Plant Guide to Mortero Trail / Sylvan Meadows Road Loop, Santa Rosa Plateau

Mile	s	#	id?	Common Name	Latin Name	#here	#all
0.00				Begin Mortero Trail from Sylvan Meadows Parking Area; trailhead is close to parking entrance gate; elevation ~1870 feet (570 m)
0.00				(cheeseweed, Malva parviflora in parking lot)
0.00	b	1		*soft chess	Bromus hordeaceus	99 / 9	40
0.00	b	2		telegraph weed	Heterotheca grandiflora	30 / 9	35
0.00	b	3		*little horseweed	Conyza bonariensis	4 / 1	17
0.00	b	4		*pineapple weed	Chamomilla suaveolens	20 / 2	19
0.00	b	5		*short-fruited filaree	Erodium brachycarpum	99 / 9	14
0.00	b	6		*prickly lettuce	Lactuca serriola	99 / 9	42
0.00	b	7		*foxtail barley	Hordeum murinum ssp. glaucum	99 / 9	16
0.00	b	8		Spanish clover	Lotus purshianus var. purshianus	99 / 9	31
0.00	b	9		*California burclover	Medicago polymorpha	99 / 9	40
0.00	b	10		*narrowleaf filago	Filago gallica	99 / 9	45
0.00	l			Sign: "Open sunrise, closed sunset; Day Use Fee Area"
0.00	b	11		nodding needlegrass	Nassella cernua	99 / 9	17
0.00	l	12		*Italian rye-grass	Lolium multiflorum	99 / 9	18
0.00	b	13		*redstem filaree	Erodium cicutarium	50 / 9	55
0.00	b	14		dove weed	Eremocarpus setigerus	99 / 9	24
0.00	r	15		graceful tarplant	Holocarpha virgata ssp. elongata	99 / 9	14
0.00	r	16		*white-stemmed filaree	Erodium moschatum	20 / 4	20
0.00	b	17		*tocalote	Centaurea melitensis	99 / 9	45
0.00	b	18		*shortpod mustard	Hirschfeldia incana	99 / 9	51
0.00	b	19		*Bermuda grass	Cynodon dactylon	20 / 3	31
0.00	b	20		*prickly sow thistle	Sonchus asper ssp. asper	20 / 9	30
0.00	r			Sign: "Mortero Trail"; pass through open gate
0.00	r	21		*cut-leaved geranium	Geranium dissectum	30 / 4	13
0.00	l	22		*scarlet pimpernel	Anagallis arvensis	10 / 3	33
0.00	r	23		*wild oats	Avena fatua	99 / 9	28
0.00	l	24		common bedstraw	Galium aparine	99 / 9	38
0.00	b	25		*annual blue grass	Poa annua	20 / 2	12
0.00	b	26		purple clarkia	Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera	99 / 9	26
0.00	b	27		*slender wild oats	Avena barbata	99 / 9	40
0.00	r	28		*Crete weed	Hedypnois cretica	10 / 1	20
0.00	b	29		*red brome	Bromus madritensis ssp. rubens	99 / 9	53
0.00	r	30		rusty-haired popcorn flower	Plagiobothrys nothofulvus	99 / 9	13
0.00	b	31		*long-beaked filaree	Erodium botrys	99 / 9	12
0.00	b	32		*smooth cat's ear	Hypochaeris glabra	99 / 9	35
0.00	r	33		*hairy rattail fescue	Vulpia myuros var. hirsuta	20 / 2	19
0.00	l	34		*sand spurrey	Spergularia bocconei	20 / 2	14
0.00	r	35		*ripgut brome	Bromus diandrus	50 / 5	52
0.01	b	36		*windmill pink	Silene gallica	99 / 9	33
0.01	b	37		small-flowered fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii var. menziesii	99 / 9	12
0.01	b	38		checkerbloom	Sidalcea malviflora ssp. sparsifolia	99 / 9	25
0.01	b	39		southern miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. mexicana	99 / 9	25
0.01	r	40		sharp-toothed sanicle	Sanicula arguta	99 / 9	16
0.01	l	41		Engelmann oak	Quercus engelmannii	30 / 9	23
0.01	l	42		*sow thistle	Sonchus oleraceus	5 / 3	42
0.02	r	43		blue dicks	Dichelostemma capitatum ssp. capitatum	20 / 9	46
0.02	r	44		johnny jump-up	Viola pedunculata	99 / 9	16
