Plant Guide to Devils Slide Trail, San Jacinto Mountains

Plant Guide to Devils Slide Trail, San Jacinto Mountains

Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides
Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
Botanical Trip Reports
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species
Introduction

The Devils Slide Trail begins in Humber Park two miles above the town of Idyllwild at the end of Fern Valley Road. A free wilderness permit is required for day use, and the number of permits is limited on summer weekend days and holidays. The permit is not available at the trailhead, and there are often rangers at the trailhead or along the trail checking permits on heavy use days. We have personally run into rangers checking permits on several different days. The permit can be picked up at the Forest Service office at 54270 Pinecrest, which is just east of SR243 in downtown Idyllwild.
The Devils Slide Trail ends at Saddle Junction, and there are four trails you can take from that point to continue. Guides to three of those trails are here.
Highlights of This Trail

The botanical highlights of this trail are:

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 116 trails in our database when this histogram was made; 16 of those trails, including this one, are in this area of San Jacinto Mountain. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database; numbers of "16" or smaller may indicate taxa found only in this area of San Jacinto Mountain.

Number of Trails
Containing A Taxon Number Of Taxa
On This Trail % of Taxa
On This Trail
1 3 3%
2 1 1%
3 10 9%
4 3 3%
5 3 3%

1-5 20 19%
6-10 31 29%
11-15 23 21%
16-20 10 9%
21-25 12 11%
26-30 2 2%
31-35 2 2%
36-40 1 1%
41-45 0 0%
46-50 2 2%
51-55 2 2%
56-60 0 0%
60-65 1 1%
66-70 1 1%
Total Taxa 107 100%

We found 3 additional species not in the above table, since they have not been fully identified yet. The unidentified ones are marked with ? or sp in the id? column in the guide, and have no entries in the #all column.
The taxa that are unique to this trail, or are found on only up to four other trail guides, are:

#all Scientific Name Common Name
1 Juncus tiehmii Tiehm's rush
1 Mimulus breweri Brewer's monkeyflower
1 Phacelia ramosissima var. ramosissima branching phacelia
2 Streptanthus bernardinus Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower
3 Carex multicaulis forest sedge
3 Claytonia parviflora ssp. viridis green miner's lettuce
3 Garrya fremontii Fremont silk tassel
3 Geranium californicum California geranium
3 Hieracium horridum prickly hawkweed
3 Hypericum anagalloides tinker's penny
3 Juncus macrandrus long-anthered rush
3 Luzula comosa hairy wood rush
3 Sagina saginoides pearlwort
4 Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea hybrid manzanita
4 Juncus phaeocephalus var. paniculatus spreading brown-headed rush
4 Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus chaparral lotus
5 Boschniakia strobilacea California groundcone
5 Pyrola picta white-veined wintergreen

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"
6/13/2002 1 42 27 2
6/20/2002 2 56 12 4 7 3
9/9/2002 3 57 7 2 7 2
9/13/2002 4 59 9 3 5 2
8/28/2003 5 71 3 2 5 1
9/2/2003 6 76 3 3 5 0
9/7/2003 7 78 3 3 6 0
10/3/2003 8 79 3 4 5 0
10/21/2003 9 80 3 3 7 0
4/10/2004 10 80 4 3 4 0
9/5/2004 11 82 4 4 4 1
10/1/2004 12 83 3 3 4 1
10/5/2004 13 83 3 3 4 1
7/7/2006 14 89 3 2 3 1
7/10/2006 15 100 2 1 2 0
7/19/2006 16 101 1 1 3 0
7/26/2006 17 103 1 1 4 0
8/2/2006 17 103 1 1 4 0
8/11/2006 18 108 1 1 4 0
8/16/2006 19 109 2 1 3 0
8/21/2006 20 109 2 1 3 0
9/29/2006 21 109 2 1 3 0
3/14/2007 23 109 2 1 5 0
10/10/2007 35 110 2 1 3 0

Since this trail gets traveled a lot as a gateway to the other trails from Saddle Junction, we have not listed every separate trip in the table above after #21.
The fieldwork on 7/7/06 was only to mile 0.94 since it got interrupted by a heavy downpour.

Botanical Trip Reports

10 April 2004
7 July 2006
10 July 2006
14 July 2006
19 July 2006
26 July 2006
2 August 2006
11 August 2006
16 August 2006
8 July 2007
The Plant Guide

See also:

Plant Checklist in Family Order for this trail.
Picture of Devils Slide Trail area taken from the Pacific Crest Trail at about 8900 feet just west of the Marion Mountain Ridge: with labels and without labels.
Dominant Species of Devils Slide Trail and Their Recent Death Rates for plots of the dominant species versus elevation along this trail, including their recent death rates.
Dead Trees of the Devils Slide Trail for pictures of dead trees identified to species.
Number Of Species In Bloom Vs. Time For Plants of the Devils Slide for a record of the number of species in bloom and finished blooming vs. time for late 2006 and early 2007.
Michael Charter's Monkeyflowers of the Devils Slide Trail for pictures of the Mimuli on this trail, along with a key to them for this trail.
Plants of the Devils Slide Wet Drainages to see pictures of the seven wet drainages on this trail and a list of the prominent species at each drainage.
Hybrids of Arctostaphylos patula and A. pringlei in the San Jacinto Mountains to see pictures and analysis of the two species on this trail and their hybrid.

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)
The mileages in the guide are not as good as in other field guides that have been fit to GPS data. The relative mileages here are probably correct to ~0.01-0.02 miles, but the absolute mileages could be in error by ~0.05 miles or so.
The problem is the poor conditions to receive GPS signals caused by dense tree cover and the restricted sky field of view caused by the mountain. For example, I GPS'd every species and every turn in the trail on 7/14/06, but that turned out to be almost useless. Typical errors noted in the field were ~60 feet, and several times the unit lost all satellites. This unfortunately seems typical for GPS tracks here; I compared against previous ones I've made, and they all have significant systematic errors in places. I.e., the problem isn't just the ~0.01 mile claimed accuracy of individual points; there is a bias in the position reconstruction that can be larger than the claimed accuracy.
See Explanation of Plant Trail Guides for an explanation of the column headers.

