List

Lunde Canyon and Lee Vining Creek

(593 plants)

Thanks to Tom Chester for this list. For more, see http://tchester.org/plants/floras/sn/lundy_canyon_lee_vining_creek.html.

The following appeared on Tom's list but are no longer active names: SENECIO CYMBALARIOIDES, CASSIOPE MERTENSIANA SSP. CALIFORNICA, POTENTILLA DIVERSIFOLIA VAR. DIVERSIFOLIA. There are 9 other missing taxa, not yet identified.


Abrupt Beaked Sedge Carex abrupta Flower Meadows slopes CA native
Alberta Whitlow Grass Draba albertina CA Bloom Jun - Aug Yellow flower Four petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
Alfalfa Medicago sativa Height 1 - 3 ft. CA Bloom Jun - Aug Like a clover but taller, and with serrated leaves. Purple pea-like flowers cluster in small groups at the end of multiple stems. Used in agriculture, you'll find Alfalfa in disturbed areas near farms. Not CA native	Clusters of small purple pea-like flowers.	Leaves in 3, serrated, with short petioles connecting them to the stem.	Grows erect. The pea pod twists into a coil.
Alkali Western Tansy Mustard Descurainia pinnata ssp. halictorum CA Bloom Feb - Jun Yellow flower Four petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
Alpine Bedstraw Galium hypotrichium CA Bloom Jun - Aug Yellow flower Four petals Whorled leaves CA native
Alpine Gentian Gentiana newberryi CA Bloom Jul - Sep Five petals separated with pointed parts between. Opposite narrow leaves Streambanks and meadows in the Sierras CA native	Spotted inner petals, with whispy "threads" between the petals.	Curving long leaves end in a point. Outer petals have purple stripes.	Grows to about 6 inches, often lying along the ground.
Alpine Groundsel Packera pauciflora CA Bloom Jul - Aug Orange, yellow flower Many, no petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
Alpine Mountain Sorrel Oxyria digyna CA Bloom Jul - Aug Brown, green, pink, red flower Irreg petals Basal leaves CA native
Alpine Pearlwort Sagina saginoides CA Bloom Feb - Mar White flower Five petals Basal, opposite leaves Streambanks CA native
Alpine Prairie Dandelion Nothocalais alpestris CA Bloom Jul - Sep Yellow flower Many petals Basal leaves Meadows slopes CA native
Alpine Pussytoes Antennaria media Height 2 in. - 5 in. CA Bloom Jun - Aug Flowers are white with no petals. Leaves are both alternate and basal, and are fuzzy. Found in high elevations, especially in the Sierras. CA native	Several fuzzy flower balls sit atop a short (4") stem.	Leaves are fuzzy. Leaves on the stem tend to hug it.	Grows in low mats in alpine areas.
Alpine Pyrrocoma Pyrrocoma apargioides CA Bloom Jul - Sep Yellow flower Many petals Basal leaves Meadows slopes CA native
Alpine Shooting Star Primula tetrandra CA Bloom Jun - Aug Pink, violet flower Five petals Basal leaves CA native
Alpine Slender Buckwheat Eriogonum microthecum var. alpinum CA Bloom Jul - Sep Pink, white, yellow flower Six petals Alternate leaves CA native Uncommon (CNPS 4)
Alpine Willow Salix petrophila CA Bloom Jul - Aug Tiny petals Alternate leaves CA native
Alpine Wintergreen Gaultheria humifusa CA Bloom Jun - Aug A small heath family ground cover. Smooth-edged alternate leaves. Found in damp sub-alpine forests. CA native	Single white bell-shaped flower at the end of the stem, with a red and yellow center.	Tiny berries maturing to red. Notice the size of the finger in the background.	Grows low to the ground with 1/2 inch leaves. See the dime?
