Flora of Rainbow Canyon

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Introduction
Checklist

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Introduction

For directions and a map of Rainbow Canyon, and a large number of pictures from this canyon, see Rainbow Canyon Loop by Fred Melgert and Carla Hoegen.

The species on the Rainbow Canyon portion of this checklist come from:

• a survey of 1.1 miles of Rainbow Canyon on 3 February 2012 by Tom Chester, Mike Crouse, Wayne Armstrong and Kate Shapiro;

• a survey of nearly the entire length of the Canyon, 2.4 miles up the main canyon and then 0.8 miles up the north drainage to the saddle overlooking the southwest end of Blair Valley, on 24 March 2012 by Tom Chester, Mike and Lolly Crouse.

• a survey of the entire length of the Canyon, 2.4 miles up the main canyon and then 0.3 miles up the east drainage to the saddle overlooking the southeast end of Blair Valley, on 31 March 2012 by RT and Shaun Hawke. They found two additional species not seen in the previous surveys, Linanthus aureus and Allium fimbriatum.

• a survey of the entire length of the canyon on 6 April 2012 to the saddle, including a survey of a route through Blair Valley to the Campground, by Tom Chester, Kate Harper, Erik Blume, and Aiying Lu.

• a survey of the entire length of the canyon on 7 January 2017 to the saddle, including a survey of a route through Blair Valley to the Campground, by Tom Chester, Nancy Accola, Carla Hoegen, Fred Melgert, Keir Morse, John Randall, and Jim Roberts.

A total of 173 taxa were found from the union of all five surveys.

An additional 25 taxa that are found in the nearby sections of Blair Valley are given in the checklist, as well as the non-native Eragrostis curvula observed in Box Canyon on 24 March 2012.

The checklist thus has a total of 198 taxa.

Checklist for Rainbow Canyon

See:

• Notes on the Scientific Names Used At This Site and
• Information about the order in which the species are presented, and the links from the Scientific Name and Common Name.

An asterisk before the common name indicates a non-native species.

The column titled #Pls gives the minimum number of plants found in the four field surveys, up to a maximum of 99 plants. A qualifier before the number indicates an uncertain determination.

If there is no entry in this column, it was a species found in the nearby part of Blair Valley or Box Canyon.

