Langloisia setosissima ssp. setosissima

Polemoniaceae

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.

Pictographs

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.

Washingtonia filifera

California fan palm
Arecaceae

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.

Salt flats

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.

In some areas, where there are seeps or where a canyon creek system drains onto the flats, they can support some halophytic plants like Salicornia, Atriplex or salt grasses.

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.

Salicornia sp.

Glasswort
Amaranthaceae

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.

The patches depicted here are from Panamint valley, which is on the southern end of the Death Valley junction.

Lepidium fremontii

Desert pepperwood
Brassicaceae

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.

These plants are found in a variety of environments, including canyons, washes, rocky slopes, and juniper woodlands.

Phacelia mustelina

Death-valley phacelia
Boraginaceae (formerly Hydrophyllaceae)

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.