Plant Guide to Mill Creek Summit Trail

Plant Guide to Mill Creek Summit Trail

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
The Plant Guide
Comments On Specific Species
Introduction

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 our database that contain each taxon on this trail. We had 23 trails in our database when this histogram was made. A number of "1" means the taxon has only been found on this trail among the trails in our database.

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon Number Of Taxa On This Trail % of Taxa On This Trail
Total Taxa 100%

We found x additional species not in the above table, since it has not been identified yet.
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"

The Plant Guide

Mile # id? Common Name Latin Name Comments # on all trails
0.00 Beginning of paved trail, a sidewalk, at the parking lot. Sign: Welcome to Mill Creek Summit part of the Big Tujunga Auto Tour ..."
0.00 1 *black locust Robinia pseudoacacia 3
0.00 2 big-berry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca forma eremicola 7
0.00 3 wild tarragon Artemisia dracunculus 9
0.00 4 toyon Heteromeles arbutifolia 11
0.00 5 scarlet bugler Penstemon centranthifolius 4
0.01 Trail turns 90 degrees right toward bathrooms.
0.01 6 California-aster Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia 10
0.01 7 *Arizona cypress Cupressus arizonica ssp. glabra 2
0.01 8 ? pine goldenbush Ericameria pinifolia 1
0.01 9 incense-cedar Calocedrus decurrens 6
0.01 10 ~ hybrid big-berry manzanita Arctostaphylos glauca X A. parryana shrub strongly resembles A. glauca forma eremicola in habit, except this specimen lacks decumbent stems, has tomentulose twigs, and non-spreading bracts on the infl. The shrub was apparently paved with asphalt at some time in the past, with the asphalt still remaining in the center and at some edges. 1
0.02 Trail turns 90 degrees left at bathrooms.
0.02 11 ssp California buckwheat Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum 10
0.03 12 ghostly rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. hololeucus 1
0.03 13 ~ southern mountain woolly-star Eriastrum densifolium ssp. austromontanum one bract had only 3 lobes, but it was brittle and I might have missed its lower lobes. A voucher for this area gives this ssp. 4
0.03 14 chaparral whitethorn Ceanothus leucodermis 7
0.04 15 bur-ragweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa 3
0.04 16 sugar bush Rhus ovata 8
0.04 Trail gradually curves 90 degrees left.
0.04 17 blue elderberry Sambucus mexicana 10
0.04 Begin railing on right.
0.05 18 velvet ash Fraxinus velutina 1
0.05 Picnic table on left
0.05 19 ssp *rattail fescue Vulpia myuros 1
0.05 20 *downy brome Bromus tectorum 11
0.05 Trails turns 90 degrees left, then 90 degrees right almost immediately.
0.06 21 squawbush Rhus trilobata 6
0.06 22 interior live oak Quercus wislizenii var. frutescens 3
0.07 Trails turns 90 degrees right again.
0.07 23 whorledleaf penstemon Keckiella ternata var. ternata 1
0.07 24 *white goosefoot Chenopodium album 6
0.08 Begin railing on both sides; cross small drainage
0.08 25 sp Avena sp.
0.08 Good example of a manzanita without a burl just up the drainage, with the red bark extending to the roots and not stopping at a burl.
0.08 26 mountain sagebrush Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana 3
0.08 27 *ripgut brome Bromus diandrus 12
0.08 28 chamise Adenostoma fasciculatum 10
The second Arctostaphylos glauca forma eremicola.
0.09 29 Parry manzanita Arctostaphylos parryana 4
0.09 30 cupped-leaf ceanothus Ceanothus greggii var. perplexans 5
0.09 ~Arctostaphylos glauca forma glauca.
0.10 31 Davidson's buckwheat Eriogonum davidsonii 4
0.11 32 California sagebrush Artemisia californica 12
0.12 33 San Gabriel manzanita Arctostaphylos gabrielensis 1
0.12 San Gabriel manzanita #2, with the best burl of any on this trail.
0.12 Good examples of chamise burls here and following.
0.13 San Gabriel manzanita #3, 4 (immediately next to each other), and 5 (a short distance away).
0.14 End trail. Sign: "Mill Creek Overlook ....". Return the same way.