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#	Fam	Scientific Name	(*)Common Name	#Pls
Lycophytes
1	Sel	Selaginella bigelovii	Bigelow's spike-moss	1
2	Sel	Selaginella eremophila	desert spike-moss	99
Ferns
3	Pte	Cheilanthes covillei	beady lipfern	40
4	Pte	Cheilanthes parryi	woolly lipfern	1
5	Pte	Notholaena californica ssp. californica	California cloak fern	15
6	Pte	Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata	bird's-foot fern	2
Gymnosperms
7	Cup	Juniperus californica	California juniper	99
8	Eph	Ephedra aspera	Mormon tea	99
9	Eph	Ephedra californica	desert tea	5
Eudicots
10	Aca	Carlowrightia arizonica	Arizona carlowrightia	22
11	Aca	Justicia californica	chuparosa	99
12	Ama	Amaranthus fimbriatus	fringed amaranth	75
13	Api	Lomatium mohavense	Mojave lomatium	1
14	Apo	Asclepias erosa	desert milkweed	1
15	Apo	Funastrum cynanchoides var. hartwegii	climbing milkweed	55
16	Apo	Matelea parvifolia	spearleaf	2
17	Ast	Acamptopappus sphaerocephalus var. sphaerocephalus	goldenhead	3
18	Ast	Adenophyllum porophylloides	San Felipe dogweed	99
19	Ast	Ambrosia acanthicarpa	bur-ragweed	2
20	Ast	Ambrosia dumosa	burroweed	99
21	Ast	Ambrosia salsola var. salsola	cheesebush	99
22	Ast	Artemisia ludoviciana ssp. incompta	mountain mugwort	20
23	Ast	Bahiopsis parishii	Parish's goldeneye	99
24	Ast	Bebbia juncea var. aspera	sweetbush	15
25	Ast	Brickellia atractyloides var. odontolepis	California spear-leaved brickellia	20
26	Ast	Brickellia desertorum	desert brickellia	5
27	Ast	Brickellia frutescens	shrubby brickellia	10
28	Ast	Chaenactis fremontii	Fremont pincushion	99
29	Ast	Chaenactis stevioides	desert pincushion	2
30	Ast	Encelia actoni	Acton encelia
31	Ast	Encelia farinosa	brittlebush	99
32	Ast	Ericameria brachylepis	boundary goldenbush	99
33	Ast	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	golden yarrow	10
34	Ast	Eriophyllum pringlei	Pringle's woolly sunflower
35	Ast	Eriophyllum wallacei var. rubellum	Wallace's woolly daisy	99
36	Ast	Gutierrezia sarothrae	matchweed	99
37	Ast	Lasthenia gracilis	goldfields	99
38	Ast	Logfia depressa	dwarf filago	10
39	Ast	Logfia filaginoides	California filago	99
40	Ast	Logfia gallica	*narrowleaf filago	50
41	Ast	Malacothrix glabrata	desert dandelion	3
42	Ast	Monoptilon bellioides	desert star
43	Ast	Pectis papposa var. papposa	chinch-weed	99
44	Ast	Perityle emoryi	Emory's rock-daisy	99
45	Ast	Pleurocoronis pluriseta	arrow-leaf	45
46	Ast	Porophyllum gracile	odora	7
47	Ast	Rafinesquia neomexicana	desert chicory	10
48	Ast	Senecio californicus	California groundsel	99
49	Ast	Senecio mohavensis	Mojave ragwort	1
50	Ast	Stephanomeria exigua ssp. exigua	slender wreathplant	99
51	Ast	Stephanomeria pauciflora	wire-lettuce	25
52	Ast	Stylocline gnaphaloides	everlasting nest-straw
53	Ast	Trixis californica var. californica	California trixis	10
54	Bor	Amsinckia intermedia	common fiddleneck	50
55	Bor	Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata	bristly fiddleneck
56	Bor	Cryptantha angustifolia	narrow-leaved cryptantha	2
57	Bor	Cryptantha barbigera var. barbigera	bearded cryptantha	6
58	Bor	Cryptantha circumscissa var. circumscissa	cushion cryptantha
59	Bor	Cryptantha decipiens	gravel cryptantha	1
60	Bor	Cryptantha micrantha var. micrantha	red-root cryptantha	99
61	Bor	Cryptantha muricata	prickly cryptantha	2
62	Bor	Cryptantha nevadensis	Nevada cryptantha
63	Bor	Cryptantha pterocarya var. cycloptera	Tucson wing-nut cryptantha	20
64	Bor	Cryptantha pterocarya var. pterocarya	wing-nut cryptantha
65	Bor	Cryptantha utahensis	scented cryptantha	2
66	Bor	Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora	whispering bells	3
