Plant Guide to PCT from Van Dusen road 3N09 to road 3N14, San Bernardino Mountains
PCT Mile Length
(miles)Elevation of ends (feet) Peak
Elevation
(feet)Begin End Begin End 276.3 287.3 10.7 7260 6510 7755 Survey dates: 2012: 5/18, 6/3.
175 species observed.
This section of the trail is probably the most scenic part of the PCT as it traverses the San Bernardino Mountains. When the trail reaches Bertha Peak ridge, you have expansive views of Big Bear Lake and distant mountains. The trail also passes through a number of carbonate outcrops that contain rare plants, a number of which are endemic to these mountains. The trail then goes on the backside of the ridge and follows the drainage of Holcomb Valley creek. Near the end of the trail, you pass through vegetation that is recovering from a fire. Little Bear Springs is a campsite right before you reach the dirt road 3N14.
The trail starts at 7260 feet elevation, ascends to 7840 feet, descends to 7600 feet, ascends to 7900 feet and then does a long drop to 6550 feet.
It looked like peak bloom on 18 May 2012 when the trail was surveyed by RT and Shaun Hawke. In that first survey, 148 species were observed, with the total increasing to 175 after the 3 June 2012 survey by all the authors. The trail still looked close to peak bloom on 3 June 2012.
For this plant list in traditional family order, along with species from other PCT segments in this area, see Plant Checklist in Family Order. For this plant list in traditional family order, along with vouchers from a larger area surrounding this trail, see Plant Checklist for Bertha Peak Area.
The Plant Guide Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page: html (5 pages) or pdf Clickbook booklet (1 double-sided page). (See printing instructions for an explanation of these options)
The column #Pls gives the minimum number of plants observed on 6/3/12. Some species were not observed on that trip, and hence have no entry in that column.
# Fam Scientific Name Common Name #Pls 1 Pin Pinus jeffreyi Jeffrey pine 99 2 Cup Juniperus occidentalis var. australis Sierra juniper 99 3 Ast Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana mountain sagebrush 30 4 Pin Abies concolor white fir 99 5 Cap Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii Parish's snowberry 99 6 Poa Poa secunda ssp. secunda one-sided bluegrass 99 7 Bra Arabis holboellii Holboell's rock-cress 99 8 Ros Amelanchier utahensis Utah service-berry 30 9 Pol Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum Wright's buckwheat 99 10 Ast Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus ssp. viscidiflorus sticky-leaved rabbitbrush 70 11 Ros Cercocarpus ledifolius curl-leaf mountain-mahogany 99 12 Gro Ribes cereum var. cereum wax currant 50 13 Poa Bromus tectorum *downy brome 99 14 Bra Arabis parishii Parish's rock cress 30 15 Bra Erysimum capitatum ssp. capitatum western wallflower 99 16 Eup Euphorbia palmeri woodland spurge 20 17 Lin Linum lewisii var. lewisii Lewis' flax 10 18 Poa Achnatherum parishii Parish's needlegrass 99 19 Pol Linanthus breviculus Mojave linanthus 99 20 Eri Arctostaphylos patula green-leaf manzanita 99 21 Pol Phlox austromontana southern mountain phlox 99 22 Pol Eriogonum umbellatum var. munzii sulphur buckwheat 40 23 Cyp Carex rossii Ross' sedge 99 24 Rub Galium parishii Parish's bedstraw 50 25 Ast Machaeranthera canescens hoary-aster 10 26 Fab Lotus argyraeus var. argyraeus canyon lotus 20 27 Poa Elymus elymoides squirreltail 99 28 Poa Festuca kingii spike fescue 20 29 Por Calyptridium parryi var. parryi Parry's sand cress 3 30 Scr Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii Martin's paintbrush 30 31 Ast Tetradymia canescens spineless horsebrush 50 32 Ast Chaenactis santolinoides santolina pincushion 99 33 Ast Senecio bernardinus San Bernardino ragwort 10 34 Ast Antennaria dimorpha low pussytoes 20 35 Ast Erigeron breweri Brewer's fleabane 20 36 Bra Caulanthus major var. major slender wild cabbage 50 37 Scr