Plant Guide to Heller's Bend Trail

Plant Guide to Heller's Bend Trail

This is a working list, about which I make no guarantees at all until I officially release it. Use at your own risk!

Note that I have not yet covered this trail during the spring, so the list is incomplete, with a larger-than-usual number of unidentified taxa.
Introduction and Explanation of Plant Trail Guides
Introduction
Highlights of This Trail
Plant Communities and Floristics
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time
Botanical Trip Reports
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species
Introduction

The route described in this guide is 2.1 miles total, with a total elevation gain and loss of ~720 feet.
Directions to the trailhead:
From I-15 north of Fallbrook: First head to downtown Fallbrook by taking the Mission Road exit, turning west (right) on Mission Road, and following the road into town. (On the west side of the freeway, Mission Road will curve north before heading west.) You'll pass through a stoplight at Stagecoach Drive, with a "Welcome to Fallbrook Avocado Capital" sign at a real estate office, continue winding through curves, and go through another stoplight near downtown at Brandon Road and head up a small hill. On the way down from that hill, the speed limit will change to 25 mph, and you'll pass through the stoplight at Main Street. The next block also has a stoplight, Pico Avenue, with a sign "to De Luz Road".
Continue on E. Mission Road past Pico. One block farther, it turns 90° left and becomes S. Mission Road (confusing, huh?). Take that through town, and continue on the 4 lane section of the highway to a series of 3 stop lights at the high school, which is on the left. 1.5 miles after the last traffic light at Winter Haven Road, you'll see Heller's Bend Road on the right. Don't take this one. (It is a loop road, and you want the other entrance. It won't hurt to take this one, but it'll be slower and harder to find the preserve.) Continue on for about 0.7 mile or so, cruising down a fairly steep hill, and on the right you'll find the other end of Heller's Bend Road. (They've just recently graded the heck out of the west side of S. Mission Road there.)
Turn right on Heller's Bend Road, go around a curve to the left, and Heller's Bend Preserve will be on your left, with a signed entrance. To park in front of it, you'll have to continue on Heller's Bend Road until you get to a driveway on the right which you can use to turn around.
Highlights of This Trail

Plant Communities and Floristics

(Plant community info to be supplied.)
The Trail plant list contains 133 taxa, of which 116 have so far been identified, in 1.22 unique miles of trail. Of these 116 taxa, 43 (37%) are non-native.
I have plotted these numbers against the other trails in my database. The plots show:

For its elevation, the percentage of native taxa is lower than the average of the other trails in my database.
The number of native taxa is lower than that expected from my other trails. This is undoubtedly due to the incompleteness of my guide.

Summary statistics:
By Number

Lifeform Native Non-native Total Taxa
Trees 3 2 5
Shrubs 22 1 23
Pteridophytes 4 0 4
Perennial Herbs 25 7 32
Perennial Grasses 3 2 5
Annual Grasses 0 6 6
Annual Herbs 16 25 41
Total 73 43 116

By Percent

Lifeform Native Non-native Total Taxa
Trees 4% 5% 4%
Shrubs 30% 2% 20%
Pteridophytes 5% 0% 3%
Perennial Herbs 34% 16% 28%
Perennial Grasses 4% 5% 4%
Annual Grasses 0% 14% 5%
Annual Herbs 22% 58% 35%
Total 100% 100% 100%

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in my database that contain each taxon on this trail. I had 73 trails in my database when this histogram was made; 5 of those trails, including this one, are in the Fallbrook area. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in my database; numbers of "5" or smaller may indicate taxa found only in Fallbrook.

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

1-5 12 10%
6-10 27 23%
11-15 24 21%
16-20 17 15%
21-25 11 9%
26-30 9 8%
31-35 9 8%
36-40 6 5%
41-45 1 1%
Total Taxa 116 100%

I found 17 additional species not in the above table, since they have not been identified yet. The unidentified ones are marked with ? or sp in the id? column in the guide, and do not have any number given in the #all column.
The taxa that are truly unique, or almost unique, to this trail or area, out of the 73 trails in my database on 27 February 2004, are:

#all Latin Name Common Name Distribution in Southern California / Distribution in Trail Guides
1 Chamaesyce maculata *spotted spurge CA-FP; waste places, gardens; < 200 m. This was found at the edge of the orchard, so is probably a holdover from when the orchard was irrigated.
2 Verbascum virgatum *wand mullein SW; disturbed areas; < 300 m. Found only here and at Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains.
2 Urtica urens *dwarf nettle CA-FP; waste areas, gardens, orchards. Found here and at the San Elijo Lagoon.
2 Oxalis albicans California oxalis SCo, ChI, WTR. This species is so far confined to the Fallbrook / Santa Rosa Plateau / Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve trail guides. I have two occurrences where the subspecies is not defined yet, here and on the south Santa Margarita River Trail. The Santa Rosa Plateau has one occurrence of ssp. californica, and the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve has one occurrence of ssp. pilosa.
3 Chenopodium californicum California goosefoot SW. Found here, at the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, and at Laurel Canyon in Orange County.
4 Torilis arvensis *field hedge-parsley CA-FP, rapidly spreading. Found only in and near the Fallbrook area, on the two Santa Margarita River Trails, and on one Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve trail.
5 Plagiobothrys nothofulvus rusty-haired popcorn flower CA-FP. Found here, on three trails at the Santa Rosa Plateau, and on the Kelly Ditch Trail in the Cuyamacas.