67	Bor	Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. bipinnatifida	eucrypta	3
68	Bor	Nama demissa var. demissa	purple mat	99
69	Bor	Pectocarya anisocarpa	Blair Valley combseed
70	Bor	Pectocarya recurvata	curvenut combseed	30
71	Bor	Pectocarya setosa	moth combseed
72	Bor	Phacelia distans	common phacelia	99
73	Bor	Phacelia minor	wild canterbury bells	3
74	Bor	Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum	Arizona fiesta flower	99
75	Bor	Plagiobothrys arizonicus	Arizona popcorn flower	50
76	Bra	Boechera perennans	perennial rock-cress	30
77	Bra	Brassica tournefortii	*Sahara mustard	60
78	Bra	Caulanthus hallii	Hall's caulanthus	3
79	Bra	Caulanthus lasiophyllus	California mustard	1
80	Bra	Descurainia pinnata	western tansy-mustard	4
81	Bra	Draba cuneifolia	wedge-leaved draba	5
82	Bra	Lepidium lasiocarpum ssp. lasiocarpum	hairy-podded pepper-grass	20
83	Bra	Lyrocarpa coulteri	Coulter's lyrepod	1
84	Bra	Sisymbrium irio	*London rocket	5
85	Bra	Sisymbrium orientale	*Oriental mustard	20
86	Bra	Thysanocarpus curvipes	fringe-pod	2
87	Cac	Cylindropuntia bigelovii	teddy-bear cholla	99
88	Cac	Cylindropuntia fosbergii	pink teddy-bear cholla	99
89	Cac	Cylindropuntia ganderi	Gander's cholla	50
90	Cac	Echinocereus engelmannii	Engelmann's hedgehog cactus	99
91	Cac	Ferocactus cylindraceus	California barrel cactus	99
92	Cac	Mammillaria dioica	California fish-hook cactus	99
93	Cac	Mammillaria tetrancistra	desert fish-hook cactus
94	Cac	Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris	beavertail cactus	99
95	Cac	Opuntia engelmannii var. engelmannii	Engelmann prickly-pear	7
96	Cac	Opuntia phaeacantha	desert prickly-pear	99
97	Cam	Nemacladus glanduliferus	glandular nemacladus	5
98	Cam	Nemacladus longiflorus var. breviflorus	thread plant
99	Cam	Nemacladus rubescens	desert nemacladus	99
100	Car	Loeflingia squarrosa	spreading loeflingia	3
101	Che	Atriplex canescens var. canescens	four-wing saltbush	6
102	Cra	Crassula connata	pygmy-weed	99
103	Cra	Dudleya arizonica	Arizona chalk dudleya	99
104	Cuc	Cucurbita palmata	coyote melon	2
105	Eup	Bernardia incana	western bernardia	4
106	Eup	Chamaesyce albomarginata	rattlesnake weed	15
107	Eup	Chamaesyce melanadenia	red-gland spurge	99
108	Eup	Chamaesyce micromera	Sonoran spurge	10
109	Eup	Chamaesyce setiloba	starfish (Yuma) spurge	30
110	Eup	Croton californicus	California croton	1
111	Eup	Ditaxis lanceolata	narrowleaf ditaxis	25
112	Eup	Ditaxis neomexicana	New Mexico ditaxis	10
113	Eup	Euphorbia eriantha	beetle spurge	2
114	Eup	Stillingia linearifolia	linear-leaved stillingia	99
115	Fab	Acmispon glaber var. brevialatus	short-winged deerweed	99
116	Fab	Acmispon micranthus	San Diego birdsfoot lotus	5
117	Fab	Acmispon rigidus	desert lotus	99
118	Fab	Acmispon strigosus	strigose lotus	5
119	Fab	Lupinus bicolor	dwarf lupine	99
120	Fab	Lupinus concinnus	bajada lupine	15
121	Fab	Lupinus hirsutissimus	stinging lupine	3
122	Fab	Lupinus sparsiflorus	Coulter's lupine	1
123	Fab	Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana	honey mesquite	1
124	Fab	Senegalia greggii	catclaw	99
125	Fou	Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens	ocotillo	99
126	Ger	Erodium cicutarium	*redstem filaree	99
127	Kra	Krameria bicolor	white rhatany	50
128	Kra	Krameria erecta	Pima rhatany	40
129	Lam	Hyptis emoryi	desert-lavender	75
130	Lam	Salvia apiana	white sage	20
131	Lam	Salvia carduacea	thistle sage
132	Lam	Salvia columbariae	chia	99
133	Loa	Mentzelia albicaulis	white-stemmed blazing star	1
134	Loa	Petalonyx thurberi ssp. thurberi	Thurber's sandpaper-plant	1
135	Mal	Ayenia compacta	ayenia	14
136	Mal	Hibiscus denudatus	rock hibiscus	1
137	Mal	Sphaeralcea ambigua var. rugosa	desert globemallow	20
