Anza-Borrego: Plant Guide To Coyote Creek Wash

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

This is very different from the other plant trail guides, in that there is not an actual trail to follow here. Instead, we give directions on a general route to follow, which should enable the reader to approximate our route, and therefore see most of the species in the list. If you wish to follow the route exactly, GPS locations of points along the route are given.

Highlights of This Trail

Number of Unique Taxa On This Trail

The following histogram gives the number of trails in our database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 89 trails in our database when this histogram was made; 5 of those trails, including this one, are in Anza-Borrego State Park. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found only on this list, among all the trails in our database; numbers of "5" or smaller may indicate taxa found only in this area. Three of the other Anza-Borrego Trails are very incomplete; only the Borrego Palm Canyon Trail is as complete as this trail.

Number of Trails
Containing A Taxon
Number Of Taxa
On This Trail
% of Taxa
On This Trail
14037%
22422%
31312%
455%
533%
 
1-58578%
6-10109%
11-1533%
16-2055%
21-2533%
26-3011%
31-3500%
36-4000%
41-4500%
46-5022%
Total Taxa109100%

We found 3 additional taxa 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 DateVisit ## taxa# "?"# "sp"# "~"# "ssp"
3/22/20031     
2/29/20042781554
3/5/20043941261
2/13/200541081441
2/20/200551121221

The 3/22/03 field work was an incomplete list of some of the taxa identified on a fast-paced walk.

Botanical Trip Reports

29 February 2004
13 February 2005
20 February 2005

The Plant Guide

Version for printing, without lines and other text on this page (5 pages)

No trail side is given for any species, due to the lack of a well-defined trail. Instead, that column has been replaced by one giving GPS points for some entries, titled G to save space in the table.

The GPS Points (NAD27) are given in the following table. The points have leading zeros in this table, since otherwise some GPS receivers (for example, a Garmin Etrex) will put #1 after #0xx. In the field guide itself, we dispense with the leading zeros.

NameLatLon
00133.32498-116.36687
00233.32660-116.36609
00333.32689-116.36511
00433.32723-116.36497
00533.32738-116.36430
00633.32780-116.36356
00733.32798-116.36329
00833.32854-116.36204
00933.32857-116.36168
01033.32893-116.36131
01133.33001-116.36020
01233.33058-116.35963
01333.33138-116.35930
01433.33237-116.35849
01533.33337-116.35827
01633.33379-116.35767
01733.33546-116.35617
01833.33609-116.35504
02033.33648-116.35482
02133.33688-116.35478
02233.33705-116.35501
02333.33779-116.35516
02433.33769-116.35391
02533.33792-116.35489
02633.33848-116.35488
02733.33764-116.35534
02833.33772-116.35562
02933.33471-116.35863
03033.33390-116.36030
03133.32846-116.36399
03333.32869-116.36163
03433.32992-116.36039
03533.33018-116.35976
03633.33224-116.35867
03733.33356-116.35798
03833.33353-116.35788
04033.33353-116.35794
04133.33591-116.35485
04233.33579-116.35449
04333.33495-116.35364
04533.33286-116.34664
04633.33292-116.34661
04833.33211-116.34808
05033.33629-116.35755

