Plant Guide to Wellman Divide to San Jacinto Peak, San Jacinto Mountains

Plant Guide to Wellman Divide to San Jacinto Peak, San Jacinto Mountains

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

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

Wellman Divide, elevation ~9720 feet, can be reached from Humber Park via the Devils Slide Trail, PCT and Wellman Trail, or from the upper Palm Springs Tramway Station via the Round Valley Trail. The trail is somewhere between 2.0 and 2.3 miles long, with ~1120 total feet of elevation gain.
A free wilderness permit is required, available at the Long Valley Ranger Station or at the Idyllwild Forest Service Office.
Highlights of This Trail

The botanical highlights of this trail are:

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

Histogram not updated from latest field work.
The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail (not including the taxa seen only off-trail given at the end of the guide). We had 109 trails in our database when this histogram was made; 10 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 "10" 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 0 0%
2 0 0%
3 1 6%
4 0 0%
5 0 0%

1-5 1 6%
6-10 4 25%
11-15 8 50%
16-20 1 6%
21-25 1 6%
26-30 1 6%
Total Taxa 16 100%

We found 2 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.
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"
8/7/2007 1 12 1 1 0 0
8/12/2007 2 18 0 2 0 0
7/3/2008 3 22 0 1 1 0
7/15/2008 4 23 0 1 1 0

The fieldwork on 8/7/07 was only to mile 1.18.
We thank Eric Baecht, Gabi and Cliff McLean for help with the fieldwork on 8/12/07, and Dave Stith, Anne Kelly and Aaron Fellows for help with the fieldwork on 7/3/08. Mountain goats Anne and Aaron found the Ranunculus and Oxyria in the Snow Canyon snowmelt gully.

Botanical Trip Reports

7 August 2007
12 August 2007
The Plant Guide

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)
The mileages in the guide come from Topo!, and thus may be underestimated due to tight switchbacks near the Peak. The mileage of this trail according to Tom Harrison maps is 2.3 miles.

Mile S # id? Common Name Latin Name #here
0.00 l Begin guide at Wellman Divide; elevation ~9720 feet (2963 m); Sign: "[ahead] San Jacinto Peak 2.3 mi; [right] Round Valley 1.0 mi; Long Valley 3.0 mi"; (bracken, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens)
0.00 b 1 Parish's snowberry Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii 99 / 9
0.00 l 2 bush chinquapin Chrysolepis sempervirens 99 / 9
0.00 l (white fir, Abies concolor)
0.00 b 3 San Jacinto lupine Lupinus hyacinthinus 99 / 9
0.00 r 4 limber pine Pinus flexilis 50 / 9
0.01 b 5 lodgepole pine Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana 99 / 9
0.08 l (Jeffrey pine, Pinus jeffreyi)
0.09 b 6 San Jacinto Mts. keckiella Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis 50 / 9
0.09 r View of Tram Station
0.10 r 7 southern mountain-monardella Monardella australis ssp. australis 40 / 9
0.13 l 8 San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina 30 / 9
0.14 r (wax currant, Ribes cereum var. cereum)
0.14 b (ranger's buttons, Sphenosciadium capitellatum)
0.15 r (Martin's paintbrush, Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii)
0.28 l 9 white fir Abies concolor 7 / 2
0.28 l 10 ranger's buttons Sphenosciadium capitellatum 20 / 9
0.43 r (green-leaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula; 3 plants)
0.46 l 11 Parish's campion Silene parishii 3 / 2
0.62 b 12 brown sedge Carex subfusca 55 / 2
0.65 Switchback left
0.66 l 13 Watson's spike-moss Selaginella watsonii 10 / 2
0.66 Switchback right
0.76 Elevation 10,000 feet (3048 m)
0.91 l Cross broad drainage (mountain spray, Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus, in distance)
1.00 l (closer mountain spray, Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus)
1.09 l (shaggy-haired alumroot, Heuchera hirsutissima, 30 feet above trail)
1.10 r 14 wax currant Ribes cereum var. cereum 5 / 5
1.18 Miller Peak is dead ahead to the north; Jean Peak is the prominent peak south of here
1.35 r 15 Ross' sedge Carex rossii 10 / 3
1.35 Switchback left near Miller Peak; elevation 10,400 feet (3170 m)
1.53 r 16 pine lousewort Pedicularis semibarbata 1 / 1
1.68 r 17 Parish's bedstraw Galium parishii 1 / 1
1.68 r 18 brittle bladder fern Cystopteris fragilis 1 / 1
1.73 r Jct. Deer Springs Trail (ahead) and trail to San Jacinto Peak (right); go right; elevation ~10,580 feet (3225 m); sign: "[left] Little Round Valley 1.3 mi; Deer Springs 8.0 mi; Banning Highway 9.5 mi; Idyllwild 10.0 mi; [right] Peak 0.3 mi; [back] Wellman Divide 1.8 mi; Round Valley 2.8 mi; Tram 4.3 mi; Humber Park 7.3 mi"
1.77 Switchback left
1.77 r 19 mountain gooseberry Ribes montigenum 10 / 2
1.86 Y-jct with cut switchback on left; stay right
1.89 Switchback left
1.90 Jct. other end of cut-switchback use trail
1.91 r Jct. path to warming rock-shelter hut
1.95 Small saddle
1.97 r 20 mountain California-fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium 5 / 1
1.97 Trail is braided now, and soon disappears, so no "side" is given for the remaining species; scramble over the boulders to get to the peak
1.98 21 shaggy-haired alumroot Heuchera hirsutissima 10 / 1
1.99 r 22 mountain spray Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus 5 / 1
2.00 San Jacinto Peak, elevation 10,842 feet (3305 m)
2.00 n (about 20 feet below summit, in Snow Creek gully: Eschscholtz's buttercup, Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus; alpine mountain-sorrel, Oxyria digyna)