American Alpine Speedwell Veronica wormskjoldii CA Bloom Jun - Aug Small 4-petaled flowers, about 1/4" across. Stem and leaves have long hairs. Widespread in western and northern America. CA native	The upper petal is a bit bigger. 2 stamens stick out above the petals.	Opposite leaves. Flowers on stalks from leaf axils and tip of stem.	Found in moist alpine meadows and understory.
American Alpine Lady Fern Athyrium distentifolium var. americanum Fern CA native
American Bistort Bistorta bistortoides CA Bloom May - Aug Distinctive cylindrical flower head made up of many small flowers. Leaves at the base of the plant are leathery. Found in alpine meadows and in Point Reyes, but uncommon elsewhere. CA native	Densly packed cylinder of small 5-petaled white to pinkish flowers at the top of a stem that may reach 18 inches.	Can grow in dense patches in meadows.	Leathery basal leaves can grow to 3 feet long.
American Brooklime Veronica americana Height to 1 ft. CA Bloom Jul - Aug Blue or violet 4-petaled flowers Opposite leaves Round stems Grows in fresh-water wetlands, such as stream banks Stem runs along the ground, up to 2 feet long. CA native	Look for 4 petals and opposite leaves with a round stem. Green center guides in pollinators.	4 pale-blue petals with 4 green sepals behind them.	Opposite leaves up to 3 inches long. Flowers in groups at the end of stalks.
American Dogwood Cornus sericea CA Bloom Jun - Aug White 4-petaled flowers in round bunches White berries Medium tall shrub grows to 12 feet Opposite leaves, green above and hairy grey below Found in damp areas CA native	Opposite leaves, strong veins, pointed tips.	Showy clumps of flowers turn into white berries.	4-petaled white flowers grow in clumps at the end of stems.
American Parsley Fern Cryptogramma acrostichoides Fern CA native
American Wild Mint Mentha arvensis CA Bloom Mar - May Pink, violet, white flower Four, irreg, irreg, irreg petals Opposite, simple leaves CA native
Anderson Larkspur Delphinium andersonii Height 1 - 3 ft. CA Bloom Apr - May Flowers are the delphinium shape, with a spur behind and two long vertical "petals" in front. This species has a dense cluster of flowers at the top of a 2-foot stem. Leaves are interesting - first divided into lobes, and then often redivided into fingers on each lobe. Found in dry sandy soils in foothills. CA native	This side view shows the purple delphinium spur to the right and long blue "petals" pointing up and down.	Leaves are deeply lobed, often with fat "fingers" on each lobe.	Erect stems end in dense cylindrical clusters of Larkspur flowers.
Anderson's Thistle Cirsium andersonii Height 1 - 3 ft. CA Bloom Jul - Sep CA native	Anderson's Thistle flower is a pretty pink-violet color. The stem is purple.	The flower head stays in a tight cylinder and points straight up. Spiny phyllaries below the flower head curve outward.	Long leaves at the base have triangular teeth with spines at the tip.
Angle Stermed Buckwheat Eriogonum maculatum CA Bloom Apr - Nov Pink, white, yellow flower Six petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
Annual Beard Grass Polypogon monspeliensis Annual Single-Stem Grass 8"-3 ft. Inflorescence a spike to 7" 1 floret per spikelet Floret awns to 0.2" Glume awns to 0.4" CA Bloom May - Jun Found in wetlands and disturbed areas. Not CA native Somewhat Invasive	Annual Beard Grass is topped by large, fluffy spikes. They're framed by flat, rough, green leaves to 8" long.	Soft, dense spikelets are green until they mature. There are lots of spikelets in the spike, each producing 3 awns.	Long awns let light through around the edge but the center is opaque.
Annual Burrweed Ambrosia acanthicarpa CA Bloom Sep - Nov Green, yellow flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves CA native
Arroyo Willow Salix lasiolepis Height 7 - 35 ft. CA Bloom Feb - May This is the most common willow in California. It's deciduous and is found near water. Look for narrow leaves that are wider near the tip than at the base. CA native.	Leaves are about 5 inches long, smooth-sided and narrow. They're pale/hairy underneath, and wider near the tip than near the base.	Classic pussies with yellow stamens. The buds are fused together (not overlapping) before they open.	This willow has many trunks, sometimes growing as a tree, and sometimes as a tangled shrub.
