly every species is linked to a separate webpage that shows photographs taken on 5-6 September 2007. For most taxa, these photographs serve as vouchers for my determinations, allowing botanists to confirm or question my determinations. ☺

The photographs also enable armchair botanists to take a virtual tour through all the species seen those days on the trail.

Since most species were not in bloom then, the photographs in general don't look anything like the pretty pictures of flowers shown in most field guides. However, this more nearly reflects what the plants look like most of the year, and hence may actually be more beneficial for most botanists trying to identify the species on the trail.

Since I am a botanist, the photographs were taken with identification of the species in mind. Almost every species has at least one picture with an object in it that can be used as a scale to make good measurements of the lengths of the parts needed for identification. Objects used for scale are: my fingers (widths ~ 18 mm = 0.7 inches) or my thumb (width ~23 mm = 0.9 inches; thumbnail width ~16 mm = 0.6 inches); my GPS receiver (11.0 cm long x 5.2 cm wide = 4.3 x 2.0 inches); or my backpack (15 inches tall x 16.5 inches wide x ~10 inches deep = 38 x 42 x 25 cm).

As far as possible (I'd only seen fewer than half the species before), I used my knowledge of what characteristics are usually used to distinguish each species, and targeted those with my photographs. The discriminating characteristics vary tremendously between genera and families, and can range from the branching habit at the base of the plant, the characteristics of the underneath or shape or hairs of the leaf, to properties of the twigs. Sometimes, botanists even use the characteristics of the flowers, even though it often doesn't seem like it when photographers send pictures to botanists to be identified! ☺

Of course, some species do not have their identifying characteristics on display in September, so not all species will have those characteristics photographed.

Important Caveats:

• I make no guarantees at all that all the determinations (=identifications) here are correct. Although the vast majority of the determinations are probably correct, I would be surprised if there are not at least one or two misdeterminations here. It takes a number of days of fieldwork spread throughout the year, and review of the determinations by an expert, to catch some errors.

• You must pay attention to the id? column in the guide below. That column tells you how confident I am in each determination. If I indicate that a given determination has 95% confidence, as many as 5% of those determinations could be wrong.

• I am not an expert in the plants of Arizona. My expertise is in the plants of southern California; over half of the species here are entirely new to me.

Many of the determinations were based on a reasonable guess as to the correct species, or by my keying of the plants among species unfamiliar to me, or by my assuming that, if the Grand Canyon flora only lists one possible determination, then that determination is the correct one. I note that the latter approach would have resulted in an erroneous determination for Polygonum arenastrum if I had not been able to explicitly key out that species, and interested in doing so.

A key is a horrible way to identify species outside the hands of someone very familiar with a given flora. For example, only through the use of a key could an elephant be keyed as a "mouse", since keys often depend on subtle features in order to reliably discriminate species. But a key is the best means we have for discriminating species, and they work well if one is familiar with most of the species in the key. An expert in the plants of Arizona would be far less likely to make a bonehead mistake in keying out plants than an Arizona novice like me.

The reader may be amused to know that most botanists do not identify plants in the field when they are working on the flora of an area except possibly for the most common or unique species. Instead, they collect specimens, which are then pressed and dried. The specimens are then taken to a herbarium that has similar samples of all the possible identifications that have been determined by experts in those taxa. The specimens are directly compared, with the aid of a key and a microscope, to the labeled herbarium specimens to get the determination. (By the way, botanical keys are almost always made from, and for, pressed and dried specimens, which is definitely a problem at times in keying live plants.)

I collected no specimens; all my determinations have been made from my photographs and field observations. (Note that taking anything from Grand Canyon National Park is prohibited unless you have a permit to do so in your possession.) Hence the likelihood of a misdetermination is much higher than determinations made from specimens.

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone who spots a mistake, or even questions a determination, would contact me so mistakes can be corrected. Additions to the guide are welcome as well, especially if documented by photographs and good locations.

In fact, if you are familiar with the species on this trail, I'd appreciate you taking a look at one species that I wasn't able to identify in its September form. This species seemed distinctive enough that I should have been able to get its determination, but I couldn't. It is: unk herb resembling Epilobium in CA, similar to Comandra umbellata ssp. pallida but with clasping leaves at mile 2.20. There are a few other unknowns that someone who is very familiar with the Grand Canyon flora might be able to recognize, but most of them will have to await springtime observations.

My determinations would not have been possible without the excellent resources available that I consulted. Many people have worked on the Grand Canyon Flora, collecting specimens, curating the specimens in herbaria, reviewing the determinations of those specimens, making the information from specimens available online, taking photographs and identifying the plants in those photographs, writing books, and synthesizing the available information in keys and floras. I am deeply grateful to all those people. I especially thank Lori Makarick, who provided the latest Grand Canyon Park Plant Checklist as well as a list of 35 species known to occur on the Bright Angel Trail. That list was helpful in quickly getting the proper determination for several species.

