One our desert Nightshades, Physalis crassifolia is a relative of our domestic Tomatillo, and in fact, closely resembles it in fruit. However, unlike our domestic crop, this plant is poisonous, and is listed as a majorly toxic species by California Poison Control System.
One of our native Rubus species, Rubus leucodermis is a low growing, mounding plant with a typical raspberry / blackberry habit. Like most members of Rubus, these plants are armed with sharp, recurved prickles along their stems and on the underside of their leaves. These plants are found throughout the California flouristic provence with the exception of the Great Valley, and extend all the way up along the west coast into Alaska. Their preferred habitat is open, rocky areas with good moisture.
Like most members of Rubus, R. leucodermis has an edible compound fruit. Fruits tend to be red-purple to black in color.
Found in the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountains, Hulsea vestita ssp. parryi is a mountain rare plant. Distinctive characteristics include wooly leaves, and pumpkin orange to reddish inflorescence. The typical habitat for these plants includes talus slopes, gravel and sagebrush to fir forests.
Found in the mountains and fell-fields of the Sierra Nevadas, Rhodiola integrifolia Raf. is a perennial herbaceous plant. Like most Crassulaceae, this plant has a fleshy, succulent look.
A large, perennial shrub to bush found in the southern parts of California and beyond, Lycium andersonii A. Grey is a member of the nightshade family. Armed with true thorns, these plants are difficult to handle without injuring one's hands. The plants produce many white to lavender flowers in the spring, which mature into small, orange-red berries later in the year. Though the fruit is technically edible, getting to it is often not worth the effort (or injury).
Found throughout most of southern California, Asclepias californica Greene is a perenial herbacious plant that is found growing in grassy flats, hillsides and low mountains. Aside from the showy flowers, one of the most distinctive characteristics of A. californica is that it's stems and the undersides of its leaves are densely tomentose, giving the plant a white appearance.
Flowers appear in April and usually last through July.
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| Isoetes occidentalis L. F. Henderson thrives underwater |
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| Isoetes bolanderi Engelmann can survive out of water |
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. 
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.
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.
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| Orthilia secunda (L.) House in flower at Rock Creek canyon, Kern co. |
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| L. kelleyanum in the Rock Creek watershed |
Another of the desert belly flowers, L. setosissima ssp. setosissima differs from its sister taxa L. s. ssp. setosissima most obviously by its lack of floral speckling. Currently, Langloisia is a described as a monotypic genus, meaning that this species is the only one currently contained within.
Found at various sites around the Mojave, pictographs are prehistoric reminders that Europeans were not always the dominant hominid in the area. Many of the sites where this rock art is found are kept secret from the public, as vandalism is all to common. Others are protected by virtue of being on military bases, where acces to the sites is highly restricted. One such site is at the China Lake Naval Weapons Development Facility, and requires a special tour to visit.
The only native palm species to California, W. filifera is found most often in the southern Sonoran Desert of the state, with some extending up into the Mojave. These palms are found only near locations with ground water that reaches near the surface, or actively flows above ground.
Due to increased human water consumption, these trees face a considerable threat. Being as dependent on the level of the water-table as they are, reducing the aquifer levels in their home ranges could have serious, potentially disastrous results for the species.
In the Mojave desert, there were once large lakes that filled the valleys. When the lakes drained and dried up, they left large deposits of salt. Many of these salt flats are almost completely devoid of life, as the salinity is so high that they are instantly lethal to plant seedlings that attempt to take hold.
Despite the desolation of the salt flats, they have a surreal beauty to them. The crystals that form on the surface of the ground can be especially pretty. Sometimes, you can find unusuall sculpturing of the salt, such as these glassy sphere like structures.
Able to survive in the saltpan at the edge of seasonal desert lakes and springs, Salicornia is extremely halophytic (salt tolerant), to the point that it is one of the only plants able to survive in an area. They make extensive use of the C4 metabolic pathway.
A member of the mustard family, Lepidium fremontii is one of the most fragrant plants found in the Mojave desert. The scent of this plant is very sweet and slightly musky, and can be recognized from quite a long way away.
Found in a very small number of canyons near Death Valley, P. mustelina is a BLM protected special status plant. Small and unobtrusive, its petite flowers are easly missed, but are quite a treat when found. Like most phacelias, its stems and leaves bear long trichomes with aromatic secretions. In some people, these chemicals can prompt an allergic reaction similar to that of Toxicodendron diversilobum.
