Flora of Henderson Canyon

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Introduction
Checklist

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Introduction

This checklist is a start at a flora of Henderson Canyon, compiled from two days of fieldwork on 2 February and 14 March 2008 and vouchers, from an online search, collected on the single day of 22 April 2005. Fortunately, both of those years were good flower years.

Henderson Canyon is immediately north of Borrego Palm Canyon, just northwest of Borrego Springs:

Henderson Canyon should not be confused with Henderson Canyon Road, which begins one mile east of the mouth of Henderson Canyon at Borrego Springs Road and extends seven miles east to its junction with S22 at the Pegleg Smith Monument at the southeast tip of Coyote Mountain. Nearly every wildflower picture on the web labeled Henderson Canyon, and nearly every voucher with the word Henderson Canyon in the locality, was actually taken along Henderson Canyon Road four miles to the east of the mouth of Henderson Canyon in Coyote Creek Wash.

Henderson Canyon is reached by an unnamed dirt road that heads west from the westernmost end of Henderson Canyon Road, at its intersection with Borrego Springs Road (called Santa Rosa Drive on the topo map). That dirt access road is shown in green on the map below, and is on private property and gated. It is subject to closure by the property owner, but is apparently open most of the time, and visitors are allowed on the road when the road is open. Please respect both the private property and the state park property if you visit here.

The map below shows the area targeted for this Flora along with areas so far surveyed. The blue line labeled Surveyed Route is from 2 February 2008; the 14 March 2008 route was very similar. The only voucher area within Henderson Canyon is shown as the Rebman / Roberts Voucher Site.

A number of vouchers were also collected in the nearby Borrego Valley outside the Canyon proper, at the Halford Voucher Site. The Halford vouchers were included in the first version of this flora (February 2008) to make it more complete, since few species had yet been recorded in Henderson Canyon proper. They were excluded in later versions since they are from outside the Canyon proper and more representative of the Valley Floor than the Canyon.

Clearly, very little of this entire Canyon has been surveyed, so the checklist presented here is quite incomplete. It is difficult to estimate the incompleteness, but based on the area alone, it is likely that this flora is only ~50% complete at best.

I found a total of 85 species from my 2 February 2008 fieldwork, of which I could fairly confidently identify 71 of them. See Botanical Trip Report from 2 February 2008. Many of these identifications were made from baby annuals and other non-blooming plants, and so were expected to possibly have a few errors among them. All those identifications were resolved on the 14 March 2008 survey; all were confirmed except one, which was corrected. (Young rosettes of Stylocline gnaphaloides were mistakenly assumed to be S. micropoides, which we had found previously in the nearby Borrego Palm Canyon and has been found to the east along Henderson Canyon Road.)

The 14 March 2008 survey was made with Wayne Armstrong, Michael Charters, and Kate Shapiro. We recorded 110 species, of which all could be identified except for Ephedra plants, which were in bloom without cones. (Vouchers were taken, but as far as I know, specimens without cones cannot be reliably determined.) After comparing the list from 3/14 with the list from 2/2, we realized we had failed to record 5 species, making the list of species seen on 3/14/08 total 115. Four of those species were even in our photographs from that day! This illustrates yet another reason why it is important to do multiple surveys of an area.

The two surveys together found 124 species that could be confidently identified. Of the 124 species, 61 species were found in both surveys; 9 species were found only on the 2/2/08 survey; and 54 species were found only on the 3/14/08 survey. The 9 species found only on the 2/2/08 survey were primarily from areas not resurveyed on 3/14/08. The 54 species found only on the 3/14/08 survey were present only there due to three main reasons:

• Some species are nearly invisible until they bloom, such as Monoptilon bellioides.

• Some species simply can not be confidently identified until they bloom, such as the "Phacelia like campanularia / minor" leaves seen on 2/2/08 that turned out to be both species on 3/14/08, and the Stylocline rosettes.

• Some species were from areas not surveyed on 2/2/08.

Jon P. Rebman and Norman Roberts collected 76 vouchers on 22 April 2005, all given as being from the single location plotted above, although I suspect some of their vouchers were collected at a significant distance from that location. It is far easier to make the labels and digitize the vouchers by placing all vouchers from an area at one location, even if some of the vouchers were taken a mile or two away. In particular, some of the species found only in the voucher list are typical of the Borrego Desert floor, and may not actually be found in the Canyon proper. Alternatively, they may have been found at the end of the canyon mouth, or in some rare flat sandy areas within the Canyon that I have not yet surveyed.

The final checklist contains a total of 141 taxa from the combination of the above surveys. Of the 141 taxa, 56 are both in the survey and voucher lists; 69 are only in the survey list; and 16 are only in the voucher list.