Pedicularis semibarbata pine lousewort 40 38 Ast Gutierrezia sarothrae matchweed 50 39 Ast Artemisia dracunculus wild tarragon 20 40 Scr Penstemon labrosus San Gabriel beardtongue 99 41 Fab Astragalus bicristatus crested milk-vetch 10 42 Ast Solidago californica goldenrod 99 43 Ast Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum golden yarrow 99 44 Ast Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. incompta mountain mugwort 99 45 Pol Phlox gracilis annual phlox 99 46 Ast Achillea millefolium yarrow 10 47 Fab Lotus nevadensis Sierra Nevada lotus 5 48 Sax Lithophragma sp. woodland star 10 49 Eri Sarcodes sanguinea snow-plant 7 50 Rha Ceanothus cordulatus mountain whitethorn 99 51 Ona Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum groundsmoke 99 52 Bor Cryptantha echinella prickly cryptantha 99 53 Lam Monardella australis southern mountain-monardella 20 54 Lil Allium burlewii Burlew's onion 40 55 Ast Agoseris retrorsa spear-leaved mountain dandelion 50 56 Bra Descurainia pinnata western tansy-mustard 50 57 Pol Gilia modocensis Modoc gilia 50 58 Hyd Phacelia hastata ssp. hastata mountain phacelia 50 59 Pol Allophyllum gilioides ssp. violaceum dense false-gilia 10 60 Ast Lactuca serriola *prickly lettuce 50 61 Pin Pinus monophylla pinyon pine 20 62 Pol Phlox dolichantha Big Bear Valley phlox 99 63 Fag Quercus kelloggii California black oak 50 64 Vio Viola pinetorum pine violet 10 65 Fab Astragalus leucolobus Big Bear Valley woollypod 60 66 Scr Collinsia parviflora blue-eyed Mary 50 67 Api Lomatium nevadense var. parishii Parish's lomatium 10 68 Lil Calochortus invenustus plain mariposa lily 3 69 Con Calystegia occidentalis ssp. fulcrata western morning-glory 99 70 Poa Bromus orcuttianus var. hallii Hall's brome 99 71 Poa Bromus carinatus California brome 30 72 Vio Viola purpurea goosefoot violet 20 73 Poa Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale western needlegrass 99 74 Por Claytonia lanceolata var. peirsonii Peirson's spring beauty 3 75 Pol Gilia leptantha ssp. transversa fine-flower gilia 20 76 Cac Opuntia phaeacantha desert prickly-pear 5 77 Ast Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia California-aster 20 78 Ran Delphinium parishii ssp. parishii Parish's larkspur 20 79 Pol Leptodactylon pungens granite prickly phlox 30 80 Rub Galium angustifolium narrow-leaved bedstraw 10 81 Cra Dudleya abramsii ssp. affinis San Bernardino Mtns. dudleya 10 82 Rha Ceanothus greggii var. vestitus Mojave ceanothus 40 83 Poa Koeleria macrantha June grass 10 84 Loa Mentzelia montana mountain blazing star 10 85 Poa unk grass by picnic tables grass 99 86 Poa Achnatherum hymenoides Indian ricegrass 30 87 Eph Ephedra viridis green ephedra 10 88 Pol Eriogonum microthecum var. corymbosoides San Bernardino buckwheat 99 89 Vis Phoradendron densum dense mistletoe 2 90 Scr Penstemon eatonii Eaton's penstemon 10 91 Lam Monardella linoides narrowleaf monardella 20 92 Vis Phoradendron pauciflorum fir mistletoe 10 93 Hyd Phacelia fremontii Fremont's phacelia 30 94 Pol Eriogonum davidsonii Davidson's buckwheat 99 95 Bra Arabis shockleyi Shockley's rock cress 20 96 Ste Fremontodendron californicum ssp. californicum flannelbush 10 97 Bor Cryptantha confertiflora yellow cryptantha 20 98 Cac Echinocereus triglochidiatus three-spine hedgehog cactus 1 99 Por Lewisia rediviva bitter root 10 100 Poa Melica stricta rock melica 50 101 Scr Cordylanthus nevinii Nevin's bird's beak 99 102 Api Tauschia parishii Parish's tauschia 5 103 Bra Arabis repanda var. repanda Yosemite rockcress 30 104 Poa Hesperostipa comata ssp. comata needle & thread grass 30 105 Scr Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii Grinnell's beardtongue 10 106 Fab Amorpha californica var. californica California false-indigo 20 107 Cac Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris beavertail cactus 3 108 Ast Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus leafy daisy 10 109 Hyd Phacelia imbricata imbricate phacelia 