UT, Colorado Plateau, 20060501
The Maze, many flowers etc.

Overlook to SE Fork Horse Cyn, to Chimney Rock via trail, to end of Jasper Ridge, down into unnamed canyon, over gentle pass into lower Shot Cyn, to dry falls, then back to trail at pass from Shot into Water Cyn, down to Green River, back up full length of Water Cyn, out via "trail" at head of Water Cyn, Pete's Ridge trail to trail back into Horse Cyn, back to Overlook.

Erioneuron pulchellum?

This is the white "fluffy" tufted low grass scattered, esp on Organ Rock mesas, like Chocolate Drop Ridge and Pete's Mesa Trail.

The following are a list of the common Atriplex , most of which I think I've seen in fruit, and some even in flower:

Atriplex corrugata?

Atriplex gardneri?

Atriplex canescens?

Atriplex confertifolia?

Helenium?

Starting to fl, high on trail down into The Maze.
GEN peren, woody base
LF alt, oblance-lin, acute to min apic, v d long crinkly silky pil (ascend), 27x2+0mm, ascend, reduced ab, well-spaced
INFL 1, term, short peduncle
PHYL 3 eq rows, appress, lance, obtuse?, v d long white tom, ~6x2mm
RECEPT conic, fuzzy?
RAY none
DISC many, yell, 10mm wide
OV silky
PAP scales, many, flat, scar, lance, acum, 2mm?
Keyed using JM and H&C's technical key (ruled out other 3 possible genera via the latter easily).

Townsendia incana?

Several more in full fl on sandy/gravelly benches SE Fork Horse and Water Cyns.

Allium macropetalum

In full fl, on sandy bench just past turn-off for trail up to Chocolate Drops. Where they grow, they seem to be abundant.
LF 2, round, fleshy, eq infl, 90x2.2mm
INFL 13+ fls
bracts 2, 8x8mm, ov, acum, scar, reddish, sheathing
pedicels 10mm, 45deg
TEP 6, 8x2.5mm, lance, spread tips, wh w reddish brown midv
These tepals are a bit wider, but otherwise it matches the stuff I saw on 20060417 pretty well.

Sphaeralcea ambigua

In full fl all over: lower plants seem to have relatively unlobed lvs, while higher plants seem to be deeply dissected; hairiness varies from sparse (visible with naked eye) to dense (appearing just soft greyish). This one (from in front of Harvest Scene) appears to be about midway between the two extremes.
LF 3 cuts to base, 2 cuts 70% to base, each lobe 3 toothed, term lobe's teeth further toothed
segs 2-6mm wide, cuneate
v sp stell both sides
SEP v sp stell
PET orange-peach w greenish center, no notch, 14x10mm, obov, rounded tip
STAM
tube 4mm, glab
anth yell
Except for deeply-lobed lvs, this keys in JM to S. ambigua rugosa. In both JM and H&C it keys to S. grossulariifolia based on leaf, but the stam tube is def not hairy. Taylor further suggests S. coccinea but it has the wrong range. Lastly, the other species with less-lobed lvs could be S. munroana, but it also has hairy stam tube. Note that the petals dry rather reddish when pressed.

Oenothera pallida?

In full bl, few frs. Edge of wash and onto bench, in front of Harvest Scene.
GEN tall but sprawling, sev brs, tough but not quite woody base
LF oblance, 65x10+0mm, acute, wavy toothed (longer teeth on petiole), not clasp, sl folded, teeth sharp from broad obtuse to acutish, v sh sp strig ab and on petiole, alt
INFL 1 per axil and term, fls ascend, sess, buds pend
HYP ov-part 10mm, beak-park 30mm
SEP 5, free, v reflex 180deg, 23x3mm, lance, pink, yellish tip and midv, folded, glab
PET 4, free, white fading pink, obcord, yell base, 24x27mm, notch 1mm
STAM fil 13mm, anth 6mm, lt yell, dorsifix, lat slit
STYLE excl 20mm, 4 lin 4mm forks, yell
FR w 4 spreading 1.5mm delt tips, curves up, squarish, no twist, 30x3mm or more (growing?)
H&C: O. pallida, JM: fails (not O. deltoides), Taylor: O. pallida or O. albicaulis.