For more on Henderson Canyon, see:

• Google Satellite Map showing the terrain of Henderson Canyon.

• View from the northernmost point surveyed looking west up canyon and looking southeast down canyon on 2 February 2008.

Checklist for Henderson Canyon

The Checklist is sorted first by category - ferns, dicots, and monocots - and then by family and scientific name. The Family and Scientific Name are from the Jepson Manual. An asterisk before the Common Name indicates a non-native taxon.

It is very important to pay attention to the ID Status column for species found only in my survey. Plants with a non-blank entry at that column have not been unambiguously identified yet, usually because the observed plants were young plants or did not have the characters needed for confident determination, such as flowers or fruit. See meaning of the column entries.

A rough estimate of the number of plants, and the number of locations for each species, are given. Maximum values are 99 plants, and 9 locations. The main intent of this column is to indicate the species for which I found very few plants or locations. The values were combined from the 2/2/08 and 3/14/08 surveys, generally by using the maximum values found in either survey.

The final column gives the number of vouchers found in a search of the Consortium of California Herbaria and the San Diego County Plant Atlas in early February 2008, and from another search of the Consortium site on 27 December 2008. Only the Rebman / Roberts vouchers were clearly taken within Henderson Canyon, and hence are the only ones contributing to that column.

Explanation of Column Headings

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page: html (6 pages) or pdf Clickbook booklet (2 double-sided pages). (See printing instructions for an explanation of these options)