mileG#idCommon NameLatin Name#here#all
0.001  Begin guide immediately east of the paved road, just south of the end of the pavement, except for the first species below, which is on the citrus trees on the west side of the road; elevation 758 feet (231 m) The species are in no particular order in the first 0.01 mile.
0.00 1 climbing milkweedSarcostemma cynanchoides ssp. hartwegii1 / 13
0.00 2 desert dicoriaDicoria canescens99 / 91
0.00 3 *Asian mustardBrassica tournefortii99 / 93
0.00 4 brown-eyed primroseCamissonia claviformis ssp. peirsonii99 / 93
0.00 5 *southern sandburCenchrus echinatus+1 / 11
0.00 6 *Mediterranean schismusSchismus barbatus99 / 916
0.00 7 hairy sand-verbenaAbronia villosa var. villosa99 / 91
0.00 8 Arizona lupineLupinus arizonicus99 / 91
0.00 9 narrow-leaved cryptanthaCryptantha angustifolia99 / 92
0.00 10 desert lilyHesperocallis undulata99 / 91
0.00 11sspdune primroseOenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides+99 / 91
0.00 12 gray desert sunflowerHelianthus niveus ssp. canescens20 / 91
0.00 13 hairy desert-sunflowerGeraea canescens30 / 91
0.00 14 creosote bushLarrea tridentata30 / 93
0.00 15 burroweedAmbrosia dumosa30 / 45
0.00 16 *puncture-vineTribulus terrestris50 / 92
0.00 17 plicate coldeniaTiquilia plicata99 / 91
0.00 18 Colorado Desert marigoldBaileya pauciradiata30 / 51
0.00 19 desert needlePalafoxia arida var. arida99 / 91
0.00 20 spectacle-podDithyrea californica99 / 91
0.00 21 desert thornappleDatura discolor40 / 92
0.00 22 *redstem filareeErodium cicutarium10 / 350
0.00 23 Emory's indigo-bushPsorothamnus emoryi99 / 91
0.00 24 California suncupCamissonia californica99 / 918
0.00 25 frost matAchyronychia cooperi20 / 53
0.00 26 desert dandelionMalacothrix glabrata20 / 93
0.00 27 *tumble pigweedAmaranthus albus5 / 25
0.00 28 silky daleaDalea mollis20 / 91
0.00   Head north along a dirt road leading to the fenced Earthquake Observatory, just outside the boundary of the signed Private Property.
0.122  Earthquake Observatory; turn right ~45° and head toward Coyote Mountain, the highest peak in the immediate hills.
0.14 29 *red bromeBromus madritensis ssp. rubens2 / 249
0.15 30 Sonoran spurgeChamaesyce micromera30 / 92
0.15 31 indigo bushPsorothamnus schottii20 / 94
0.16 32 Borrego milk-vetchAstragalus lentiginosus var. borreganus99 / 92
0.16 33 chuckwalla pectocaryaPectocarya heterocarpa30 / 91
0.18334 yellow blazing starMentzelia affinis1 / 11
0.20435 four-wing saltbushAtriplex canescens ssp. canescens5 / 32
0.24536 desert pincushionChaenactis stevioides10 / 41
0.24 37 *Russian thistleSalsola tragus10 / 525
0.24 38 longbeak streptanthellaStreptanthella longirostris20 / 91
0.26 39 bajada lupineLupinus concinnus20 / 97
0.27 40 ribbed cryptanthaCryptantha costata20 / 51
0.27   Dead cholla, probably gander's cholla, Opuntia ganderi
0.29641 cattle saltbushAtriplex polycarpa1 / 12
0.31742 desert plantainPlantago ovata20 / 42
0.32   Next species is slightly "off-route" to the left.
0.32 43 *athelTamarix aphylla5 / 51
0.33 44 Schott's calicoLoeseliastrum schottii3 / 32
0.33 45 *foxtail barleyHordeum murinum ssp. glaucum5 / 110
0.33   Field of datura in 2003
0.33 46 sand cressCalyptridium monandrum10 / 211
0.34   Exposed very long roots of hairy sand-verbena in 2003
0.39847?prickly poppy?Argemone munita?1 / 1 
0.419  Check for different species: possibly Gilia sp., chia, Chaenactis sp. and Camissonia sp.
0.41 48 common phaceliaPhacelia distans5 / 17
0.41 49 hairy-podded pepper-grassLepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum20 / 42
0.41 50 pygmy-weedCrassula connata10 / 117
0.41 51 small-flowered poppyEschscholzia minutiflora ssp. minutiflora10 / 33
0.41 52 California crotonCroton californicus20 / 26
0.4510  Cross Coyote Wash
0.46   Small field of burroweed, Ambrosia dumosa
0.47   Sand "dunes" now a bit higher, up to 2 feet.
0.53 53 chick lupineLupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus3 / 37
0.5511  Check id of baby plant in 2003 like Chaenactis artemisiifolia
0.59 54 annual stillingiaStillingia spinulosa3 / 31
0.601255 Thurber's sandpaper-plantPetalonyx thurberi ssp. thurberi5 / 21
0.661356 ocotilloFouquieria splendens ssp. splendens1 / 14
0.70   Now head for drainage immediately left of Coyote Mountain, to avoid crossing grove to right.
0.72 57spper mallowSphaeralcea sp.2 / 2 
0.741458 Parish's poppyEschscholzia parishii10 / 42
0.74 59spcloverMelilotus sp.?5 / 1 
0.74 60 whispering bellsEmmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora30 / 29
0.74 61 threadstemPterostegia drymarioides1 / 124
0.74 62 wild canterbury bellsPhacelia minor5 / 116
0.74 63 *Bermuda grassCynodon dactylon5 / 127
