Notes from South of the Border
Ocotillo stems

This section contains entries about our botanizing in Baja California written for the UC BEE (Oct 2012 to Aug 2021)
and The UC Bee Hive (2022-), monthly newsletters for volunteers and staff of the UC Berkeley Botanical Garden.

Click on any photo for a larger image.

BEE HIVE JUL 2023

In the Aftermath of Hurricane Kay — Part 1



San Felipe, BC to Guerrero Negro, BCSEarly November 2022

Summer 2022 on the Baja California peninsula was a particularly wet one. At least two tropical storms and one hurricane brought rain in September with additional smaller, localized events occuring over the summer.

Hurricane Kay passed along the entire west coast of the peninsula, coming closest to shore across the Vizcaíno Desert region around Guerrero Negro. Its effects were felt as far north as the San Diego area. The storm made landfall as a Cat. 2 hurricane. As it moved northward off the west coast of the peninsula, it dropped copious amounts of rain, causing flooding and landslides over a large area.

Our southern migration took us from San Felipe to Mulegé in early November. We´d missed some of the ephemeral plants from soon after the storms, but there were still telltale signs of the summer bloom along the route, as well as new growth of winter annuals and perennials.


Tropical Storm Kay satelite image

Here, with the eye almost mid peninsula, the extent of Kay can be seen, as cloudcover seems to engulf the entire peninsula as well as parts of southern California, encluding San Diego. (Photo credit: Earthstar Geographics/ NOAA/NOC/OCS... 2022)


San Felipe to Laguna Chapala

As we were leaving San Felipe, looking to the west from the top of the dune field that the highway passed along, we had a sweeping view of the dunes and desert floor below that was bathed in pink. The dense swathes of sand verbena were spectacular. It was a scene that would repeat itself several times farther south in the Central Desert.

Our first botanizing stop was in a dune field not far south of San Felipe. The shoulders of the road were damaged in many places from runoff or deep with sand, so I pulled over at the first turnout that came along once we were away from town. The dunes were rich with vegetation, both annual and perennial.

Sand verbena

Slender Sand Verbena / Alfombrilla (Abronia gracilis, Nyctaginaceae) was abundant. This species of Sand Verbena is a peninsular near-endemic as populations are present in the state of Sonora as well.

Sand verbena

Abronia gracilis is found from about Laguna Salada to Bahia de los Angeles (in ne BC) and San Quintin (in nw BC) southward to the Magdalena plain of w BCS.

Ambrosia dumosa

White Bur-Sage, Burrobush / Huizapol (Ambrosia dumosa, Asteraceae). Finally, the leaves were fresh and green...

Ambrosia dumosa

...as compared to our previous trips when the leaves were very gray or were completely dry and brittle.

Many-seed saltbush

The leaves of Many-fruit Saltbush / Chamizo cenizo (Atriplex polycarpa, Chenopodiaceae) are oblong to oblanceolate, c. 1-2.5 cm L.

Many-seed saltbush

The pistillate flowers of Many-fruit Saltbush are densely packed on short, slender, branchlets. The margin of the 2-3 mm bracts are fused proximally & minutely toothed.

Sandbur

Southern Sandbur (Cenchrus palmeri, Asteraceae). The burs are each up to about 2.5 cm D and the barbs along the stiff, sharp spines catch like velcro. I stepped very carefully around the dune to avoid the burs.

Sandbur

The female inflorescence of Southern Sandbur. Clicking on the image & zooming in on the right side, you can see a few of the pale anthers. I was very careful & not a single bur hitched a ride back to the car.

Sandbur

Southern Sandbur (Cenchrus palmeri) has burs that are maroon & mature black (as above), but can also have green burs that are...

Sandbur

... yellowish tan when mature. It's not uncommon to find both colors within the same population. The seeds germinate within the bur.

Jimson weed plant

Desert Thornapple / Toloache
(Datura discolor, Solanaceae)

Jimson weed plant and flower

Desert Thornapple was widespread and abundant for most of our trip south. (Datura discolor, Solanaceae). Some plants were c. 1.5 m H!

Ditaxis serrata plant

Yuma Silverbush (Ditaxis serrata var. serrata, Euphorbiaceae) is most common in sandy substrates. It is monecious.

Yuma silverbush flowers

Each pistillate flower of Ditaxis serrata var. serrata is found at the base of a small raceme of staminate flowers. Here, several three-lobed fruits are visible.

Hilaria rigida

Zacate Galleta Gigante (Hilaria rigida, Poaceae).

Hilaria rigida

Zacate Galleta Gigante (Hilaria rigida, Poaceae).

Spanish Needle plant

Desert Spanish Needle (Palafoxia arida var. arida, Asteraceae) is a native annual found most commonly in arid northeast Baja California.

Spanish needle flowers

Palafoxia arida var. arida can be found far S as Laguna San Ignacio on the Pacific coast. Flower heads are c. 6-8 mm D & 15 mm L here.