#	Family	Scientific Name	(*)Common Name	# Plants / # Locations	# Vouchers
1	Pteridaceae	Cheilanthes parryi	woolly lipfern	30 / 5	1
2	Pteridaceae	Notholaena californica	California cloak fern	3 / 1
3	Selaginellaceae	Selaginella eremophila	desert spike-moss	10 / 1
4	Ephedraceae	Ephedra sp. (2 leaves/node)	Mormon tea	30 / 5
5	Acanthaceae	Justicia californica	chuparosa	50 / 9	1
6	Asteraceae	Adenophyllum porophylloides	San Felipe dogweed	10 / 5	1
7	Asteraceae	Ambrosia dumosa	burroweed	99 / 9	1
8	Asteraceae	Bebbia juncea var. aspera	sweetbush	50 / 9	2
9	Asteraceae	Brickellia desertorum	desert brickellia	10 / 2
10	Asteraceae	Calycoseris parryi	yellow tackstem	2 / 2
11	Asteraceae	Chaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia	pebble pincushion	40 / 9	1
12	Asteraceae	Chaenactis fremontii	Fremont pincushion	99 / 9	1
13	Asteraceae	Encelia farinosa	brittlebush	99 / 9	1
14	Asteraceae	Ericameria brachylepis	boundary goldenbush	10 / 3
15	Asteraceae	Filago californica	California filago	99 / 9	1
16	Asteraceae	Gutierrezia sarothrae	matchweed	10 / 1
17	Asteraceae	Hymenoclea salsola var. salsola	cheesebush	99 / 9
18	Asteraceae	Malacothrix glabrata	desert dandelion	99 / 9	1
19	Asteraceae	Monoptilon bellioides	desert star	99 / 4	1
20	Asteraceae	Perityle emoryi	Emory's rock-daisy	30 / 9	1
21	Asteraceae	Pleurocoronis pluriseta	arrow-leaf	10 / 2	1
22	Asteraceae	Rafinesquia neomexicana	desert chicory	50 / 9	1
23	Asteraceae	Senecio mohavensis	Mojave ragwort	20 / 9	1
24	Asteraceae	Sonchus oleraceus	*sow thistle	/	1
25	Asteraceae	Stephanomeria pauciflora var. pauciflora	wire-lettuce	50 / 9	1
26	Asteraceae	Stylocline gnaphaloides	everlasting nest-straw	99 / 9
27	Asteraceae	Trichoptilium incisum	yellow-head	30 / 3	2
28	Asteraceae	Trixis californica var. californica	California trixis	20 / 7	1
29	Asteraceae	Uropappus lindleyi	silver puffs	10 / 5
30	Asteraceae	Viguiera parishii	Parish's viguiera	20 / 3	1
31	Boraginaceae	Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia	common fiddleneck	30 / 9
32	Boraginaceae	Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata	bristly fiddleneck	10 / 1
33	Boraginaceae	Cryptantha angustifolia	narrow-leaved cryptantha	20 / 9	1
34	Boraginaceae	Cryptantha barbigera	bearded cryptantha	99 / 9	2
35	Boraginaceae	Cryptantha decipiens	gravel cryptantha	10 / 3
36	Boraginaceae	Cryptantha maritima	Guadalupe cryptantha	20 / 9
37	Boraginaceae	Pectocarya heterocarpa	chuckwalla pectocarya	10 / 9
38	Boraginaceae	Pectocarya recurvata	curvenut combseed	99 / 9
39	Brassicaceae	Brassica tournefortii	*Asian mustard	99 / 9
40	Brassicaceae	Caulanthus hallii	Hall's caulanthus	40 / 9
41	Brassicaceae	Descurainia pinnata ssp. glabra	smooth western tansy-mustard	20 / 5
42	Brassicaceae	Guillenia lasiophylla	California mustard	10 / 1
43	Brassicaceae	Lepidium dictyotum var. dictyotum	net pepper-grass	/	1
44	Brassicaceae	Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum	hairy-podded pepper-grass	99 / 9	1
45	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium irio	*London rocket	10 / 3
46	Brassicaceae	Sisymbrium orientale	*Oriental mustard	10 / 3
47	Brassicaceae	Thysanocarpus curvipes	fringe-pod	1 / 1
48	Cactaceae	Ferocactus cylindraceus	California barrel cactus	20 / 9
49	Cactaceae	Mammillaria dioica	California fish-hook cactus	3 / 3
50	Cactaceae	Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris	beavertail cactus	10 / 9
51	Cactaceae	Opuntia bigelovii	teddy-bear cholla	1 / 1
52	Cactaceae	Opuntia ganderi	Gander's cholla	99 / 9
53	Campanulaceae	Nemacladus glanduliferus var. orientalis	eastern glandular nemacladus	20 / 5
54	Campanulaceae	Nemacladus ramosissimus	Nuttall's nemacladus	40 / 9
55	Caryophyllaceae	Achyronychia cooperi	frost mat	/	1
56	Crassulaceae	Crassula connata	pygmy-weed	50 / 3
57	Crassulaceae	Dudleya pulverulenta	Chalk lettuce	1 / 1
58	Crossosomataceae	Crossosoma bigelovii	rock crossosoma	2 / 1
59	Euphorbiaceae	Chamaesyce polycarpa	small-seeded spurge	99 / 9	1
60	Euphorbiaceae	Chamaesyce setiloba	Yuma spurge	/	1
61	Euphorbiaceae	Ditaxis lanceolata	narrowleaf ditaxis	20 / 9	1
62	Euphorbiaceae	Euphorbia eriantha	beetle spurge	/	1
63	Fabaceae	Acacia greggii	catclaw	20 / 5
64	Fabaceae	Astragalus nuttallianus var. cedrosensis	Cedros milk-vetch	/	1
65	Fabaceae	Lotus argophyllus var. argophyllus	southern California silver-lotus	1 / 1
66	Fabaceae	Lotus rigidus	desert lotus	1 / 1	1
67	Fabaceae	Lotus salsuginosus var. brevivexillus	short-bannered coastal lotus	2 / 2
68	Fabaceae	Lotus scoparius var. brevialatus	short-winged deerweed	10 / 3
69	Fabaceae	Lotus strigosus	strigose lotus	30 / 9
70	Fabaceae	Lupinus arizonicus	Arizona lupine	99 / 9
71	Fabaceae	Lupinus concinnus	bajada lupine	30 / 9
72	Fabaceae	Lupinus succulentus	arroyo lupine	/	1
73	Fabaceae	Psorothamnus schottii	indigo bush	50 / 9	2