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"
10/8/2002 1 59 5 4 7 1
1/13/2003 2 90 12 7 7 1
8/1/2003 3 107 11 6 6 0
2/24/2004 4 102 3 8 7 1
2/24/2004 4 133 5 11 11 2

The first time the Heller's Bend addition was botanized was 2/24/04. Hence the numbers for that day are given first for the portion of the trail botanized previously, and then for the entire trail. The number of species on the old trail decreased from 107 to 102, even though two new species were added, for two reasons. First, six unknown species (baby plants or dead plants) were deleted because they turned out to be other species in the guide, and second, three off-trail taxa had been erroneously included in the total count.
Note that the trail has not been walked during the spring, and hence the list is undoubtedly quite incomplete so far.
Botanical Trip Reports

24 February 2004
The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (7 pages)
This guide begins at the fence opening. Then immediately head right along the gate to get to the paved road next to the coast live oak. Since the trailhead area is weed-whacked, some of the annuals at the beginning of the guide may not be easily visible here. In those cases, their first non-whacked occurrence later will be noted.

Mile # S id? Common Name Latin Name #here #all
0.00 Trail begins at opening in fence to left of gate across road; elevation ~265 feet (80 m). Sign: "Heller's Bend Preserve. Conservation Land... Fallbrook Land Conservancy."
0.00 r 1 *slender wild oats Avena barbata 5 / 1 20
0.00 b 2 *shortpod mustard Hirschfeldia incana 99 / 9 38
0.00 r 3 ~ *wand mullein Verbascum virgatum⁺ 3 / 2 2
0.00 r 4 common bedstraw Galium aparine 99 / 9 20
0.00 r 5 *common chickweed Stellaria media 99 / 3 17
0.00 r 6 *sow thistle Sonchus oleraceus 99 / 9 22
0.00 r 7 *little horseweed Conyza bonariensis / 2 10
0.00 r 8 California blackberry Rubus ursinus 5 / 2 12
0.00 r 9 *foxtail barley Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum / 2 14
0.00 r (coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia)
0.00 r 10 branching phacelia Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia / 23
0.00 r 11 *sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima 20 / 2 4
0.00 r (greater periwinkle, Vinca major)
0.00 r (white nightshade, Solanum douglasii)
0.00 r (sacred datura, Datura wrightii)
0.00 r 12 poison oak Toxicodendron diversilobum 20 / 5 29
0.00 r 13 horseweed Conyza canadensis / 2 24
0.01 r 14 blue elderberry Sambucus mexicana 5 / 5 35
0.01 r 15 *red brome Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens / 37
0.01 r 16 *Bermuda buttercup Oxalis pes-caprae 5 / 1 5
0.01 r 17 *rattail fescue Vulpia myuros⁺ 30 / 2 5
0.01 b 18 *Italian thistle Carduus pycnocephalus 20 / 3 10
0.01 r (Desert wild grape, Vitis girdiana)
r 19 coast live oak Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia 30 / 9 31
0.02 r 20 toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia 7 / 7 35
l 21 dove weed Eremocarpus setigerus 30 / 2 12
l 22 *tocalote Centaurea melitensis / 32
0.03 Curve right; pole on left.
0.03 l 23 telegraph weed Heterotheca grandiflora 10 / 3 22
0.04 r Brookie Thom bench.
r (giant wild rye, Leymus condensatus)
0.04 l Jct. path
0.04 r 24 *henbit Lamium amplexicaule 5 / 1 7
0.04 r 25 *milk thistle Silybum marianum 5 / 1 8
l common bedstraw Galium aparine⁺ /
0.05 r (wild-cucumber, Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus)
0.05 r 26 (hoary nettle, Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea)
0.05 l 27 *smilo grass Piptatherum miliaceum 20 / 1 16
0.05 r 28 mule fat Baccharis salicifolia 1 / 1 29
0.05 l 29 ? unk deciduous tree with 13-pinnate leaf; leaflets serrate, not symmetric. Pecan or walnut?11
0.05 30 wild grape Vitis girdiana 5 / 1 7
0.06 Cross middle of Ostrich Farm Creek on Arizona crossing; elevation ~240 feet (75 m)
0.06 r Check for arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis.
0.06 l 31 red willow Salix laevigata 1 / 1 15
0.06 l 32 sp wild geranium Geranium carolinianum or G. dissectum 30 / 1
0.06 r 33 *fennel Foeniculum vulgare 3 / 1 12
0.06 b 34 sp dock Rumex sp. 3 / 1
0.06 r 35 mugwort Artemisia douglasiana 20 / 1 23
0.06 r 36 western ragweed Ambrosia psilostachya 10 / 1 25
0.06 r 37 *bermuda grass Cynodon dactylon 10 / 2 16
0.06 l 38 southern miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana 30 / 3 13
0.06 l 39 *field hedge-parsley Torilis arvensis 50 / 3 4
0.06 r 40 *California burclover Medicago polymorpha / 26
0.06 l 41 sp goosefoot Chenopodium sp. 5 / 1
0.06 l 42 laurel sumac Malosma laurina 10 / 9 29
