Sonoran desert field botany

I accompanied my pal and fellow botanist Liz Makings and her Sonoran desert field botany class from Arizona State University to the Sunrise Trail in the McDowell Sonoran Preserve today. I didn't count, but there were 35 or 40 students! Did my heart good to see that much interest. I managed to squeeze off some not-great photos along the way. Many were immature plants not yet in flower, but some early poppies and my first lupine of the season were among them. The upper segment of Sunrise east of Lost Dog is generally a great place to see wildflowers. Poppies, lupines, distant phacelia (found in profusion throughout the preserve), Arizona fiesta flower, New Mexico plumeseed, delphinium, flax, gilia, several mustards, bluedicks and a number of others can be expected there. Add shrubs like chuparosa, ocotillo and brittlebush, and it's one of the best wildflower locations in the preserve.

Posted on February 18, 2017 01:14 AM by stevejones stevejones

Observations

Photos / Sounds

What

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:58 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

California Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus cylindraceus)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:00 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:02 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Desert Plantain (Plantago ovata)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:02 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:05 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Triangle-leaf Bursage (Ambrosia deltoidea)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:06 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Buckhorn Cholla (Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:09 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Berlandier's Wolfberry (Lycium berlandieri)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:19 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Hoary Bowlesia (Bowlesia incana)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:20 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Chuparosa (Justicia californica)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:21 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Arizona Desert-Thorn (Lycium exsertum)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:21 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Creosote Bush (Larrea tridentata)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:22 PM MST

Photos / Sounds

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:22 PM MST

Description

Dozens of Clasping Leaf Gall Midge galls on this single Larrea tridentata.

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 12:27 PM MST

Description

Finally some in flower! These are in landscape at the trailhead.

Photos / Sounds

What

Mexican Poppy (Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:23 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Hairypod Pepperweed (Lepidium lasiocarpum)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:09 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Few-flowered Bluedicks (Dipterostemon capitatus ssp. pauciflorus)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:07 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Texas Stork's Bill (Erodium texanum)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:19 AM MST

Description

Vegetative growth only

Photos / Sounds

What

Coastal Bird's-foot Trefoil (Acmispon maritimus var. brevivexillus)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:26 AM MST

Description

Single flower; otherwise vegetative growth only

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Small-flowered Milkvetch (Astragalus nuttallianus)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:26 AM MST

Description

Vegetative growth only

Tags

Photos / Sounds

What

Arizona Spikemoss (Selaginella arizonica)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:27 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Mexican Poppy (Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:28 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Beetle Spurge (Euphorbia eriantha)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:29 AM MST

Description

Lousy photo taken in a hurry, but I wanted to log the location.

Photos / Sounds

What

Desert Larkspur (Delphinium parishii)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:31 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Arizona Pholistoma (Pholistoma auritum var. arizonicum)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:32 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Lesser Yellowthroat Gilia (Gilia flavocincta)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:36 AM MST

Description

Vegetative growth only

Photos / Sounds

What

Sand Fringepod (Thysanocarpus curvipes)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:37 AM MST

Description

Mostly vegetative growth and a few flowers

Photos / Sounds

What

Wavy Scale Cloakfern (Astrolepis sinuata)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:41 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Spiny Cliff-Brake (Pellaea truncata)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:43 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Mexican Poppy (Eschscholzia californica ssp. mexicana)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:45 AM MST

Photos / Sounds

What

Coulter's Lupine (Lupinus sparsiflorus)

Observer

stevejones

Date

February 17, 2017 11:47 AM MST

Tags

Comments

Really great stuff, Steve! Thanks for sharing your knowledge and interest with these students too. :)

Posted by sambiology about 7 years ago

I need to go on a local botany outing so I can learn all these mystifying desert plants!

Posted by marissa-b about 7 years ago

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