Lomatium

Way past fl, but frs not fully matured. Only saw this one plant at the edge of the wash in upper SE Fork Horse Cyn.
GEN tall, peren (dead lvs at base), ~4dm
LF all basal, erect, 220x50mm, 2-pin, bluish glauc, glab
segs lin-oblance, sharp acute, 20x2mm
internodes to 30mm, grooved rachis
INFL 2-umbel
1-rays 10, 30mm, 45deg
2-rays 8-10, to 15mm, 45deg
bracts bel 2-rays, 6, oblance, acute, 8x2mm
FR v comp parallel sept (like Heracleum), ellip, 24x7x2.5mm, thicker ab, glauc, not mature, 3-5 veins (oil tubes?) on faces, wings 1.5mm
All agree on genus, but none covers species. Cymopterus seems to require dorsal wings as well as the standard lateral wings: I'll be looking for them.

Moving into 20060502.

Spizella passerina

Going by voice alone.

Dendroica nigrescens

VOICE "k-chi k-chi k-chi k-cheater!"

green shield soil lichen

Good samples in lower Shot and upper Water Cyns; seems to be locally quite common, but infrequent overall. Doesn't seem to be in Brodo.

Draba [voucher]

In full fr, no fls, in gravelly area?
GEN ann, slender taproot, few sts from base, scapose
LF subentire (1-2 rounded v shall teeth), obov, 10x5+0mm, all basal, obtuse, sev-br stell bristly both sides
INFL d rac, peduncle 25mm+
pedicel 2mm, spread
stell bristly, 12+ fls, frs ascend
FR flat parallel to sept, ellip, 6x1.5mm, acute, wedge, bristles simple and forked (equal amounts both)

Cheilanthes feei [voucher]

GEN clumped
ST sp vill bel, rachis fairly pil, no scales
LF 3-pin, segs ~bead-like, glab ab (some hairs poking through from bel), v v d vill bel, no scales

Yucca harrimaniae

A few are putting up asparagus-like infl stalks. One in lower SE Fork Horse Cyn almost in bloom last day walking out.

Xanthoparmelia mexicana

One with tiny globular isidia; on weird hard igneous-looking rocks above Jasper. Impossible to be sure of species without spot tests; in particular X. lavicola looks promising (by photo), but I put all uncertain ones into this catch-all species until I can be sure.

Moving into 20060503.

Linum aristatum?

This one was in the wash of the unnamed canyon (the one just up-river from Shot Cyn).
GEN peren?, in wash, long sts sp br'd ab (or in infl)
LF alt, scale-like, oblance-lin to oblong-lin, acute, strongly ascending, glab, 12x1.5+0mm, d bel (overlapping), sp ab, glauc, bluish cast
INFL open br'd pan term, lf-like bracts at nodes and a few between nodes
SEP 5, free, lance, long acute, appress, glab, 8x1.3mm, glab, green
PET 5, obov, 14x9mm, bright yell w red veins inside at base, 45deg+
STAM 5, alt petals, yell, 6mm, glab
ANTH 2mm, dorsifix, lat slits
OV 1, sup, green, glab, ov, 2mm, 5 chamb, 2 seeds per chamb
STYLE 7.5mm, 5 1.3mm forks, ball stigs twice as wide as style, yell, glab, > stam
All agree on genus; JM doesn't cover species, H&C keys to L. rigidum; Taylor suggests L. aristatum whose description matches well (though a bit terse).

Asclepias

The alt-leaf one from above main fork Horse Cyn is actually open here in the unnamed wash.

Sonchus asper

Just starting to open first fls. I've seen only two; this one next to pool at lower end of Shot Cyn.
LF thistle-like, glauc bel, glab ab, v prickly
PHYL v constrict invol, prickly
RECEPT concave, naked
RAY yell
DISC none
OV beak? (constricted at top), flat, winged, glab, white, ellip
PAP cap bristles, downy white

Asclepias

The one with narrow lvs; starting to bud --> has deep purple petals. Need to observe hood and horns to have a prayer.

Celtis reticulata

Still leafing out at bottom of Shot Cyn! One by Green River looks done, though.

Juncaceae

Cyperaceae

Several species of each (hard to tell which is which without studying them, which I have not taken the time to), many in full fl, along wet canyon bottoms downstream from "springs" in canyon bottoms. One particularly nice one with showy white styles in the spring at head of S Fork Horse Cyn that I thought was a Spiranthes!

Moving into Water Cyn.