0.07 r 43 Fremont cottonwood Populus fremontii ssp. fremontii 1 / 1 8
0.07 l 44 *English plantain Plantago lanceolata 5 / 1 14
0.07 l 45 *Australian brass-buttons Cotula australis 20 / 1 11
0.07 l 46 ~ *annual blue grass Poa annua 5 / 1 8
0.07 r (California sagebrush, Artemisia californica)
0.07 l 47 slender madia Madia gracilis 10 / 1 7
0.07 l Jct. path
0.07 r 48 *purple wild radish Raphanus sativus 10 / 1 9
0.07 r 49 fiesta flower Pholistoma auritum var. auritum 99 / 9 10
0.07 r Note impressive rocks forming creek bank.
r 50 *prickly lettuce Lactuca serriola 10 / 3 22
r 51 *scarlet pimpernel Anagallis arvensis 20 / 9 16
r 52 ? unk similar to Durango Root ? 1 / 1
r 53 white everlasting Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum 5 / 5 30
r 54 goldback fern Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis 5 / 2 14
0.08 r Jct. path to right. Curve left.
0.08 r (Jepson's blue wildrye, Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii)
0.08 r (hollyleaf redberry, Rhamnus ilicifolia)
0.08 b A pole on each side of the road.
0.08 r 55 heartleaf penstemon Keckiella cordifolia 20 / 5 19
0.08 r Liverworts
0.08 r 56 ~ small-flowered melica Melica imperfecta 30 / 1 26
0.08 r 57 coffee fern Pellaea andromedifolia 5 / 2 17
0.08 r 58 bush monkeyflower Mimulus aurantiacus 5 / 5 31
0.08 r 59 wild-cucumber Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus 5 / 5 35
r 60 purple snapdragon Antirrhinum nuttallianum ssp. nuttallianum 10 / 3 11
0.10 r 61 narrow-leaved miner's lettuce Claytonia parviflora ssp. parviflora 10 / 1 9
0.10 r 62 ? annual Phacelia or eucrypta? ? 1 / 1
0.10 r 63 sp virgin's bower Clematis pauciflora / 7
r 64 hollyleaf redberry Rhamnus ilicifolia 20 / 9 31
0.10 r Jct. steep use trail.
0.10 r 65 California chalk lettuce Dudleya pulverulenta ssp. pulverulenta 3 / 1 8
0.10 Cross small drainage.
0.10 l 66 stinging nettle Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea 10 / 1 8
0.10 r 67 California polypody Polypodium californicum 30 / 2 14
0.13 Switchback right; Jct. path to left.
0.13 l 68 California maidenhair fern Adiantum jordanii 1 / 1 6
0.15 l 69 Torrey's scrub oak Quercus acutidens 3 / 1 11
0.15 l 70 basketbush Rhus trilobata 1 / 1 14
0.15 c 71 sp four-leaf polycarp Polycarpon tetraphyllum⁺ 3 / 1
0.15 c 72 sp filaree Erodium botrys or brachycarpum 50 / 3
0.16 l (olive, Olea europaea)
0.16 Road curves left 90°.
0.16 l 73 *white-stemmed filaree Erodium moschatum 20 / 1 11
0.17 l 74 lemonade berry Rhus integrifolia⁺ 1 / 1 11
0.17 l (pomegranate, Punica granatum)
0.17 Jct. road to left; elevation ~350 feet (105 m). Curve right 90° and enter old orchard.
0.17 r 75 orange citrus sp. /
0.18 b Jct. road to left and jct. path to right. Continue ahead.
0.18 c 76 *spotted spurge Chamaesyce maculata 5 / 3 1
0.18 l Jct. another road.
0.19 b 77 avocado
0.20 r Gill Family bench.
0.21 r Jct. path
0.22 r 78 saw-toothed goldenbush Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides 10 / 5 26
0.22 l Large nest in tree
0.22 Begin long curve left 90°.
0.22 r 79 white sage Salvia apiana 30 / 5 27
0.22 r 80 California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum 30 / 9 37
0.24 r 81 California sagebrush Artemisia californica 20 / 5 32
0.24 l 82 *horehound Marrubium vulgare 20 / 2 20
0.25 l 83 deerweed Lotus scoparius var. scoparius 20 / 9 19
0.26 r Jct. steep use trail
0.26 r 84 ssp sticky cinquefoil Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa 5 / 1 8
0.26 r Jct. steep use trail at ~130°.
0.29 r 85 ~ triangular-fruit sedge Carex triquetra 1 / 1 11
0.29 r 86 California goosefoot Chenopodium californicum 50 / 9 3
0.30 r 87 California four o'clock Mirabilis californica 2 / 2 14
0.30 r virgin's bower Clematis pauciflora⁺ 10 / 2
0.30 Curve left.
0.31 r 88 California peony Paeonia californica 20 / 4 10
0.31 r 89 coyote bush Baccharis pilularis 3 / 3 18
0.34 r 90 California-aster Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia 20 / 5 38
0.35 r 91 narrowleaf bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium 5 / 5 39
0.35 r 92 blue-eyed grass Sisyrinchium bellum 10 / 2 12
0.35 r 93 California everlasting Gnaphalium californicum 10 / 5 25
0.36 Jct. road on left, which will be on your return route; elevation ~500 feet (150 m)
0.36 l 94 *Russian thistle Salsola tragus 20 / 3 22
0.37 One pole on left; 2 poles on right.
0.37 r 95 San Diego morning-glory Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenuifolia 5 / 2 16
0.38 Road curves right 90°
0.38 b 96 coastal goldenbush Isocoma menziesii⁺ 10 / 1 9
0.39 l 97 sp eastern redbud Cercis canadensis⁺ 2 / 1
0.39 l Sign: "Americorps...".
0.39 l 98 *Crete weed Hedypnois cretica 10 / 1 13
