cf Solorina spongiosa

San Bernardino grass of Parnassus (Parnassia cirrata var. cirrata, white flowers) on a rocky ledge on the Frontcountry RD

Dwarf checkerbloom (Sidalcea malviflora dolosa) in a meadow in the Santa Ana River valley

We conducted night surveys for arroyo toad at the Deep Creek hot springs in late August (my last blog post included a bit about this endangered toad).  The hot springs are good habitat for this species because the warm water excludes non-native trout, which feed on the toads.  A more lurid inhabitant of these hot springs is an ameba called Naegleria fowleri, which enters the human body through the nostrils and can cause a disease called primary amebic meningoencephalitis (PAM).  PAM caused by N. fowleri infection is rare; since 1962, there have been 134 reported cases in the US (CDC).  However, the survival rate from infection by N. fowleri is very low; of those 132 cases, three (2.3%) have survived.   The presence of this ameba doesn’t seem to deter the many people who soak in these hot springs.

One interesting find in the past few weeks was a possible location of Solorina spongiosa, “fringed chocolate chip lichen”.  This lichen has relatively large, brown, sunken apothecia (fruiting bodies), which are surrounded by a distinctive ring of green tissue.  It has a worldwide distribution, but is rare in California.

I’ve been continuing surveys in the Santa Ana River drainage, focusing on areas near roads and streams, and also monitoring older occurrences.  One showy inhabitant of meadows and streams in this area is Sidalcea malvaflora subsp. dolosa (pictured).  We finished the invasive plant guide and will print this fall.

Mountaintop Ranger District

San Bernardino National Forest