A reference page gives the taxa found on this trail in traditional family order. For each taxon, that page links to online references and gives detailed references to printed reference material.

A list of just the species with species pages is given here: Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail: Checklist of Species With Pictures.

Highlights of This Trail

Nearly everything was pretty exciting to me, since this was the first time I've seriously botanized anyplace outside of southern California. The following describes only a small number of the highlights of this trail.

• Most of the species were new to me. In southern California, I've seen only 32 out of the 82 identified taxa on this trail, 39% of the identified taxa. In fact, I was surprised to find so many familiar species so far away from southern California. I had thought the distance from California, combined with the very different rainfall regime, would produce a very dissimilar flora. At the Grand Canyon, half the rainfall occurs in summer, whereas in southern California essentially no rainfall occurs in summer.

• It was even more surprising to analyze the geographic distribution of the 82 identified taxa on this trail, and find 63 of them, 77%, are also found someplace in California. However, about half of those 63 are either fairly rare in California, or are found in areas of southern California that I have not botanized extensively, such as the Mojave Desert and the Desert Mountains.

  The following table gives the number of the 66 taxa native to Arizona that are found in other states (i.e., the 16 non-native taxa are now excluded from this analysis):

  State	# taxa	% taxa
  UT	61	92%
  NV	56	85%
  NM	56	85%
  CO	49	74%
  CA	47	71%
  TX	45	68%
  OK	32	48%
  OR	28	42%

  It makes perfect sense that the closest neighboring states are at the top of this list, but it is still surprising to see that so many of the taxa are also found in California and Texas. Just a bit less than half of the Arizona-native taxa are found even in far-away Oregon!

• The native species on this trail with the most restricted distribution are:

  • Argemone arizonica, Roaring Springs prickly-poppy. This is not only a Grand Canyon endemic, it is endemic to the area of the North Kaibab Trail and the Bright Angel Trail!

  • Encelia resinifera ssp. resinifera, resin brittlebush, has a very narrow distribution only in Arizona and Utah.

  • Perityle congesta, Grand Canyon rock-daisy, known only from northern Arizona and possibly Nevada. (USDA Plants says it also occurs in Nevada, but the Flora of North America only gives it in Arizona.)

  • Agave utahensis var. kaibabensis, Kaibab century plant, is only found in northern Arizona and possibly Utah. (USDA Plants says it also occurs in Utah, but the Flora of North America only gives it in Arizona.)

• It was amazing to see the abundance of blooms from Symphyotrichum falcatum, white prairie daisy, that line the trail in September. We don't have anything like that in southern California, probably due to our lack of summer rainfall. But we do have similar nice displays of Machaeranthera canescens, hoary-aster, in the fall in some areas.

  In southern California we also have good fall displays of Epilobium canum, California fuchsia, and Solidago californica, goldenrod; displays similar to those taxa are missing here. It appears that the niche of these two southern California species is abundantly filled by Symphyotrichum falcatum on the Bright Angel Trail.

• Two taxa on this trail that I had never seen before had me shaking my head in disbelief in seeing them, until I later puzzled out the correct determination:

  • Fendlera rupicola, false mockorange, looks very similar in many respects to Philadelphus microphyllus, mockorange, and I at first took it to be that determination. But Fendlera rupicola is a taller and more upright bush, growing away from the rockpiles that Philadelphus microphyllus prefers, so I could hardly believe that this could be the same species. Fortunately, it wasn't. ☺

  • Brickellia longifolia, longleaf brickellbush, looks very similar to an Artemisia dracunculus, wild tarragon, on steroids, in appearance when it is not in bloom. The first plants I saw had no buds, and Artemisia dracunculus was the only possible name I could come up. But when I saw specimens growing out of rocks, I knew this has to be a different species, since no self-respecting Artemisia dracunculus would ever be caught dead growing in such dry conditions. ☺

    Soon afterward, I saw some buds, that clearly revealed the Brickellia persuasion of these plants. I'm very surprised the common name for this species isn't honking brickellbush!

• It was very exciting to come across two species I had long wanted to see: Gutierrezia microcephala, sticky snakeweed, and Quercus turbinella, {grey oak, Sonoran scrub oak, shrub live oak}.

  I have long looked for Gutierrezia microcephala, which is in nine floras I've digitized in southern California. I'd never seen it since it is rare outside the Mojave Desert. I couldn't believe my great good fortune to come across this species near mile 2.0. I was the hottest I'd been yet that day on the trail, in 87° heat in blazing noon-time sun, but I was incredibly happy. ☺ The blossoms checked out perfectly, with just a single ligule or two on each head, and just 1-2 disk flowers. Such tiny flowers!

