Plant Guide to Saddle Junction to Wellman Cienega via PCT and Wellman Cienega Trail, San Jacinto Mountains

Plant Guide to Saddle Junction to Wellman Cienega via PCT and Wellman Cienega 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
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species
Introduction

This is a plant guide to the trail from Saddle Junction to Wellman Cienega. The first part of the trail is the segment of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) that begins at Saddle Junction, which is at the top of the Devils Slide Trail in the San Jacinto Mountains. The PCT heads north from Saddle Junction to a junction with the Wellman Cienega / Wellman Divide / San Jacinto Peak Trail. This guide then follows the Wellman Divide Trail up to Wellman Cienega, where it ends. Wellman Cienega itself is not included in this plant trail guide, since it is so rich with species and it is better to work with its flora instead of a plant trail guide. See A Quantitative Flora of Wellman Cienega.
If you have arrived at Saddle Junction via the Devils Slide Trail, take the leftmost trail, leading north and marked by a sign indicating "San Jacinto Peak (ahead)".
Highlights of This Trail

The botanical highlights of this trail are:

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time

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

Visit Date Visit # To Mile # taxa # "?" # "sp" # "~" # "ssp"
10/21/2003 1 1.9 27 0 3 1 0
10/1/2004 2 1.9 30 0 4 1 0
10/16/2004 3 1.9 31 0 4 1 0
8/16/2006 4 1.2 39 0 1 2 0
8/21/2006 5 1.9 41 0 0 3 0
8/21/2006 5 2.3 42 0 0 4 0
8/28/2006 6 2.3 43 0 1 1 0
8/5/2009 7 2.1 44 0 1 1 0
9/3/2010 8 2.2 44 0 1 1 0
8/11/2016 9 2.3 46 0 0 0 0

The first 0.19 miles was also covered on 10/03/03, with 12 species found. The fieldwork on 8/16/06 was only to mile 1.24.
There are two entries for 8/21/06. The first gives the numbers to mile 1.90, Strawberry Jct., where the guide previously ended. The second gives the numbers to mile 2.33, the end of the first portion of Wellman Cienega.
The hikes on 8/5/09 and 9/3/10 were both with Dave Stith, and were primarily just to get to other locations, with no significant botanizing on this trail.
The Plant Guide

See Plant Checklist For Saddle Junction to Wellman Cienega for a list of the species in the guide below in traditional family order, including links to the Jepson eFlora and Calphotos.
Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page: html (3 pages) or pdf Clickbook booklet (1 double-sided page). (See printing instructions for an explanation of these options)