0.39 l 99 ~ *narrowleaf filago Filago gallica 10 / 1 30
0.39 r 100 purple needlegrass Nassella pulchra 20 / 2 9
0.39 r Pat Scott bench.
0.40 r "Kate Folger and Stand Strong and all the ladies at Judi's Way To Fitness" bench.
0.41 Road curves left 90°.
0.41 r sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima⁺ 10 / 1
0.41 l 101 *nit grass Gastridium ventricosum 5 / 1 15
c rattail fescue Vulpia myuros⁺ /
0.42 Curve left 90°; now following property boundary at top; elevation ~545 feet (165 m)
0.42 c little horseweed Conyza bonariensis⁺ /
0.47 l Cross the head of a small drainage.
0.47 r 102 *castor bean Ricinus communis 5 / 1 12
0.49 l 103 canchalagua Centaurium venustum 2 / 1 5
0.50 r 104 *common cudweed Gnaphalium luteo-album 5 / 1 6
0.51 Y-jct; elevation ~540 feet (165 m). The road curves left 90° and heads down; the trail straight ahead enters the 2003 addition to Heller's Bend; go straight and take it. You'll return to this same spot .
0.52 r Some huge castor bean plants.
0.52 r 105 *olive Olea europaea 2 / 2 8
0.52 r Upright irrigation metal pipe protected by two metal pipes.
0.56 r 106 black sage Salvia mellifera 1 / 1 31
0.60 Trail turns left 45°
0.61 Local peak elevation of ~575 feet (175 m). Trail turns left 90° and goes steeply downhill.
0.63 r Jct. use path.
0.64 Jct. old road; go right on it; elevation ~560 feet (170 m). You'll return to this same spot soon and take the road downhill.
0.64 r 107 golden yarrow Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum 10 / 5 41
0.66 Road turns right 90°
0.68 Enter an area bulldozed some time ago, with lots of young growth.
0.68 r 108 bicolored everlasting Gnaphalium bicolor 1 / 1 23
0.69 l 109 *petty spurge Euphorbia peplus 5 / 1 7
0.69 l (Water pressure relief valve)
0.70 End road at fence; elevation ~620 feet (190 m); high point of entire guide. Turn around and retrace your steps to the trail / road junction.
0.76 Trail / road junction; continue downhill on road and switchback right.
0.83 l Jct. road; continue straight.
0.83 r 110 climbing bedstraw Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii 1 / 1 18
0.86 r A little clearing; switchback left.
0.88 Switchback right.
0.89 l 111 Parry's phacelia Phacelia parryi 3 / 1 5
0.89 l 112 sp popcorn flower Cryptantha sp. /
0.92 r A lichen similar to Cladonia sp., with little whitish golf-tees for fruiting bodies.
0.93 l 113 ? unk dead annual51
0.93 Cross drainage; elevation ~400 feet (120 m)
0.93 r Fallen dead tree of unknown species.
0.94 b 114 sp navarretia Navarretia sp. 20 / 1
0.94 l 115 ~ rattlesnake weed Daucus pusillus 3 / 1 16
0.95 c 116 sp annual linanthus Linanthus sp. 10 / 1
0.98 l Jct. overgrown old road.
0.98 l 117 ? fiddleneck? Amsinckia sp.? 10 / 1
0.99 Check for different Cryptantha sp..
0.99 l Jct. road.
1.00 Road curves right 45° and enters weedy area with lots of mustard.
1.03 r Small cleared area; road turns left 45°
1.03 r Unusual tall-stemmed brown mushroom; probably from dumping of mushroom compost here.
1.03 r 118 *tree tobacco Nicotiana glauca 1 / 1 16
1.03 r 119 *dwarf nettle Urtica urens 10 / 1 2
1.03 Road bulldozed in late 2003.
1.05 l 120 ~ Vasey's prickly pear Opuntia Xvaseyi 1 / 1 16
1.05 r 121 *London rocket Sisymbrium irio 5 / 1 7
1.05 l 122 ~ San Diego wreathplant Stephanomeria diegensis 5 / 1 13
1.05 l 123 *redstem filaree Erodium cicutarium 3 / 1 36
1.07 l sp (tall coast prickly pear?, Opuntia oricola?; or western prickly pear?, Opuntia Xoccidentalis?)
1.08 l 124 ssp California oxalis Oxalis albicans 2 / 1 2
1.08 l 125 small-seeded spurge Chamaesyce polycarpa 10 / 1 9
1.09 r 126 ~ rusty-haired popcorn flower Plagiobothrys nothofulvus 5 / 1 5
1.09 r Property boundary pole; right of road all whacked vegetation.
1.11 l Property boundary pole; elevation ~300 feet (90 m); turn around and go back up the road.
1.46 r Jct. trail to old portion of Heller's Bend; go right and take it.
1.59 The Y-jct at mile 0.51; elevation ~540 feet (165 m). Turn right 90° and head down.
1.63 r Property marker pole
1.64 Curve left 90° and head down.
1.67 r 127 *bristly ox-tongue Picris echioides 5 / 1 7
1.67 wand mullein Verbascum virgatum⁺ /
1.69 Cross shallow drainage at elevation ~480 feet (145 m) and start uphill section.
1.71 Check for different Cryptantha sp..
1.71 r 128 ~ long-stemmed buckwheat Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum 5 / 1 17
1.72 r 129 ~ *windmill pink Silene gallica 10 / 1 21
1.76 l 130 cotton-batting plant Gnaphalium stramineum 1 / 1 9
1.76 Jct. main road; elevation ~500 feet (150 m). Turn right and return to trailhead.
2.12 Back at Trailhead.

