Plant Guide to Laws Loop (Willow Creek Trail, Laws Camp, Caramba 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 The plant guide itself is current through 9 July 2018, but the rest of the text on this page has not yet been updated.
This Loop begins at Saddle Junction, and follows the Willow Creek Trail to the junction with the connector trail that heads to Laws Junction on the Caramba Trail. The guide then follows the Caramba Trail back to Saddle Junction.
The Willow Creek Trail begins at Saddle Junction, which is at the top of the Devils Slide Trail in the San Jacinto Mountains. It heads E-NE from Saddle Junction, crosses Willow Creek at mile 1.41, and meets the connector trail at mile 1.84.
Interestingly, there seems to be no formal name for this trail. Robinson, in his 1986 San Bernardino Mountain Trails, simply says At Saddle Junction take the trail fork leading northeast, marked "Willow Creek" and "Long Valley".
Highlights of This Trail The botanical highlights of this trail are:
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 66 trails in my database when this histogram was made. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in my database.
Histogram not updated since 2004.
Number of Trails
Containing A TaxonNumber Of Taxa
On This Trail% of Taxa
On This Trail1 4 12% 2 2 6% 3 4 12% 4 3 9% 5 1 3% 1-5 14 42% 6-10 10 30% 11-15 7 21% 16-20 1 3% 21-25 1 3% Total Taxa 33 100% I found 10 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 have no entry in the #all column.
Fieldwork Dates and Summary of List Changes With Time The following table gives the dates the trail was walked and when notes were made for the field guide.
Visit Date Farthest Mile Surveyed Notes made to update guide 06/13/02 1.41 yes 06/20/02 0.58 yes 08/28/03 0.58 yes 10/09/04 1.58 yes 07/14/06 0.98 yes 07/19/06 1.70 yes 11/08/06 0.58 yes 06/03/07 1.84 yes 06/20/07 5.04 yes 06/20/08 0.58 no 07/28/09 1.41 yes 08/01/09 1.41 no 07/01/11 0.58 no 07/06/11 0.30 yes 07/11/11 0.58 yes 07/26/11 0.58 yes 06/16/12 5.04 yes The fieldwork on 6/13/02 was only cursory, noting just a few species from memory.
The following table gives some of the early information on the total number of taxa on the list and the breakdown of the taxa without positive identification, after each survey. See Explanation of Plant Trail Guides to understand the symbols below.
Visit Date Visit # # taxa # "?" # "sp" # "~" # "ssp" 6/13/2002 1 12 4 6/20/2002 2 32 7 10 0 0 8/28/2003 3 43 4 9 3 1 The guide was not updated after each of the trips after 8/28/03, so the information isn't readily available to update the table above.
The Plant Guide See Plant Checklist For Laws Loop Trail for a list of the species in the guide below in traditional family order, including links to the Jepson eFlora and Calphotos.
The Plant guide incorporates all fieldwork up to and including that on 7/9/18.
The plant guide uses the 2012 second edition Jepson Manual names.
Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page: html (7 pages) or pdf Clickbook booklet (2 double-sided pages). (See printing instructions for an explanation of these options)
Mile S # id? Common Name Scientific Name #here 0.00 Begin trail at Saddle Junction; elevation 8075 feet (2460 m) 0.00 b 1 Jeffrey pine Pinus jeffreyi 99 / 9 0.00 b 2 white fir Abies concolor 99 / 9 0.01 l Sign: "Skunk Cabbage; Willow Creek; Long Valley" with an arrow pointing ahead. 0.02 b 3 Sierra Nevada lotus Acmispon nevadensis var. nevadensis 99 / 9 0.02 l 4 pinegrove groundsmoke Gayophytum oligospermum 99 / 5 0.02 l (San Gabriel beardtongue, Penstemon labrosus; Parish's snowberry, Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii) 0.02 b 5 pussy paws Calyptridium monospermum 99 / 3 0.03 r 6 Elmer's needlegrass Stipa occidentalis var. pubescens 5 / 3 0.03 r (squirreltail, Elymus elymoides) 0.05 b 7 Parish's snowberry Symphoricarpos rotundifolius var. parishii 99 / 9 0.05 r 8 spotted coralroot Corallorhiza maculata 99 / 9 0.06 Trail turns left 90° 0.07 l 9 San Gabriel beardtongue Penstemon labrosus 30 / 2 0.07 l 10 western wallflower Erysimum capitatum var. capitatum 99 / 9 0.07 l 11 Fremont's goosefoot Chenopodium fremontii 99 / 5 0.07 l 12 groundsmoke Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum 99 / 2 0.07 l 13 changeable phacelia Phacelia mutabilis 99 / 9 0.09 b 14 fragile sheath sedge Carex fracta 99 / 9 0.09 r 15 Scouler's willow Salix scouleriana 50 / 4 0.09 b 16 fringed brome Bromus richardsonii 18 / 1 0.09 r 17 Nevada cinquefoil Drymocallis lactea var. lactea 40 / 3 0.09 Cross dry drainage. 0.09 r 18 Brewer's monkeyflower Mimulus breweri 5 / 1 0.09 r (musk monkeyflower, Mimulus moschatus; larger mountain monkeyflower, Mimulus tilingii) 0.09 l 19 bracken Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens 99 / 9 0.09 r 20 wax currant Ribes cereum var. cereum 20 / 9 0.12 r (pine lousewort, Pedicularis semibarbata) 0.13 r 21 San Jacinto lupine Lupinus hyacinthinus 99 / 9 0.13 b 22 pine lousewort Pedicularis semibarbata 70 / 9 0.13 l 23 white catch-fly Silene verecunda 99 / 9 0.16 l 24 Cleveland's horkelia Horkelia clevelandii var. clevelandii 20 / 2 0.19 l (mountain mugwort, Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. incompta) 0.19 r (California corn lily, Veratrum californicum var. californicum) 0.19 r (pinedrops, Pterospora andromedea) 0.20 r 25 horseweed Erigeron canadensis 1 / 1 0.20 r 26 *downy brome Bromus tectorum 99 / 9 0.20 r 27 mountain whitethorn Ceanothus cordulatus 99 / 9 0.23 r 28 mountain mugwort Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. incompta 99 / 9 0.28 l (slender wheatgrass, Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus) 0.29 l 29 purple false-gilia Allophyllum divaricatum 2 / 1 0.32 l (bitter cherry, Prunus emarginata) 0.32 This area is said to have the finest bracken stand in all of southern California (Vogel 1976) 0.34 r (ranger's buttons, Sphenosciadium capitellatum) 0.37 r 30 little false-solomon's-seal Maianthemum stellatum 99 / 2 0.37 l 31 plain mariposa lily Calochortus invenustus 30 / 2 0.37 l 32 ~ pine violet Viola pinetorum ssp. pinetorum 2 / 1 0.37 r (California brome, Bromus carinatus var. carinatus) 0.38 b 33 yarrow Achillea millefolium 99 / 5 0.38 r (lemon lily, Lilium parryi) 0.38 b 34 blue wildrye Elymus glaucus ssp. glaucus 99 / 9 0.38 l 35 squirreltail