  That made my day right there. ☺

  Quercus turbinella was of interest because two southern California species of scrub oaks (Q. cornelius-mulleri, Q. john-tuckeri) had been confused with it until about 1980. I knew Quercus turbinella was present at the Grand Canyon, but no reference gave any locations on or near the Bright Angel Trail. I found the first specimens just a quarter-mile past the Gutierrezia microcephala. They did indeed look somewhat similar to our two southern California scrub oak species in habit and leaves, but the leaves weren't nearly as hairy underneath. The main difference is on the peduncle length, with Q. turbinella having a much-longer peduncle.

• It is just as interesting sometimes to note what is not on a trail, as to note what is on a trail. For this trail, ponderosa pine, Pinus ponderosa, is present on the South Rim just feet away from the trailhead, but no specimens of this species are found on the trail.

Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time

The following table gives the dates the trail was walked and taxa recorded. After each visit, the table gives the total number of taxa on the list and the breakdown of the taxa without positive identification. See Explanation of Plant Trail Guides to understand the symbols below.

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"
9/5/2007	1	67	1	7	17	3
9/6/2007	2	93	5	9	23	3

The fieldwork on 9/5/07 was to the 1.5 mile resthouse at mile 1.58; the fieldwork on 9/6/07 was to mile 3.73.

The Plant Guide

Key to Plant Guide Information

Mile: It is like a car odometer. Mile 0.00 includes all mileages from 0.000 to 0.009; 0.01 includes all mileages from 0.010 to 0.019, etc. 0.01 mile is 18 yards = 53 feet, about 18-20 normal-size paces.

Note that species separated by a difference of 0.01 mile in the guide could actually be fairly close together, with the odometer "rolling over" between them. Example: one species is at 1.599 miles, reported as 1.59 miles in the guide, and the next species is at 1.601 miles, reported as 1.60 miles in the guide. The species are actually just 0.002 miles = 10 feet apart. They could also be almost 0.02 miles apart. Example: one species is at 1.601 miles and the next is at 1.619 miles.

The mileage is incredibly accurate in this guide. The Bright Angel Trail is, as far as I know, the most-accurately surveyed trail in the world. See Pedometer Accuracy. In the plant guide here, I have tied all my pedometer readings to the Control Points (CP in the guide below) from the Bradford Washburn et al publication referenced in that webpage. All the reported elevations also come from that publication.

Since most people walk without a pedometer or a GPS to give them their rough mileage, enough landmarks are included in the guide that it is not necessary to pay much attention to the mileage. It is mainly useful in telling the reader when there are long intervals without new species, or when new species come fast and furious.

Note that GPS receivers are almost useless in some parts of the trail, due to satellite signals reflected from the abundant rocks (multipath problem) and/or low sky visibility. Be very wary about believing the trip mileage given by a GPS receiver.

S: Side of trail on which the first occurrence is found: left, right, both, or center

#: On-trail species are numbered in order of first occurrence on trail (easily touchable from the trail). Off-trail species are in parentheses.

id?: Species without an entry in this column are quite confidently identified. "?" means I am just guessing the identification; "sp" means the genera is probably known, but the species name is uncertain even when a potential species name is given in the guide; "~" means I have roughly 95% confidence that this is the determination, but have not yet positively identified it; "ssp" means the subspecies or variety needs to be determined.

FAM: The family for each taxon is given as the first three letters of the full scientific family name, with all letters capitalized. See the key to the three letter abbreviations.

(*)Common Name: An asterisk before the common name indicates a species that is non-native to the Grand Canyon, and hence should not be here. The Common Name is linked to a separate page for each species giving photographs and further information about some species. The Common Name in many cases has been taken from my southern California database for expediency. If you know of a better common name used at the Grand Canyon, please let me know.

Note that common names are not standardized, and more than one taxa can have the same common name.

Scientific Name: This is the name used to uniquely identify a species by botanists, which enables one to confidently look up more information about each species. All names are as given in the latest Grand Canyon flora online. Synonyms (older, newer, or alternate Scientific Names) are given in the page linked to the common name, usually via the USDA Plants link.

#Plants: This gives the minimum number of on-trail plants of this species on this trail, with the number of locations on this trail following the /, using maximum values of 99/9. A value of 1/1 means I only found a single plant in a single location in the entire trail; 10/9 means 10 plants occurring in at least 9 locations, etc. Very common taxa are generally given as 50/9 or 99/9, with the 99/9 species being significantly more abundant than the 50/9 species.

Introduction To The Linked Species Pages

Many species in the plant trail guide have additional information given on a separate page that is linked from the Common Name field below. The additional information includes:

Characteristics: This section begins with Identification status, which gives a discussion of how confident I am in the determination. The identification and other characteristics of each species are discussed. The explicit keying is given in some cases.

