mountain pride, Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi, California, Sierra Nevada, Pacific Crest Trail, Upper Carson River - Carson Valley watershed, elevation 2367 m (7765 ft).

This iconic and most appropriately named species is nearly endemic to the higher Sierra Nevada - Cascade axis of California, extending shortly into southwest Oregon, and into the Great Basin of far western Nevada near Virginia City. It is found in open rocky places from middle elevations up to about 12,000 feet (3700 m) elevation.

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mountain hemlock, Tsuga mertensiana, California, Sierra Nevada, Pacific Crest, Upper Carson River - Carson Valley watershed, elevation 2481 m (8140 ft).

A locally common conifer of northwestern North America, from sea level along the Pacific coast of southeastern Alaska and western Canada, southward up to subalpine elevations along the Cascade-Sierra Nevada axis, and also more restricted eastward in the northern Rocky Mountains.

Full disclosure: the cones were retrieved from the ground below and posed for this photograph. Finding attached cones within easy reach can be challenging for this species!

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pretty face, Triteleia ixioides subsp. anilina, California, Sierra Nevada, Pacific Crest Trail, Upper Carson River - Carson Valley watershed, elevation 2367 m (7765 ft).

Pretty face (self-explanatory?) is endemic to the Californian Floristic Province including southwestern Oregon, in the Sierra Nevada, Cascade, and Klamath ranges, usually in moist conifer forest edges up to the lower subalpine zone. It is a perennial geophyte from deeply buried corms, producing annual growth above ground.

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Heller birdbeaks, Cordylanthus kingii subsp. helleri, California, White Mountains, Westgard Pass, Cedar Flat, Owens Valley watershed, elevation 2237 m (7340 ft).

This species is a spring or summer annual typical of the understory of pinyon-juniper woodlands and adjacent sagebrush vegetation, and is found throughout most of the Great Basin and almost all of Utah. Heller birdbeaks is the subspecies limited to the southwest corner of this range, from central Nevada westward into the Great Basin portion of eastern California. It reaches higher elevations, and is characterized by shorter flower parts, including more numerous bracts with shorter and broader lobes. The plants also tend to be more copiously glandular hairy.

All Cordylanthus species are considered to be hemiparasitic, possessing chlorophyll but also deriving some of their nutrients from the roots of other associated species. As plants of Heller birdbeaks develop, the chlorophyll is rapidly lost or masked by brownish purple pigments, lending pinyon-juniper woodlands a characteristic understory color after especially wet spring or summer seasons.

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goatheads, Tribulus terrestris, California, Deep Springs Valley, Deep Springs College, Inyo Mountains watershed, elevation 1591 m (5220 ft).

One of the invasive annuals I most love to hate. Or as said in the noted scholarly work, Intermountain Flora, "a vile weed." It's reputation is well deserved. Also known as puncturevine and caltrops, there are few non-metallic materials that the spiny fruits of this species cannot penetrate, including tires and thick leather gloves. Like the ancient weapon of war known as caltrops, the fruit segments tend to land with one barbed spine pointing upward, just waiting for a victim. (The name "goatheads" is also based on the shape of the fruit segments.)

Every species has a home, and this one is said to be native to the Mediterranean region, but as easily as it hitches rides on animals and vehicles (modern and ancient), it is hard to define native versus introduced ranges for it. In any case, it has now spread to most warmer parts of the terrestrial world, and is on the official noxious weed lists in many jurisdictions. Needless to say, this individual met its demise in a burn barrel (along with several others in the area) as soon as photography was complete.

Two specialized weevil species from India were brought into California for biological control of this species in the 1960s, but have only been partially successful since that time.

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sego lily, Calochortus bruneaunis, California, White Mountains, Westgard Pass, Cedar Flat, White Mountain Road, Owens Valley watershed, elevation 2233 m (7325 ft).

Named for Bruneau Creek in southern Idaho, this species occurs from the Snake River watershed (and adjacent mountains) southwest across northwestern Nevada to the east base of the Sierra Nevada, reaching its southwest limit near this location in the White and Inyo mountains. It is found from sagebrush valley bottoms up to the upper limit of pinyon-juniper woodlands in the mountains.

The geographic range above is bracketed by two other very similar white sego lily species. To the east and south, from the Rocky Mountains to eastern and central Nevada, is the state flower of Utah, Calochortus nuttallii. It differs by lacking a prominent green stripe on the backs of the petals, and averaging hairier on the interior petal bases, and lighter in anther color. In the Sierra Nevada to the west is Calochortus leichtlinii, with petals also scarcely striped on back, and with anthers white or nearly so. The anthers of Calochortus bruneaunis are usual dark reddish-purple.