Senecio multilobatus

Figured this was "just" S. vulgaris, but it doesn't pass inspection. Cool. Budding all over the place, but only one flower actually opened in the cool little "slot" along the trail down from the pass between Shot and Water Cyns.
GEN tall, sh br'dab, ann?, in washes, no dead lvs at base
LF
basal spat or oblance, pinfid w fan-toothed segs, 40x30+40mm
glauc, v d wh tom in broad groove ab rachis, clasp, most basal, some reduced alt caul
INFL corymb
PHYL 1 eq row, 6x0.5mm, abrupt acute, v erect, cyl, glab, all green, no tiny ones at base
RAY yell, 5 or so, small, 6x1.8mm, ellip, min toothed, 90deg, a bit ragged-looking
DISC 30-40, yell, v excl
ANTH v excl
OV squarish, no taper, min puber
STYLE long lin w groove to tip and tuft at v tip
PAP cap bristles, downy, white, simple
Taylor describes it fairly well, but suggests there are a few other similar desert species; H&C doesn't have it; JM description confirms somewhat (terse) and the key plausibly works as well (though it relies on ambiguous hair characters). I'm reasonably convinced.

Lupinus

Scattered in a few places near lower end of Water Cyn (above falls). Starting to fl, no fr.
GEN peren? (no dead lvs or woody stuff above ground but multiple sts in most specimens and no sign of cotyledons whatsoever), sandy margins of wash, erect and decumb brs
COTYL none found
LF palm
lflt 7, broad ellip, acute, apic, wedge, 30x20+1mm, canesc ab, v canesc bel, sl folded
petiole 55mm
STIP scar white, lance, sep, not sheathing at all
INFL d heads, barely excl, pedicel ~4mm
SEP low lip 9mm, up 2 lips 2-3mm, lat 2 lips 4-5mm, total ~15mm, appress, v pouched ab at base, v lt yell-green, v d long pil
BAN white(!), 10x6mm, 15mm, 30deg, glab
KEEL 11mm, blunt-obtuse, v dk inside tip, maybe v min cil ab near base of blade, 2 claws (is this common??)
FR ?
WING 13mm, dk blue-purp, glab
Need to observe hairiness in back of banner and on wings, also measure bulge/spur on calyx.

Opuntia erinacea utahensis?

The smallish v spiny one; has light purple flower. Guess based on JM; Taylor and H&C don't have it. Need to start observing style and stamens. Wouldn't hurt to get spine length, flatness, hairiness, etc.

?

Tree abundant in bottom lands next to cliff by Green River. A little past fl, so hard to be sure of characters.
GEN tree
LF opp, ellip, finely cren, obtuse to round, wedge, glab, 30x15+15mm, lter bel
INFL along twig ends, apparently sess, either clust or solit but sticking together when they fall
SEP 4?
PET none
STAM 5?
STYLE none?
Beats me: not in Petrides, H&C, or JM. Must be cultivated thing.

Allionia incarnata

In full fl, no fr; scree slopes in two patches above Green River lowlands.
GEN v sticky, sprawling, scree above delta
LF opp, oblong-ellip, round both ends, ~wavy, pin veins (3 pair), v d clear gland bristly (from v short to long), stips either hair-like or none
INFL 1 per axil near tips, pedicel to 18mm, fls borne in groups of 3 that look like petals
bracts 4, free, gland bristly, ellip, 3x2mm, obtuse
PET asym, 4 lobed, 3 forming a 3-lobed fan, magenta to bluish purple, each lobe notched, lobes 5x5mm
STAM 4, excl, tiny yell anth, fils white
OV inf, 1mm, green, ribbed bumpy
STYLE 1, simple, style > stam, yell, stig yell
This one's easy.

Hymenopappus filifolius

In full fl.
GEN peren (dead lvs at base), clumped, in sandy by wash
LF bipin, tom esp at base, clasp, spat, blade ov, 40x20+70mm
segs lin, < 1mm wide
wide groove ab, alt, few caul
INFL sev brs, 1 at end of each br
PHYL 2 eq rows, 8x2mm, oblong, blunt, tom, convex back, appress
RECEPT flat, naked
RAY none
DISC 30+, yell, all eq, fls large, v expanded into cup ab narr tube, tube 2.5mm, cup 3x2mm, puber bot of cup and tube
OV puber
STYLE fuzzy triangular app above long 2-lined stigmatic segment
PAP cap bristles (apparently not!), fuzzy, 2mm, d, off-white, simple?
Apparently I misdiagnosed the pappus the only thing I can come up with that is even remotely close is H., and H. f. matches everything (it is fairly variable, though), except pappus. Not sure which variety it would be: JM keys to var. lugens but it doesn't match particularly well.