Species found by Hall in 1902 within 100 feet elevation of summit not on guide:
western columbine Aquilegia formosa /
pussy paws Calyptridium monospermum /
San Jacinto rock draba Draba saxosa /
spike trisetum Trisetum spicatum /

Additional species vouchered above 10,000 feet (3048 m)
Parry's sand cress Calyptridium parryi var. parryi /
many-ribbed sedge Carex multicostata /
American parsley fern Cryptogramma acrostichoides /
prickly hawkweed Hieracium horridum /
beautiful hulsea Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha /
San Gabriel beardtongue Penstemon labrosus /
few-flowered clover Trifolium monanthum var. grantianum /

Mile: 0.00 includes all mileages from 0.000 to 0.009; etc.
Side: Side of trail on which the first occurrence is found: left, right, both, or center
#: On-Trail species are numbered in order of first occurrence on trail (touchable without leaving the trail). Off-trail species are in parentheses.
id?: Species without an entry in this column are positively identified. "?" means we are just guessing the identification; "sp" means the genera is probably known, but the species name is uncertain; "~" means we have 95% confidence that this is the determination, but have not yet positively identified it; "ssp" means the subspecies or variety needs to be determined.
#here gives the minimum number of on-trail plants of this species on this trail, with the number of locations on this trail following the /, using maximum values of 99/9. 1/1 means a single plant in a single location; 20/9 means 20 plants occurring in at least 9 locations, etc.
Comments On Specific Species

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
1	0	0%
2	0	0%
3	1	6%
4	0	0%
5	0	0%

1-5	1	6%
6-10	4	25%
11-15	8	50%
16-20	1	6%
21-25	1	6%
26-30	1	6%
Total Taxa	16	100%

Visit Date	Visit #	# taxa	# "?"	# "sp"	# "~"
8/7/2007	1	12	1	1	0
8/12/2007	2	18	0	2	0
7/3/2008	3	22	0	1	1
7/15/2008	4	23	0	1	1