Some species have additional discussion about the species in the Grand Canyon and/or elsewhere.

Voucher information is given, including the number of vouchers in the entire Grand Canyon and the closest voucher to the Bright Angel Trail. Voucher information was obtained from the Southwest Environmental Information Network (SEINet).

The information given in the guide below about the location and number of plants is repeated on each species page.

Unfortunately, due to the amount of time it took me to make a full species page, some species have just the pictures and reference information on the species pages, without the additional information mentioned above.

Pictures: Pictures of each species taken on the Bright Angel Trail are presented, often with the identification characteristics explicitly pointed out.

References: References are given to 13 sources, including links to online references and page numbers for printed references.

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page: html (8 pages) or pdf Clickbook booklet (2 double-sided pages). (See printing instructions for an explanation of these options)

Mile	S	#	id?	FAM	(*)Common Name	Scientific Name	#Plants
0.00				Begin guide at signed Trailhead north of West Rim Drive bus stop, north of the mule corral; CP "S. Rim", elevation 6845 feet (2086 m), in Kaibab Limestone, thickness 350 feet here
0.00	b	1		PIN	two-needle pinyon pine	Pinus edulis	50 / 9
0.00	b	2		GRO	desert gooseberry	Ribes velutinum	99 / 9
0.00	b	3		GRO	whisky currant	Ribes cereum var. pedicellare	99 / 9
0.00	b	4		AST	hoary-aster	Machaeranthera canescens	50 / 9
0.00	b	5		BRA	Wright's thelypody	Thelypodium wrightii	10 / 3
0.00	r	6		MAL	*common mallow	Malva neglecta	10 / 2
0.00	r	7		POA	*downy brome	Bromus tectorum	99 / 9
0.00	r	8		FAG	Gambel oak	Quercus gambelii	50 / 9
0.00	r	9		NYC	smooth spreading four o'clock	Mirabilis oxybaphoides	50 / 9
0.00	r	10		POL	*knotweed	Polygonum arenastrum	2 / 2
0.00	r	11		BRA	smooth western tansy-mustard	Descurainia pinnata ssp. glabra	99 / 9
0.00	r	12		BRA	*crossflower	Chorispora tenella	99 / 9
0.00	r	13		BRA	common pepper-grass	Lepidium densiflorum	5 / 1
0.00	r			(AST silver wormwood?, Artemisia ludoviciana?, with entire leaves)
0.00	l			(AST threadleaf common rabbitbrush, Ericameria nauseosa var. oreophila)
0.00	r	14	~	CAP	snowberry	Symphoricarpos oreophilus	99 / 9
0.00	r	15		BRA	perennial rock-cress	Arabis perennans	40 / 9
0.00	r	16		RAN	*curveseed butterwort	Ceratocephala testiculata	99 / 9
0.00	b	17		AMA	Powell's amaranth	Amaranthus powellii	20 / 2
0.00	r	18		ROS	Utah service-berry	Amelanchier utahensis	99 / 9
0.00	l	19		CUP	Utah juniper	Juniperus osteosperma	20 / 9
0.01	r			Sign: "Mesozoic Rock Formations / Kaibab Limestone"
0.02	b	20		AST	threadleaf common rabbitbrush	Ericameria nauseosa var. oreophila	50 / 9
0.02	b	21		CHE	*tumbling oracle	Atriplex rosea	40 / 2
0.02	l	22		LAM	*horehound	Marrubium vulgare	20 / 5
0.03	l	23		ROS	fern bush	Chamaebatiaria millefolium	10 / 9
0.03	r			(MAL littleleaf globe mallow, Sphaeralcea parvifolia)
0.03	r	24		POA	*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum	99 / 9
0.04	r	25		BRA	*Klamath pepper-grass	Lepidium perfoliatum	2 / 2
0.04	r			Jct. path from Kolb Studio
0.04	l	26		AST	California brickellbush	Brickellia californica	99 / 9
0.05	l	27	~	AMA	*tumble pigweed	Amaranthus albus	5 / 2
0.05	r	28		POA	slender wheatgrass	Elymus trachycaulus	50 / 9
0.05	r	29		POA	squirreltail	Elymus elymoides	30 / 9
0.05	r	30		LAM	*catnip	Nepeta cataria	20 / 3
0.05	r	31		SCR	Palmer's penstemon	Penstemon palmeri	10 / 2
0.05	r	32		AST	silver wormwood	Artemisia ludoviciana	99 / 9
0.05	r	33		VIT	Virginia creeper	Parthenocissus vitacea	1 / 1
0.05	r			Sign: "Bright Angel Trail and Grand Canyon Information"
