Table Rocks
On a chilly Friday morning that did warm up eventually, twelve of us started our WW, first stop Lower Table Rock to look for wet prairie/meadow and chaparral habitat flowers and shrubs. Saxifrage (Saxifrage integrifolia), Rosy plectritis – do so love that name- (Plectritis congesta) and Western buttercup (Ranunculus occidentalis) were flowering in profusion, with some White plectritis (Plectritus micrposera) and Miniature/Bicolor lupine (Lupinus bicolor) and Halls desert parsley (Lomatium utriculatum) popping up. Common camas (Camus quamash) leaves with the beginnings of flower stalks were visible all over the meadow as well. Buckbrush (Ceanothus cuneatus) was in full flower all along the path.
In deference to my knee, we turned around at the top of the meadow and caravanned over to Upper Table Rock where the BLM has rerouted the trail to make it much less steep and muddy and that features wonderful sweeping views of the valley. This trail begins in Oak Woodland/Madrone habitat which offers a range of flowers within a relatively short distance. Both Oregon White oak (Quercus garryana) and Madrone (Arbutus menziensii) were blooming, along with Poison oak (Toxidendron diversaforma) and Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus beuloides) and Whiteleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylus viscida).
Although the Fawn lilies (Erhythronium hendersonii) were mostly gone, we found Scarlett fritillary (Fritillaria recurva), Hounds tongue (Cynglossum grandiflora), Mariposa lily (Calochortus tolmeii), Woodland star (Lithofragma parvifolium) and the less common Southern Oregon buttercup (Ranunculs austro-oreganus) with its red-blush under-petals. We also encountered lots of both the Sparsely-flowered Blue-eyed Marys (Collinsia parsiflora) and the more floriferous Narrow-leafed Blue-eyed Mary (Colllinsia linearis) – both also known as Shirts-and-skirts and Blue dicks (Brodiea elegans). Upland larkspur (Delphinium nutallanium) were in gorgeous display. On the upper, slightly drier slopes, Eva identified the much taller Great Camas (Camas leitchtlinii) beginning to bloom along with Fiddleneck (Amsinckia menseizii) and Popcorn flower (Plagiobothrys sp). In the next couple of weeks the camas flowers will be putting on quite a show. After lunch, we headed back, while Ron and Eva continued up to the top to find the rare Dwarf woolly meadowfoam (Linanthus floccosa), Phacelia hastata, Deltoid balsamroot (Balsam deltoidia), Baby blue-eyes (Nemophila pedinculata), and Lacy Lomatium (Lomatium
ambiguum). Probably missed a few, but you get the idea: Spring has arrived!
Rich will be leading the next Wildflower Walk, Friday April 19th, tentatively scheduled at Enchanted Forest, but Rich will send out a notice if there are any changes. George and I will be touring about Utah and Colorado to celebrate our 34th wedding and honeymoon anniversary!
Respectfully submitted, Your Flower Floozy Liz
Hike Leader: Liz
Photos By: Eva