Phellinus gilvus?

Shelf fungus on cottonwood. Just up from spring in Water Cyn.
GEN shelf fungus
CAP corky, dry, rough velvety, thick, fairly irreg though no sharp angles, tan-gold aging black
PORE big angular ragged tubes, dker gold-tawny bel
No way to be even passably sure of species without more detail references and notes. Note: growing on dead wood, and mostly not crusty above.

Swertia albomarginata?

Funky lily-like thing... is not a monocot! Tired of waiting, so I dissected a tiny bud:
LF opp, mostly basal with a few caul pairs, distinctive long delt with v wavy white margins, rather folded, dk green, lying directly on ground in a basal tuft
SEP 4, free
PET 4, free
STAM 4, alt pet
OV 2-chamb? or 2 loosely joined styles, sup
Not in Taylor, but JM keys to S. readily. Need to observe fringes around stamens and "nectary pits" to be sure. Apparently the sepals and petals are actually joined near the base. Also, about time we took notes on the damned leaves!

Pellaea truncata?

Damn, forgot to take a specimen to study. Looking through Lellinger exhaustively (clearly genus is Pellea), only 4-5 belong here. This looks pretty clearly to be the one, but I wish I'd at least glanced at the stipe and rachis! The leaves were clearly fairly short oblong things, and the lamina were clearly very 2-pin.

Strix occidentalis?

VOICE 2-3 "who's", ~one pitch, relatively slow, not evenly spaced
Voice sorta like barred, but he's not supposed to be here. Spotted is only one close.

Moving into 20060504. Down in Horse Cyn again.

Cirsium neomexicanum?

First one in flower.
GEN peren (huge tufts of dead leaves at base), in wash
ST tom
LF pin, 5mm+ spines, sp tom ab, d wh tom bel, not decur but clasp
PHYL 15mm+ spines, spread 45deg (maybe spread more in maturity), overall cyl shape
DISC pinkish lilac
Almost certainly this species. Seems C. occidentalis is in the running, as well. Need to check abruptness of expansion at throat, check mature phyls for reflexedness, and get precise measurements of spines (leaf and phyl) and corolla parts.

Astragalus kentrophyta

That matted 3-lflt one again: starting to fr at last.
FR barely excl, v lat comp, 7x3.5x1.6mm, ~ellip, d sh white strig, beak ~1-2mm, 3 seeds in 1 row, 1 chamb
H&C keys easily, suggesting var. implexus, although the flower and fruit sizes are a bit small. JM likewise keys easily, suggesting var. tegetarius, giving more acceptable range of fl and fr size. I'll pass on variant for now.

Primula specuicola?

Found more growing around seep at top of trail down from Pete's Mesa Trail. Many flowers are looking a bit worn by now.

Mentzelia oreophila?

Got tired of waiting, so I dissected a bud and took a few notes. Most are just about to fl.
GEN ann? (no dead lvs or woody bits anywhere and all seem about to bloom), erect w lots of long white thick radiating perfectly straight brs, edge of washes, in sandy areas
ST thick, white, scab bristly
LF pinfid, dk green, marg sl curled under making leaf surface convex, midv v large and white and v r bel, v d v sh scab bristly sorta catching at your fingers, oblance-lin, obtuse, irreg dent to lobed, 160x20+0mm
INFL 1-2 term
SEP 5, free, bristly, narr delt, to 10x2-3mm, acute
PET 10(!), free, bright yell (orange-peach outside in bud), obov, 10x4mm (growing?), acute
STAM tons, yell
OV 1, inf
STYLE 1, > stam, greenish
STIG 4-lobed, tell, head
Taylor suggests M. albicaulis, M. veatchiana, M. nitens, and M. desertorum. JM has them all but really requires fruit (or at very least details about filament tips) to key out properly. However it claims only M. albicaulis, M. obscura, M. oreophila, and M. pterosperma belong in UT (and have small yellow fls). Of these it mentions petal-like staminodes(!) for the latter two, and the latter can be ruled out because of subentire basal lvs. Seems as good as any.