Elymus elymoides 99 / 9 0.39 l 36 ranger's buttons Sphenosciadium capitellatum 99 / 5 0.39 r 37 California brome Bromus carinatus var. carinatus 99 / 9 0.40 r View of Skunk Cabbage Meadow 0.41 b 38 Parish's lupine Lupinus latifolius var. parishii 6 / 1 0.41 l 39 vari-nerved sedge Carex heteroneura 2 / 1 0.41 l 40 Kentucky blue grass Poa pratensis ssp. agassizensis 99 / 1 0.41 b 41 abrupt-beak sedge Carex abrupta 50 / 2 0.41 l 42 musk monkeyflower Mimulus moschatus 99 / 1 0.41 l 43 Idaho bentgrass Agrostis idahoensis x / 0.41 b 44 mountain carpet clover Trifolium monanthum ssp. grantianum 5 / 1 0.41 l 45 slender wheatgrass Elymus trachycaulus ssp. trachycaulus 75 / 9 0.41 l 46 glandular willowherb Epilobium ciliatum ssp. glandulosum 5 / 1 0.41 l 47 western bistort Bistorta bistortoides 15 / 1 0.41 b 48 slender hairgrass Deschampsia elongata 99 / 3 0.41 b 49 slender cinquefoil Potentilla gracilis var. fastigiata 20 / 2 0.41 l 50 Parish's yampah Perideridia parishii 5 / 1 0.41 l 51 western marsh cudweed Gnaphalium palustre 10 / 1 0.41 r 52 mat muhly Muhlenbergia richardsonis 1 / 1 0.42 l 53 lemon lily Lilium parryi 50 / 3 0.45 r 54 goldenrod Solidago velutina ssp. californica 99 / 5 0.46 Cross small drainage 0.48 b 55 rigid hedge-nettle Stachys rigida 20 / 2 0.48 r 56 long-anthered rush Juncus macrandrus 99 / 1 0.48 r 57 larger mountain monkeyflower Mimulus tilingii 99 / 9 0.48 l 58 tinker's penny Hypericum anagalloides 10 / 1 0.48 b 59 thyme-leaved speedwell Veronica serpyllifolia ssp. humifusa 10 / 1 0.48 l 60 swamp sedge Carex senta 50 / 3 0.48 l 61 small white violet Viola macloskeyi 30 / 1 0.48 Cross wet drainage with a low depression to the left. 0.48 r 62 floriferous monkeyflower Mimulus floribundus 20 / 2 0.48 b 63 spike bentgrass Agrostis exarata 10 / 1 0.52 r Skunk Cabbage Jct.: elevation ~8000 feet (2438 m); jct. trail to Tahquitz Valley; continue ahead; trail flat for next 0.3 miles 0.61 r 64 pinedrops Pterospora andromedea 20 / 9 0.61 l 65 wild tarragon Artemisia dracunculus 99 / 9 0.61 l Jct. trail to campsite 0.74 r 66 Wright's buckwheat Eriogonum wrightii var. subscaposum 99 / 9 0.74 b 67 San Bernardino rubber rabbitbrush Ericameria nauseosa var. bernardina 99 / 9 0.74 r Jct. trail to campsite 0.77 Leave bracken and wet area 0.78 l 68 forest goosefoot Chenopodium atrovirens 4 / 1 0.80 Trail resumes descent 0.81 l (green-leaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula) 0.83 l (southern mountain-monardella, Monardella australis ssp. australis) 0.84 l (Davidson's buckwheat, Eriogonum davidsonii; California thistle, Cirsium occidentale var. californicum; rock buckwheat, Eriogonum saxatile) 0.86 l 69 twiggy wreath plant Stephanomeria virgata 20 / 9 0.87 l 70 Martin's paintbrush Castilleja applegatei ssp. martinii 20 / 3 0.87 l 71 broad-leaved lotus Hosackia crassifolia var. crassifolia 99 / 2 0.88 b 72 glaucus willowherb Epilobium glaberrimum ssp. glaberrimum 50 / 9 0.88 Cross moist drainage and ascend briefly 0.88 l 73 slender everlasting Pseudognaphalium thermale 5 / 4 0.93 r 74 short-flowered monardella Monardella nana 99 / 9 0.93 r (naked buckwheat, Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum) 0.94 Cross small dry drainage 0.98 Cross drainage; willows resprouting here from small lightning-caused fire in 2000, but kept low by deer 0.99 b 75 San Jacinto buckwheat Eriogonum apiculatum 99 / 5 1.01 r 76 zig-zag