Gulf Sandmat plant

Gulf Sandmat / Golondrina (Euphorbia petrina, Euphorbiaceae). Superficially it resembles many of the other sandmats.

Gulf sandmat closeup

Gulf Sandmat (Euphorbia petrina), is a fairly rare native species but was abundant in the dunes around San Felipe.

Desert Sandmat closeup of fruit

The red stripes on the fruit lobes of Euphorbia petrina are distinctive, telling me I was looking at a species I'd not seen before.

Brittlebush plant

Incienso (Encelia farinosa, Asteraceae) is well adapted to the arid desert life with its densely hairy, gray-green leaves and thick sap.

Gravelly arroyo and mountains

Arroyo near Km 8 S of San Felipe. The rocky Peninsular Range, seen here in the distance, is of tonolite origin.

Tonolite rocks

Over millenia, the boulders have eroded and rocks, gravel and sand has washed downhill towards the coast.

Desert view near San Felipe

Around 16 km S of San Felipe, looking eastward at all the greenery on the sandy desert flat. The Burrobush (Ambrosia dumosa), Creosote (Larrea tridentata), Saltbush and Ocotillos were all very leafy.

Desert view near San Felipe

Around Km 29. There were lots of annuals between the shrubs and cacti, including an unidentified Amaranthus sp. and Southern Sandbur (in plague proportions), Sand Verbena...

Desert chinchweed along highway margin

From N of San Felipe, the roadside & desert scrub was spotted with the brightly colored Desert Chinchweed (Pectis papposa var. papposa, Asteraceae).

Desert chinchweed on desert dune

Desert Chinchweed / Manzanilla del Coyote was present for most of our trip, often as a dominant ground cover over extensive areas.

Desert chinchweed habit

Pectis papposa var. papposa is a low, rounded, many-branched, gland-dotted annual.

Desert chinchweed

The herbage of Desert Chinchweed has a strong aroma—unpleasant to some. The strappy leaves have soft, marginal bristles.

Six-weeks Three-Awn grass

Six-Weeks Three-Awn/Zacate Tres Barbas (Aristida adscensionis). This is a widespread, native annual grass found across most of the peninsula.

Six-weeks Three-Awn grass

The habit of Six-Weeks Three-Awn grass is variable, ranging from these cute, tight clusters c. 20 cm H to taller, looser, leggy culms 50-60 cm H.

Fringed Amaranth stems

It was a bumper year for another colorful plant, Fringed Amaranth (Amaranthus fimbriatus). We started seeing it N of San Felipe and it continued sporadically southward to the Vizcaino Desert.

Fringed Amaranth flowers

The perianth parts of Fringed Amaranth are fan-shaped, papery and c. 1.5-3 mm D with finely toothed margins. The leaves are linear to lanceolate, 2-6 cm x 1-10 mm W.

Torote prieto tree

Around Km 54 S of San Felipe, we pulled over to explore a gravelly arroyo bed. The Red Elephant Tree / Torote Prieto (Bursera hindsiana, Burseraceae) were dense with leaves.

Torote prieto leaves

The furry leaves of the Red Elephant Tree are gen. 3-foliate & drought-deciduous. The trees in the arroyo were all still lush & green.

Gulf Dunebroom flowers

Gulf dunebroom (Errazurizia megacarpa, Fabaceae) herbage is silver-white due to a dense vestiture of hair. The yellow flowers age brownish-orange and are about 1 cm D.

Gulf Dunebroom leaves

Gulfbroom is also spotted with golden glands. The herbage has a strong [unpleasant] scent.

Desert Bird-of-Paradise flowers

Desert Bird-of-Paradise (Hoffmannseggia microphylla, Fabaceae). The species is fairly common and abundant in some areas along the Gulf to about as far south as Bahia de los Angeles.

Desert bird-of-paradise

The gland-spotted fruit of Desert Bird-of-Paradise is about 3 cm L and resembles a Snowpea.

Beetle spurge plant

Beetle spurge (Euphorbia eriantha). This plant is about 40 cm H.

Beetle spurge flowers and fruit

When viewed from just the right angle with the white line seen straight on, the fruit actually looks like a small gray-green beetle.

Louse spurge flowers

Another common sandmat, Louse Spurge / Golondrina (Euphorbia pediculifera var. pediculifera).

Louse spurge leaves

The underside of Louse Spurge. No lice here. Is it the flower that looks like lice? ¿Quién sabe?
 

California Caltrop plants

California Caltrop / Pela Gallina (Kallstroemia californica, Zygophyllaceae) covered many banks and dunes in the arroyo bed.

California Caltrop flowers

California Caltrop (Kallstroemia californica). Flowers are c. 1.5 cm D. Look closely for the club-shaped fruit on a long pedicle.

Canyon Snapdragon plant

Canyon Snapdragon (Pseudorontium cyathiferum, Plantaginaceae). Plants were small, but flowery.

Canyon Snapdragon flowers

Canyon Snapdragon is common on the peninsula. Its leaves are fleshy & glandular hairy. Flowers: c. 8 mm.