Species previously found on the trail but without precise locations:
131 white nightshade Solanum douglasii / 2 13
132 sacred datura Datura wrightii / 2 13
133 Jepson's blue wildrye Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii 5 / 3 7

Comments On Specific Species

Verbascum virgatum. The id comes from the second occurrence at mile 1.67. The first occurrence is at the trailhead, where it will likely get weed-whacked.
Vulpia myuros. The plants at the trailhead may be weed-whacked, so I noted the second occurrence of this species.
I looked at a number of samples from mile ~0.41. The first two samples had totally glabrous lemmas, making them var. myuros. The next sample had some glabrous and some ciliate lemmas. The next two samples pretty much had ciliate lemmas, making them var. hirsuta. All specimens were growing intermixed within inches of each other.
This is evidence that these two varieties are no longer separate in America. These varieties could be perfectly good varieties in their homeland, presumably where they don't interbreed. But here they have possibly mixed their genes to become one species, with the varieties no longer separate.
I'll collect multiple samples from other locations to see if this is always the case.
Galium aparine, Lobularia maritima, Vulpia myuros, Conyza bonariensis, Verbascum virgatum. The plants at the trailhead may be weed-whacked, so I noted the second occurrence of each of this species.
Rhus integrifolia, Cercis canadensis. These specimens were planted.
Isocoma menziesii. In my experience, the subspecies are not separable in Southern California. See Comments on the Jepson Manual and A Flora of Southern California by Munz: Isocoma menziesii.
Clematis pauciflora. A firm identification was made at the unnumbered entry. This occurrence is not numbered since it is likely that a previous numbered specimen is also this species. The unnumbered entry will only be counted as a new species if the first occurrence turns out to be a different species.
Polycarpon tetraphyllum. These specimens were found on 8/1/01, and the late-season flowers and stipules are enough different to make it somewhat ambiguous to discriminate them from P. depressum. (The leaves are mostly deciduous, eliminating that portion of the key; the stipules are now 1.2-1.6 mm, in between the two species, and the awns are now only 0.1 mm. I checked a known population of P. tetraphyllum, which also had awns of only 0.1 mm in its last flowers, whereas it had awns of over 0.3 mm on the previous flowers.) But the id is still likely due to the long (2.0-2.8 mm), strongly-keeled sepals.

Lifeform	Native	Non-native	Total Taxa
Trees	3	2	5
Shrubs	22	1	23
Pteridophytes	4	0	4
Perennial Herbs	25	7	32
Perennial Grasses	3	2	5
Annual Grasses	0	6	6
Annual Herbs	16	25	41
Total	73	43	116

Lifeform	Native	Non-native	Total Taxa
Trees	4%	5%	4%
Shrubs	30%	2%	20%
Pteridophytes	5%	0%	3%
Perennial Herbs	34%	16%	28%
Perennial Grasses	4%	5%	4%
Annual Grasses	0%	14%	5%
Annual Herbs	22%	58%	35%
Total	100%	100%	100%

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

1-5	12	10%
6-10	27	23%
11-15	24	21%
16-20	17	15%
21-25	11	9%
26-30	9	8%
31-35	9	8%
36-40	6	5%
41-45	1	1%
Total Taxa	116	100%

#all	Latin Name	Common Name	Distribution in Southern California / Distribution in Trail Guides
1	Chamaesyce maculata	*spotted spurge	CA-FP; waste places, gardens; < 200 m. This was found at the edge of the orchard, so is probably a holdover from when the orchard was irrigated.
2	Verbascum virgatum	*wand mullein	SW; disturbed areas; < 300 m. Found only here and at Eaton Canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains.
2	Urtica urens	*dwarf nettle	CA-FP; waste areas, gardens, orchards. Found here and at the San Elijo Lagoon.
2	Oxalis albicans	California oxalis	SCo, ChI, WTR. This species is so far confined to the Fallbrook / Santa Rosa Plateau / Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve trail guides. I have two occurrences where the subspecies is not defined yet, here and on the south Santa Margarita River Trail. The Santa Rosa Plateau has one occurrence of ssp. californica, and the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve has one occurrence of ssp. pilosa.
3	Chenopodium californicum	California goosefoot	SW. Found here, at the Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve, and at Laurel Canyon in Orange County.
4	Torilis arvensis	*field hedge-parsley	CA-FP, rapidly spreading. Found only in and near the Fallbrook area, on the two Santa Margarita River Trails, and on one Santa Margarita Ecological Reserve trail.
5	Plagiobothrys nothofulvus	rusty-haired popcorn flower	CA-FP. Found here, on three trails at the Santa Rosa Plateau, and on the Kelly Ditch Trail in the Cuyamacas.