Mile S # id? Common Name Latin Name #here #all
0.00 Beginning of trail in southeast corner of parking lot, to right of sign with introductory information; 6480 feet (1975 m) elevation.
0.00 l 1 mountain whitethorn Ceanothus cordulatus 99 / 9 56
0.00 l 2 incense-cedar Calocedrus decurrens 15 / 7 51
0.00 Trail turns left 90°
0.01 r 3 California black oak Quercus kelloggii 15 / 7 30
0.01 l 4 canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis 99 / 9 68
0.01 b 5 ponderosa pine Pinus ponderosa⁺ 10 / 5 15
0.01 r 6 white fir Abies concolor 99 / 9 78
0.01 l 7 sugar pine Pinus lambertiana 99 / 9 56
0.01 r Sign: San Jacinto Wilderness, San Bernardino National Forest
0.01 l Sign: "Be prepared for hazardous conditions beyond this point. Permit required beyond this point. Bikes are not permitted within the San Jacinto Wilderness or on the PCT"
0.03 l 8 fir mistletoe Phoradendron pauciflorum 99 / 9 24
0.04 (incense-cedar mistletoe, Phoradendron libocedri)
0.04 b 9 Sierra Nevada lotus Lotus nevadensis var. nevadensis 40 / 2 42
0.04 l 10 former first location of chaparral lotus, last seen here in [2005?] Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus 20 / 2 4
0.04 l 11 Indian milkweed (usually off trail, but on trail in some years) Asclepias eriocarpa 10 / 2 24
0.08 r Huge boulder ~20 feet tall next to a huge dead white fir, showing how its trunk is made of wood spiraled around.
0.13 r 12 Coulter pine Pinus coulteri 4 / 2 25
0.13 l (pink-bracted manzanita, Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea)
0.13 Switchback right, #1.
0.15 l first location of chaparral lotus, Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus, in 2011
0.15 l 13 Davidson's buckwheat Eriogonum davidsonii⁺ 2 / 2 29
0.16 l 14 snow-plant Sarcodes sanguinea 3 / 3 32
0.17 b 15 California-aster (not seen in 2011 except at mile 2.27) Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia⁺ 50 / 4 90
0.18 l (narrowleaf bedstraw, Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium)
0.18 l (Grinnell's beardtongue, Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii)
0.22 l (forest sedge, Carex multicaulis)
0.23 Switchback left, #2. Old trail continued down straight ahead.
0.24 l 16 white-veined wintergreen Pyrola picta 5 / 2 16
0.24 l 17 spotted coralroot Corallorhiza maculata 1 / 1 20
0.25 r 18 naked buckwheat Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum 30 / 3 48
0.25 r 19 forest sedge Carex multicaulis 10 / 3 10
0.25 r 20 prickly cryptantha (waifs) Cryptantha muricata⁺ 4 / 2 28
0.27 r (first California-aster in 2011, Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia)
0.28 r 21 splendid gilia Gilia splendens ssp. splendens 25 / 3 20
0.31 l 22 southern honeysuckle Lonicera subspicata var. denudata 5 / 5 63
0.33 r 23 interior live oak (at northwest side of 10' boulder) Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens⁺ 4 / 1 30
0.36 l 24 pinedrops Pterospora andromedea 6 / 6 37
0.37 r 25 mountain grape-soda lupine Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus 5 / 1 25
0.37 r (beautiful hulsea, Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha)
0.37 r 26 San Jacinto buckwheat Eriogonum apiculatum⁺ 1 / 1 31
0.38 r 27 golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum 10 / 1 92
0.38 r 28 silky lotus Lotus heermannii var. heermannii 5 / 1 12
0.39 r 29 twiggy wreath plant (waifs) Stephanomeria virgata⁺ 2 / 2 16
0.40 r (short-flowered monardella, Monardella nana ssp. tenuiflora, here and at mile 0.49)
0.41 l (oak mistletoe, Phoradendron villosum)
0.46 r pine died in August, 2006.
0.46 r (beaked penstemon, Penstemon rostriflorus)
0.46 r (California-fuchsia, Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium)
0.49 l 30 pink-bracted manzanita Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea 10 / 5 30
0.49 r 31 *downy brome Bromus tectorum⁺ 3 / 1 66
0.50 r Leafless form of white-veined wintergreen, Pyrola picta, in 2011 and 2012
0.54 l (San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus)
0.57 l 32 Grinnell's beardtongue Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii 30 / 6 38
0.60 l 33 beaked penstemon Penstemon rostriflorus 50 / 9 43
0.66 r (Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower, Streptanthus bernardinus)
0.68 Switchback right, #3; elevation 6900 feet (2100 m). Old trail continued up straight ahead.
0.76 Switchback left, #4. A "mirror-image" switchback of the old trail is immediately next to this switchback.
0.78 r 34 Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower Streptanthus bernardinus 2 / 1 5
0.79 l 35 bush chinquapin Chrysolepis sempervirens 5 / 5 48
0.81 r 36 pine lousewort (in area shielded by sugar pine roots of big tree with two small trees) Pedicularis semibarbata 2 / 1 44
0.88 r 37 Yosemite rockcress Arabis repanda var. repanda 10 / 1 7
0.89 l (little prince's pine, Chimaphila menziesii, not seen since [2005?])
0.89 The following three Mimulus species are only at this location in wet years (they are present in subsequent locations most years):
0.89 b 38 Brewer's monkeyflower Mimulus breweri 99 / 3 14
0.89 b 39 floriferous monkeyflower Mimulus floribundus 99 / 3 20
0.89 b 40 false monkeyflower Mimulus pilosus 20 / 2 21
0.89 r (pinegrove groundsmoke, Gayophytum oligospermum)
0.89 b 41 mountain California-fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium 30 / 4 84
0.93 r 42 common monkeyflower Mimulus guttatus 20 / 2 32
0.93 l 43 groundsmoke Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum 10 / 1 19
0.94 r 44 sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa ssp. reflexa 50 / 3 34
0.94 r 45 Idaho bentgrass Agrostis idahoensis 40 / 3 41
0.94 b 46 streambank lotus Lotus oblongifolius var. oblongifolius 50 / 2 23
0.94 r 47 fragile sheath sedge Carex fracta 30 / 9 47
0.94 b (Fendler's blue grass, Poa fendleriana ssp. longiligula)
0.94 l (deergrass, Muhlenbergia rigens, in drainage far below trail)
0.94 r 48 bearded flatsedge Cyperus squarrosus 4 / 1 2
0.94 r 49 Suksdorf's monkeyflower Mimulus suksdorfii 50 / 1 6
0.94 r 50 Tiehm's rush Juncus tiehmii 50 / 1 3
0.94 r 51 long-styled rush Juncus longistylis 15 / 3 15
0.95 r 52 glaucus willowherb Epilobium glaberrimum ssp. glaberrimum 30 / 2 25
0.95 r 53 pinegrove groundsmoke Gayophytum oligospermum 30 / 3 34
0.95 b 54 western azalea Rhododendron occidentale 40 / 4 34
0.95 b 55 Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana⁺ 12 / 5 46
0.95 r 56 western marsh cudweed (waif) Gnaphalium palustre⁺ 1 / 1 15
0.95 r 57 white catch-fly (seen here last in 2006) Silene verecunda ssp. platyota 5 / 2 53
0.95 r 58 mountain pink currant Ribes nevadense 15 / 4 44
0.95 r 59 Parish's lupine Lupinus latifolius var. parishii 1 / 1 23
0.95 r 60 willowherb Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum 4 / 2 28
0.95 r (hairy wood rush, Luzula comosa)
0.95 Cross first small wet drainage (only one from Jolley Spring); elevation 7120 feet (2170 m)
0.95 r 61 slender hairgrass Deschampsia elongata 3 / 2 34
0.96 r 62 broad-leaved lotus Lotus crassifolius var. crassifolius 7 / 2 25
0.96 r 63 California bee plant Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda 10 / 2 32
0.97 l 64 former first location of Parish's snowberry, not seen since [2005?} Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii 20 / 5 54
0.97 r (Fremont silk tassel, Garrya fremontii)
1.05 r Tree struck by lightning, which exited along its exposed root (add link to pix)
1.08 l (green-leaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula, in front of pink-bracted manzanita, Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea, on ridgeline)
1.10 l 65 hybrid manzanita Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea⁺ 2 / 2 5
1.12 l 66 Jeffrey pine Pinus jeffreyi⁺ 30 / 9 76
1.14 r 67 Fendler's blue grass Poa fendleriana ssp. longiligula 1 / 1 13
1.19 l Dead tree with rocks 10 feet off ground at top. How did the rocks get there? Try to explain it, then check our answer.
1.19 l (Sierra gooseberry, Ribes roezlii var. roezlii, just below trail.)
1.20 r 68 Parish's bedstraw Galium parishii 15 / 4 28
1.24 l 69 goldenrod Solidago californica 10 / 1 92
1.24 l (thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus)
1.24 first location of Parish's snowberry, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii, in 2011
1.25 Note impressive rocks on other side of drainage.
1.25 b 70 scarlet monkeyflower Mimulus cardinalis 20 / 2 36
1.25 r 71 Cleveland's horkelia Horkelia clevelandii⁺ 20 / 2 30
1.25 r (arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis)