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shortstem lupine, Lupinus brevicaulis, California, White Mountains, Westgard Pass, Cedar Flat, White Mountain Road, Owens Valley watershed, elevation 2233 m (7325 ft).

This annual lupine is sometimes confused with smaller plants of Lupinus flavoculatus, but all structures of shortstem lupine are shorter in length, with flowers not or scarcely exceeding the leaves. The species is widespread and valley and lower montane elevationsthroughout most of the Great Basin, scattered southeastward through the Colorado Plateau, and south from there into northern Mexico.

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Nevada grounddaisy, Townsendia scapigera, California, White Mountains, Westgard Pass, Cedar Flat, White Mountain Road, Owens Valley watershed, elevation 2231 m (7320 ft).

This species is found scattered in dry habitats across the western Great Basin of Nevada and eastern California, from high valley floors to middle and subalpine elevations in the mountains. Where they meet, it can sometimes be hard to separate from Townsendia florifer to the north, and Townsendia jonesii to the southeast.

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humble beardtongue, Penstemon humilis var. humilis, Nevada, White Mountains, Montgomery Pass, Columbus Salt Marsh watershed, elevation 2329 m (7640 ft).

This relatively inconspicuous penstemon is widespread across the interior western United States on rocky upland sites from the upper sagebrush zone into the subalpine zone, 1300-3250 meters (4250-10700 feet) elevation. The other named varieties of the species are more narrowly distributed endemics of southern Utah and the Columbia Plateau.

Also visible here are carpet phlox (Phlox hoodii canescens) and singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla).

Uploaded from my Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127605180@N04/

humble beardtongue, Penstemon humilis var. humilis, Nevada, White Mountains, Montgomery Pass, Teels Marsh watershed, elevation 2249 m (7380 ft).

This relatively inconspicuous penstemon is widespread across the interior western United States on rocky upland sites from the upper sagebrush zone into the subalpine zone, 1300-3250 meters (4250-10700 feet) elevation. The other named varieties of the species are more narrowly distributed endemics of southern Utah and the Columbia Plateau.

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spindlestem, Caulanthus crassicaulis var. crassicaulis, Nevada, White Mountains, Montgomery Pass, Teels Marsh watershed, elevation 2248 m (7375 ft).

This distinctive perennial mustard family member is essentially endemic to the Intermountain Region of the western United States (as defined in the Intermountain Flora series), extending shortly into the mountains of the northern Mojave Desert. It prefers sagebrush and pinyon-juniper vegetation up to about 3000 meters (10000 feet) elevation, and often grows up through the canopies of shrubs.

Also visible in this image are pinyon rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus puberulus), carpet phlox (Phlox hoodii canescens), mountain sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata vaseyana), lava aster (Ionactis alpina), Heller birdbeaks (Cordylanthus kingii helleri), singleleaf pinyon pine (Pinus monophylla), Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma), Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda secunda), pinyon groundsmoke (Gayophytum ramosissimum), western hawksbeard (Crepis occidentalis), and Eriogonum microthecum (probably var. ambiguum).

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spindlestem, Caulanthus crassicaulis var. crassicaulis, Nevada, White Mountains, Montgomery Pass, Teels Marsh watershed, elevation 2252 m (7390 ft).

This distinctive perennial mustard family member is essentially endemic to the Intermountain Region of the western United States (as defined in the Intermountain Flora series), extending shortly into the mountains of the northern Mojave Desert. It prefers sagebrush and pinyon-juniper vegetation up to about 3000 meters (10000 feet) elevation, and often grows up through the canopies of shrubs.

Uploaded from my Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/127605180@N04/

daggerpod, Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides, Nevada, White Mountains, Montgomery Pass, Teels Marsh watershed, elevation 2248 m (7375 ft).

With its large felty basal leaves and flat sword-shaped fruits, this perennial mustard is one of the more distinctive and easily recognized species in the western United States. Seen here near its southern geographic limit, the species extends northward through most of the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau, and west into the mountains of northern California. It prefers rocky volcanic soils and outcrops in the mountains below about 3150 meters (10300 feet) elevation. Earlier in the season it is one of the first wildflowers to appear, with arrays of showy purplish pink flowers.

Also visible here are carpet phlox (Phlox hoodii canescens) and Sandberg bluegrass (Poa secunda secunda).

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