Baja California Groundcherry

Baja California Groundcherry / Tomatillo (Physalis crassifolia var. infundibularia) flowers and fruit.

Baja California Groundcherry

The inflated sepals of the California Groundcherry fruit become papery as they age and disintegrate slowly, exposing the small berry.

Pegarropa plant

Blazing Star / Pegarropa (Mentzelia adhaerens, Loasaceae). Pegarropa in Spanish means "sticks to clothes", which it certainly does.

Pegarropa plant

All of the herbage has velcro-like hairs that lock on to clothes, fur, even skin. It´s a great dispersal mechanism as well as a browsing deterrent.

Pegarropa leaf stuck lick velcro

Just when I thought I'd made it...

Southern sandbur in shoelace

...I discovered several hitchhikers. Blazing Star leaf and a Sandbur.


Km 166 S of Puertecitos


Desert scene

At Km 166 S of Puertecitos. The arroyo plants were still quite green, including Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) and Copalquin (Pachycormus discolor, Anacardiaceae).

Ocotillo stems

Some of the Ocotillo leaves were starting to turn color as the moisture on the hilltops decreased.


Ocotillo stems

Ocotillo stems with the green, photosynthetic tissue that allows this species and its relatives the ability to idle its metabolism when leafless visible under the bark.

Dye bush with flowers

The Dye Bush (Psorothamnus emoryi var. emoryi) were over a meter tall and wide, silvery-green and loaded with clusters of dark purple flowers.

Dyebush leaves

The leaves of Dye Bush are pinnate and canescent.

Dyebush flowers

Each capitate inflorescence is about 1-1.5 cm D. The flowers are 5-8 mm L.

Palmer Crinklemat plant

Palmer Crinklemat (Tiquilia palmeri, Ehretiaceae). A key feature of this species are the 3 (or so) sets of deeply impressed veins on the leaves and lack of a sharp spiny hair at the apex (= T. cuspidata).

Palmer Crinklemat flowers

Flowers are pale to dark pink, purple or blueish and about 5-9 mm L and 10-12 mm D.


Laguna Chapala to Guerrero Negro


Greenery near Laguna Chapala

Approaching Laguna Chapala from the east, the creosote-saltbush scrub of the valley floor was greener than in our previous 4 trips.

Greenery near Laguna Chapala

With no place to pull off of Hwy 5 as we approached Laguna Chapala, I wasn't able to identify the dense, bright green groundcover.

Near Portezuelo grade

Near the bottom of the Portezuelo grade just south of Laguna Chapala, the view opens out into a wide valley bursting with leafy shrubs / trees. The distant mountain range is the Sierra la Asamblea.

South of Laguna Chapala

Just a few hundred meters south of one of my favorite pullout places at Km 249; I was gawking at the greenery so much I missed the pullout. The area was very green but few plants were still in bloom.

Wildflowers north of turnoff to Bahia de los Angeles

Mile after mile of Sand Verbena and Fringed Amaranth north of the turnoff to Bahía de los Ángeles.

Wildflowers north of turnoff to Bahia de los Angeles

More Sand Verbena and Fringed Amaranth north of the turnoff to Bahía de los Ángeles.

Wildflowers north of turnoff to Bahia de los Angeles

Here, more Sand Verbena mixed in with swathes of Desert Chinchweed (Pectis papposa var. papposa).

Wildflowers north of turnoff to Bahia de los Angeles

An incredible 180 degree view.

Hairy Prairie-Clover

One of the few annual plants seen at our stop. Hairy Prairie-clover (Dalea mollis, Fabaceae).

Hairy Prairie-Clover inflorescences

Dalea mollis (Fabaceae).

Brittlebush

Brittlebush / Incienso (Encelia farinosa, Asteraceae).

San Diego Sunflower

San Diego Sunflower / Margarita (Bahiopsis laciniata, Asteraceae).


While not at the end of our November trip south, we have reached the end of this month's entry. Next month, I'll follow up with a few more plants and some scenery between Guerrero Negro and Mulege as well as with some of what we saw when we first got to Mulege, just under two months post-hurricane. With the postponed publication of the Bee Hive earlier in the year, I now have lots of material piled up from our 2022-23 season. So stay tuned, and until next month, hasta luego...

Debra Valov—Curatorial Volunteer


References and Resources

Rebman, J. P., J. Gibson, and K. Rich, 2016. Annotated checklist of the vascular plants of Baja California, Mexico. Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History, No. 45, 15 November 2016. San Diego Natural History Museum, San Diego, CA. Full text available online.

Rebman, J. P and Roberts, N. C. (2012). Baja California Plant Field Guide. San Diego, CA: Sunbelt Publications. Descriptions and distribution.

Wiggins, I. L. (1980). The Flora of Baja California. Stanford University Press. Keys and descriptions.

Elizabeth H. Zacharias 2013, Atriplex polycarpa, in Jepson Flora Project (eds.) Jepson eFlora, Revision 1,
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=15258, accessed on December 17, 2022.


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