1.25 Cross small moist drainage #2 (first of four crossings of Powderbox Spring drainage); elevation 7320 feet (2230 m)
1.25 l (western wallflower, Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum)
1.25 b 72 western columbine Aquilegia formosa 10 / 3 48
1.25 l 73 giant red paintbrush (died here in [2007?]) Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata 10 / 3 34
1.25 r 74 Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii 20 / 2 36
1.25 best location for broad-leaved lotus, Lotus crassifolius var. crassifolius
1.25 r 75 granite prickly phlox Leptodactylon pungens 10 / 4 34
1.25 r 76 San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus⁺ 10 / 7 58
1.25 r 77 Fremont silk tassel Garrya fremontii 30 / 4 5
1.25 l 78 narrowleaf bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium 5 / 3 68
1.26 r 79 Martin's paintbrush Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii 6 / 3 48
1.26 l 80 California coffeeberry Rhamnus californica⁺ 30 / 5 22
1.31 l 81 *prickly lettuce (waif) Lactuca serriola⁺ 1 / 1 60
1.32 r (bracken, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens)
1.35 b 82 forest goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens 20 / 5 25
1.36 l 83 branching phacelia Phacelia ramosissima var. ramosissima 10 / 3 3
1.37 r (blue elderberry, Sambucus mexicana)
1.37 Cross small wet drainage #3 (first of two of drainage containing Middle Spring; second is above Middle Spring); elevation 7380 feet (2250 m)
1.37 r 84 baby brittle bladder fern (not seen since [2007?]) Cystopteris fragilis 4 / 3 38
1.37 r 85 green miner's lettuce Claytonia parviflora ssp. viridis 4 / 1 12
1.37 r Very small Mimulus guttatus and M. floribundus, just 2-4 cm (1-2 inch) tall
1.38 r 86 Sierra gooseberry Ribes roezlii var. roezlii 15 / 4 38
1.41 l 87 little prince's pine Chimaphila menziesii 6 / 4 23
1.42 Wet seep on trail not shown on topo map
1.42 r 88 thimbleberry (small plant never seen to bloom) Rubus parviflorus 6 / 3 26
1.42 l 89 bracken Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens 20 / 3 57
1.46 l Second location of hybrid manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea
1.46 Trail turns 90 degrees right.
1.48 Cross dry bouldery drainage
1.50 Switchback right, #5; elevation 7500 feet (2290 m).
1.54 Cross last dry bouldery drainage again at higher elevation.
1.57 r (white fir, Abies concolor, tree that fell over when it had a good-sized trunk, grew a new erect trunk which was lost, and now has two side branches competing to be the new main trunk)
1.59 r View of Tahquitz Peak Lookout
1.60 r View of Lily Rock, Palomar Mountain Range, San Diego County coastline, Santa Margarita Mountains and closer ranges.
1.66 r (California chicory, Rafinesquia californica, seen only in 2010)
1.69 Cross wet drainage #4, a large one ~80 feet above Middle Spring, second of the two crossings of this drainage; elevation 7600 feet (2315 m)
1.69 r 90 blue elderberry Sambucus mexicana 20 / 4 85
1.70 Cross separate branch of same drainage
1.70 l 91 red-stemmed spring beauty Claytonia rubra 20 / 1 2
1.70 l first mature brittle bladder fern, Cystopteris fragilis
1.76 Trail turns left 50 degrees; tall rock walls on right.
1.80 l (California cliff-brake, Pellaea mucronata var. californica)
1.80 l 92 green-leaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula 30 / 9 43
1.81 l 93 coyote tobacco (waif) Nicotiana attenuata⁺ 3 / 1 5
1.85 Enter Powderbox Spring drainage with lots of western azalea, probably the best display on the trail.
1.85 first live giant red paintbrush, Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata, in 2011
1.85 l 94 Nevada cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis 30 / 2 25
1.85 b 95 western wallflower Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum 10 / 2 63
1.85 Cross wet drainage #5, second of the four crossings of Powderbox Spring drainage; elevation 7680 feet (2340 m)
1.85 First good stand of thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus
1.85 r (San Jacinto Mts. Keckiella, Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis)
1.86 b 96 wax currant Ribes cereum var. cereum 10 / 4 52
1.91 Switchback left, #6. (A blocked-off old trail continues down straight ahead.)
1.99 Switchback right, #7, near drainage from Powderbox Spring again.
2.02 Switchback left, #8, with a massive rock fortress above the switchback.
2.02 r (Just off-trail beyond the switchback, in the boulders at head level and above, is San Jacinto prickly phlox, Leptodactylon jaegeri; and western polypody, Polypodium hesperium. ~25 feet farther to south is little-leaf mock orange, Philadelphus microphyllus, at trail level.)
2.02 l 97 ~ *bull thistle (waif) Cirsium vulgare⁺ 1 / 1 28
2.02 r 98 Parish's campion Silene parishii 10 / 2 23
2.04 l Sign: "Soil in the area is fragile. Please stay on the trail."
2.07 r 99 musk monkeyflower Mimulus moschatus 99 / 2 35
2.07 r 100 San Jacinto Mts. keckiella Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis 10 / 3 30
2.07 r 101 hairy wood rush Luzula comosa 20 / 2 25
2.07 r ssp Check subspecies of these Epilobium ciliatum plants
2.07 Cross wet drainage #6, a small one immediately above Powderbox Spring; third of the four crossings of this drainage; elevation 7840 feet (2390 m); curve left
2.07 r (vari-nerved sedge, Carex heteroneura var. heteroneura; California geranium, Geranium californicum)
2.07 r 102 changeable phacelia Phacelia mutabilis⁺ 10 / 1 37
2.07 r 103 "Holboell's rock-cress" "Arabis holboellii"⁺ 10 / 2 26
2.07 b Best spot for Cleveland's horkelia, Horkelia clevelandii
2.07 r 104 blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium bellum⁺ 1 / 1 27
2.07 r 105 larger mountain monkeyflower Mimulus tilingii 30 / 1 43
2.07 b 106 rigid hedge-nettle Stachys ajugoides var. rigida⁺ 3 / 1 52
2.08 r 107 Jepson's blue wildrye Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii 5 / 2 21
2.08 l View of Diamond Valley Reservoir, shaped like an hourglass.
2.08 r 108 California groundcone Boschniakia strobilacea 10 / 2 6
2.13 Trails turns 90 degrees right at ridge
2.14 r (Large numbers of California groundcone, Boschniakia strobilacea)
2.20 Switchback right, #9.
2.25 l 109 southern mountain-monardella Monardella australis 5 / 2 22
2.25 r Trail gradually bends left. Note the window formed by the boulders on right
2.27 l 110 prickly hawkweed Hieracium horridum 10 / 1 17
2.27 l Best location for "Holboell's rock-cress, Arabis holboellii"
2.27 l (western polypody, Polypodium hesperium, just above head level hidden behind boulder between white fir and canyon live oak)
2.27 l first on-trail California-aster, Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia, in 2011
2.27 l 111 Watson's spike-moss Selaginella watsonii 5 / 1 10
2.27 l 112 southern Sierra phacelia Phacelia austromontana 40 / 1 3
2.27 l 113 *brome fescue (waif) Vulpia bromoides 1 / 1 21
2.27 l 114 squirreltail Elymus elymoides 1 / 1 48
2.28 l 115 rock buckwheat Eriogonum saxatile 2 / 1 18
2.35 r (field of swamp sedge, Carex senta. Wide-leaved Parish's yampah, Perideridia parishii ssp. latifolia, 30 feet below trail)
2.35 Enter seep area
2.35 l 116 long-anthered rush Juncus macrandrus 80 / 1 29
2.35 l 117 Kentucky blue grass Poa pratensis ssp. agassizensis 10 / 1 30
2.35 b 118 California geranium Geranium californicum 5 / 1 26
2.35 l 119 plain mariposa lily Calochortus invenustus 1 / 1 34
2.35 l 120 lemon lily Lilium parryi⁺ 1 / 1 13
2.35 l 121 glandular willowherb Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum 2 / 1 14
2.35 l 122 primrose monkeyflower Mimulus primuloides ssp. primuloides 10 / 1 15
2.35 l Best location for streambank lotus, Lotus oblongifolius var. oblongifolius
2.35 l 123 abrupt-beak sedge Carex abrupta 10 / 1 20
2.35 l 124 pearlwort Sagina saginoides 20 / 1 25
2.35 l 125 tinker's penny Hypericum anagalloides 50 / 1 12
2.35 r First location of white catch-fly, Silene verecunda ssp. platyota, in 2011 inside Keckiella plant
2.35 Cross shallow drainage at head of Powderbox Spring drainage; last of the four crossings of this drainage; elevation 8010 feet (2440 m)
2.37 Switchback left, #10. (on right: jct. with a blocked-off old trail; a path straight ahead leads to the hanging "picture window" rock seen from here; and six plants of San Jacinto prickly phlox, Leptodactylon jaegeri).
2.44 r 126 San Gabriel beardtongue Penstemon labrosus 5 / 1 26
2.44 r (Elmer's needlegrass, Achnatherum occidentale ssp. californicum / pubescens)
2.45 r 127 pussy paws Calyptridium monospermum 3 / 1 20
2.52 End Devils Slide Trail at Saddle Junction, 8075 feet (2460 m) elevation, a jct. with 4 other trails.