Comments On Specific Species

Number of Trails Containing A Taxon	Number Of Taxa On This Trail	% of Taxa On This Trail
Total Taxa		100%

Mile	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	Comments	# on all trails
0.00			Beginning of paved trail, a sidewalk, at the parking lot. Sign: Welcome to Mill Creek Summit part of the Big Tujunga Auto Tour ..."
0.00	1		*black locust	Robinia pseudoacacia		3
0.00	2		big-berry manzanita	Arctostaphylos glauca	forma eremicola	7
0.00	3		wild tarragon	Artemisia dracunculus		9
0.00	4		toyon	Heteromeles arbutifolia		11
0.00	5		scarlet bugler	Penstemon centranthifolius		4
0.01			Trail turns 90 degrees right toward bathrooms.
0.01	6		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia		10
0.01	7		*Arizona cypress	Cupressus arizonica ssp. glabra		2
0.01	8	?	pine goldenbush	Ericameria pinifolia		1
0.01	9		incense-cedar	Calocedrus decurrens		6
0.01	10	~	hybrid big-berry manzanita	Arctostaphylos glauca X A. parryana	shrub strongly resembles A. glauca forma eremicola in habit, except this specimen lacks decumbent stems, has tomentulose twigs, and non-spreading bracts on the infl. The shrub was apparently paved with asphalt at some time in the past, with the asphalt still remaining in the center and at some edges.	1
0.02			Trail turns 90 degrees left at bathrooms.
0.02	11	ssp	California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum		10
0.03	12		ghostly rabbitbrush	Chrysothamnus nauseosus ssp. hololeucus		1
0.03	13	~	southern mountain woolly-star	Eriastrum densifolium ssp. austromontanum	one bract had only 3 lobes, but it was brittle and I might have missed its lower lobes. A voucher for this area gives this ssp.	4
0.03	14		chaparral whitethorn	Ceanothus leucodermis		7
0.04	15		bur-ragweed	Ambrosia acanthicarpa		3
0.04	16		sugar bush	Rhus ovata		8
0.04			Trail gradually curves 90 degrees left.
0.04	17		blue elderberry	Sambucus mexicana		10
0.04			Begin railing on right.
0.05	18		velvet ash	Fraxinus velutina		1
0.05			Picnic table on left
0.05	19	ssp	*rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros		1
0.05	20		*downy brome	Bromus tectorum		11
0.05			Trails turns 90 degrees left, then 90 degrees right almost immediately.
0.06	21		squawbush	Rhus trilobata		6
0.06	22		interior live oak	Quercus wislizenii var. frutescens		3
0.07			Trails turns 90 degrees right again.
0.07	23		whorledleaf penstemon	Keckiella ternata var. ternata		1
0.07	24		*white goosefoot	Chenopodium album		6
0.08			Begin railing on both sides; cross small drainage
0.08	25	sp	Avena sp.
0.08			Good example of a manzanita without a burl just up the drainage, with the red bark extending to the roots and not stopping at a burl.
0.08	26		mountain sagebrush	Artemisia tridentata ssp. vaseyana		3
0.08	27		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus		12
0.08	28		chamise	Adenostoma fasciculatum		10
			The second Arctostaphylos glauca forma eremicola.
0.09	29		Parry manzanita	Arctostaphylos parryana		4
0.09	30		cupped-leaf ceanothus	Ceanothus greggii var. perplexans		5
0.09			~Arctostaphylos glauca forma glauca.
0.10	31		Davidson's buckwheat	Eriogonum davidsonii		4
0.11	32		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica		12
0.12	33		San Gabriel manzanita	Arctostaphylos gabrielensis		1
0.12			San Gabriel manzanita #2, with the best burl of any on this trail.
0.12			Good examples of chamise burls here and following.
0.13			San Gabriel manzanita #3, 4 (immediately next to each other), and 5 (a short distance away).
0.14			End trail. Sign: "Mill Creek Overlook ....". Return the same way.

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Plants of Southern California: Trail Guides

Copyright © 2002 by Tom Chester and Jane Strong.
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/sgm/plants/guides/mill_creek_summit_trail.html
Comments and feedback: Tom Chester | Jane Strong
Updated 4 September 2002.