0.74 64 narrowleaf willowSalix exigua2 / 16
0.74 65 sacred daturaDatura wrightii1 / 115
0.74   Cross berm protecting grove from next wash.
0.75   In wash; elevation 750 feet (230 m)
0.80 66 trailing four o'clockAllionia incarnata20 / 52
0.811567 Mojave ragwortSenecio mohavensis5 / 12
0.8340  Check for honking Chaenactis
0.851668 *cheeseweedMalva parviflora20 / 119
0.85 69 Fremont pincushionChaenactis fremontii5 / 23
0.86 70 white-stemmed blazing starMentzelia albicaulis5 / 32
1.001771 desert chicoryRafinesquia neomexicana20 / 93
1.08 72 cheesebushHymenoclea salsola var. salsola10 / 33
1.081873 smoke treePsorothamnus spinosus3 / 22
1.09   The next two species are "off-route" 18 paces down the wash and 5 paces left
1.091974 Cooper's broom-rapeOrobanche cooperi1 / 11
1.09 75 big galletaPleuraphis rigida1 / 14
1.12   Leave wash and contour / climb drainage alluvial fan, up and to the left.
1.132076 brittle spineflowerChorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu20 / 32
1.13 77 six-weeks three-awnAristida adscensionis20 / 34
1.13 78 California fagoniaFagonia laevis20 / 32
1.14 79 Booth's desert primroseCamissonia boothii ssp. condensata5 / 11
1.14 80 kidney-leaf buckwheatEriogonum reniforme2 / 12
1.14 81 pebble pincushionChaenactis carphoclinia var. carphoclinia10 / 22
1.15 82 downy daleaDalea mollissima5 / 21
1.15 83 needle gramaBouteloua aristidoides var. aristidoides10 / 23
1.15 84 little-flowered heliotrope phaceliaPhacelia crenulata var. minutiflora20 / 21
1.152185 brittlebushEncelia farinosa1 / 15
1.15 86 thick-leaved ground cherryPhysalis crassifolia3 / 12
1.15 87 Emory's rock-daisyPerityle emoryi10 / 32
1.15 88 desert five-spotEremalche rotundifolia1 / 11
1.16 89 small-seeded spurgeChamaesyce polycarpa5 / 112
1.16 90 devil's spineflowerChorizanthe rigida5 / 11
1.1722  Head more uphill now, toward GPS 23
1.222391 ghost flowerMohavea confertiflora1 / 11
1.2223  Jct small drainage; head up the drainage
1.302492 sweetbushBebbia juncea var. aspera1 / 17
1.302493 desert lavenderHyptis emoryi2 / 23
1.302494 narrowleaf ditaxisDitaxis lanceolata1 / 12
1.3024  Turn-around; go down to intersection with next drainage on west at the location of the next species, and take that next drainage uphill
1.352595 long-fruit suncupCamissonia chamaenerioides / 1
1.3926  Turn-around; go down the small drainage and head toward trailhead (return route is ~0.1 miles displaced to NW from previous route)
  96 star giliaGilia stellata / 12
  97 little desert buckwheatEriogonum trichopes var. trichopes / 11
1.46 98~bracted blazing starMentzelia involucrata2 / 21
1.46 99 short-bannered coastal lotusLotus salsuginosus var. brevivexillus5 / 11
1.46 100 desert strigose lotusLotus strigosus [var. tomentellus]5 / 125
1.46 101 glandular nemacladusNemacladus glanduliferus var. glanduliferus1 / 11
1.46 102 Mojave desert starMonoptilon bellioides1 / 11
1.4627103 beetle spurgeEuphorbia eriantha1 / 12
1.4728104~gander's chollaOpuntia ganderi1 / 13
1.63 105 beavertail cactusOpuntia basilaris var. basilaris1 / 16
1.66 106 button enceliaEncelia frutescens1 / 11
1.74   Psorothamnus emoryi with a different stem; check for Pilostyles.
1.7429107 *London rocketSisymbrium irio1 / 19
1.8630108 teddy-bear chollaOpuntia bigelovii2 / 11
2.2931109 white mallowEremalche exilis1 / 11
2.581  Back at trailhead.
    
    The following species were found in March 2002, but have not yet been located precisely:
    
  110 dwarf white milk-vetchAstragalus didymocarpus var. dispermus / 1
  111 Gander's cryptanthaCryptantha ganderi / 1
  112 pale sun-cupCamissonia pallida ssp. pallida / 4

Comments On Specific Species

Cenchrus echinatus. This noxious weed was eliminated, so we hope you don't see it!

Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides. Tom measured a large number of fruit to determine the subspecies, but every one had a width of 3.0 mm, dead between the two subspecies. The hairs on one specimen were spreading, 2.0-2.5 mm, which would make the subspecies cognata. Unfortunately, ssp. cognata is supposed to be only in the DMoj! Beauchamp and Simpson and Rebman both give only ssp. deltoides in the San Diego County, and the type for o.d.d. is at Borrego Springs.

We plan to measure some more specimens.


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Copyright © 2003-2005 by Tom Chester, Michael Charters and Wayne Armstrong.
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/sd/plants/guides/anza_borrego/coyote_creek_wash.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester | Michael Charters| Wayne Armstrong
Last update: 28 December 2005.