Jumping the sandbars in the Carson River at Kirman Field

More and more ranch land is turning into land for multiple uses. Washoe Valley and Carson Valley features various historic ranches differing in attractions, uses, and trail miles. The Bently-Kirman Ranch Trail (also Bently-Kirman Tract Trail) opened at the end of April this year. It makes Kirman Field accessible to the public with the goal of coexistence of recreational use, habitat protection and cattle ranching. This trail includes two separate loop trails, crisscrossing floodplain lands next to the Carson River. Each loop trail provides access to the river and its sandbars. Once you jump the sandbars and hit a muddy spot, you may decide to leave these little islands for the birds and enjoy the view of the Carson Range with Jobs Peak, Jobs Sister and Freel Peak. Up there, the Tahoe Rim Trail is still hidden under snow, but should be hikable without snowshoes in a few weeks, when the Kirman Field is blistering in the heat.

Getting there
From Highway 395 between Carson City and Minden take Stephanie Lane, exiting left if you are diriving south and exiting right otherwise. After one mile turn left into Heybourne Road and turn left again after about half a mile. Now you are in a short dirt road that ends at the trailhead, which is easy to be recognized by the standing interpretive board. There is parking on both sides of the dirt road. The board announces trail use: no dogs, no bicycles, no equestrians, no motorvehicles. Hello hikers and sandbar jumpers!

References
[1] Carson Valley Trails Association: Bently-Kirman Ranch Trail.
[2] More to see at MikeOnTheTrail: Bently-Kirman Trail.

Tufted Evening-Primrose on the slopes east of Hidden Valley

Last weekend I took one of the trails that are meandering uphill from the basement of Hidden Valley Regional Park east of Reno, Nevada. I thought I saw a collection of handkerchiefs spread over some area not very far from the trail. Close-up inspection revealed that, instead, they were flowers. It did not take very long to identify them as the Tufted Evening-Primrose (Oenothera caespitosa) of the Evening-Primrose Family (Onagraceae) [1-3].

There are many species of Oenothera [4], but this one distinguishes itself from others by its large white flowers that turn pink or rose-purple after blooming (see aged flower on left side of picture). The large flowers occur on short stems. The four petals, eight stamens and four-lobed stigma of this bisexual plant are easily recognized. The radial symmetry is less obvious as the white petals often flap and wrinkle like a tissue. Indeed, the name handkerchief plant is in use [5]. Not a nice name for a plant.

Another name, dwarf evening-primrose, seems odd for a plant that signalizes its presence by large flowers. Then, there is the name morning-lily, which, in my mind, contradicts with the name evening primrose for this plant that usually opens its flowers in late afternoon. Whatever the name, while hiking by, it gives some comfort to know that the trail side is not littered by handkerchiefs, but an interesting plant.

References
[1] Laird R. Blackwell: Tahoe Wildflowers • A Month-by-Month Guide to Wildflowers in the Tahoe Basin and Surrounding Areas. A Falcon Guide, Morris Book Publishing, LLC, 2007 ; page 56.
[2] Oenothera caespitosa Nutt. ssp. caespitosa.
[3] The Free Dictionary: Oenothera caespitosa.
[4] Various species of the Oenothera genus at CalFlora.
[5] Arches National Park: Dwarf Evening-Primrose.

Eyelashweed on the slopes east of Hidden Valley

Eyelashweed (Blepharipappus scaber) is a plant of the Aster family (Asteraceae). Sometimes called rough eyelashweed, it is native to the western states of the USA, including Nevada. The shown flower was found on the slopes east of Hidden Valley (east of Reno and south of Sparks), Washoe County, Nevada. These dry slopes are facing west. Juniper and pine trees are growing there in some areas. But eyelashweed is not seeking their shade. The plants are small, blooming with white flowers that feature five or more three-lobed rays.


References
[1] USDA Plants Profile: Blepharipappus scaber Hook.
[2] The University of Texas at Austin, Native Plant Data base: Blepharipappus scaber Hook.
[3] CalPhotos.

Southern Africa section in the University of California Botanical Garden

The internationally known University of California Botanical Garden (UCBG) has a network of paths and narrow trails meandering through plant biodiversity including flowers and trees from many parts of the world. The world is mapped into the hilly garden landscape by featuring separate geographic regions. The Southern Africa region is one of them. The UCBG brochure introduces this section as follows:

This southwest-facing slope contains a stunning collection of plants from one of the most diverse botanical regions of the world. The prominent rocky, karoo habitat is a riot of color in spring with blooming bulbs and annuals such as Cape cowslips (Lachenalia), baboon flowers (Babiana), and Cape marigolds (Dimorphoteca). The chaparral-like fynbos beds feature fine-leaved heaths (Erica), proteas (Protea), and rush-like restios (including Restio, Elegia). Cycads, rare primitive conifer relatives older than the dinosaurs, are featured in a cliff-like simulation of their native Eastern Cape Province.