gayophytum Gayophytum heterozygum 25 / 1.01 l 77 bitter cherry Prunus emarginata 99 / 9 1.01 Cross small drainage 1.06 l (bush chinquapin, Chrysolepis sempervirens) 1.09 l (leafy daisy, Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus) 1.09 Cross small drainage 1.09 l 78 naked buckwheat Eriogonum nudum var. pauciflorum 80 / 9 1.10 l (incense-cedar, Calocedrus decurrens) 1.12 r (Grinnell's beardtongue, Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii) 1.12 l (Sierra gooseberry, Ribes roezlii var. roezlii) 1.13 79 San Jacinto Mts. keckiella Keckiella rothrockii var. jacintensis 10 / 3 1.15 r (fir dwarf-mistletoe, Arceuthobium campylopodum) 1.16 r 80 California black oak Quercus kelloggii 1 / 1 1.17 l 81 hybrid manzanita Arctostaphylos patula X A. pringlei ssp. drupacea 2 / 1 1.19 l (canyon live oak, Quercus chrysolepis) 1.23 l 82 Sierra gooseberry Ribes roezlii var. roezlii 60 / 7 1.24 l 83 leafy daisy Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus 99 / 2 1.26 l 84 beaked penstemon Penstemon rostriflorus 50 / 5 1.26 b 85 bush chinquapin Chrysolepis sempervirens 50 / 9 1.30 r 86 California-aster Corethrogyne filaginifolia 12 / 2 1.31 b 87 green-leaf manzanita Arctostaphylos patula 99 / 9 1.31 l 88 red-rayed hulsea Hulsea heterochroma 3 / 2 1.32 b 89 sugar pine Pinus lambertiana 5 / 1.32 r 90 canyon live oak Quercus chrysolepis 50 / 9 1.35 l 91 Nevin's bird's beak Cordylanthus nevinii 1 / 1 1.36 r (snow-plant, Sarcodes sanguinea) 1.36 l 92 pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata 50 / 1 1.36 l 93 Ross' sedge Carex rossii x / 1.37 r (fir mistletoe, Phoradendron bolleanum) 1.38 r 94 mountain pink currant Ribes nevadense 10 / 2 1.38 r 95 western columbine Aquilegia formosa 30 / 2 1.38 b 96 pearlwort Sagina saginoides 10 / 1 1.38 b 97 brittle bladder fern Cystopteris fragilis 1 / 1 1.38 b 98 tall mannagrass Glyceria elata 75 / 2 1.38 Cross Willow Creek; local low point; elevation ~7800 feet (2377 m) 1.38 r 99 bull thistle Cirsium vulgare 4 / 1 1.38 l 100 streambank lotus Hosackia oblongifolia var. oblongifolia 10 / 1 1.38 l 101 giant red paintbrush Castilleja miniata ssp. miniata 1 / 1 1.38 r 102 western azalea Rhododendron occidentale 10 / 2 1.38 l (hairy wood rush, Luzula comosa) 1.38 r 103 sticky cinquefoil Drymocallis glandulosa var. viscida 5 / 1 1.38 l 104 Grinnell's beardtongue Penstemon grinnellii var. grinnellii 99 / 9 1.39 r 105 fir dwarf-mistletoe Arceuthobium campylopodum 15 / 1 1.41 l 106 Davidson's buckwheat Eriogonum davidsonii 33 / 3 1.44 b 107 prickly-nut cryptantha Cryptantha muricata var. denticulata 5 / 1 1.55 r (purple nightshade, Solanum xanti) 1.58 Local high point; elevation ~7880 feet (2402 m) 1.70 r 108 yellow willow Salix lutea 2 / 2 1.70 Cross creek (short tributary to Willow Creek) with running water; local low point; elevation 7840 feet (2390 m) 1.74 l 109 mountain rock-cress Boechera retrofracta X 12 / 2 1.74 b 110 coyote tobacco Nicotiana attenuata 99 / 1 1.75 l 111 false monkeyflower Mimulus pilosus 19 / 1 1.76 Trail turns right 90° 1.76 l 112 purple nightshade Solanum xanti 10 / 2 1.82 r Jct trail to Laws; local high point; elevation ~7900 feet (2408 m); turn right and go to Laws Camp 1.82 l Sign: "Laws (to right)" 1.88 l 113 mountain California-fuchsia Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium 99 / 3 1.99 l 114 mountain red-root cryptantha Cryptantha micrantha