0.05	r	34		AST	Arizona thistle	Cirsium arizonicum var. nidulum	30 / 9
0.05				Switchback left
0.06	r	35		BRA	*London rocket	Sisymbrium irio	10 / 3
0.08	r			Sign: "When mules pass"
0.08	r	36		CHE	Fremont's goosefoot	Chenopodium fremontii	20 / 5
0.08	r			(POA mutton grass, Poa fendleriana)
0.09	l	37		AST	Grand Canyon rock-daisy	Perityle congesta	50 / 9
0.12	l	38		AST	Grand Canyon Goldenweed	Ericameria arizonica	20 / 8
0.13				(View ahead of bonsai Ponderosa Pine, Pinus ponderosa, and two-needle pinyon pine, Pinus edulis, on top of ridge with tunnel)
0.14	r			(RUT pallid hoptree, Ptelea trifoliata ssp. pallida var. pallida)
0.15	r	39		AST	big sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata	30 / 9
0.15	r			(BER creeping barberry, Mahonia repens)
0.15				First Tunnel
0.15	r			(EPH green ephedra, Ephedra viridis; AGA Kaibab century plant, Agave utahensis var. kaibabensis				0.16	l	40		SCR	beardtongue	Penstemon barbatus	10 / 5
0.16	b	41		AST	beautiful aster	Eurybia pulchra	99 / 9
0.16	l	42		POA	mutton grass	Poa fendleriana	99 / 9
0.16	l	43		RAN	Fendler's meadow-rue	Thalictrum fendleri	10 / 9
0.16	r	44		BOR	flatspine stickseed	Lappula occidentalis var. occidentalis	30 / 9
0.17	l	45		RUB	Wright's bedstraw	Galium wrightii	1 / 1
0.17	r	46		CHE	*Russian thistle	Salsola tragus	20 / 2
0.20	l	47		AST	fragrant snakeroot	Ageratina herbacea	30 / 5
0.21	r			(CAC Mojave prickly-pear, Opuntia erinacea)
0.23	r			Sign: "Do not attempt to hike to the bottom and back in one day..."
0.23				Switchback left at ridge, then S curve in trail
0.23	r	48		BRA	shepherd's purse	Capsella bursa-pastoris	10 / 3
0.25	l			(banana yucca, Yucca baccata)
0.26	r	49		BER	creeping barberry	Mahonia repens	10 / 5
0.28	r			(ROS Apache plume, Fallugia paradoxa)
0.29	l			(Check if this grass with longer awns is still Hordeum murinum, or if this was a young flower of Elymus elymoides)
0.29	r			(BRA wallflower, Erysimum capitatum var. purshii)
0.29	b			(check for different grass species)
0.29				Cross Bright Angel Fault onto Toroweap Redbeds, thickness 250 feet here
0.29	l			(Rocky Mountain Douglas fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca)
0.29	l	50		AST	Cooper's rubberweed	Hymenoxys cooperi	5 / 2
				Look for earliest Gutierrezia microcephala in next 0.1 mile
0.30	l	51		RUB	Munz's bedstraw	Galium munzii ssp. ambivalens	40 / 9
0.30	l	52		SAX	coral bells	Heuchera rubescens var. versicolor	4 / 4
0.30	l	53		LAM	Drummond's false pennyroyal	Hedeoma drummondii	1 / 1
0.31	l	54		MAL	littleleaf globe mallow	Sphaeralcea parvifolia	30 / 9
0.33	r			(POA, Indian ricegrass, Achnatherum hymenoides)
0.33	b	55		POL	Simpson's buckwheat	Eriogonum microthecum var. simpsonii	50 / 9
0.34	r	56		EPH	green ephedra	Ephedra viridis	50 / 9
0.36	l	57		ROS	cliffrose	Purshia stansburiana	20 / 9
0.36	l	58		AST	Basin butterweed	Packera multilobata	3 / 2
0.36	l	59		POA	*Bermuda grass	Cynodon dactylon	5 / 1
0.37	b	60	~	BOR	slender cryptantha	Cryptantha gracilis	20 / 3
0.39	r	61		POA	Indian ricegrass	Achnatherum hymenoides	40 / 9
0.39	l	62		AST	sticky snakeweed	Gutierrezia microcephala	10 / 3
0.39	r	63	ssp	FAB	Crescent milkvetch	Astragalus amphioxys	1 / 1
0.39	l	64		SCR	Martin's paintbrush	Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii	3 / 1
0.40				Switchback right; CP #1, elevation 6630 feet (2021 m). In a short distance on the side trail is narrow phacelia, Phacelia filiformis
0.41	l	65	~	POA	*smooth brome	Bromus inermis	50 / 9
0.41	r	66		BER	Fremont barberry	Mahonia fremontii	10 / 9
0.43	l			Check for Elymus glaucus
0.43	l	67		AGA	banana yucca	Yucca baccata	10 / 9
0.43	r		ssp	(SCR Eaton's penstemon, Penstemon eatonii)
0.44	r	68	sp	CAC	prickly-pear	Opuntia sp.	5 / 5
0.44	r	69	~	AST	rose heath	Chaetopappa ericoides	1 / 1