If you are living in the Bay Area or nearby, a ticket for Berkeley's Botanical Garden is probably the best short-cut to Southern Africa. Simulate an African travel trip within the Botanical Garden, located about a mile east from campus and the football and soccer stadium (California Memorial Stadium). Spring or summer is a great time for a visit. Start your “Hello, South Africa!” tour right here and get to know plants from South Africa's Cape Provinces and other areas: Phylica pubescens, Natal bottlebrush, Aloe saponaria, and blue margarito.

South Africa in Berkeley: Natal Bottlebrush in the Botanical Garden

The Natal bottlebrush (Greyia radlkoferi), also named woolly bottlebrush, is a small tree native to South Africa, but found in other countries and on other continents in gardens such as the University of California Botanical Garden. Here, a label underneath the shrub puts it into the Greyiaceae family (wild bottlebrush family). Newer classifications include this family within the Melianthaceae family in the order Geraniales. Greyia radlkoferi has two close relatives: Greyia flanaganii and Greyia sutherlandii, also native to South Africa.

Interestingly, there are other “bottlebrush species,” such as the stiff bottlebrush (Callistemon rigidus) and the weeping bottlebrush tree (Callistemon viminalis), which belong to a different family (Myrtaceae) and different order (Myrtales). Callistemon species are endemic to Australia and New Caledonia.

Most of the Greyia and Callistemon species prefer a temperate climate. There flowers occur in dense clusters with cylindrical shapes that often look like brushes.

References
[1] Paula de la Cruz, Kirstenbosch NBG: Greyia radlkoferi, October, 2004.
[2] Giles Mbambezeli, Kirstenbosch NBG:, Greyia sutherlandii, October, 2006.
[3] Giles Mbambezeli, Kirstenbosch NBG:, Greyia flanaganii Bolus, October, 2002.
[4] Exploring the World of Trees: Bottlebrush tree - Callistemon rigidus, January 2008.

South Africa in Berkeley: Aloe Saponaria in the Botanical Garden

Aloe saponaria is a flowering plant. The peach to coral-red flowers are tubular-shaped and build firework-like clusters. The stalks sometimes reach a height of three feet. The thick fleshy leaves form a rosette similar to the American aloe, known as agave. Both belong to the order Asparagales, wherein they belong to different families: Aloe saponaria to the Asphodelaceae family (formerly Liliaceae family), and the American aloe to the Agavaceae family. The genus aloe (sometimes spelled aloë) within the Asphodelaceae family contains over hundred species of flowering succulent plants that occur in Africa, islands off the African coast and the Arabian peninsula.

Aloe saponaria is native to arid regions in South Africa, Botswana, and Zimbabwe. Other names for this salt- and drought-tolerant species such as African aloe, soap aloe, and zebra aloe indicate geographic location, cultural significance, and leave pattern. Aloe saponaria is also a popular ornamental species planted, for example, in Arizona in the Tuscon area next to agaves and cacti. The plant in the picture is part of the Southern Africa collection in the University of California Botanical Garden. A walk through this and New World sections in the garden invites for a comparison of aloe and agave species.

References
[1] Aloe saponaria Haworth (syn. Aloe maculata).
[2] Plant of the week: Aloe saponaria.
[3] University of Connecticut: Aloe saponaria (Ait.) Haw.

South Africa in Berkeley: Phylica Pubescens in the Botanical Garden

Phylica pubescens is a genus of the buckthorn (Rhamnaceae) family in the order Rosales. The common English name is featherhead and it is not difficult to see how this name came about by looking at the hairy leaves of the bush in the picture, taken on a sunny day in early spring in the Southern Africa section of the University of California Botanical Garden. Phylica pubescens is native to the Western Cape Province in South Africa, where it is called veerkoppie.
Specimens were brought to Europe, when the first European ships reached the Cape. Since the 17th century Phylica plants were grown in European garden. There are about 150 Phylica species, native to areas in Southern Africa, Madagascar and to South Atlantic islands such as Tristan da Cuhna, where one species has its home. The Mediterranean-type climate, which these flowering plants are accustomed to, occurs in the southwest-faced hills above Berkeley, where they can easily be spotted just off one of the narrow trails through the diverse Southern African collection.

Resources
[1] Jane Forrester and Harold Porter NBG: Phylica pubescens, December 2004.
[2] CalPhotos Photo Database: Phylica pubescens.