var. lepida 99 / 1 1.99 Trail curves right at drainage and then curves left 2.00 r View of entire Tahquitz ridge 2.05 b 115 granite prickly phlox Linanthus pungens 4 / 1 2.05 r 116 Yosemite rockcress Boechera repanda 1 / 1 2.12 b Switchback left, then trail makes half circle on flattened spot; many dead firs with dead fir mistletoe, Phoradendron bolleanum here 2.15 Good view of desert 2.17 r 117 splendid gilia Saltugilia splendens ssp. splendens 99 / 6 2.18 l 118 beautiful hulsea Hulsea vestita ssp. callicarpha 65 / 2 2.19 r 119 June grass Koeleria macrantha x / 2.19 r 120 ? San Jacinto Mtns. bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. jacinticum x / 2.22 Switchback left 2.35 Trail curves right 2.36 r 121 incense-cedar Calocedrus decurrens 30 / 3 2.41 Long switchback right 2.41 r 122 narrowleaf bedstraw Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium x / 2.44 r (Interesting green-leaf manzanita, Arctostaphylos patula, which appears to have split a boulder) 2.54 Switchback left 2.65 Trail curves right 2.69 b 123 breakfast bedstraw Kelloggia galioides 99 / 3 2.70 l ~ (~willowherb, ~Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ?) 2.70 Cross Willow Creek again; elevation 7440 feet (2268 m) 2.70 r Sign: "Willow Creek (back); Long Valley (back)"; Trail turns left 90° 2.72 r (Fendler's meadow-rue, Thalictrum fendleri var. fendleri) 2.74 l (Campsites on other side of Willow Creek) 2.74 r 124 Hall's brome Bromus hallii 40 / 2.85 Laws Jct.; jct. Caramba Trail; go right on it; low point on loop, elevation ~7425 feet (2263 m) 3.16 l 125 southern miner's lettuce Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana 80 / 1 3.25 r 126 tall trisetum Trisetum canescens x / 3.25 Cross lush creek without water 3.25 l 127 bigleaf lupine Lupinus polyphyllus var. burkei x / 3.26 l 128 thimbleberry Rubus parviflorus 40 / 1 3.26 l (California geranium, Geranium californicum, along bank of creek) 3.33 Trail curves left at small drainage (closer California corn lily, Veratrum californicum var. californicum) 3.64 l First good view of Tahquitz Creek 3.71 r 129 Utah service-berry Amelanchier utahensis 1 / 1 3.74 Cross drainage in moist area 3.87 r 130 spear-leaved mountain dandelion Agoseris retrorsa 3 / 1 3.88 r 131 Fendler's meadow-rue Thalictrum fendleri var. fendleri 10 / 3 3.95 b 132 Mexican rush Juncus mexicanus 10 / 1 3.96 Cross moist drainage 3.97 r Sign: "Candy's Creek" 4.42 Jct. trail to Skunk Cabbage Meadow (r) and Tahquitz Meadow (l) 4.65 r 133 southern mountain-monardella Monardella australis ssp. australis 99 / 1 5.02 Saddle Junction; end loop Plants only found off-trail: 0.19 134 California corn lily Veratrum californicum var. californicum 99 / 0.84 135 California thistle Cirsium occidentale var. californicum 15 / 0.84 136 rock buckwheat Eriogonum saxatile 1 / 1.36 137 snow-plant Sarcodes sanguinea OT / 1.37 138 fir mistletoe Phoradendron bolleanum OT / 1.38 139 hairy wood rush Luzula comosa OT / 3.26 140 California geranium Geranium californicum OT /
Comments On Specific Species We thank Nancy Accola for spotting the Eriogonum davidsonii, Cirsium occidentale var. californicum and Eriogonum saxatile at mile 0.84, and Don Rideout for spotting the off-trail Monardella australis at mile 0.83, all on 9 June 2018.
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Comments and feedback: Tom Chester
Updated 11 July 2018.