	r	70		AST	matchweed	Gutierrezia sarothrae	2 / 1
0.50				Cross Bright Angel Fault back onto Kaibab Limestone
0.51	r	71		HYD	Fendler bush	Fendlera rupicola	40 / 9
0.54	r	72		ROS	shrubby cream bush	Holodiscus dumosus	5 / 1
0.55	r			Contact between the Kaibab and Toroweap Formations
0.59	r			(BRA wild candytuft, Thlaspi montanum var. fendleri)
0.60	l	73	~	CAP	blueberry elder	Sambucus glauca	1 / 1
0.62	r	74		PIN	Rocky Mountain Douglas fir	Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca	10 / 3
0.63	l			(SCR common mullein, Verbascum thapsus)
0.63	r	75		FUM	scrambled eggs	Corydalis aurea	5 / 2
0.64	r	76		POL	southern mountain phlox	Phlox austromontana	2 / 2
0.70	l			Jct. use path
0.71	l			Jct. use path
0.71	l	77		VIS	pinyon pine dwarf-mistletoe	Arceuthobium divaricatum	1 / 1
0.72	r			Kolb Seep Springs
0.72	r		sp	(CAR sedge, Carex sp.)
0.73				Switchback left; CP #2, elevation 6364 feet (1940 m)
0.76	r	78		RUT	pallid hoptree	Ptelea trifoliata ssp. pallida var. pallida	50 / 9
0.80	l	79		ROS	rock whitefeather	Ivesia arizonica	5 / 1
0.86	l	80		BET	Knowlton hop hornbeam	Ostrya knowltonii	30 / 9
0.87				Second Tunnel, through hardened Bright Angel Fault, CP "Tunnel (#2)", elevation 6248 feet (1904 m). Cross into Coconino Sandstone, thickness 350 feet here
0.89	l			Grand Canyon rock-daisy, Perityle congesta, with ovate leaves (earlier plants had narrowly-elliptic leaves)
0.90				Switchback right; CP #3, elevation 6218 feet (1895 m). Begin series of short switchbacks
0.90	l			(RAN virgin's bower, Clematis ligusticifolia; OLE birchleaf buckthorn, Frangula betulifolia ssp. obovata, in distance)
0.96				Switchback left
0.98	l	81		RHA	birchleaf buckthorn	Frangula betulifolia ssp. obovata	2 / 2
0.98				Switchback right; CP #4, elevation 6153 feet (1875 m)
0.98	l			(AGA Kaibab century plant, Agave utahensis var. kaibabensis)
1.01				Trail curves right 90°.
1.01	l	82	~	AST	pungent rabbitbrush	Ericameria nauseosa var. graveolens	1 / 1
1.05				Switchback left
1.08				Switchback right; CP #5, elevation 6073 feet (1851 m); cross into Hermit Shale, thickness 300 feet here, just below this point
1.12	b	83		GRO	trumpet gooseberry	Ribes leptanthum	50 / 9
1.12				Switchback left
1.16				Switchback right; CP #6, elevation 6007 feet (1831 m)
1.17	r	84		ANA	skunkbush with nearly entire leaf	Rhus trilobata	20 / 6
1.17	r			Check for Thelypodium integrifolium (sepals erect in bloom, not spreading)
1.20				Switchback left.
1.24				Switchback right; CP #7, elevation 5946 feet (1812 m)
1.27				Cross drainage
1.27	r			Ribes leptanthum and R. velutinum side by side.
1.27	r	85		POR	narrow-leaved miner's lettuce	Claytonia parviflora ssp. utahensis	99 / 9
1.30				Switchback left; CP #8, elevation 5900 feet (1798 m)
1.30	r			Jct. use path
1.31				Switchback right.
1.33	r	86		RAN	barestem larkspur	Delphinium scaposum	10 / 4
1.35	r			Jct. use path
1.35	r	87		RAN	virgin's bower	Clematis ligusticifolia	2 / 1
1.42	l	88	?	POA	western wheatgrass?	Pascopyrum smithii?	3 / 1
1.47	r	89		OLE	fragrant ash	Fraxinus cuspidata	30 / 9
1.48				Trail bends right 90°; CP #9, elevation 5780 feet (1762 m)
1.51	r	90		MAL	gooseberryleaf globemallow	Sphaeralcea grossulariifolia	50 / 9
1.53	l			(AGA closest Kaibab century plant, Agave utahensis var. kaibabensis)
1.54	r			(SEL spike-moss, Selaginella mutica)
1.55				Trail curves right at ridge
1.56	r	91		SCR	Eaton's penstemon	Penstemon eatonii	20 / 9
1.57	r	92		AST	tidy fleabane	Erigeron concinnus	50 / 9
1.58	r	93		BRA	wallflower	Erysimum capitatum var. purshii	5 / 3
				Check for Argemone arizonica "above and below trail here"
1.58	r			1.5 mile Resthouse; CP "(1.5 mile) resthouse", elevation 5714 feet (1742 m)
1.58	r	94			western redbud	Cercis orbiculata	1 / 1