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"	# "ssp"
10/8/2002	1	59	5	4	7	1
1/13/2003	2	90	12	7	7	1
8/1/2003	3	107	11	6	6	0
2/24/2004	4	102	3	8	7	1
2/24/2004	4	133	5	11	11	2

Mile	#	S	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Trail begins at opening in fence to left of gate across road; elevation ~265 feet (80 m). Sign: "Heller's Bend Preserve. Conservation Land... Fallbrook Land Conservancy."
0.00	r	1		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	5 / 1	20
0.00	b	2		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	38
0.00	r	3	~	*wand mullein	Verbascum virgatum⁺	3 / 2	2
0.00	r	4		common bedstraw	Galium aparine	99 / 9	20
0.00	r	5		*common chickweed	Stellaria media	99 / 3	17
0.00	r	6		*sow thistle	Sonchus oleraceus	99 / 9	22
0.00	r	7		*little horseweed	Conyza bonariensis	/ 2	10
0.00	r	8		California blackberry	Rubus ursinus	5 / 2	12
0.00	r	9		*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. leporinum	/ 2	14
0.00	r			(coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia)
0.00	r	10		branching phacelia	Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia	/	23
0.00	r	11		*sweet alyssum	Lobularia maritima	20 / 2	4
0.00	r			(greater periwinkle, Vinca major)
0.00	r			(white nightshade, Solanum douglasii)
0.00	r			(sacred datura, Datura wrightii)
0.00	r	12		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	20 / 5	29
0.00	r	13		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	/ 2	24
0.01	r	14		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana	5 / 5	35
0.01	r	15		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	/	37
0.01	r	16		*Bermuda buttercup	Oxalis pes-caprae	5 / 1	5
0.01	r	17		*rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros⁺	30 / 2	5
0.01	b	18		*Italian thistle	Carduus pycnocephalus	20 / 3	10
0.01	r			(Desert wild grape, Vitis girdiana)
	r	19		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	30 / 9	31
0.02	r	20		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia	7 / 7	35
	l	21		dove weed	Eremocarpus setigerus	30 / 2	12
	l	22		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	/	32
0.03				Curve right; pole on left.
0.03	l	23		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	10 / 3	22
0.04	r			Brookie Thom bench.
	r			(giant wild rye, Leymus condensatus)
0.04	l			Jct. path
0.04	r	24		*henbit	Lamium amplexicaule	5 / 1	7
0.04	r	25		*milk thistle	Silybum marianum	5 / 1	8
	l			common bedstraw	Galium aparine⁺	/
0.05	r			(wild-cucumber, Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus)
0.05	r	26		(hoary nettle, Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea)
0.05	l	27		*smilo grass	Piptatherum miliaceum	20 / 1	16
0.05	r	28		mule fat	Baccharis salicifolia	1 / 1	29
0.05	l	29	?	unk deciduous tree with 13-pinnate leaf; leaflets serrate, not symmetric. Pecan or walnut?11
0.05		30		wild grape	Vitis girdiana	5 / 1	7
0.06				Cross middle of Ostrich Farm Creek on Arizona crossing; elevation ~240 feet (75 m)
0.06	r			Check for arroyo willow, Salix lasiolepis.
0.06	l	31		red willow	Salix laevigata	1 / 1	15
0.06	l	32	sp	wild geranium	Geranium carolinianum or G. dissectum	30 / 1
0.06	r	33		*fennel	Foeniculum vulgare	3 / 1	12
0.06	b	34	sp	dock	Rumex sp.	3 / 1
0.06	r	35		mugwort	Artemisia douglasiana	20 / 1	23
0.06	r	36		western ragweed	Ambrosia psilostachya	10 / 1	25
0.06	r	37		*bermuda grass	Cynodon dactylon	10 / 2	16
0.06	l	38		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	30 / 3	13
0.06	l	39		*field hedge-parsley	Torilis arvensis	50 / 3	4
0.06	r	40		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	/	26
0.06	l	41	sp	goosefoot	Chenopodium sp.	5 / 1
0.06	l	42		laurel sumac	Malosma laurina	10 / 9	29
0.07	r	43		Fremont cottonwood	Populus fremontii ssp. fremontii	1 / 1	8
0.07	l	44		*English plantain	Plantago lanceolata	5 / 1	14
0.07	l	45		*Australian brass-buttons	Cotula australis	20 / 1	11
0.07	l	46	~	*annual blue grass	Poa annua	5 / 1	8
0.07	r			(California sagebrush, Artemisia californica)
0.07	l	47		slender madia	Madia gracilis	10 / 1	7
0.07	l			Jct. path
0.07	r	48		*purple wild radish	Raphanus sativus	10 / 1	9
0.07	r	49		fiesta flower	Pholistoma auritum var. auritum	99 / 9	10
0.07	r			Note impressive rocks forming creek bank.
	r	50		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	10 / 3	22
	r	51		*scarlet pimpernel	Anagallis arvensis	20 / 9	16
	r	52	?	unk similar to Durango Root	?	1 / 1
	r	53		white everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum	5 / 5	30
	r	54		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	5 / 2	14