Mile	S	#	Common Name	Latin Name	#here
0.00	l		Begin guide at Wellman Divide; elevation ~9720 feet (2963 m); Sign: "[ahead] San Jacinto Peak 2.3 mi; [right] Round Valley 1.0 mi; Long Valley 3.0 mi"; (bracken, Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens)
0.00	b	1	Parish's snowberry	Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii	99 / 9
0.00	l	2	bush chinquapin	Chrysolepis sempervirens	99 / 9
0.00	l		(white fir, Abies concolor)
0.00	b	3	San Jacinto lupine	Lupinus hyacinthinus	99 / 9
0.00	r	4	limber pine	Pinus flexilis	50 / 9
0.01	b	5	lodgepole pine	Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana	99 / 9
0.08	l		(Jeffrey pine, Pinus jeffreyi)
0.09	b	6	San Jacinto Mts. keckiella	Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis	50 / 9
0.09	r		View of Tram Station
0.10	r	7	southern mountain-monardella	Monardella australis ssp. australis	40 / 9
0.13	l	8	San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush	Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina	30 / 9
0.14	r		(wax currant, Ribes cereum var. cereum)
0.14	b		(ranger's buttons, Sphenosciadium capitellatum)
0.15	r		(Martin's paintbrush, Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii)
0.28	l	9	white fir	Abies concolor	7 / 2
0.28	l	10	ranger's buttons	Sphenosciadium capitellatum	20 / 9
0.43	r		(green-leaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula; 3 plants)
0.46	l	11	Parish's campion	Silene parishii	3 / 2
0.62	b	12	brown sedge	Carex subfusca	55 / 2
0.65			Switchback left
0.66	l	13	Watson's spike-moss	Selaginella watsonii	10 / 2
0.66			Switchback right
0.76			Elevation 10,000 feet (3048 m)
0.91	l		Cross broad drainage (mountain spray, Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus, in distance)
1.00	l		(closer mountain spray, Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus)
1.09	l		(shaggy-haired alumroot, Heuchera hirsutissima, 30 feet above trail)
1.10	r	14	wax currant	Ribes cereum var. cereum	5 / 5
1.18			Miller Peak is dead ahead to the north; Jean Peak is the prominent peak south of here
1.35	r	15	Ross' sedge	Carex rossii	10 / 3
1.35			Switchback left near Miller Peak; elevation 10,400 feet (3170 m)
1.53	r	16	pine lousewort	Pedicularis semibarbata	1 / 1
1.68	r	17	Parish's bedstraw	Galium parishii	1 / 1
1.68	r	18	brittle bladder fern	Cystopteris fragilis	1 / 1
1.73	r		Jct. Deer Springs Trail (ahead) and trail to San Jacinto Peak (right); go right; elevation ~10,580 feet (3225 m); sign: "[left] Little Round Valley 1.3 mi; Deer Springs 8.0 mi; Banning Highway 9.5 mi; Idyllwild 10.0 mi; [right] Peak 0.3 mi; [back] Wellman Divide 1.8 mi; Round Valley 2.8 mi; Tram 4.3 mi; Humber Park 7.3 mi"
1.77			Switchback left
1.77	r	19	mountain gooseberry	Ribes montigenum	10 / 2
1.86			Y-jct with cut switchback on left; stay right
1.89			Switchback left
1.90			Jct. other end of cut-switchback use trail
1.91	r		Jct. path to warming rock-shelter hut
1.95			Small saddle
1.97	r	20	mountain California-fuchsia	Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium	5 / 1
1.97			Trail is braided now, and soon disappears, so no "side" is given for the remaining species; scramble over the boulders to get to the peak
1.98		21	shaggy-haired alumroot	Heuchera hirsutissima	10 / 1
1.99	r	22	mountain spray	Holodiscus discolor var. microphyllus	5 / 1
2.00			San Jacinto Peak, elevation 10,842 feet (3305 m)
2.00	n		(about 20 feet below summit, in Snow Creek gully: Eschscholtz's buttercup, Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus; alpine mountain-sorrel, Oxyria digyna)

			Species found by Hall in 1902 within 100 feet elevation of summit not on guide:
			western columbine	Aquilegia formosa	/
			pussy paws	Calyptridium monospermum	/
			San Jacinto rock draba	Draba saxosa	/
			spike trisetum	Trisetum spicatum	/

			Additional species vouchered above 10,000 feet (3048 m)
			Parry's sand cress	Calyptridium parryi var. parryi	/
			many-ribbed sedge	Carex multicostata	/
			American parsley fern	Cryptogramma acrostichoides	/
			prickly hawkweed	Hieracium horridum	/
			beautiful hulsea	Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha	/
			San Gabriel beardtongue	Penstemon labrosus	/
			few-flowered clover	Trifolium monanthum var. grantianum	/

Go to:

Flora of San Jacinto Mountain
Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2007-2017 by Tom Chester, James Dillane, and Pete Dodge.
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/wellman_SnJt_peak.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 23 July 2017.