1.59				Cross drainage
1.60	r	95		CAC	Mojave prickly-pear	Opuntia erinacea	3 / 3
1.62	r			Jct. short trail to the 1.5 mile restrooms; switchback left; CP #10, elevation 5692 feet (1735 m)
1.64	l			Check id of this plant; Fendleriella?
1.64				Cross drainage again
1.64	l	96		SCR	common mullein	Verbascum thapsus	2 / 1
1.67	l		~	(CRO spiny greasebush, Glossopetalon spinescens var. aridum)
1.68				Cross into Supai Group, thickness 950 feet here
1.70				Trail curves left 90°; CP #11, elevation 5644 feet (1720 m)
1.70	l	97		CRO	spiny greasebush	Glossopetalon spinescens var. aridum	20 / 9
1.71	r	98		AST	longleaf brickellbush	Brickellia longifolia	99 / 9
1.75	r			Check for different prickly-pear
1.77				"Shade View" - overhanging boulders giving shade with a great view.
1.80				Trail curves left 90°; CP #12, elevation 5582 feet (1701 m)
1.81	l	99		SEL	spike-moss	Selaginella mutica	1 / 1
1.91				Long switchback right at main drainage; CP #13, elevation 5518 feet (1682 m)
1.93	l	100		OLE	single-leaf ash	Fraxinus anomala	10 / 5
1.95	l	101		AST	greenstem paperflower	Psilostrophe sparsiflora	5 / 2
1.95	l	102		HYD	narrow phacelia	Phacelia filiformis	20 / 3
1.95	l	103		POL	eyed gilia	Gilia ophthalmoides	2 / 2
1.95	l	104		SCR	Utah penstemon	Penstemon utahensis	20 / 7
1.95	r	105		POA	James' galleta	Pleuraphis jamesii	1 / 1
1.99	r	106	~	POA	Mormon needlegrass	Achnatherum aridum	20 / 5
2.00	l	107		POA	*red brome	Bromus rubens	10 / 1
2.01	l		?		Shrub with opposite leaves and square stems; check pix; Fraxinus?	?	1 / 1
2.01				Switchback right at 2 mile corner; CP #14, elevation 5443 feet (1659 m)
2.03	l	108		NYC	giant four o'clock	Mirabilis multiflora	20 / 5
2.04	r	109		POA	*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	30 / 9
2.10				Long switchback left at red amphitheater in main drainage; CP #15, elevation 5407 feet (1648 m)
2.10	l		?	(Lupine? Or different Penstemon?)
2.18	r	110	~	POA	Parish needlegrass	Achnatherum parishii	20 / 9
2.20	r	111	?		unk herb resembling Epilobium in CA, similar to Comandra umbellata ssp. pallida but with clasping leaves	?	10 / 1
2.25				Switchback left; CP #16, elevation 5305 feet (1617 m)
2.25	r			Jct. with what looks like a previous segment of the Bright Angel Trail
2.33				Switchback right; CP #17, elevation 5244 feet (1598 m)
2.33	r			BRA	perennial rock-cress with galls	Arabis perennans	/
2.37	r				skunkbush with 3 lobed leaf	Rhus trilobata	/
2.39				Switchback left; CP #18, elevation 5197 feet (1584 m)
2.42	r	112		BRA	whitetop	Cardaria draba	20 / 1
2.42	r	113		AGA	Kaibab century plant	Agave utahensis var. kaibabensis	1 / 1
2.43	l		?		(Bush with 4 yellow petals)	?	/
2.43				Switchback right; CP #19, elevation 5165 feet (1574 m)
2.48				Switchback left; CP #20, elevation 5133 feet (1565 m)
2.50	r	114		BRA	hairy-podded pepper-grass	Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum	20 / 5
2.52				Switchback right; CP #21, 5097 feet (1554 m)
2.58				Trail curves left 90° at side drainage; CP #22, 5056 feet (1541 m)
2.58	r			(FAB bush peavine, Lathyrus brachycalyx ssp. zionis)
2.64	l	115		FAG	shrub live oak	Quercus turbinella	10 / 2
2.68				Switchback left, CP #23, elevation 4978 feet (1517 m)
2.71				Switchback right; CP #24, elevation 4955 feet (1510 m)
2.75				Curve left 90°.
2.77	l	116		AST	Mojave woodyaster	Xylorhiza tortifolia	20 / 9
2.77				Curve right 90°.
2.78				Switchback left, CP #25, elevation 4897 feet (1493 m)
2.84				Switchback right at drainage; CP #26, elevation 4855 feet (1480 m)
				Check for Argemone munita vouchered from "4800 feet" here
2.90				Curve right 90°.
2.90	r	117		FAB	Torrey's milkvetch	Astragalus calycosus	10 / 1
2.91	r	118		FAB	bush peavine	Lathyrus brachycalyx ssp. zionis	2 / 1
2.95				Curve left 90°.