Mile S # id? Common Name Scientific Name #Pls
0.00 Begin trail heading north at Saddle Junction, elevation 8075 feet (2460 m); trail is in deep sand for 0.07 mile
0.00 b 1 Jeffrey pine Pinus jeffreyi 99 / 9
0.00 b 2 white fir Abies concolor 99 / 9
0.01 r Sign on tree: "Round Valley; San Jacinto Peak (both straight ahead)"
0.01 l PCT post
0.02 b 3 Parish's snowberry Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii 99 / 9
0.02 r 4 pussy paws Calyptridium monospermum 2 / 1
0.02 b 5 San Gabriel beardtongue Penstemon labrosus 30 / 2
0.03 b 6 green-leaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula 99 / 9
0.03 l 7 wax currant Ribes cereum var. cereum 10 / 5
0.04 r 8 California groundcone Kopsiopsis strobilacea 20 / 4
0.05 b 9 bitter cherry Prunus emarginata 99 / 9
0.06 b 10 mountain whitethorn Ceanothus cordulatus 99 / 9
0.08 r 11 changeable phacelia Phacelia mutabilis 20 / 4
0.08 b 12 bracken Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens 99 / 9
0.08 Trails turns left 90°.
0.08 l 13 slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus 1 / 1
0.08 l 14 pinegrove groundsmoke Gayophytum oligospermum 20 / 3
0.08 r (spotted coralroot, Corallorhiza maculata; pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea)
0.13 l 15 Grinnell's beardtongue Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii 3 / 2
0.14 b 16 bush chinquapin Chrysolepis sempervirens 99 / 9
0.14 l PCT post
0.14 Trails turns right 90°.
0.14 Trail covered with deep sand for 0.05 mi.
0.16 r 17 pinedrops Pterospora andromedea 3 / 2
0.19 r (canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis)
0.20 r (sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana)
0.23 Switchback left.
0.27 Switchback right.
0.30 r 18 sugar pine Pinus lambertiana 99 / 9
0.30 Trail curves left 90° at ridge.
0.30 r 19 canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis 7 / 3
0.30 20 3California coffeeberry Frangula californica 1 / 1
0.32 Switchback left.
0.33 r 21 San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina 50 / 9
0.36 Switchback right.
0.39 l 22 Fremont silk tassel Garrya fremontii 20 / 9
0.42 Switchback left.
0.45 Switchback right.
0.53 l 23 short-flowered monardella Monardella nana 10 / 1
0.54 l 24 Sierra gooseberry Ribes roezlii var. roezlii 2 / 2
0.56 Trail curves left 45° at ridge
0.63 Switchback left.
0.64 Switchback right.
0.67 r 25 San Jacinto Mts. keckiella Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis 99 / 9
0.67 r 26 Martin's paintbrush Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii 5 / 2
0.69 Switchback left.
0.82 r 27 mountain California-fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium 50 / 5
0.82 Switchback right.
0.85 Switchback left.
0.88 Switchback right.
0.88 r 28 goldenrod Solidago velutina ssp. californica 50 / 1
0.89 Switchback left.
0.94 Switchback right.
0.99 Switchback left.
1.02 Switchback right.
1.04 l Dead tree "holding up" a boulder with a chin.
1.06 Trail makes a small jag to right and back
1.07 r Desert view
1.07 Switchback left.
1.11 b 29 fragile sheath sedge Carex fracta 30 / 5
1.11 r 30 long-anthered rush Juncus macrandrus 40 / 4
1.11 r 31 Idaho bentgrass Agrostis idahoensis 99 / 3
1.11 l 32 forest goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens 20 / 2
1.12 Switchback right.
1.14 Switchback left.
1.16 r 33 prickly hawkweed Hieracium horridum 2 / 1
1.16 r 34 mountain spray Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus 3 / 1
1.17 r 35 granite prickly phlox Linanthus pungens 3 / 1
1.18 Trail zigzags
1.18 Switchback right
1.18 l 36 Parish's campion Silene parishii 1 / 1
1.22 r 37 little-leaf mock orange Philadelphus microphyllus 1 / 1
1.22 Switchback left.
1.23 l 38 lodgepole pine Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana 99 / 9
1.24 l Trail turns right 90° then left 90°
1.26 Trail turns right 90°, then left 90°.
1.28 l PCT post; then trail zig-zags left-right and up and down
1.32 Cross near top of drainage to right, a branch of Willow Creek, and trail turns right 90°
1.44 Switchback left.
1.46 Trail curves right; local high point on trail at elevation ~8960 feet (2730 m); trail now descends.
1.46 r (limber pine, Pinus flexilis)
1.49 r 39 little prince's pine Chimaphila menziesii 1 / 1
1.50 l (San Jacinto lupine, Lupinus hyacinthinus)
1.50 Cross near top of drainage to right; local low point.
1.54 Local high point on trail; then small up and down quickly, and then sustained downhill
1.60 l 40 pine lousewort Pedicularis semibarbata 40 / 2
1.60 Trail makes broad curve left at ridge
1.64 b 41 San Jacinto lupine Lupinus hyacinthinus 20 / 5
1.65 l 42 4spotted coralroot Corallorhiza maculata 1 / 1
1.71 Local low point on trail at elevation ~8880 feet (2705 m); trail resumes its ascent.
1.74 l 43 white catch-fly Silene verecunda 2 / 1
1.74 l 44 western wallflower Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum 20 / 2
1.82 r PCT post.
1.87 Cross very small drainage to right
1.89 r PCT post.
1.90 l Jct. trail to Strawberry Junction at elevation ~8970 feet (2735 m). Sign: "(left) 1 mi Strawberry Cienega; (left) 2.3 mi Deer Springs Trail; (right) Wellmans Jct 1.3 mi; (right) Round Valley 2.3 mi; (right) San Jacinto Peak 3.5 mi; (back) 1.8 mi Saddle Junction; (back) 4.3 mi Humber Park; (back) 7.3 mi Idyllwild". Stay right and continue to Wellmans Jct.
1.91 l Sign: "Entering Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness…"
1.98 45 limber pine Pinus flexilis 8 / 3
2.11 Leave dense shade; enter chinquapin-dominated area with scattered trees
2.13 b 46 southern mountain-monardella Monardella australis ssp. australis 20 / 3
2.24 Enter Wellman Cienega; end plant trail guide. Use Flora of Wellman Cienega for plants there.