0.02	l	45		California-aster	Lessingia filaginifolia var. filaginifolia	50 / 9	51
0.03	l			Jct. path to picnic tables and Nighthawk Loop Trailhead
0.03	r	46		*hedge parsley	Torilis nodosa	/	14
0.04	r	47		*hedge mustard	Sisymbrium officinale	99 / 9	20
0.04	r	48		California everlasting	Gnaphalium californicum	2 / 1	43
0.05	r	49		*nit grass	Gastridium ventricosum	99 / 9	25
0.05	r	50		shooting star	Dodecatheon clevelandii ssp. clevelandii	10 / 2	11
0.06	l	51		common fiddleneck	Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia	99 / 9	18
0.06	l	52		vinegar weed	Trichostema lanceolatum	20 / 5	14
0.07	r			(white everlasting, Gnaphalium canescens ssp. microcephalum)
0.08	b	53		*winter vetch	Vicia villosa ssp. varia	99 / 9	19
0.09	r	54		dwarf lupine	Lupinus bicolor	99 / 9	29
0.10	l	55		*curly dock	Rumex crispus	5 / 5	23
0.11	r	56		toad rush	Juncus bufonius var. bufonius	99 / 9	14
0.11	l	57		clustered toad rush	Juncus bufonius var. congestus	99 / 5	7
0.11	l	58		*rabbits-foot grass	Polypogon monspeliensis	20 / 3	23
0.12	b	59		*grass poly	Lythrum hyssopifolia	99 / 9	15
0.12	r	60		pit-seed goosefoot	Chenopodium berlandieri	2 / 2	7
0.12	l	61		Indian milkweed	Asclepias eriocarpa	20 / 9	18
0.12	r			(fragrant everlasting, Gnaphalium canescens ssp. beneolens)
0.12	r	62		Pomona locoweed	Astragalus pomonensis	20 / 9	11
0.13	l	63		rattlesnake weed	Daucus pusillus	99 / 9	29
0.14	r	64		horseweed	Conyza canadensis	30 / 9	36
0.15	l			(Telephone Pole)
0.15	r	65		California buckwheat	Eriogonum fasciculatum var. foliolosum	30 / 9	51
0.16	r	66		purple needlegrass	Nassella pulchra	/	20
0.17	c	67		*knotweed	Polygonum arenastrum	50 / 9	19
0.17	r			Culvert
0.18	r	68		red maids	Calandrinia ciliata	10 / 3	22
0.18		69		fragrant everlasting	Gnaphalium canescens ssp. beneolens	10 / 5	23
0.18	l			(Dead tree, looking like a Chinese New Year Dragon)
0.19				Field of purple needlegrass, Nassella pulchra
0.19	r			(Palmer's goldenbush, Ericameria palmeri var. pachylepis)
0.20	r	70		long-stemmed buckwheat	Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum	1 / 1	28
0.20	r	71		common lomatium	Lomatium utriculatum	10 / 2	5
0.20	r			(leafy daisy, Erigeron foliosus var. foliosus)
0.20	l			Jct. use connector trail to Nighthawk Loop Trail
0.22	l			Sign: "Nighthawk Loop Trail [left]; Mortero Trail [ahead and back]"
0.22	l			Jct. connector trail to Nighthawk Loop Trail
0.23	l			Sign: "No Trespassing", facing Tenaja Road, from prior to construction of this trail
0.24	r	72		western ragweed	Ambrosia psilostachya	50 / 5	37
0.24	b	73		Palmer's goldenbush	Ericameria palmeri var. pachylepis	20 / 4	10
0.25	l			(Telephone Pole)
0.27	r	74		coastal goldenbush	Isocoma menziesii+	10 / 4	15
0.30	l			(coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia)
0.38	b	75		Mexican rush	Juncus mexicanus	99 / 4	16
0.44	r	76		*rose clover	Trifolium hirtum	50 / 3	13
0.45	r	77		goldenrod	Solidago californica	5 / 1	35
0.45	l	78		*yellow salsify	Tragopogon dubius	3 / 1	13
0.45	l			(western sycamore, Platanus racemosa)
0.46	b	79		autumn willowweed	Epilobium brachycarpum	10 / 2	4
0.46	r			(on road shoulder and usually whacked: mule fat, Baccharis salicifolia; across road: blue elderberry, Sambucus mexicana)