74	Fouquieriaceae	Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens	ocotillo	99 / 9	1
75	Geraniaceae	Erodium cicutarium	*redstem filaree	10 / 2	1
76	Geraniaceae	Erodium texanum	Texas filaree	10 / 2
77	Hydrophyllaceae	Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora	whispering bells	50 / 9	1
78	Hydrophyllaceae	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. bipinnatifida	eucrypta	1 / 1
79	Hydrophyllaceae	Nama demissum var. demissum	purple mat	30 / 3
80	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia campanularia ssp. campanularia	desert bluebells	40 / 9
81	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia cicutaria var. hispida	caterpillar phacelia	20 / 9
82	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia crenulata var. ambigua	heliotrope phacelia	1 / 1
83	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia cryptantha	limestone phacelia	/	1
84	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia distans	common phacelia	99 / 9	1
85	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia minor	wild canterbury bells	3 / 1
86	Hydrophyllaceae	Phacelia pedicellata	pedicellate phacelia	2 / 1	1
87	Hydrophyllaceae	Pholistoma membranaceum	white fiesta flower	99 / 9
88	Krameriaceae	Krameria erecta	Pima rhatany	1 / 1	1
89	Krameriaceae	Krameria grayi	white rhatany	1 / 1
90	Lamiaceae	Hyptis emoryi	desert-lavender	99 / 9	1
91	Lamiaceae	Salvia columbariae	chia	99 / 9	1
92	Lamiaceae	Salvia vaseyi	Vasey's sage	20 / 5	1
93	Loasaceae	Mentzelia albicaulis	white-stemmed blazing star	20 / 9
94	Loasaceae	Mentzelia involucrata	bracted blazing star	10 / 3
95	Malvaceae	Hibiscus denudatus	rock hibiscus	20 / 5	1
96	Malvaceae	Horsfordia newberryi	Newberry's velvet mallow	10 / 1
97	Malvaceae	Sphaeralcea ambigua var. ambigua	apricot mallow	1 / 1	1
98	Nyctaginaceae	Abronia villosa var. villosa	hairy sand-verbena	/	1
99	Nyctaginaceae	Allionia incarnata	trailing four o'clock	/	1
100	Nyctaginaceae	Boerhavia ~intermedia	fivewing spiderling	30 / 1
101	Nyctaginaceae	Mirabilis bigelovii var. retrorsa	wishbone plant	10 / 9	1
102	Onagraceae	Camissonia californica	California suncup	99 / 9	1
103	Onagraceae	Camissonia claviformis ssp. peirsonii	brown-eyed primrose	99 / 9	3
104	Onagraceae	Camissonia pallida ssp. pallida	pale sun-cup	99 / 9
105	Orobanchaceae	Orobanche cooperi	Cooper's broom-rape	/	2
106	Papaveraceae	Eschscholzia minutiflora ssp. minutiflora	small-flowered poppy	99 / 9	2
107	Papaveraceae	Eschscholzia parishii	Parish's poppy	20 / 3	1
108	Plantaginaceae	Plantago ovata	desert plantain	99 / 9
109	Plantaginaceae	Plantago patagonica	Patagonia plantain	/	1
110	Polemoniaceae	Eriastrum eremicum ssp. eremicum	desert woolly-star	2 / 1	1
111	Polemoniaceae	Gilia stellata	star gilia	99 / 9
113	Polemoniaceae	Loeseliastrum matthewsii	desert calico	10 / 5	1
114	Polygonaceae	Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu	brittle spineflower	40 / 9	2
115	Polygonaceae	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium	California buckwheat	30 / 3	1
116	Polygonaceae	Eriogonum inflatum	desert trumpet	50 / 9	1
117	Polygonaceae	Eriogonum thomasii	Thomas' buckwheat	30 / 9
118	Polygonaceae	Eriogonum wrightii var. nodosum	Wright's buckwheat	20 / 3
119	Polygonaceae	Pterostegia drymarioides	threadstem	10 / 2	1
120	Portulacaceae	Calyptridium monandrum	sand cress	99 / 9
121	Rafflesiaceae	Pilostyles thurberi	Thurber's pilostyles	/	1
122	Rubiaceae	Galium stellatum var. eremicum	star-flowered bedstraw	10 / 2	1
123	Scrophulariaceae	Mimulus bigelovii var. bigelovii	Bigelow's monkeyflower	99 / 9	1
124	Scrophulariaceae	Mohavea confertiflora	ghost flower	1 / 1
125	Simmondsiaceae	Simmondsia chinensis	jojoba	3 / 2
126	Solanaceae	Datura discolor	desert thornapple	20 / 5	1
127	Solanaceae	Nicotiana obtusifolia	desert tobacco	5 / 1
128	Solanaceae	Physalis crassifolia	thick-leaved ground cherry	/	1
129	Urticaceae	Parietaria hespera var. hespera	pellitory	10 / 1	1
130	Viscaceae	Phoradendron californicum	desert mistletoe	1 / 1
131	Zygophyllaceae	Fagonia laevis	California fagonia	3 / 3	1
132	Zygophyllaceae	Larrea tridentata	creosote bush	99 / 9	1
133	Liliaceae	Agave deserti	desert agave	20 / 5
134	Poaceae	Achnatherum speciosum	desert needlegrass	/	1
135	Poaceae	Aristida adscensionis	six-weeks three-awn	/	1
136	Poaceae	Aristida purpurea	purple three-awn	20 / 5
137	Poaceae	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	*red brome	99 / 9	1
138	Poaceae	Pennisetum setaceum	*fountain grass	30 / 9
139	Poaceae	Pleuraphis rigida	big galleta	99 / 9	1
140	Poaceae	Schismus barbatus	*Mediterranean schismus	99 / 9
141	Poaceae	Vulpia bromoides	*brome fescue	20 / 3

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Voucher data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria (ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/)

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