Comments On Specific Species

Pinus ponderosa, P. jeffreyi. These two similar yellow pines are easily discriminated on this trail by the length of the cones and elevation. P. ponderosa has small cones 6.5 to 9.5 cm (2.5 to 3.7 inches) long; P. jeffreyi cones are nearly twice as long, 12.0 to 17.2 cm (4.7 to 6.8 inches).
P. ponderosa is found at the trailhead up to mile 0.25 below an elevation of 6660 feet; most of the specimens in this area are at elevations below this trail. P. jeffreyi is found only on the upper part of the trail, beginning at mile 1.10 at an elevation of 7200 feet; most of the specimens in this area are in Tahquitz Valley above this trail.
See Pinus jeffreyi and P. ponderosa for a map of the distribution of these species on this trail, discussions of the unreliable commonly-used discriminants of these species, and pictures of the cones.
Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia. These plants key out to Corethrogyne filaginifolia var. glomerata in Munz. Also, some of these plants are unusual in having two-lipped corollas. The usual ligule is spreading, but the other ligule is erect, forming a cylinder around the disk flowers!
Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens. As far as we know, this is the highest elevation specimen of this species, at ~6500 feet. Munz gives an upper elevation of 5000 feet, and the Jepson Manual gives 2000 m = 6500 feet.
Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus. The first occurrence of this species on trail in 2002 was no longer present in 2003, and has been removed from the guide. It was approximately at the location of the first off-trail specimen at mile 0.53.
Epilobium canum. These plants, like many of the ones we see at high elevations of the San Gabriel Mountains, seem to be hybrids between the two subspecies. See Comments on the Jepson Manual and A Flora of Southern California by Munz: Epilobium canum.
Rhamnus californica. If one takes the taxa in the Jepson Manual seriously, there would be three on this trail:

Rhamnus californica ssp. californica, with nearly glabrous leaves;
Rhamnus tomentella ssp. cuspidata, with leaves silvery below with dense stellate hairs between the veins, "dentate to dentate-serrate", with a tip "abruptly narrowed to a point"; and
Rhamnus tomentella ssp. tomentella, with leaves silvery below with dense stellate hairs between the veins, entire, oblong, with a nearly rounded tip