138	Mol	Mollugo cerviana	*carpet-weed	99
139	Mon	Calyptridium monandrum	sand cress	99
140	Nyc	Allionia incarnata var. villosa	large-flowered trailing four o'clock	28
141	Nyc	Boerhavia triquetra var. intermedia	fivewing spiderling	10
142	Nyc	Mirabilis laevis var. retrorsa	Bigelow's desert four-o'clock	99
143	Ole	Menodora scabra var. glabrescens	broom twinberry	30
144	Ona	Camissoniopsis pallida ssp. pallida	pale suncup	99
145	Ona	Eulobus californicus	California suncup	99
146	Pap	Eschscholzia minutiflora ssp. minutiflora	small-flowered poppy	20
147	Phr	Mimulus bigelovii var. bigelovii	Bigelow's monkeyflower
148	Pla	Plantago ovata	desert plantain	1
149	Pol	Eriastrum diffusum	miniature woolly-star
150	Pol	Eriastrum eremicum ssp. eremicum	desert woolly-star	99
151	Pol	Gilia stellata	star gilia	40
152	Pol	Leptosiphon aureus	golden linanthus	99
153	Pol	Leptosiphon lemmonii	Lemmon's linanthus
154	Pol	Loeseliastrum schottii	Schott's calico	7
155	Pol	Centrostegia thurberi	red triangles
156	Pol	Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu	brittle spineflower	2
157	Pol	Eriogonum davidsonii	Davidson's buckwheat
158	Pol	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium	California buckwheat	99
159	Pol	Eriogonum gracile var. incultum	slender buckwheat	1
160	Pol	Eriogonum inflatum	desert trumpet	8
161	Pol	Eriogonum plumatella	yucca buckwheat
162	Pol	Eriogonum pusillum	yellow-turbans
163	Pol	Eriogonum thurberi	Thurber's buckwheat	15
164	Pol	Eriogonum wrightii var. nodosum	Wright's buckwheat	99
165	Pol	Pterostegia drymarioides	fairy bowties, threadstem	25
166	Ran	Delphinium parishii ssp. subglobosum	intermediate larkspur	30
167	Ros	Prunus fremontii	desert apricot	99
168	Rub	Galium stellatum	star-flowered bedstraw	45
169	Rut	Thamnosma montana	turpentine broom
170	Sim	Simmondsia chinensis	jojoba	50
171	Sol	Datura wrightii	sacred datura	5
172	Sol	Lycium andersonii	Anderson's boxthorn	50
173	Sol	Lycium cooperi	Cooper's boxthorn	10
174	Sol	Nicotiana obtusifolia	desert tobacco	25
175	Sol	Physalis crassifolia	thick-leaved ground cherry	11
176	Vis	Phoradendron bolleanum	dense mistletoe
177	Vis	Phoradendron californicum	desert mistletoe	30
178	Zyg	Fagonia laevis	California fagonia	99
179	Zyg	Larrea tridentata	creosote bush	99
Monocots
180	Aga	Agave deserti var. deserti	desert agave	99
181	Aga	Yucca schidigera	Mohave yucca	99
182	All	Allium fimbriatum var. fimbriatum	fringed onion	10
183	Lil	Calochortus splendens	splendid mariposa lily
184	Poa	Aristida adscensionis	six-weeks three-awn	99
185	Poa	Aristida purpurea	purple three-awn	20
186	Poa	Bromus diandrus	*ripgut brome	40
187	Poa	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	*red brome	99
188	Poa	Bromus tectorum	*downy brome	5
189	Poa	Eragrostis curvula	*weeping lovegrass
190	Poa	Festuca bromoides	*brome fescue
191	Poa	Hilaria rigida	big galleta	20
192	Poa	Melica frutescens	tall melica	10
193	Poa	Muhlenbergia microsperma	littleseed muhly	1
194	Poa	Poa secunda ssp. secunda	one-sided bluegrass	14
195	Poa	Schismus barbatus	*Mediterranean schismus	99
196	Poa	Stipa parishii var. parishii	Parish's needlegrass	10
197	Poa	Stipa speciosa	desert needlegrass	10
198	The	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	blue dicks	1?

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Voucher data provided by the participants of the Consortium of California Herbaria (ucjeps.berkeley.edu/consortium/)

We thank Lolly Crouse for her help with the 3/24/12 survey, and RT and Shaun Hawke for the additional two species from their 3/31/12 survey.

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• Plants of Southern California: Regional Floras