Spring Wildflowers - Part X

After returning home, on April 19th we made a return trip to Figueroa Mountain to see what the wildflower status was.

At the lower elevations, there was a lot of Wild Mustard in bloom.

(Hirschfeldia incana)

As we started to climp the mountain, we saw quite a bit of Hummingbird Sage (aka Crimson Pitcher Sage or Crimson Sage).

(Salvia spathacea)

Sacred Datura or Jimson Weed

(Datura wrightii)

Lanceleaf Liveforever or Southern California Dudleya.

(Dudleya lanceolata)

This time the Mariposa Lilies were blooming.

(Calochortus catalinae)

Common Monkeyflower, Yellow Monkeyflower or Seep Monkeyflower.

(Mimulus guttatus)

Wild Onion

(Allium fimbriatum?)

Miner's Lettuce

(Claytonia parviflora)

The Bush Lupines were just starting to really bloom.

Another Mariposa Lily.

(Calochortus catalinae)

I've admired this old oak tree for quite a while.  I finally stopped and got a picture of it.

Spring Wildflowers - Part IX

After leaving the Death Valley area, we headed west on California Highway 58.  This route would take us back past the northern end of the Carrizo Plains and past other areas known for spring wildflowers.

As Highway 58 climbed up over the Temblor Range, we again found hillsides painted with color.

White Tidy Tips

(Layia glandulosa)

Purple Nightshade

(Solanum xanti)

We took a quick drive back into the northern end of the Carrizo Plain to see what had changed during the week since we had last been there.

We found Fields filled with Tidy Tips.

And fields that were just palettes of different colors.

One flower that we had not seen during our earlier visit was Recurved Larkspur or Byron Larkspur.

(Delphinium recurvatum)

We also stopped at the intersection of Highway 58 and Shell Creek Road.  This is a another well known location for spring wildflowers.
This image contains Tidy Tips, Owl's Clover and Goldfields.

The Panamint Daisy

The Panamint Daisy (Enceliopsis covillei) is a rare perennial that is endemic to the Death Valley area, found primarily on the western slopes of the Panamint Mountains.  This plant tenaciously inhabits rocky hillsides with a high alkali content.  The flower heads can be up to 5 inches across on 12 to 20 inch stems.

Spring Wildflowers - Part VIII

Here are some images of the scenery around Death Valley that we love.

The view looking down towards Titus Canyon from Red Pass along the Titus Canyon Road.

20 Mule Team Road

Artist's Palette

Here is a very colorful Side-Blotched Lizard that we came across.

And now a few more Death Valley area flowers.

Purple Mat

(Nama demissum)

)

Shredding Evening Primrose
(Camissonia boothii)

Turtleback, Velvet Rosette, or Desert Velvet
(Psathyrotes ramosissima)

Desert Mallow, Apricot Mallow or Desert Hollyhock

(Sphaeralcea ambigua)

Desert Rock Nettle

(Eucnide urens)

These are the extremely small flowers of the strange Desert Trumpet Plant or Native American Pipeweed

(Eriogonum inflatum)

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.

Spring Wildflowers - Part VI

 A few more wildflowers from Death Valley National Park.

Caltha Leafed Phacelia

(Phacelia calthifolia)

Desert Gold highlighting the Death Valley landscape.

Desert Five-Spot in various stages of blooming.

(Eremalche rotundifolia)

Golden Evening Primrose or Yellow Cups

(Camissonia brevipes)

 Humble Gilia, Desert Linanthus, or Desert Snow

(Linanthus demissus)  

Fremont's Phacelia
(Phacelia fremontii)

Fremont's Gold

(Syntrichopappus fremontii)

Chia
(Salvia columbariae)