Clearly, it is crazy to declare that there are three taxa on this trail, and we treat these all as R. californica, without subspecies.
Salix scouleriana. These were keyed out using blooms in April 2004, four plants from the drainage at mile 0.95 and one plant from the drainage at mile 1.23. All plants were males, and are only consistent with a S. scouleriana id from the JM staminate key.
The plants at mile 0.95 show a lot of similarity to Salix lasiolepis. The leaf margins are not uniformly turned down, which is more akin to S. lasiolepis than to the other S. scouleriana on the trail at higher elevation. Many of the leaves, especially on the young whips at the base of the taller trunks, are dead ringers for S. lasiolepis leaves, being elliptic/symmetric and thus very un-Scouler-like.
The plants at higher elevation all have leaves with uniformly-turned down margins, and are clearly all S. scouleriana, with the exception of the single off-trail location of S. lasiolepis at mile 1.28.
Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea. These specimens caused me great grief for their determination until I finally figured out and proved that these were hybrids of these two species. See Hybrids of Arctostaphylos patula and A. pringlei in the San Jacinto Mountains.
Dead tree with rocks 10 feet off ground near top of tree. Presumably, the ground level has not changed since the tree was alive, since the trunk/root junction is still at ground level. The area has the usual steep slope, so it is highly likely that the slope is the same as it always was, except for the trail construction.
Possible explanations:

Trail workers threw the rocks there while constructing or maintaining the trail.
In small rockslides, some rocks hit the trail, which is 3 feet above the base of this tree, and manage to bounce 7 feet into the air to land in the tree stump.
The rocks fell when there was ~ten feet of snow, making that height the "ground" level during the rock fall. The only slight problem with this hypothesis is that nearly all the rocks in the area are also covered with ~ten feet of snow.

Nick Nixon informs us that this tree is known as the Wishing Tree, and that he knows hikers that make a point of bringing a rock or two to throw at the tree. If the rock catches in the tree, those hikers believe their wish will be granted.
Tom picked up a rock, and lodged it in the tree with his first toss. (;-)
Horkelia clevelandii. The first occurrence on the trail is a single specimen that usually hides under a rock or another plant. The second occurrence at mile 2.04 has bunches of the plants.
Lactuca serriola, Cirsium vulgare. These non-native plants are probably waifs brought in by hikers or horses, and are weeded out when seen.
Eriogonum apiculatum, Nicotiana attenuata, Cryptantha sp.?. These plants were only seen in one year, 2003, with only a single specimen of each, and are possibly waifs brought in by hikers or horses.
Arabis perennans. The plants here have white to pinkish-purple flowers, despite the floras only giving purple to pinkish for the petals. This species is very similar to A. holboellii var. pinetorum, with only one clear difference, which is the separation used in the key in both Munz and the Jepson Manual:
- pedicels spreading at base and recurved ...A. perennans
- pedicels deflexed at base and straight... A. holboellii
All plants observed in 2004 and 2005 had pedicels that emerged from the stem at precisely 90° and then curved downward.
The floras give only two other distinctions:

Pedicels gen glabrous (A.p.) vs. pedicels glabrous to pubescent (A.h.), but since this is a "gen" criterion it is impossible to rule out either species with any observation. The pedicels on these plants range from having only a few hairs at most to being pubescent.
Basal lvs 4-20 mm wide (A.p.) vs. lvs 3-6 mm wide (A.h.) (although the Jepson Manual pix don't show much difference in width, and Munz doesn't give a leaf width for A.h.)

I've seen both species along the Fish Creek Trail in the San Bernardino Mountains. The species differ most noticeably there in their cauline lvs, with A.h. having obvious auriculate lobes at their base, and A.p. having much less noticeable auricles, if any. The plants here look precisely like the A.p. at Fish Creek.
It is interesting that one of the Hall vouchers from his 1902 Flora called A.p. has been annotated to be A.h., and his other voucher is just Arabis sp..
Species that did not bloom in 2003:

Common Name Latin Name
Perennial species that were old enough to bloom, but did not bloom
Indian milkweed Asclepias eriocarpa
golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum

Species with all plants too young to bloom in 2003, probably due to the 2001-2002 drought
California geranium Geranium californicum
lemon lily Lilium parryi
larger mountain monkeyflower Mimulus tilingii
California beeplant Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda
hedge-nettle Stachys ajugoides var. rigida

We thank Nick Nixon for finding the Pinus coulteri on the trail; Michael Charters for finding the Corallorhiza maculata, taking the picture to help identify the Streptanthus bernardinus, and determining that the Sagina was a perennial, not an annual; an anonymous reader for finding the Cystopteris fragilis; Jim Adams for sighting the Muhlenbergia rigens off-trail while he was running the trail; and Keir Morse for spotting the Cyperus squarrosus.

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
1	3	3%
2	1	1%
3	10	9%
4	3	3%
5	3	3%

1-5	20	19%
6-10	31	29%
11-15	23	21%
16-20	10	9%
21-25	12	11%
26-30	2	2%
31-35	2	2%
36-40	1	1%
41-45	0	0%
46-50	2	2%
51-55	2	2%
56-60	0	0%
60-65	1	1%
66-70	1	1%
Total Taxa	107	100%

#all	Scientific Name	Common Name
1	Juncus tiehmii	Tiehm's rush
1	Mimulus breweri	Brewer's monkeyflower
1	Phacelia ramosissima var. ramosissima	branching phacelia
2	Streptanthus bernardinus	Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower
3	Carex multicaulis	forest sedge
3	Claytonia parviflora ssp. viridis	green miner's lettuce
3	Garrya fremontii	Fremont silk tassel
3	Geranium californicum	California geranium
3	Hieracium horridum	prickly hawkweed
3	Hypericum anagalloides	tinker's penny
3	Juncus macrandrus	long-anthered rush
3	Luzula comosa	hairy wood rush
3	Sagina saginoides	pearlwort
4	Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea	hybrid manzanita
4	Juncus phaeocephalus var. paniculatus	spreading brown-headed rush
4	Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus	chaparral lotus
5	Boschniakia strobilacea	California groundcone
5	Pyrola picta	white-veined wintergreen

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"
6/13/2002	1	42	27			2
6/20/2002	2	56	12	4	7	3
9/9/2002	3	57	7	2	7	2
9/13/2002	4	59	9	3	5	2
8/28/2003	5	71	3	2	5	1
9/2/2003	6	76	3	3	5	0
9/7/2003	7	78	3	3	6	0
10/3/2003	8	79	3	4	5	0
10/21/2003	9	80	3	3	7	0
4/10/2004	10	80	4	3	4	0
9/5/2004	11	82	4	4	4	1
10/1/2004	12	83	3	3	4	1
10/5/2004	13	83	3	3	4	1
7/7/2006	14	89	3	2	3	1
7/10/2006	15	100	2	1	2	0
7/19/2006	16	101	1	1	3	0
7/26/2006	17	103	1	1	4	0
8/2/2006	17	103	1	1	4	0
8/11/2006	18	108	1	1	4	0
8/16/2006	19	109	2	1	3	0
8/21/2006	20	109	2	1	3	0
9/29/2006	21	109	2	1	3	0
3/14/2007	23	109	2	1	5	0
10/10/2007	35	110	2	1	3	0