30 110 Hyd Eriodictyon trichocalyx var. trichocalyx smoothleaf yerba santa 20 111 Poa Agropyron desertorum *desert crested wheatgrass 10 112 Ast Cirsium occidentale var. californicum California thistle 30 113 Ast Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. consimilis threadleaf common rabbitbrush 30 114 Sol Solanum xanti purple nightshade 10 115 Pol Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium California buckwheat 3 116 Ast Uropappus lindleyi silver puffs 10 117 Fab Astragalus douglasii Jacumba milk-vetch 5 118 Pol Eriastrum densifolium giant woolly-star 30 119 Fab Lotus crassifolius var. crassifolius broad-leaved lotus 5 120 Pol Gilia splendens ssp. splendens splendid gilia 10 121 Fag Quercus chrysolepis canyon live oak 99 122 Mal Malacothamnus fremontii Fremont's bush mallow 20 123 Fab Lupinus excubitus var. austromontanus mountain grape-soda lupine 50 124 Ast Madia elegans ssp. wheeleri Wheeler's common madia 20 125 Car Silene verecunda ssp. platyota white catch-fly 10 126 Bra Sisymbrium altissimum *tumble-mustard 50 127 Ast Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. bernardinus San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush 10 128 Hyd Phacelia austromontana southern Sierra phacelia 99 129 Loa Mentzelia congesta clustered blazing star 130 Pin Pinus lambertiana sugar pine 5 131 Pol Eriogonum saxatile rock buckwheat 20 132 Car Silene menziesii Menzies' campion 3 133 Pol Eriogonum parishii Parish's buckwheat 2 134 Bor Cryptantha muricata prickly cryptantha 50 135 Cap Sambucus mexicana blue elderberry 10 136 Che Chenopodium fremontii Fremont's goosefoot 30 137 Ast Tragopogon dubius *yellow salsify 10 138 Sol Nicotiana attenuata coyote tobacco 1 139 Hyd Turricula parryi poodle-dog bush 1 140 Scr Penstemon rostriflorus beaked penstemon 50 141 Ros Cercocarpus betuloides var. betuloides birch-leaf mountain-mahogany 50 142 Poa Melica imperfecta coast-range melic 5 143 Ros Potentilla glandulosa ssp. reflexa sticky cinquefoil 20 144 Lam Scutellaria siphocampyloides curve-flowered skullcap 99 145 Cup Calocedrus decurrens incense-cedar 5 146 Sal Salix scouleriana Scouler's willow 20 147 Ros Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana interior rose 10 148 Gro Ribes nevadense mountain pink currant 20 149 Ran Aquilegia formosa western columbine 99 150 Ros Prunus virginiana var. demissa western choke-cherry 2 151 Ast Stephanomeria virgata twiggy wreath plant 3 152 Scr Scrophularia californica ssp. floribunda California bee plant 10 153 Pap Argemone munita prickly poppy 10 154 Lil Yucca whipplei chaparral yucca 5 155 Ona Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium mountain California-fuchsia 99 156 Ast Hulsea heterochroma red-rayed hulsea 7 157 Poa Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens *red brome 20 158 Ros Prunus emarginata bitter cherry 5 159 Fab Lupinus andersonii Anderson's lupine 99 160 Scr Mimulus guttatus common monkeyflower 40 161 Ona Epilobium ciliatum willowherb 5 162 Lam Stachys hedge-nettle 10 163 Ros Horkelia rydbergii Rydberg's horkelia 5 164 Ran Thalictrum meadow-rue 165 Sal Salix lasiolepis arroyo willow 5 166 Fab Lotus oblongifolius var. oblongifolius streambank lotus 20 167 Equ Equisetum laevigatum smooth scouring rush 10 168 Scr Veronica americana American speedwell 5 169 Jun Juncus mexicanus Mexican rush 50 170 Ast Layia glandulosa white tidy-tips 10 171 Hyd Nama rothrockii Rothrock's nama 99 172 Ast Cirsium vulgare *bull thistle 1 173 Ast Sonchus asper ssp. asper *prickly sow thistle 2 174 Bra Rorippa water-cress 175 Fab Astragalus lentiginosus var. sierrae Big Bear Valley milk-vetch 1
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Copyright © 2012 by RT and Shaun Hawke, Tom Chester and Keir Morse.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to us at this source:
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Comments and feedback: Tom Chester who will relay comments to RT Hawke.
Updated 20 July 2015