May 6, 2009. Vulpia octoflora var. hirtella. A collection was made at the sharp turn on trail 9. JH Thomas' 1958 collection of Vulpia octoflora v. octoflora, recently re-determined to Vulpia octoflora var. hirtella, was from the Escobar Gate area.

Also blooming on trail 9 were several Phacelia rattannii, Cryptantha clevelandii (several spots), C. micromeres (near the Vulpia octoflora). C. micromeres is also blooming on the Rattlesnake Rock trail. Sunday evening on Rd E approaching the big inlet from the downhill side I collected the single-nutleted Cryptantha microstachys. C. flaccida is still in bloom on serpentine. Just west of the Vulpia octoflora var. hirtella before the Sanicula laciniata site and the beginning of Buckeye alley, about 30 purported Githopsis specularioides were in bloom on the uphill side of the trail. They were photographed but no collection was made. The plants were gone when a collecting party returned to the site two weeks later. Hesperolinom micranthum was blooming in the same area (also in trail 11 in chaparral). Linanthus pygmaeus ssp. continentalis was also blooming on trail 11 at its usual spot. Several tiny plants of Heterocodon rariflorum were in fruit on trail 10 at the edge of chaparral along with Yabea microcarpa, Daucus pusillus, Linanthus bicolor, and Pectocarya pusilla.


photo above: Vulpia octoflora. Photo by Toni Corell.
photo left: Linanthus pygmaeus ssp. continentalis. Photo by Toni Corell.