Mile	S	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Beginning of trail in southeast corner of parking lot, to right of sign with introductory information; 6480 feet (1975 m) elevation.
0.00	l	1		mountain whitethorn	Ceanothus cordulatus	99 / 9	56
0.00	l	2		incense-cedar	Calocedrus decurrens	15 / 7	51
0.00				Trail turns left 90°
0.01	r	3		California black oak	Quercus kelloggii	15 / 7	30
0.01	l	4		canyon live oak	Quercus chrysolepis	99 / 9	68
0.01	b	5		ponderosa pine	Pinus ponderosa⁺	10 / 5	15
0.01	r	6		white fir	Abies concolor	99 / 9	78
0.01	l	7		sugar pine	Pinus lambertiana	99 / 9	56
0.01	r			Sign: San Jacinto Wilderness, San Bernardino National Forest
0.01	l			Sign: "Be prepared for hazardous conditions beyond this point. Permit required beyond this point. Bikes are not permitted within the San Jacinto Wilderness or on the PCT"
0.03	l	8		fir mistletoe	Phoradendron pauciflorum	99 / 9	24
0.04				(incense-cedar mistletoe, Phoradendron libocedri)
0.04	b	9		Sierra Nevada lotus	Lotus nevadensis var. nevadensis	40 / 2	42
0.04	l	10		former first location of chaparral lotus, last seen here in [2005?]	Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus	20 / 2	4
0.04	l	11		Indian milkweed (usually off trail, but on trail in some years)	Asclepias eriocarpa	10 / 2	24
0.08	r			Huge boulder ~20 feet tall next to a huge dead white fir, showing how its trunk is made of wood spiraled around.
0.13	r	12		Coulter pine	Pinus coulteri	4 / 2	25
0.13	l			(pink-bracted manzanita, Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea)
0.13				Switchback right, #1.
0.15	l			first location of chaparral lotus, Lotus grandiflorus var. grandiflorus, in 2011
0.15	l	13		Davidson's buckwheat	Eriogonum davidsonii⁺	2 / 2	29
0.16	l	14		snow-plant	Sarcodes sanguinea	3 / 3	32
0.17	b	15		California-aster (not seen in 2011 except at mile 2.27)	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia⁺	50 / 4	90
0.18	l			(narrowleaf bedstraw, Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium)
0.18	l			(Grinnell's beardtongue, Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii)
0.22	l			(forest sedge, Carex multicaulis)
0.23				Switchback left, #2. Old trail continued down straight ahead.
0.24	l	16		white-veined wintergreen	Pyrola picta	5 / 2	16
0.24	l	17		spotted coralroot	Corallorhiza maculata	1 / 1	20
0.25	r	18		naked buckwheat	Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum	30 / 3	48
0.25	r	19		forest sedge	Carex multicaulis	10 / 3	10
0.25	r	20		prickly cryptantha (waifs)	Cryptantha muricata⁺	4 / 2	28
0.27	r			(first California-aster in 2011, Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia)
0.28	r	21		splendid gilia	Gilia splendens ssp. splendens	25 / 3	20
0.31	l	22		southern honeysuckle	Lonicera subspicata var. denudata	5 / 5	63
0.33	r	23		interior live oak (at northwest side of 10' boulder)	Quercus wislizeni var. frutescens⁺	4 / 1	30
0.36	l	24		pinedrops	Pterospora andromedea	6 / 6	37
0.37	r	25		mountain grape-soda lupine	Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus	5 / 1	25
0.37	r			(beautiful hulsea, Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha)
0.37	r	26		San Jacinto buckwheat	Eriogonum apiculatum⁺	1 / 1	31
0.38	r	27		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	10 / 1	92
0.38	r	28		silky lotus	Lotus heermannii var. heermannii	5 / 1	12
0.39	r	29		twiggy wreath plant (waifs)	Stephanomeria virgata⁺	2 / 2	16
0.40	r			(short-flowered monardella, Monardella nana ssp. tenuiflora, here and at mile 0.49)
0.41	l			(oak mistletoe, Phoradendron villosum)
0.46	r			pine died in August, 2006.
0.46	r			(beaked penstemon, Penstemon rostriflorus)
0.46	r			(California-fuchsia, Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium)
0.49	l	30		pink-bracted manzanita	Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea	10 / 5	30
0.49	r	31		*downy brome	Bromus tectorum⁺	3 / 1	66
0.50	r			Leafless form of white-veined wintergreen, Pyrola picta, in 2011 and 2012
0.54	l			(San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus)
0.57	l	32		Grinnell's beardtongue	Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii	30 / 6	38
0.60	l	33		beaked penstemon	Penstemon rostriflorus	50 / 9	43
0.66	r			(Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower, Streptanthus bernardinus)
0.68				Switchback right, #3; elevation 6900 feet (2100 m). Old trail continued up straight ahead.
0.76				Switchback left, #4. A "mirror-image" switchback of the old trail is immediately next to this switchback.
0.78	r	34		Laguna Mtns. jewel-flower	Streptanthus bernardinus	2 / 1	5
0.79	l	35		bush chinquapin	Chrysolepis sempervirens	5 / 5	48
0.81	r	36		pine lousewort (in area shielded by sugar pine roots of big tree with two small trees)	Pedicularis semibarbata	2 / 1	44
0.88	r	37		Yosemite rockcress	Arabis repanda var. repanda	10 / 1	7
0.89	l			(little prince's pine, Chimaphila menziesii, not seen since [2005?])
0.89				The following three Mimulus species are only at this location in wet years (they are present in subsequent locations most years):
0.89	b	38		Brewer's monkeyflower	Mimulus breweri	99 / 3	14
0.89	b	39		floriferous monkeyflower	Mimulus floribundus	99 / 3	20
0.89	b	40		false monkeyflower	Mimulus pilosus	20 / 2	21
0.89	r			(pinegrove groundsmoke, Gayophytum oligospermum)
0.89	b	41		mountain California-fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium	30 / 4	84
0.93	r	42		common monkeyflower	Mimulus guttatus	20 / 2	32
0.93	l	43		groundsmoke	Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum	10 / 1	19
0.94	r	44		sticky cinquefoil	Potentilla glandulosa ssp. reflexa	50 / 3	34
0.94	r	45		Idaho bentgrass	Agrostis idahoensis	40 / 3	41
0.94	b	46		streambank lotus	Lotus oblongifolius var. oblongifolius	50 / 2	23
0.94	r	47		fragile sheath sedge	Carex fracta	30 / 9	47
0.94	b			(Fendler's blue grass, Poa fendleriana ssp. longiligula)
0.94	l			(deergrass, Muhlenbergia rigens, in drainage far below trail)
0.94	r	48		bearded flatsedge	Cyperus squarrosus	4 / 1	2
0.94	r	49		Suksdorf's monkeyflower	Mimulus suksdorfii	50 / 1	6
0.94	r	50		Tiehm's rush	Juncus tiehmii	50 / 1	3
0.94	r	51		long-styled rush	Juncus longistylis	15 / 3	15