0.49	b	80		hybrid wild-rye	Leymus Xmultiflorus (L. condensatus X L. triticoides)	20 / 2	5
0.51				Trail curves left around a coast live oak
0.52	r	81		coast live oak	Quercus agrifolia var. agrifolia	10 / 5	42
0.52	r	82		*common chickweed	Stellaria media	30 / 2	25
0.52	r	83		narrow-leaved miner's lettuce	Claytonia parviflora ssp. parviflora	20 / 2	19
0.52	r	84		Jepson's blue wildrye	Elymus glaucus ssp. jepsonii	20 / 5	11
0.52	r			(poison oak, Toxicodendron diversilobum; hollyleaf redberry, Rhamnus ilicifolia)
0.52	l	85		Pacific sanicle	Sanicula crassicaulis	1 / 1	20
0.54	l			(deergrass, Muhlenbergia rigens; big leaf mistletoe, Phoradendron macrophyllum; clustered field sedge, Carex praegracilis)
0.54	l	86		California popcorn flower	Plagiobothrys collinus var. fulvescens	99 / 9	5
0.57	l			(California fuchsia, Epilobium canum ssp. canum)
0.57	l			(tenaja with seasonal water)
0.58	b	87		giant wild-rye	Leymus condensatus	2 / 1	27
0.58	l			(wild-cucumber, Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus)
0.60	r	88		hollyleaf redberry	Rhamnus ilicifolia	5 / 5	43
0.60	r	89		poison oak	Toxicodendron diversilobum	2 / 2	43
0.61	b			Field of prickly lettuce, Lactuca serriola, interspersed with huge field of creeping wild rye, Leymus triticoides
0.62	b	90		creeping wild rye	Leymus triticoides	40 / 2	11
0.63	l	91		chick lupine	Lupinus microcarpus var. microcarpus	20 / 5	9
0.63				Trail curves left 45°
0.65	b			(bull thistle, Cirsium vulgare)
0.65				Beginning of bridge over this branch of Cole Creek; local low point on trail, elevation ~1800 feet (549 m)
0.65	b	92		*whorled dock	Rumex conglomeratus	3 / 1	10
0.65	b	93		willowherb	Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum	5 / 1	18
0.65	l	94		mule fat	Baccharis salicifolia	3 / 3	39
0.65	r	95		*milk thistle	Silybum marianum+	5 / 1	9
0.65	b	96		common monkeyflower	Mimulus guttatus	5 / 1	15
0.65	b	97		deergrass	Muhlenbergia rigens	5 / 2	21
0.65	l	98		California sagebrush	Artemisia californica+	1 / 1	47
0.65	l	99		willow-leaved dock	Rumex salicifolius var. denticulatus	2 / 1	8
0.65	b	100		common spikerush	Eleocharis macrostachya	10 / 2	12
0.65	b	101		wrinkled rush	Juncus rugulosus	50 / 5	12
0.66				End bridge
0.67	r			(white sage, Salvia apiana, dead in late 2004)
0.68				Jct. Sylvan Meadows Road; go left. Sign: "Mortero Trail [back]; to Sylvan Meadows Trailhead 0.5 mi [back]"
0.70	l	102		*shepherd's purse	Capsella bursa-pastoris	2 / 1	10
0.71	l	103		*goose grass	Eleusine indica	5 / 1	1
0.71				Local low point
0.73	l	104		young arroyo willow	Salix lasiolepis	1 / 1	35
0.73	l	105		canchalagua	Centaurium venustum	50 / 9	15
0.73	l	106		holly-leaf navarretia	Navarretia atractyloides	99 / 9	9
0.74				Road curves left 45°
0.78	l	107		San Diego tarweed	Hemizonia paniculata	99 / 9	8
0.84	r	108		short-winged deerweed	Lotus scoparius var. brevialatus	5 / 2	23
0.84	r			Jct. old use trail, now closed by a fence a bit farther on that trail
0.85	b			(Torrey's scrub oak, Quercus acutidens)
0.85	l	109		three spot	Osmadenia tenella	50 / 9	14
0.85	l	110		chamise	Adenostoma fasciculatum	20 / 9	37
0.86	r	111		slender combseed	Pectocarya linearis ssp. ferocula	50 / 9	6
