MASTODON PEAK LOOP, JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK
MARCH 2012 PAGE ONE
Photographs by Michael Charters




I returned to the Cottonwood Springs area of southern Joshua Tree National Park to do some more poking around and follow the Mastodon Peak Loop trail which goes up the back side of Mastodon Peak, past Mastodon Mine and then down to join the Lost Palms Oasis trail back to the parking lot. It was a beautiful day, there was a cool breeze, and the temperature never exceeded 70°. There were fewer things in bloom than I had seen on my previous hike, but some little wash spots were very floristic. The photos of the Cucurbita palmata were actually taken in a wash several miles south of the Visitor Center.


   
Narrow-leaved cryptantha
Cryptantha angustifolia
Boraginaceae


 
Chuparosa, Beloperone
Justicia californica
Acanthaceae
 
Thick-leaved ground cherry
Physalis crassifolia
Solanaceae


 
Coyote melon
Cucurbita palmata
Cucurbitaceae
 
 
 
Brittlebush
Encelia farinosa
Asteraceae


   
Purple mat
Nama demissum var. demissum
Boraginaceae
 
 
Rock daisy
Perityle emoryi
Asteraceae


   
Desert stars
Monoptilon bellioides
Asteraceae
 
Brandegea, Desert starvine
Brandegea bigelovii
Cucurbitaceae


 
Beargrass
Nolina bigelovii
Ruscaceae
 



 
 
 
White fiesta flower
Pholistoma membranaceum
Boraginaceae
 
 



   
Apricot mallow
Sphaeralcea ambigua
Malvaceae
 



   
Mojave popcorn flower
Plagiobothrys jonesii
Boraginaceae


 
Arrowleaf
Pleurocoronis pluriseta
Asteraceae



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


Copyright © 2012 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.