0.95	r	52		glaucus willowherb	Epilobium glaberrimum ssp. glaberrimum	30 / 2	25
0.95	r	53		pinegrove groundsmoke	Gayophytum oligospermum	30 / 3	34
0.95	b	54		western azalea	Rhododendron occidentale	40 / 4	34
0.95	b	55		Scouler's willow	Salix scouleriana⁺	12 / 5	46
0.95	r	56		western marsh cudweed (waif)	Gnaphalium palustre⁺	1 / 1	15
0.95	r	57		white catch-fly (seen here last in 2006)	Silene verecunda ssp. platyota	5 / 2	53
0.95	r	58		mountain pink currant	Ribes nevadense	15 / 4	44
0.95	r	59		Parish's lupine	Lupinus latifolius var. parishii	1 / 1	23
0.95	r	60		willowherb	Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum	4 / 2	28
0.95	r			(hairy wood rush, Luzula comosa)
0.95				Cross first small wet drainage (only one from Jolley Spring); elevation 7120 feet (2170 m)
0.95	r	61		slender hairgrass	Deschampsia elongata	3 / 2	34
0.96	r	62		broad-leaved lotus	Lotus crassifolius var. crassifolius	7 / 2	25
0.96	r	63		California bee plant	Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda	10 / 2	32
0.97	l	64		former first location of Parish's snowberry, not seen since [2005?}	Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii	20 / 5	54
0.97	r			(Fremont silk tassel, Garrya fremontii)
1.05	r			Tree struck by lightning, which exited along its exposed root (add link to pix)
1.08	l			(green-leaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula, in front of pink-bracted manzanita, Arctostaphylos pringlei ssp. drupacea, on ridgeline)
1.10	l	65		hybrid manzanita	Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea⁺	2 / 2	5
1.12	l	66		Jeffrey pine	Pinus jeffreyi⁺	30 / 9	76
1.14	r	67		Fendler's blue grass	Poa fendleriana ssp. longiligula	1 / 1	13
1.19	l			Dead tree with rocks 10 feet off ground at top. How did the rocks get there? Try to explain it, then check our answer.
1.19	l			(Sierra gooseberry, Ribes roezlii var. roezlii, just below trail.)
1.20	r	68		Parish's bedstraw	Galium parishii	15 / 4	28
1.24	l	69		goldenrod	Solidago californica	10 / 1	92
1.24	l			(thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus)
1.24				first location of Parish's snowberry, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii, in 2011
1.25				Note impressive rocks on other side of drainage.
1.25	b	70		scarlet monkeyflower	Mimulus cardinalis	20 / 2	36
1.25	r	71		Cleveland's horkelia	Horkelia clevelandii⁺	20 / 2	30
1.25	r			(arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis)
1.25				Cross small moist drainage #2 (first of four crossings of Powderbox Spring drainage); elevation 7320 feet (2230 m)
1.25	l			(western wallflower, Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum)
1.25	b	72		western columbine	Aquilegia formosa	10 / 3	48
1.25	l	73		giant red paintbrush (died here in [2007?])	Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata	10 / 3	34
1.25	r	74		Fremont's goosefoot	Chenopodium fremontii	20 / 2	36
1.25				best location for broad-leaved lotus, Lotus crassifolius var. crassifolius
1.25	r	75		granite prickly phlox	Leptodactylon pungens	10 / 4	34
1.25	r	76		San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus⁺	10 / 7	58
1.25	r	77		Fremont silk tassel	Garrya fremontii	30 / 4	5
1.25	l	78		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	5 / 3	68
1.26	r	79		Martin's paintbrush	Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii	6 / 3	48
1.26	l	80		California coffeeberry	Rhamnus californica⁺	30 / 5	22
1.31	l	81		*prickly lettuce (waif)	Lactuca serriola⁺	1 / 1	60
1.32	r			(bracken, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens)
1.35	b	82		forest goosefoot	Chenopodium atrovirens	20 / 5	25
1.36	l	83		branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. ramosissima	10 / 3	3
1.37	r			(blue elderberry, Sambucus mexicana)
1.37				Cross small wet drainage #3 (first of two of drainage containing Middle Spring; second is above Middle Spring); elevation 7380 feet (2250 m)
1.37	r	84		baby brittle bladder fern (not seen since [2007?])	Cystopteris fragilis	4 / 3	38
1.37	r	85		green miner's lettuce	Claytonia parviflora ssp. viridis	4 / 1	12
1.37	r			Very small Mimulus guttatus and M. floribundus, just 2-4 cm (1-2 inch) tall
1.38	r	86		Sierra gooseberry	Ribes roezlii var. roezlii	15 / 4	38
1.41	l	87		little prince's pine	Chimaphila menziesii	6 / 4	23
1.42				Wet seep on trail not shown on topo map
1.42	r	88		thimbleberry (small plant never seen to bloom)	Rubus parviflorus	6 / 3	26
1.42	l	89		bracken	Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens	20 / 3	57
1.46	l			Second location of hybrid manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea
1.46				Trail turns 90 degrees right.
1.48				Cross dry bouldery drainage
1.50				Switchback right, #5; elevation 7500 feet (2290 m).
1.54				Cross last dry bouldery drainage again at higher elevation.
1.57	r			(white fir, Abies concolor, tree that fell over when it had a good-sized trunk, grew a new erect trunk which was lost, and now has two side branches competing to be the new main trunk)
1.59	r			View of Tahquitz Peak Lookout
1.60	r			View of Lily Rock, Palomar Mountain Range, San Diego County coastline, Santa Margarita Mountains and closer ranges.
1.66	r			(California chicory, Rafinesquia californica, seen only in 2010)
1.69				Cross wet drainage #4, a large one ~80 feet above Middle Spring, second of the two crossings of this drainage; elevation 7600 feet (2315 m)
1.69	r	90		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	20 / 4	85
1.70				Cross separate branch of same drainage
1.70	l	91		red-stemmed spring beauty	Claytonia rubra	20 / 1	2
1.70	l			first mature brittle bladder fern, Cystopteris fragilis
1.76				Trail turns left 50 degrees; tall rock walls on right.
1.80	l			(California cliff-brake, Pellaea mucronata var. californica)
1.80	l	92		green-leaf manzanita	Arctostaphylos patula	30 / 9	43
1.81	l	93		coyote tobacco (waif)	Nicotiana attenuata⁺	3 / 1	5
1.85				Enter Powderbox Spring drainage with lots of western azalea, probably the best display on the trail.
1.85				first live giant red paintbrush, Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata, in 2011
1.85	l	94		Nevada cinquefoil	Potentilla glandulosa ssp. nevadensis	30 / 2	25
