Native Mountain Species Final Journal

FAMILY: Ericaceae
SPECIES: Sarcodes sanguinea

Associated species: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest

Range: 3000-6500 ft in elevation, Southern Oregon south to Southern California.

Other Notes: Does not photosynthesize so practices mutualism. It derives nutrition from fungi or decaying organic matter underneath the soil.

Observations: Found in a mixed conifer forest. Showy red flowers

FAMILY: Fabaceae

SPECIES: Lupinus excubitus

Associated species: Coastal Sage Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Chaparral, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland

Range: found in the southwestern United States, especially in California, and in far northern Mexico.

Soil: Prefers sandy or clay loams

Other Notes: name refers to its sweet scent, which is said to be very reminiscent of grape soda

Observations: Bright purple flowers. Found in pinon juniper woodland

FAMILY: Fagaceae
SPECIES: Quercus cornelius-mulleri

Associated species: chaparral, oak woodland, Joshua Trees

Range: Found in Southern California and Baja California. grows in foothills and mountains.

Soil: Slopes, granitic soils

Other Notes: acorns are edible

Observations: No acorns visible. Found as a pinyon juniper woodland that was juniper dominant.

FAMILY: Pinaceae
SPECIES: Pinus monophylla

Associated species: Foothill Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, including sagebrush, yucca and California buckwheat.

Range: Typically at 3,900 to 7,500 ft.

Soil: decomposed granite, sandstone and loamy clay

Other Notes: Pine nuts/seeds are edible

Observations: found in a pinyon juniper woodland

FAMILY: Anacardiaceae
SPECIES: Rhus ovata

Associated species: chaparral plants including manzanita, toyon, buckwheat, milkweed, sagebrush and ceanothuses.

Range: Southern California, Arizona, Baja California and Baja California Sur. Chaparral slopes, often south facing, often very hot and dry, from just inland of the coast to the mountains and desert transition

Soil: Tolerates a variety of soils. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Other Notes: Can live up to 100 years.

Observations: Found in a pinyon-juniper woodland area.

FAMILY: Cupressaceae
SPECIES: Juniperus californica

Associated species: Foothill Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, and Joshua Tree Woodland communities.

Range: Grows in moderate altitudes 2,460–5,250 ft. Found on slopes. Mostly found in California, but also throughout the Southwest US/Northwest Mexico and Great Basin.
Soil: Typically coarse, well drained and low nutrient soil such as decomposed granite. Soil PH: 7.0 - 8.0.

Other Notes: Traditional Native American medicinal plant, and as a food source, including by local Cahuilla. One of the last places to see junipers this north in this part of the Mojave.

Observations: In a pinyon-juniper woodland. Tall and wide bush-- about 8 feet wide and 10 feet tall. Branches and leaves look similar to other conifers.

FAMILY: Euphorbiaceae

SPECIES: Bernardia incana

Associated species: Creosote Bush Scrub, fount with yuccas and chollas and juniper

Range: found 2100-4200 ft. in mostly the Sonoran Desert

Soil: Protected slopes in desert canyon washes

Observations: found on a slope in a pinyon juniper habitat. very small leaves

FAMILY: Onagraceae
SPECIES: Epilobium canum

Associated species: Coastal Sage Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, Lodgepole Forest, Subalpine Forest, Chaparral

Range: dry slopes and in chaparral of western North America, especially California

Soil: Tolerates clay and sand. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0

Other Notes: Fire resistant

Observations: found in a mixed conifer forest

FAMILY: Pinaceae
SPECIES: Pinus ponderosa

Associated species: ponderosa shrub forest, sagebrush, oaks, snowberry

Range: Found in mountainous regions throughout western north America.

Soil: Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils.. Soil PH: 5 - 7

Other Notes: Occurs usually in non wetlands, occasionally in wetlands.

