Frasera puberulenta Davidson

Inyo Frasera
Gentianaceae

Found in the Sierra Nevada, Inyo and White mountains, Frasera puberulenta Davidson is easy to miss, but an interesting plant none the less. Found in dry mountain woodlands, the leaves of these plants are highly puberulent on the underside and margin, giving them a soft, white edge. The flower stalk is not as large as some other Frasera, only reaching 1-3 decimeters in height.

Isoeteaceae Rchb.

Quillwort family

Among my favorite plants are the quillworts, or Isoetes. Though little known outside of botanist circles, the quillworts are a fascinating and unusual family of non-flowering plants.

Isoetes occidentalis L. F. Henderson thrives underwater

The family dates back to the early Carboniferous period, where they were the dominant plant type in many of the large swamp and woodland areas. After the late Devonian drying, the quillworts declined considerably. Today, they are comprised of a single genus, Isoetes, among which there are roughly 200 extant species.

In California, there are a total of 6 fully recognized species of Isoetes. Three of these are aquatic plants, and must be continually submerged under water. Two are found in vernal pool systems, and are able to survive desiccation during the hot summer months. One of the species is fully terrestrial, but is still found in mostly wet habitats.

Isoetes bolanderi Engelmann can survive out of water

The stem of an Isoetes plant is distinctive, in that it does not produce roots like euphylophytes (ferns, horsetails, conifers and flowering plants), but rather, uses modified leaves as its root structures. Also, the leaves themselves are interesting in that they are not homologous structures to the leaves of euphylophytes, but rather, were independently evolved (i.e. analogous structures).

Cirsium scariosum Nutt.

Dwarf thistle
Asteraceae

 Unlike the common weedy thistles we commonly associate with the name, Cirsium scariosum is a native. Found across California, these low-growing perennial thistles are not very showy, but have strong thistle characteristics, including tightly packed flower heads, and spiny leaves. They can be found in both rocky areas to meadows and marshy regions.

These perennial plants flower in the summer, and eventually die back to a rootstock later in the fall-winter.

Corallorhiza maculata (Raf.) Raf.

Spotted or summer coralroot
Orchidaceae

 A non-photosynthesizing, myco-heterotrophic member of the orchid family, C. maculata is found in shady areas in mountainous regions. Lacking chlorophyll, these plants are instead parasitic on the mycorrhiza of neighboring plants to steal photosynthates. One of the orchid's common names, the spotted coral root, derives from the red-brown spots on its flowers. These plants lack leaves, instead appearing as a long rachis with flowers arranged around the axis.

Hyptis emoryi Torr.

Desert lavender
Lamiaceae

A mint found in both the Mojave and Sonoran deserts, H. emoryi are small to large shrubs usually found in canyons, washes and scrub with loose, gravely to sandy soil. The plant's foliage tends to be rather sparse, but densely hairy, giving the whole plant a white-silver look. The flowers are small, lavender, and are found in tight clusters near the branch tips.

Draba corrugata S. Watson

Southern California Draba
Brasicaceae

Found on high elevation slopes of the Transverse range and Peninsular range of California and Baja California, D. corrugata is a small, semi-showy mustard that typically lives on slopes with mixed conifers.

Physaria kingii (S. Watson) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz subsp. bernardina (Munz) O'Kane & Al-Shehbaz

San Bernardino Mountains Bladderpod
Brassicaceae

Found in only a few localities in the San Bernardino mountains, P. kingii subsp. bernardina is listed as endangered by the California Native Plant Society and the Federal government. Found on higher outcrops of grano-dioritic rock, the plant itself isn't all that impressive, but is a pleasing burst of color against the white of its native substrate.