Morning Glory Trail

Photo by Matt Ball 9/22/2012

These beautiful Bird's Foot Morning Glories (Ipomoea ternifolia var. leptotoma) were lined up nicely on the Phoneline link trail.

Neither wire nor lettuce

Close-up photo by Matt Ball 9/22/2012

These delicate flowers on thin stems are easy to overlook. They are called Wire Lettuce (Stephanomeria pauciflora). (I'm not making this up!) In the Sunflower family (Asteraceae).

Enter carefully

Photo by Matt Ball 9/22/2012

This is most likely the nest of a Cactus Wren; and it's definitely in a Teddybear Cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii). These chollas generally grow on the hillsides and reproduce asexually; a piece will fall off (or get caught on a hiking animal) and take root. Teddybear Chollas in the same area are usually clones.

Ivyleaf Morning Glory

Photo by Ned Harris 9/17/2012

This Ivyleaf Morning Glory (Ipomoea hederacea) is winding around some kind of grass (and you're on your own with grasses); note that the stalk on the left is not part of this plant. I'm often asked why plants of the same species are different sizes. Just like animals, access to nutrients is key. Unlike animals, though, plants can't move. Plants have to make it where they are, and some locations are better than others!

Different perspective

Photo by Matt Ball 9/1/2012

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) from above.

Scarlet Creeper

Photo by Ned Harris 9/17/2012

Scarlet Creeper (Ipomoea cristulata) is in the Morning Glory family (Convolvulaceae). The flowers are  about the size of a dime or smaller. There are quite a few plants along the Bear Canyon bridge.

Tumamoc Globeberry

Photos by Tom Skinner 9/3/2012

Tom Skinner showed Mark Hengesbaugh this Tumamoc Globeberry (Tumamoca macdougalii) when they were out surveying Arundo regrowth. Javelinas like the berries.