Comments On Specific Species

Elymus trachycaulus. Note from 2006: This plant has a lemma awn of 13.5 mm and a lemma body of 10.2 mm, which would clearly key to ssp. subsecundus, supposedly found only SN, MP. All eight vouchers for this area are just given to the species, which seems eminently reasonable given the clear problems in the subspecies here. It is possible that the subspecies are spurious.
Note from 2018: The Second Edition Jepson Manual got rid of ssp. subsecundus, merging it into ssp. trachycaulus, removing the problem. The only remaining other subspecies is in Greenland.
I thank Ted Caragozian for help with the field work on 11 August 2016.

Visit Date	Visit #	To Mile	# taxa	# "sp"	# "~"
10/21/2003	1	1.9	27	3	1
10/1/2004	2	1.9	30	4	1
10/16/2004	3	1.9	31	4	1
8/16/2006	4	1.2	39	1	2
8/21/2006	5	1.9	41	0	3
8/21/2006	5	2.3	42	0	4
8/28/2006	6	2.3	43	1	1
8/5/2009	7	2.1	44	1	1
9/3/2010	8	2.2	44	1	1
8/11/2016	9	2.3	46	0	0

Mile	S	#	Common Name	Scientific Name	#Pls
0.00			Begin trail heading north at Saddle Junction, elevation 8075 feet (2460 m); trail is in deep sand for 0.07 mile
0.00	b	1	Jeffrey pine	Pinus jeffreyi	99 / 9
0.00	b	2	white fir	Abies concolor	99 / 9
0.01	r		Sign on tree: "Round Valley; San Jacinto Peak (both straight ahead)"
0.01	l		PCT post
0.02	b	3	Parish's snowberry	Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii	99 / 9
0.02	r	4	pussy paws	Calyptridium monospermum	2 / 1
0.02	b	5	San Gabriel beardtongue	Penstemon labrosus	30 / 2
0.03	b	6	green-leaf manzanita	Arctostaphylos patula	99 / 9
0.03	l	7	wax currant	Ribes cereum var. cereum	10 / 5
0.04	r	8	California groundcone	Kopsiopsis strobilacea	20 / 4
0.05	b	9	bitter cherry	Prunus emarginata	99 / 9
0.06	b	10	mountain whitethorn	Ceanothus cordulatus	99 / 9
0.08	r	11	changeable phacelia	Phacelia mutabilis	20 / 4
0.08	b	12	bracken	Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens	99 / 9
0.08			Trails turns left 90°.
0.08	l	13	slender wheatgrass	Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus	1 / 1
0.08	l	14	pinegrove groundsmoke	Gayophytum oligospermum	20 / 3
0.08	r		(spotted coralroot, Corallorhiza maculata; pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea)
0.13	l	15	Grinnell's beardtongue	Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii	3 / 2
0.14	b	16	bush chinquapin	Chrysolepis sempervirens	99 / 9
0.14	l		PCT post
0.14			Trails turns right 90°.
0.14			Trail covered with deep sand for 0.05 mi.
0.16	r	17	pinedrops	Pterospora andromedea	3 / 2
0.19	r		(canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis)
0.20	r		(sugar pine, Pinus lambertiana)
0.23			Switchback left.
0.27			Switchback right.
0.30	r	18	sugar pine	Pinus lambertiana	99 / 9
0.30			Trail curves left 90° at ridge.
0.30	r	19	canyon live oak	Quercus chrysolepis	7 / 3
0.30		20	3California coffeeberry	Frangula californica	1 / 1
0.32			Switchback left.
0.33	r	21	San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush	Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina	50 / 9
0.36			Switchback right.
0.39	l	22	Fremont silk tassel	Garrya fremontii	20 / 9
0.42			Switchback left.
0.45			Switchback right.
0.53	l	23	short-flowered monardella	Monardella nana	10 / 1
0.54	l	24	Sierra gooseberry	Ribes roezlii var. roezlii	2 / 2
0.56			Trail curves left 45° at ridge
0.63			Switchback left.
0.64			Switchback right.
0.67	r	25	San Jacinto Mts. keckiella	Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis	99 / 9
0.67	r	26	Martin's paintbrush	Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii	5 / 2