1.85	b	95		western wallflower	Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum	10 / 2	63
1.85				Cross wet drainage #5, second of the four crossings of Powderbox Spring drainage; elevation 7680 feet (2340 m)
1.85				First good stand of thimbleberry, Rubus parviflorus
1.85	r			(San Jacinto Mts. Keckiella, Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis)
1.86	b	96		wax currant	Ribes cereum var. cereum	10 / 4	52
1.91				Switchback left, #6. (A blocked-off old trail continues down straight ahead.)
1.99				Switchback right, #7, near drainage from Powderbox Spring again.
2.02				Switchback left, #8, with a massive rock fortress above the switchback.
2.02	r			(Just off-trail beyond the switchback, in the boulders at head level and above, is San Jacinto prickly phlox, Leptodactylon jaegeri; and western polypody, Polypodium hesperium. ~25 feet farther to south is little-leaf mock orange, Philadelphus microphyllus, at trail level.)
2.02	l	97	~	*bull thistle (waif)	Cirsium vulgare⁺	1 / 1	28
2.02	r	98		Parish's campion	Silene parishii	10 / 2	23
2.04	l			Sign: "Soil in the area is fragile. Please stay on the trail."
2.07	r	99		musk monkeyflower	Mimulus moschatus	99 / 2	35
2.07	r	100		San Jacinto Mts. keckiella	Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis	10 / 3	30
2.07	r	101		hairy wood rush	Luzula comosa	20 / 2	25
2.07	r		ssp	Check subspecies of these Epilobium ciliatum plants
2.07				Cross wet drainage #6, a small one immediately above Powderbox Spring; third of the four crossings of this drainage; elevation 7840 feet (2390 m); curve left
2.07	r			(vari-nerved sedge, Carex heteroneura var. heteroneura; California geranium, Geranium californicum)
2.07	r	102		changeable phacelia	Phacelia mutabilis⁺	10 / 1	37
2.07	r	103		"Holboell's rock-cress"	"Arabis holboellii"⁺	10 / 2	26
2.07	b			Best spot for Cleveland's horkelia, Horkelia clevelandii
2.07	r	104		blue-eyed grass	Sisyrinchium bellum⁺	1 / 1	27
2.07	r	105		larger mountain monkeyflower	Mimulus tilingii	30 / 1	43
2.07	b	106		rigid hedge-nettle	Stachys ajugoides var. rigida⁺	3 / 1	52
2.08	r	107		Jepson's blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii	5 / 2	21
2.08	l			View of Diamond Valley Reservoir, shaped like an hourglass.
2.08	r	108		California groundcone	Boschniakia strobilacea	10 / 2	6
2.13				Trails turns 90 degrees right at ridge
2.14	r			(Large numbers of California groundcone, Boschniakia strobilacea)
2.20				Switchback right, #9.
2.25	l	109		southern mountain-monardella	Monardella australis	5 / 2	22
2.25	r			Trail gradually bends left. Note the window formed by the boulders on right
2.27	l	110		prickly hawkweed	Hieracium horridum	10 / 1	17
2.27	l			Best location for "Holboell's rock-cress, Arabis holboellii"
2.27	l			(western polypody, Polypodium hesperium, just above head level hidden behind boulder between white fir and canyon live oak)
2.27	l			first on-trail California-aster, Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia, in 2011
2.27	l	111		Watson's spike-moss	Selaginella watsonii	5 / 1	10
2.27	l	112		southern Sierra phacelia	Phacelia austromontana	40 / 1	3
2.27	l	113		*brome fescue (waif)	Vulpia bromoides	1 / 1	21
2.27	l	114		squirreltail	Elymus elymoides	1 / 1	48
2.28	l	115		rock buckwheat	Eriogonum saxatile	2 / 1	18
2.35	r			(field of swamp sedge, Carex senta. Wide-leaved Parish's yampah, Perideridia parishii ssp. latifolia, 30 feet below trail)
2.35				Enter seep area
2.35	l	116		long-anthered rush	Juncus macrandrus	80 / 1	29
2.35	l	117		Kentucky blue grass	Poa pratensis ssp. agassizensis	10 / 1	30
2.35	b	118		California geranium	Geranium californicum	5 / 1	26
2.35	l	119		plain mariposa lily	Calochortus invenustus	1 / 1	34
2.35	l	120		lemon lily	Lilium parryi⁺	1 / 1	13
2.35	l	121		glandular willowherb	Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum	2 / 1	14
2.35	l	122		primrose monkeyflower	Mimulus primuloides ssp. primuloides	10 / 1	15
2.35	l			Best location for streambank lotus, Lotus oblongifolius var. oblongifolius
2.35	l	123		abrupt-beak sedge	Carex abrupta	10 / 1	20
2.35	l	124		pearlwort	Sagina saginoides	20 / 1	25
2.35	l	125		tinker's penny	Hypericum anagalloides	50 / 1	12
2.35	r			First location of white catch-fly, Silene verecunda ssp. platyota, in 2011 inside Keckiella plant
2.35				Cross shallow drainage at head of Powderbox Spring drainage; last of the four crossings of this drainage; elevation 8010 feet (2440 m)
2.37				Switchback left, #10. (on right: jct. with a blocked-off old trail; a path straight ahead leads to the hanging "picture window" rock seen from here; and six plants of San Jacinto prickly phlox, Leptodactylon jaegeri).
2.44	r	126		San Gabriel beardtongue	Penstemon labrosus	5 / 1	26
2.44	r			(Elmer's needlegrass, Achnatherum occidentale ssp. californicum / pubescens)
2.45	r	127		pussy paws	Calyptridium monospermum	3 / 1	20
2.52				End Devils Slide Trail at Saddle Junction, 8075 feet (2460 m) elevation, a jct. with 4 other trails.

Common Name	Latin Name
Perennial species that were old enough to bloom, but did not bloom
Indian milkweed	Asclepias eriocarpa
golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum

Species with all plants too young to bloom in 2003, probably due to the 2001-2002 drought
California geranium	Geranium californicum
lemon lily	Lilium parryi
larger mountain monkeyflower	Mimulus tilingii
California beeplant	Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda
hedge-nettle	Stachys ajugoides var. rigida

Go to:

Devils Slide Plant Checklist in Family Order
Dominant Species of Devils Slide Trail and Their Recent Death Rates
Dead Trees of the Devils Slide Trail
Number Of Species In Bloom Vs. Time For Plants of the Devils Slide
Michael Charter's Monkeyflowers of the Devils Slide Trail
Plants of the Devils Slide Wet Drainages
Flora of San Jacinto Mountain
Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2002-2012 by Tom Chester, Dave Stith, James Dillane and Jane Strong.
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/sb/plants/guides/devils_slide.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 15 July 2012.