Woodland pinedrops (Pterospora andromedea), in flower in mid-July

Ash-gray Indian paintbrush (Castilleja cinerea), federally threatened

I’ve been surveying in the Santa Ana River Valley and along Sugarloaf Ridge, which is north of the valley.  Sugarloaf Mountain and the surrounding ridges contain extensive pebble plain habitat.  These open areas of clay soils are extremely harsh environments and are home to some unique plant species.  Rare species of the pebble plains include ash-gray Indian paintbrush (Castilleja cinerea, federally threatened), southern mountain buckwheat  (Eriogonum kennedyi var. austromontanum, federally threatened), Bear Valley sandwort (Eremogone ursina), and Parish’s rockcress (Boechera parishii, sensitive), among others.  As part of the same project, I’ve been working down in Barton Flats.  Barton Flats horkelia (Horkelia wilderae) is a species endemic to this area of the Santa Ana River Valley, where it grows in montane conifer and oak woodland, often in openings or partial sun. 

On August 31, we conducted night surveys for arroyo toad upstream of the Mojave Spillway.  Arroyo toads are endemic to southwestern CA and northern Baja, and inhabit perennial streams.  These nocturnal toads forage for insects at night and burrow themselves in sand during the day.    This lower part of Deep Creek is heavily used, and beaver, trout, and bullfrogs also occur in the stream.  All of these impact arroyo toad populations.

Interesting (plant) finds from last month include new populations of white adder’s-mouth orchid (Malaxis monophyllos var. brachypoda) in two different meadows on the forest, and a new location of Botrychium crenulatum, also in a meadow.  White adder’s-mouth orchid has an interesting distribution in North America; it’s primarily found in the Midwest and Canada, where it grows in swamp forests.  The only records in California are from the San Bernardino and San Jacinto Mountains.    

Mountaintop Ranger District

San Bernardino National Forest/USFS