CLARK VALLEY/BORREGO PALM CANYON, ANZA-BORREGO DESERT STATE PARK
MARCH 2009 PAGE ONE
Photographs by Michael Charters




My original intention was to hop over to Clark Valley, pick up a few species I hadn't seen before, and spend the bulk of the day in Borrego Palm Canyon. It turned out just the opposite, with me spending the bulk of the day in Clark Valley, and then hopping over to Borrego Palm Canyon with just enough time to look for the Carlowrightia. The stops I made were at the intersection of S-22 and Rockhouse Rd, near the gravel quarry at Clark Dry Lake, and then at the location pictured above where I walked across this flat plain almost to the base of those hills. Borrego Palm Canyon is looking very beautiful right now, and so I plan to go down again to actually spend a day there. The Carlowrightia is not in bloom and shows no signs of being in bloom anytime soon. I believe its blooming period is around April to May. Those pictures I took in Borrego Palm Canyon are in a separate section on Page Three. The symbol ^ next to the common name indicates a taxon that was new to me when I photographed it on this field trip.


Clark Valley



   
Schott's calico
Loesaliastrum schottii
Polemoniaceae
 
Turtleback, Desert velvet
Psathyrotes ramosissima
Asteraceae


 
Nevada cryptantha ^
Cryptantha nevadensis
Boraginaceae

 
 
Desert sunflower
Geraea canescens
Asteraceae
 
 
Desert lily
Hesperocallis undulata
Liliaceae
Desert sand verbena
Abronia villosa var. villosa
Nyctaginaceae
Basket evening primrose
Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides
Onagraceae
Narrow-leaved cryptantha
Cryptantha angustifolia
Boraginaceae

 
 
Woolly plantain
Plantago ovata
Plantaginaceae
Mojave stinkweed
Cleomella obtusifolia
Capparaceae
 


   
Rigid spineflower
Chorizanthe rigida
Polygonaceae
 
Wrinkled spineflower ^
Chorizanthe corrugata
Polygonaceae


 
Brittle spineflower
Chorizanthe brevicornu var. brevicornu
Polygonaceae
(Edge of penny in background)

       
   
Desert star
Monoptilon bellioides
Asteraceae
   
    Broadleaf gilia
Gilia latifolia
Polemoniaceae


   
Desert chicory
Rafinesquia neomexicana
Asteraceae
(Elegant blister beetles
Eupompha elegans ssp. elegans)
 
Desert dandelion
Malacothrix glabrata
Asteraceae


 
 
Brittlebush
Encelia farinosa
Asteraceae
 
Spanish needles
Palafoxia arida var. arida
Asteraceae
Frostmat
Achyronychia cooperi
Caryophyllaceae
   


PHOTO GALLERIES
INDEX
CALFLORA.NET PAGE TWO
OF THREE
CALIFORNIA PLANT NAMES: LATIN AND GREEK MEANINGS AND DERIVATIONS


Copyright © 2009 by Michael L. Charters.
The photographs contained on these web pages may not be reproduced without the express consent of the author.

Comments and/or questions may be addressed to: mmlcharters[at]gmail.com.