Santa Ynez Valley

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Thursday, April 29, 2010

Spring Wildflowers - Part VII

Some more images from Death Valley National Park.

This Chuckwalla lizard was spotted near Willow Spring at the end of the road into Gold Valley.  It was probably about 18 inches from nose to end of tail..



There were many coreopsis flowers blooming in the fields and brush along the road into Gold Valley.



These little flowers are called Evening Snow.  The flowers are only open near dawn and dusk.  We didn't notice any driving into Gold Valley, but it was late afternoon when we drove out and we saw many of them.  These are just starting to open.
(Licanthus dichotomus)


This is the Lesser Mohavea, related to snapdragons.
(Mojavea breviflora)


Bigelow's Monkeyflower.
(Mimulus bigelovei)


Notch-Leaved Phacelia
(Phacelia crenulata)


This is the Lilac Sunbonnet.  I had been hoping to find these, since I had never seen one in person.  They turned out to be much smaller than I was imagining.
(Langloisia setosissima)


This unusual plant is called Rigid Spiny Herb or Devil's Spineflower.
(Chorizanthe rigida)


These were ruins at an old talc mine near Ibex Spring.


2 comments:

  1. So when are you going to publish the definitive guide on desert wildflowers, Art? You give new meaning to Evening Snow in Death Valley.

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  2. Hi Bob! Funny that you should mention that. We've been frustrated with the incompleteness and lack of good photos in the guide books we have. We've talked about creating our own guide using photos we've take (just for our own use).

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