0.69			Switchback left.
0.82	r	27	mountain California-fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium	50 / 5
0.82			Switchback right.
0.85			Switchback left.
0.88			Switchback right.
0.88	r	28	goldenrod	Solidago velutina ssp. californica	50 / 1
0.89			Switchback left.
0.94			Switchback right.
0.99			Switchback left.
1.02			Switchback right.
1.04	l		Dead tree "holding up" a boulder with a chin.
1.06			Trail makes a small jag to right and back
1.07	r		Desert view
1.07			Switchback left.
1.11	b	29	fragile sheath sedge	Carex fracta	30 / 5
1.11	r	30	long-anthered rush	Juncus macrandrus	40 / 4
1.11	r	31	Idaho bentgrass	Agrostis idahoensis	99 / 3
1.11	l	32	forest goosefoot	Chenopodium atrovirens	20 / 2
1.12			Switchback right.
1.14			Switchback left.
1.16	r	33	prickly hawkweed	Hieracium horridum	2 / 1
1.16	r	34	mountain spray	Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus	3 / 1
1.17	r	35	granite prickly phlox	Linanthus pungens	3 / 1
1.18			Trail zigzags
1.18			Switchback right
1.18	l	36	Parish's campion	Silene parishii	1 / 1
1.22	r	37	little-leaf mock orange	Philadelphus microphyllus	1 / 1
1.22			Switchback left.
1.23	l	38	lodgepole pine	Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana	99 / 9
1.24	l		Trail turns right 90° then left 90°
1.26			Trail turns right 90°, then left 90°.
1.28	l		PCT post; then trail zig-zags left-right and up and down
1.32			Cross near top of drainage to right, a branch of Willow Creek, and trail turns right 90°
1.44			Switchback left.
1.46			Trail curves right; local high point on trail at elevation ~8960 feet (2730 m); trail now descends.
1.46	r		(limber pine, Pinus flexilis)
1.49	r	39	little prince's pine	Chimaphila menziesii	1 / 1
1.50	l		(San Jacinto lupine, Lupinus hyacinthinus)
1.50			Cross near top of drainage to right; local low point.
1.54			Local high point on trail; then small up and down quickly, and then sustained downhill
1.60	l	40	pine lousewort	Pedicularis semibarbata	40 / 2
1.60			Trail makes broad curve left at ridge
1.64	b	41	San Jacinto lupine	Lupinus hyacinthinus	20 / 5
1.65	l	42	4spotted coralroot	Corallorhiza maculata	1 / 1
1.71			Local low point on trail at elevation ~8880 feet (2705 m); trail resumes its ascent.
1.74	l	43	white catch-fly	Silene verecunda	2 / 1
1.74	l	44	western wallflower	Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum	20 / 2
1.82	r		PCT post.
1.87			Cross very small drainage to right
1.89	r		PCT post.
1.90	l		Jct. trail to Strawberry Junction at elevation ~8970 feet (2735 m). Sign: "(left) 1 mi Strawberry Cienega; (left) 2.3 mi Deer Springs Trail; (right) Wellmans Jct 1.3 mi; (right) Round Valley 2.3 mi; (right) San Jacinto Peak 3.5 mi; (back) 1.8 mi Saddle Junction; (back) 4.3 mi Humber Park; (back) 7.3 mi Idyllwild". Stay right and continue to Wellmans Jct.
1.91	l		Sign: "Entering Mt. San Jacinto State Park Wilderness…"
1.98		45	limber pine	Pinus flexilis	8 / 3
2.11			Leave dense shade; enter chinquapin-dominated area with scattered trees
2.13	b	46	southern mountain-monardella	Monardella australis ssp. australis	20 / 3
2.24			Enter Wellman Cienega; end plant trail guide. Use Flora of Wellman Cienega for plants there.

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Copyright © 2003-2018 by Tom Chester.
Permission is freely granted to reproduce any or all of this page as long as credit is given to me at this source:
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Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 24 July 2018.