Observations: Found in a riparian habitat

FAMILY: Polygonaceae
SPECIES: Eriogonum fasciculatum

Associated species: Found in Coastal Sage Scrub, Sagebrush Scrub, Creosote Bush Scrub, Valley Grassland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland communities.

Range: A common shrub that is native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, where it grows on scrubby slopes and in chaparral and dry washes in a number of habitats. Tolerates cold to 15° F.

Soil: Prefers loamy soils. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.5. Good in fast, medium and slow draining soils.

Other Notes:
Hosts bees, hummingbirds, butterflies and moths. Native Californians and other Native Peoples use it primarily to treat headaches, stomach problems, diarrhea and wounds. Both the leaves and roots are used, fresh and dried.

Observations: Found in pinon juniper woodland. Currently not flowering/dried out. Brownish reddish color. Long stems with small flowers that are very delicate at the end. No noticeable smell. Found on a hillside. Probably about 3 ft in a height. Flower looks to grow in a cluster at the end of the stem.

FAMILY: Asteraceae

SPECIES: Artemisia tridentata

Associated species: Coastal Sage Scrub, Sagebrush Scrub, Yellow Pine Forest, Northern Juniper Woodland, Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Joshua Tree Woodland

Range: grows in arid and semi-arid conditions, throughout a range of cold desert, steppe, and mountain habitats in the Intermountain West of North America. Grows above 1,500 ft and is an indicator species for high desert.

Soil: Prefers coarse, well drained soil such as decomposed granite. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.5

Other Notes: Grows on slopes

Observations: Easily identifiable because of "trident" leaves. Did not see flowers. Found in a riparian habitat

FAMILY: Pinaceae
SPECIES: Pinus jeffreyi

Associated species: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest, maple, incense cedar, dogwood, currant

Range: much of California and in southwestern Oregon, western Nevada, and northern Baja California

Soil: Prefers rich, forest soil with well-decomposed organic component derived from decaying wood. Soil PH: 5.2 - 7.9

Other Notes: bark has a distinctive fragrance described as reminiscent of vanilla, lemon, pineapple, violets, apple, or butterscotch

Observations: found in a mixed conifer forest

FAMILY: Pinaceae
SPECIES: Pinus lambertiana

Associated species: Yellow Pine Forest, Red Fir Forest

Range: Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils. Native to the mountains of the Pacific coast of North America, from Oregon through California to Baja California.

Soil: Prefers sandy or loamy soils. Does not grow well in clay soils.

Other Notes: Likes living on slopes slopes. largest species of pine. Sweet resin that indigenous people used as a sweetener.

Observations: found in a mixed conifer forest.

FAMILY: Ericaceae
SPECIES: Arctostaphylos pringlei

Associated species: Yellow Pine Forest, Chaparral

Range: Lives at 3900-7900 ft. grows in Southern California, primarily in the Peninsular Range region.

Soil: Rocky, gravelly. Soil PH: 5.5 - 7.5

Observations: Found in a mixed conifer forest. Not flowering. Signature reddish gnarled branches.

FAMILY: Fagaceae
SPECIES: Quercus kelloggii

Associated species: Yellow Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest, Northern Oak Woodland

Range: Distributed along foothills and lower mountains of California and western Oregon, between 2,000 and 8,000 ft.

Soil: Can grow in many types of soils, but it is important that the soil be well-drained

Other Notes: edible acorns

Observations: found in a mixed conifer forest

FAMILY: Pinaceae
SPECIES: Calocedrus decurrens

Associated species: Yellow Pine Forest, Mixed Evergreen Forest

Range: Grows at 150 to 8500 ft. Bulk of the range in the United States, from central western Oregon through most of California and the extreme west of Nevada, and also a short distance into northwest Mexico in northern Baja California.

Soil: Prefers deep woodland soil with high organic content. Tolerates Serpentine Soil. Soil PH: 5.0 - 7.6

Observations: found in a mix conifer forest. Scale like leaves and red bark.