0.08	r			Jct. path to right. Curve left.
0.08	r			(Jepson's blue wildrye, Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii)
0.08	r			(hollyleaf redberry, Rhamnus ilicifolia)
0.08	b			A pole on each side of the road.
0.08	r	55		heartleaf penstemon	Keckiella cordifolia	20 / 5	19
0.08	r			Liverworts
0.08	r	56	~	small-flowered melica	Melica imperfecta	30 / 1	26
0.08	r	57		coffee fern	Pellaea andromedifolia	5 / 2	17
0.08	r	58		bush monkeyflower	Mimulus aurantiacus	5 / 5	31
0.08	r	59		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	5 / 5	35
	r	60		purple snapdragon	Antirrhinum nuttallianum ssp. nuttallianum	10 / 3	11
0.10	r	61		narrow-leaved miner's lettuce	Claytonia parviflora ssp. parviflora	10 / 1	9
0.10	r	62	?	annual Phacelia or eucrypta?	?	1 / 1
0.10	r	63	sp	virgin's bower	Clematis pauciflora	/	7
	r	64		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	20 / 9	31
0.10	r			Jct. steep use trail.
0.10	r	65		California chalk lettuce	Dudleya pulverulenta ssp. pulverulenta	3 / 1	8
0.10				Cross small drainage.
0.10	l	66		stinging nettle	Urtica dioica ssp. holosericea	10 / 1	8
0.10	r	67		California polypody	Polypodium californicum	30 / 2	14
0.13				Switchback right; Jct. path to left.
0.13	l	68		California maidenhair fern	Adiantum jordanii	1 / 1	6
0.15	l	69		Torrey's scrub oak	Quercus acutidens	3 / 1	11
0.15	l	70		basketbush	Rhus trilobata	1 / 1	14
0.15	c	71	sp	four-leaf polycarp	Polycarpon tetraphyllum⁺	3 / 1
0.15	c	72	sp	filaree	Erodium botrys or brachycarpum	50 / 3
0.16	l			(olive, Olea europaea)
0.16				Road curves left 90°.
0.16	l	73		*white-stemmed filaree	Erodium moschatum	20 / 1	11
0.17	l	74		lemonade berry	Rhus integrifolia⁺	1 / 1	11
0.17	l			(pomegranate, Punica granatum)
0.17				Jct. road to left; elevation ~350 feet (105 m). Curve right 90° and enter old orchard.
0.17	r	75		orange	citrus sp.	/
0.18	b			Jct. road to left and jct. path to right. Continue ahead.
0.18	c	76		*spotted spurge	Chamaesyce maculata	5 / 3	1
0.18	l			Jct. another road.
0.19	b	77		avocado
0.20	r			Gill Family bench.
0.21	r			Jct. path
0.22	r	78		saw-toothed goldenbush	Hazardia squarrosa var. grindelioides	10 / 5	26
0.22	l			Large nest in tree
0.22				Begin long curve left 90°.
0.22	r	79		white sage	Salvia apiana	30 / 5	27
0.22	r	80		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum	30 / 9	37
0.24	r	81		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica	20 / 5	32
0.24	l	82		*horehound	Marrubium vulgare	20 / 2	20
0.25	l	83		deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. scoparius	20 / 9	19
0.26	r			Jct. steep use trail
0.26	r	84	ssp	sticky cinquefoil	Potentilla glandulosa ssp. glandulosa	5 / 1	8
0.26	r			Jct. steep use trail at ~130°.
0.29	r	85	~	triangular-fruit sedge	Carex triquetra	1 / 1	11
0.29	r	86		California goosefoot	Chenopodium californicum	50 / 9	3
0.30	r	87		California four o'clock	Mirabilis californica	2 / 2	14
0.30	r			virgin's bower	Clematis pauciflora⁺	10 / 2
0.30				Curve left.
0.31	r	88		California peony	Paeonia californica	20 / 4	10
0.31	r	89		coyote bush	Baccharis pilularis	3 / 3	18
0.34	r	90		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	20 / 5	38
0.35	r	91		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	5 / 5	39
0.35	r	92		blue-eyed grass	Sisyrinchium bellum	10 / 2	12
0.35	r	93		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	10 / 5	25
0.36				Jct. road on left, which will be on your return route; elevation ~500 feet (150 m)
0.36	l	94		*Russian thistle	Salsola tragus	20 / 3	22
0.37				One pole on left; 2 poles on right.
0.37	r	95		San Diego morning-glory	Calystegia macrostegia ssp. tenuifolia	5 / 2	16
0.38				Road curves right 90°
0.38	b	96		coastal goldenbush	Isocoma menziesii⁺	10 / 1	9
0.39	l	97	sp	eastern redbud	Cercis canadensis⁺	2 / 1
0.39	l			Sign: "Americorps...".
0.39	l	98		*Crete weed	Hedypnois cretica	10 / 1	13
0.39	l	99	~	*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	10 / 1	30
0.39	r	100		purple needlegrass	Nassella pulchra	20 / 2	9
0.39	r			Pat Scott bench.
0.40	r			"Kate Folger and Stand Strong and all the ladies at Judi's Way To Fitness" bench.
0.41				Road curves left 90°.
0.41	r			sweet alyssum	Lobularia maritima⁺	10 / 1
0.41	l	101		*nit grass	Gastridium ventricosum	5 / 1	15
	c			rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros⁺	/
0.42				Curve left 90°; now following property boundary at top; elevation ~545 feet (165 m)
0.42	c			little horseweed	Conyza bonariensis⁺	/
0.47	l			Cross the head of a small drainage.
0.47	r	102		*castor bean	Ricinus communis	5 / 1	12
0.49	l	103		canchalagua	Centaurium venustum	2 / 1	5