3.01				Jct. short path to 3 mile Resthouse; CP "(3 mile) Resthouse", elevation 4733 feet (1443 m)
3.03				Switchback left.
3.07	r			(three-spine hedgehog cactus, Echinocereus triglochidiatus)
3.07	l	119		ULM	netleaf hackberry	Celtis laevigata var. reticulata	1 / 1
3.09				Switchback right; CP #27, elevation 4663 feet (1422 m); enter Redwall Limestone, thickness 450 feet here
3.12	r	120		BRA	rose bladderpod	Lesquerella purpurea	30 / 7
3.13				Switchback left.
3.15				Switchback right.
3.16				Switchback left.
3.21				Switchback right.
3.22				Curve right 90°.
3.23				Switchback left.
3.26				Curve left 90°.
3.29				Switchback right at the closest part of the trail to the "Petrified Snow" (caused by falling rocks chipping off the red coat on the Redwall Limestone due to the Supai Group above, exposing the natural gray/white color). CP #28, 4512 feet (1375 m)
3.30	l	121		AST	wire-lettuce	Stephanomeria pauciflora	/
3.32				Curve right 90°.
3.34				Switchback left.
3.36				Curve left 90°.
3.38				Switchback right.
3.40				Curve right 90°.
3.41				Switchback left.
3.44				Switchback right; CP #29, elevation 4396 feet (1340 m)
3.45				Trail curves left 90° and crosses small drainage
3.45				Rest of guide not yet updated from 5/6/08 fieldwork
3.50				Enter Temple Butte Limestone; thickness 35 feet here
3.52	l	122		POA	side-oats grama	Bouteloua curtipendula	50 / 9
3.55	r			ANA	simple-leaved basketbush	Rhus trilobata var. simplicifolia	2 / 2
3.62				Switchback right; CP #30, elevation 4255 feet (1297 m)
3.62	r	123	~	AST	resin brittlebush	Encelia resinifera ssp. resinifera	20 / 5
3.65	r	124	~	AST	rush rabbitbrush	Ericameria nauseosa var. juncea	/
3.65	l	125	~	EUP	western bernardia	Bernardia incana	3 / 2
3.69				Long switchback left, cross good-sized side drainage; CP #31, elevation 4208 feet (1283 m); enter Muav Limestone, thickness 375 feet here. Below here, the trail is mostly on alluvial deposits, and the Muav Limestone and the Bright Angel Shale, thickness 350 feet, are not evident.
3.69	l			(Check for different needlegrass, Achnatherum sp.)
3.69	l	126		PAP	Roaring Springs prickly-poppy	Argemone arizonica	1 / 1
3.70	l			Check these plants to see if they are young fourwing saltbush, same as the next species
3.73	r	127		CHE	fourwing saltbush	Atriplex canescens	1 / 1
3.73	r	128	sp	POA	needlegrass?	Achnatherum (scribneri?)	5 / 1
3.73	r	129		POL	desert trumpet	Eriogonum inflatum	3 / 1
				End plant trail guide; following are just landmarks to Indian Gardens
3.92				Cross creekbed, with high-pressure water pipe elevated on left; CP #32, elevation 4093 feet (1248 m)
4.09				Curve left 90°, cross streambed, then turn right 90°; CP #33, elevation 4029 feet (1228 m)
4.12				Switchback right (only ~90°)
4.36				Cross creekbed; CP #34, elevation 3884 feet (1184 m)
4.40				Sign: "Indian Gardens" (arrow pointing downhill)
4.41				Sign: "The plants you see here are the living desert. They grow by the inch and die by the foot".
				Additional species from a plant list for Upper Bright Angel Trail provided by Lori Makarick:
				PAP	prickly poppy	Argemone munita	/
				POL	longleaf phlox	Phlox longifolia	/
				ROS	interior rose	Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana	/

Go to:

• Bright Angel Trail and South Kaibab Trail: Checklist of Species With Pictures
• References for Taxa Found on the Bright Angel Trail in traditional family order
• Native and Introduced Plants of the Grand Canyon, Arizona
• Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2007-2009 by Tom Chester, Anne Kelly and Brendan Crill.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to us at this source:
http://tchester.org/gc/plants/guides/bright_angel_down.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 21 April 2009.