Lower Table Rock – Ashland Hiking Group

Oh, did we have a wonderfully geeky wildflower walk Friday! You know it’s going to be good when someone drops to all fours and whips out her hand lens, which is what Collette did about 30 yards from the trailhead.

With Darryl, Rich, Collette, Elodie, and newcomers Jon Pope and Jamie McLean we had an absolutely absorbing time discovering and discussing the smaller and rarer specimens. Rich kept track of our identified flowers, Jon took those great pictures, Collette identified the rarer flowers and Darryl quietly made sure to pick up my list and flower book that I continually left lying on the ground.

We all delighted in the day. We barely made it to the top of the table in 2-1/2 hours. Unfortunately, very little to no water in the vernal pools, although the flowers were there, but not in abundance. Views, what views? We had our heads down.

We found 36 species of flowering plants. Note that the pictures Dan will post along with this report are of new or are not yet found on our Wildflower Reference Page. Collette, bless her heart, is still keying out a couple of flowers that have not been identified to her high standards. And I hate to tell those on the walk (especially Rich), but what we saw was not the Wooly Meadowfoam– there were no hairs as you will see from the photo — but the White Meadowfoam. Still a special vernal pool inhabitant, however.

News Flash: Margita reports that the wildflowers are blooming like crazy around Little Songer Butte at Emmigrant Lake.

Arnica (just coming out)

Bedstraw or Cleavers

Baby Stars (True)- NEW

Bicolor or Miniature Lupine

Bleeding Heart

Blue-Eyed Mary (Giant) – NEW

Blue-Eyed Mary (Small flowered) – NEW

Blue Dicks or Nut Grass

Western Buttercup

Cowbag clover

Celery-Leaf or California Lomatium