0.50	r	104		*common cudweed	Gnaphalium luteo-album	5 / 1	6
0.51				Y-jct; elevation ~540 feet (165 m). The road curves left 90° and heads down; the trail straight ahead enters the 2003 addition to Heller's Bend; go straight and take it. You'll return to this same spot .
0.52	r			Some huge castor bean plants.
0.52	r	105		*olive	Olea europaea	2 / 2	8
0.52	r			Upright irrigation metal pipe protected by two metal pipes.
0.56	r	106		black sage	Salvia mellifera	1 / 1	31
0.60				Trail turns left 45°
0.61				Local peak elevation of ~575 feet (175 m). Trail turns left 90° and goes steeply downhill.
0.63	r			Jct. use path.
0.64				Jct. old road; go right on it; elevation ~560 feet (170 m). You'll return to this same spot soon and take the road downhill.
0.64	r	107		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	10 / 5	41
0.66				Road turns right 90°
0.68				Enter an area bulldozed some time ago, with lots of young growth.
0.68	r	108		bicolored everlasting	Gnaphalium bicolor	1 / 1	23
0.69	l	109		*petty spurge	Euphorbia peplus	5 / 1	7
0.69	l			(Water pressure relief valve)
0.70				End road at fence; elevation ~620 feet (190 m); high point of entire guide. Turn around and retrace your steps to the trail / road junction.
0.76				Trail / road junction; continue downhill on road and switchback right.
0.83	l			Jct. road; continue straight.
0.83	r	110		climbing bedstraw	Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii	1 / 1	18
0.86	r			A little clearing; switchback left.
0.88				Switchback right.
0.89	l	111		Parry's phacelia	Phacelia parryi	3 / 1	5
0.89	l	112	sp	popcorn flower	Cryptantha sp.	/
0.92	r			A lichen similar to Cladonia sp., with little whitish golf-tees for fruiting bodies.
0.93	l	113	?	unk dead annual51
0.93				Cross drainage; elevation ~400 feet (120 m)
0.93	r			Fallen dead tree of unknown species.
0.94	b	114	sp	navarretia	Navarretia sp.	20 / 1
0.94	l	115	~	rattlesnake weed	Daucus pusillus	3 / 1	16
0.95	c	116	sp	annual linanthus	Linanthus sp.	10 / 1
0.98	l			Jct. overgrown old road.
0.98	l	117	?	fiddleneck?	Amsinckia sp.?	10 / 1
0.99				Check for different Cryptantha sp..
0.99	l			Jct. road.
1.00				Road curves right 45° and enters weedy area with lots of mustard.
1.03	r			Small cleared area; road turns left 45°
1.03	r			Unusual tall-stemmed brown mushroom; probably from dumping of mushroom compost here.
1.03	r	118		*tree tobacco	Nicotiana glauca	1 / 1	16
1.03	r	119		*dwarf nettle	Urtica urens	10 / 1	2
1.03				Road bulldozed in late 2003.
1.05	l	120	~	Vasey's prickly pear	Opuntia Xvaseyi	1 / 1	16
1.05	r	121		*London rocket	Sisymbrium irio	5 / 1	7
1.05	l	122	~	San Diego wreathplant	Stephanomeria diegensis	5 / 1	13
1.05	l	123		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	3 / 1	36
1.07	l		sp	(tall coast prickly pear?, Opuntia oricola?; or western prickly pear?, Opuntia Xoccidentalis?)
1.08	l	124	ssp	California oxalis	Oxalis albicans	2 / 1	2
1.08	l	125		small-seeded spurge	Chamaesyce polycarpa	10 / 1	9
1.09	r	126	~	rusty-haired popcorn flower	Plagiobothrys nothofulvus	5 / 1	5
1.09	r			Property boundary pole; right of road all whacked vegetation.
1.11	l			Property boundary pole; elevation ~300 feet (90 m); turn around and go back up the road.
1.46	r			Jct. trail to old portion of Heller's Bend; go right and take it.
1.59				The Y-jct at mile 0.51; elevation ~540 feet (165 m). Turn right 90° and head down.
1.63	r			Property marker pole
1.64				Curve left 90° and head down.
1.67	r	127		*bristly ox-tongue	Picris echioides	5 / 1	7
1.67				wand mullein	Verbascum virgatum⁺	/
1.69				Cross shallow drainage at elevation ~480 feet (145 m) and start uphill section.
1.71				Check for different Cryptantha sp..
1.71	r	128	~	long-stemmed buckwheat	Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum	5 / 1	17
1.72	r	129	~	*windmill pink	Silene gallica	10 / 1	21
1.76	l	130		cotton-batting plant	Gnaphalium stramineum	1 / 1	9
1.76				Jct. main road; elevation ~500 feet (150 m). Turn right and return to trailhead.
2.12				Back at Trailhead.

				Species previously found on the trail but without precise locations:
		131		white nightshade	Solanum douglasii	/ 2	13
		132		sacred datura	Datura wrightii	/ 2	13
		133		Jepson's blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii	5 / 3	7

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Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2002-2004 by Tom Chester.
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Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 10 March 2004.