0.87	b	112		prickly cryptantha	Cryptantha muricata	99 / 9	16
0.87	r	113		golden yarrow	Eriophyllum confertiflorum var. confertiflorum	3 / 3	55
0.88	l	114		strigose lotus	Lotus strigosus	10 / 3	34
0.88	l	115		*Mediterranean schismus	Schismus barbatus	20 / 2	25
0.88	l	116		pygmy-weed	Crassula connata	20 / 2	28
0.89	r	117		*goldentop	Lamarckia aurea	10 / 1	22
0.89	r	118		San Diego birdsfoot lotus	Lotus hamatus	99 / 9	24
0.89	r	119		goldfields	Lasthenia californica	50 / 5	13
0.90	r	120		everlasting nest-straw	Stylocline gnaphaloides	20 / 3	12
0.90	r	121		Torrey's scrub oak	Quercus acutidens	10 / 4	26
0.90	r	122	~	blue larkspur	Delphinium parryi ssp. parryi	2 / 1	14
0.90	r	123		climbing bedstraw	Galium nuttallii ssp. nuttallii	10 / 9	30
0.90	r			(southern honeysuckle, Lonicera subspicata var. denudata)
0.91	l	124		narrowleaf bedstraw	Galium angustifolium ssp. angustifolium	4 / 3	49
0.91	r	125		wild-cucumber	Marah macrocarpus var. macrocarpus	3 / 3	44
0.92	r	126		coast-range melic	Melica imperfecta	10 / 2	43
0.92	r			(California sagebrush, Artemisia californica)
0.92	r	127		collar lupine	Lupinus truncatus	10 / 1	24
0.92	l	128		miner's lettuce	Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata	20 / 1	22
0.94	l			(California peony, Paeonia californica)
0.95				Road curves right
0.95	l			(horehound, Marrubium vulgare)
0.96	l	129		California squirreltail	Elymus elymoides ssp. californicus	/ 1	12
0.97				Road jags right
0.98	r			(bird's-foot fern, Pellaea mucronata var. mucronata)
1.02	l			Jct. bicycle use trail
1.03	l			(goldback fern, Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis)
1.04				Local high point on road, elevation ~1840 feet (561 m)
1.04	r	130		California peony	Paeonia californica	10 / 3	17
1.04	r	131		threadstem	Pterostegia drymarioides	10 / 1	30
1.04	r	132		baby blue eyes	Nemophila menziesii var. menziesii	5 / 2	8
1.04				Jct. other end of bicycle use trail
1.04	l	133	sp	clover	Trifolium sp.	3 / 1
1.06	r			(Note thick vines of poison oak that have grown up the trunk of the Engelmann oak)
1.06				Long curve right; road is in deep sand; local low point on road
1.08	l			Sign: "Trail closed" at use trail
1.09	r			Jct. east connector to Torino Trail
1.10	r			Sign: "Torino Trail [right], to Visitor Center 0.8 mi; Sylvan Meadows Road [ahead and back], to Clinton Keith 0.5 mi, to Sylvan Meadows Trailhead 1.6 mi"
1.10	l			Jct. use trail
1.10	r			Jct. west connector to Torino Trail
1.11	l	134		goldback fern	Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis	10 / 2	24
1.11	l	135		coast jepsonia	Jepsonia parryi	20 / 2	15
1.11	r	136		southern honeysuckle	Lonicera subspicata var. denudata	3 / 2	40
1.14	r			(Vasey's prickly-pear, Opuntia vaseyi)
1.14	r			Local high point on road; road curves right
1.14	r	137		triangular-fruit sedge	Carex triquetra	1 / 1	17
1.14	r	138		foothill needlegrass	Nassella lepida	1 / 1	21
1.16	r			Jct. use trail
1.17				Begin long switchback left.
1.20				Cross wide shallow drainage at center of switchback
1.23	l			Jct. use trail
1.23	r			(Beautiful outcrop of Woodson Mountain granodiorite)
1.24	l			(white-flowering currant, Ribes indecorum)
1.27	r			(Note huge boulder "holding up" a tree!)