Attol Lousewort Pedicularis attollens CA Bloom Jun - Sep A member of the Broomrape family, this plant gathers food from neighboring plants. Leaves are skinny and toothed. CA native	The flower has a curling upper lip, like an elephant's trunk, and a three- lobed lower lip. Two dots look like the elephant's eyes.	Flowers are surrounded by hairy bracts.	Flowers form a dense cylinder on a leafless stalk. They're found in meadows and beside streams.
Austin's Woodbeauty Drymocallis lactea var. austiniae CA Bloom May - Sep Yellow flower Five petals Alternate leaves CA native
Baby's Breath Gypsophila paniculata Flower White flower Five petals Alternate leaves Not CA native
Bailey's Buckwheat Eriogonum baileyi var. baileyi CA Bloom May - Sep Pink, white flower Six petals Basal leaves CA native
Ball Headed Gilia Ipomopsis congesta CA Bloom May - Sep White flower Five petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native
Baneberry Actaea rubra Height 8 in. - 3 ft. CA Bloom May - Jul Baneberry is a shrub that grows to about 3 feet tall. Leaves are coarsely toothed. Bright red or white berries are hard to miss, and warn animals that they're poisonous. White showy flower clusters. Found in shady, moist woodland. CA native	Leaves have deeply toothed margins. Poisonous berries are red or white, with a black dot.	White showy clusters of flowers stand out on their own stalks. Each flower has many long stamens.	Leaves are compound and sharply toothed. Leaves and flowers are on separate stalks.
Barbwire Russian Thistle Salsola gobicola CA Bloom Jul - Oct White flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves Not CA native
Beaked Sedge Carex utriculata CA Bloom Jun - Sep Meadows CA native
Beardless Oatgrass Trisetum wolfii CA Bloom Jun - Sep Meadows CA native
Beardless Wild Rye Elymus triticoides A tough and woody perennial bunch grass 18"-4 ft. Inflorescence a spike that is flat, 2-8" 3-7 florets per spikelet Floret awns to 0.1" CA Bloom Jun - Jul Stabilizes soil with extensive rhizomes, creating dense colonies. More on Elymus. CA native	This rye has 2-ranked spikelets that connect directly to the stem. There is space between each alternating spikelet.	Hollow stems (like straws) connect at solid joints. Leaves are about 1/4" wide and a foot long.	Prominent blue-green leaves are 4-12" long and grow away from the stem. Found in moist habitats with heavy soils.
Bee Plant Scrophularia californica Height 2 - 4 ft. CA Bloom Feb - May Bee plant is tall, with prominent triangular leaves and tiny brownish-red flowers. Small flowers are less than 1/2" across and have a nectar disk to reward pollinating bees. Opposite leaves have stalks that connect to the stem. Found in moist places below 8,000 feet. CA native	This view of the flower from below shows two rounded petals on top, two side petals, and one folded out like a tongue.	A square stem supports large, opposite, toothed leaves. This might make you think "Mint" but it's not.	Bee Plant grows several feet high with opposite, narrow leaves sticking straight out. Flowers are on horizontal stalks near the top.
Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata ssp. tridentata CA Bloom Aug - Sep Brown flower Tiny petals Alternate leaves CA native
Bitter Cherry Prunus emarginata CA Bloom Apr - May White 5-petaled flowers about 1/2" across smell nice. Leaves yellow-green with tightly-spaced veins. A shrub to medium-sized tree. Canyons, slopes, ridges, open woods in nutrient-rich soil. CA native	3-10 small flowers per cluster, 5 separate petals, long stamens.	Leaves to 3 inches long with bumpy edges. Red cherries, each with its own stalk.	Bitter Cherry forms thickets on sunny hillsides.
Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata Height 1 - 12 ft. CA Bloom Feb - Mar This woody shrub associates with sagebrush, and varies from under a foot to many feet tall. During the summer, its profusion of yellow flowers makes it stand out. Flowers turn into pointy fruits, under 1 inch long. CA native	Yellow flowers are about 1 inch accross, with 5 separate petals and many stamens.	Leaves often have 3 "fingers" or teeth, thus "tridentata".	Bitterbrush colors sagebrush areas yellow with its flowers in the summer.
Black Alpine Sedge Carex nigricans Flower Meadows slopes CA native
Black Bindweed Fallopia convolvulus CA Bloom May - Dec White flower Five petals Alternate leaves Disturbed Not CA native
Black Cottonwood Populus trichocarpa CA Bloom Feb - Apr A large riparian tree with alternate leaves Leaf stems are round (Fremont Cottonwood's is flattened). Widely distributed in California, except the central valley. CA native	Leaf tops are glossy dark-green. Undersides are pale. Leaves are long and pointed, with small teeth on the edge.	Alternating secondary veins connect to a central one.	Grows near running water. Trunks get very large, and the tree height often exceeds 100 feet.
Black Foot Gayophytum Gayophytum racemosum CA Bloom May - Oct White flower Four petals Alternate leaves Slopes CA native
Blackish Sedge Carex subnigricans Flower Meadows slopes CA native
Bloomer's Goldenbrush Ericameria bloomeri CA Bloom Jul - Oct This composite flower has quite a few central disk flowers but generally only 1-5 petal-like ray flowers. Alternate leaves CA native
Blue Elderberry Sambucus mexicana CA Bloom Mar - Jul A large shrub with clusters of white flowers, plus compound leaves indicate an Elderberry. Berries are black but appear blue because of a waxy covering. Grey bark with vertical furrows. Common on stream banks and open places in forests. CA native	White flat-topped clusters of flowers are easy to spot.	Berries with a waxy covering makes them look powdery.	Compound leaves with 5 - 9 toothed leaflets.
Blue Fescue Festuca idahoensis Perennial Bunch Grass 12"-3 ft. Flower cluster 2-8" 3-9 florets per spikelet Floret awns to 0.4" CA Bloom Jun - Jul Blue Fescue is an important component in California native grasslands. Leaves are stiff, rough, and inrolled. More on Festuca. CA native	Found in dry, open or shady places, Blue Fescue may appear bluer than plants around it.	Spikelets are about 1/2" long. There's enough room between spikelets to see wavy branches.	Spikelets are flattish, with 2-ranked florets. They're held close to the stem until mature. Awns are thread-like.
Bog Blue Grass Poa leptocoma ssp. leptocoma
Bog Orchid Platanthera sparsiflora CA Bloom May - Sep Orchid-shaped flowers. Alternate, narrow, pointed leaves with parallel veins. Found in forests and meadows, often near streams. CA native	Green flower. Complex orchid shape.	Note the spur that sticks out behind the blossom.	Spike of green orchid flowers grow up to 2 feet tall, above 6" narrow, pointed leaves near the bottom of the plant.
Bog Wintergreen Pyrola asarifolia CA Bloom Jul - Sep Pink, white flower Five petals Basal leaves Streambanks CA native
Bog Wintergreen (1) Pyrola asarifolia ssp. asarifolia CA Bloom Jul - Sep Pink, white flower Five petals Basal leaves CA native
Bolander's Quillwort Isoetes bolanderi Fern CA native
Booth's Willow Salix boothii CA Bloom May - Jun Tiny petals Alternate leaves CA native
Bouncing Bet Saponaria officinalis CA Bloom May - Jun Pink, white flower Five petals Opposite leaves Not CA native Somewhat Invasive
Bracted Sedge Carex scopulorum var. bracteosa CA Bloom May - Jun Streambanks meadows CA native
Branched Tidy Lupine Lupinus lepidus var. ramosus CA Bloom Jul - Aug Blue, violet, white flower Pea petals Alternate, basal leaves CA native