1.28				Local high point on road
1.32				Local low point on road; road is in sand; begin long switchback right.
1.34	l			Jct. use trail
1.35	l			(branching phacelia, Phacelia ramosissima var. latifolia)
1.35	l			(laurel sumac, Malosma laurina)
1.36	r			Check for different popcorn flower
1.36	r	139		white sage	Salvia apiana	5 / 1	38
1.36	r	140		woolly-fruited lomatium	Lomatium dasycarpum ssp. dasycarpum	3 / 1	8
1.36	r	141		bristly bird's beak	Cordylanthus rigidus ssp. setigerus	3 / 1	27
1.36				Road turns left 90°
1.37	l		~	(Chinese houses, Collinsia heterophylla)
1.37	r	142		yellow mariposa lily	Calochortus weedii var. weedii	5 / 1	11
1.38	l	143		redberry	Rhamnus crocea	1 / 1	15
1.40				Local high point on road, elevation ~1875 feet (572 m)
1.41	l			(meadow-rue, Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum)
1.42	l			Jct. use trail
1.43				Local low point on road
1.45				Local high point on road
1.47	r			Jct. use trail to Tovashal Trail
1.49	l	144		*tumble pigweed	Amaranthus albus	1 / 1	13
1.49	l			Jct. use trail
1.49	r			Jct. Tovashal Trail; sign: "Tovashal Trail [right], to visitor center 0.9 mi; Sylvan Meadows Road [ahead and back], to Clinton Keith Road 0.9 mi [back], to Sylvan Meadows Trailhead 1.2 mi [ahead]"
1.60				Road jags right; highest elevation on road, 1920 feet (585 m)
1.63				Local high point
1.66	r			(black sage, Salvia mellifera)
1.68				Cross small drainage with culvert; the open drainage is lined with yellow mariposa lily, Calochortus weedii var. weedii
1.70	l	145		rattlesnake weed	Chamaesyce albomarginata	3 / 1	10
1.72	r			Small pit (origin?)
1.75	r	146		soap plant	Chlorogalum pomeridianum var. pomeridianum	1 / 1	18
1.77	r			Closed use trail to Sylvan Ranch homes
1.77	l	147		common hareleaf	Lagophylla ramosissima ssp. ramosissima	20 / 3	2
1.78				Cross wide drainage
1.81	l			Sign: "Trail [ahead]"
1.81	r	148		elk thistle	Cirsium scariosum	3 / 3	11
1.83	r			Jct. Manzanita Trail, opened in 2006, which leads to La Cresta homes
1.88				Cross drainage with culvert
1.88	l	149		female clustered field sedge	Carex praegracilis	10 / 1	8
1.88	r	150		slender tarweed	Hemizonia fasciculata	99 / 9	18
1.88	r	151		saltgrass	Distichlis spicata	99 / 9	16
1.91	r			(Engelmann oak X valley oak, Quercus engelmannii X Q. lobata; the third or fourth tree to the right, about 100 feet off-trail)
1.93	l	152		*Mediterranean barley	Hordeum marinum ssp. gussoneanum	99 / 3	6
1.94				Road curves left to cross drainage
1.95	b	153		muilla	Muilla maritima	30 / 1	9
2.00				Cross drainage with culvert
2.01	l	154		silver puffs	Uropappus lindleyi	1 / 1	27
2.03	r			Jct. Shivela Trail; end formal plant trail guide since remaining road is covered in another guide. New species are still noted, but not numbered
2.19				Cross drainage with culvert
2.21	r			(Coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, died in early 2006; it fell right over)
2.22	r			California meadow barley	Hordeum brachyantherum ssp. californicum	10 / 1
2.29				Cross drainage
2.30	l			(Planted toyons, Heteromeles arbutifolia, with chicken wire around them at base)
2.35	r			Jct. old road; Sign: "Authorized personnel only"
2.36	r			Coast live oak, Quercus agrifolia, died in early 2005, probably from a weak crotch
2.46				(Granite outcrop on top of hill directly ahead)
2.50				(Dam on drainage)
2.50				Cross drainage with culvert
2.60				Cross seasonally-wet drainage
2.62				End guide back at Sylvan Meadows Parking Area

http://tchester.org/srp/plants/guides/mortero_sylvan_road_loop.html
Updated 15 April 2006.