[Wildflower Bloom in Central and Eastern Oregon: 2011]

Canyon Mountain Trail # 218

Strawberry Mountain Wilderness

August 1, 2011

Glaucous Deathcamas: Anticlea elegans

A close-up of the flower of glaucous deathcamas as seen in moist meadows along the Canyon Mountain Trail #218 in the western Strawberry Mountain Wilderness. Photographed on August 1, 2011.

* indicates wildflowers currently in bloom.

Although recently improved, the road currently (as of August 1) has large swales (reminiscent of giant washboards) that are hazardous to low-slung vehicles and make your auto feel like a bucking and careening bronco. It is somewhat in worse condition in sections than it was in mid-June. Hopefully the county road crew will get up there to blade and smooth out the road. Also keep a watch out for ATVs, 4WD vehicles, and dirt bikes speeding down the road or crossing the road via the numerous trails that criss-cross the route. Along the trail, most of the open areas are botanically on the decline but the vegetation beneath the trees is still going strong while the plants in the moist areas where there are seeps or stream crossings are just getting started.

Comprehensive Plant List for Canyon Mt.

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Ferriss' Scouring Rush: Equisetum xferrissii

Indian's Dream: Aspidotis densa

Northwestern Lady Fern: Athyrium filix-femina ssp. cyclosorum

Lace Lipfern: Cheilanthes gracillima

Bracken Fern: Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens

Low Mounatain Juniper: Juniperus communis var. saxatilis

Western Juniper: Juniperus occidentalis

Western Larch: Larix occidentalis

Lodgepole Pine: Pinus contorta var. latifolia

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Mountain Alder: Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia

* Baltic Rush: Juncus balticus ?

* Path Rush: Juncus tenuis ?

Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

* Snowbank Sedge: Carex scirpoidea var. scirpoidea

* Lemmon's Needlegrass: Achnatherum lemmonii, Common Western Needlegrass: Achnatherum occidentale ssp. pubescens, or Thurber's Needlegrass: Achnatherum thurberianum

* European Smooth Brome: Bromus inermis ssp. inermis ? - Rhizomatous

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Onespike Oatgrass: Danthonia unispicata ?

* Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

* Idaho Fescue: Festuca idahoensis

* Timothy: Phleum pratense ?

Bulbous Bluegrass: Poa bulbosa

* Sandberg's Bluegrass: Poa secunda ssp. secunda

* Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Tolmie's Onion: Allium tolmiei

* Pacific Swamp Onion: Allium validum

False Solomon Seal: Maianthemum racemosum ssp. amplexicaule

Star-flowered False Solomon's Seal: Maianthemum stellatum ?

* Claspingleaf Twistedstalk: Streptopus amplexifolius

* Mountain Deathcamas: Anticlea elegans (Zigadenus elegans)

* Rattlesnake Plantain: Goodyera oblongiflora - Beginning to bloom.

* Broad-lipped Twayblade: Listera convallarioides

* Alaska Rein Orchid: Piperia unalascensis

* Long-spurred Bog Orchid: Platanthera dilatata var. leucostachys

* American Bistort: Bistorta bistortoides - Fading out of bloom.

* Piper's Golden Buckwheat: Eriogonum flavum var. piperi

* Parsnipflower Buckwheat: Eriogonum heracleoides var. heracleoides

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum (var. ?) - In bud.

Sulfur Flower Buckwheat: Eriogonum umbellatum (var. majus ?, ex variety subalpinum) - cream-flowered inflorescence

Prickly Sandwort: Eremogone aculeata - Past bloom.

* Ballhead Sandwort: Eremogone congesta var. congesta

Brittle Sandwort: Minuartia nuttallii var. fragilis

Bigleaf Sandwort: Moehringia macrophylla

* Douglas' Campion: Silene douglasii

* Oregon Campion: Silene oregana

Baneberry: Actaea rubra - Berries are still green.

* Western Columbine: Aquilegia formosa

* Columbia Monkshood: Aconitum columbianum ssp. columbianum - Beginning to bloom.

* Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum var. nuttallianum - Fading out of bloom.

* Little Buttercup: Ranunculus uncinatus

Creeping Oregon Grape: Berberis repens

Hairystem Rockcress: Boechera pauciflora (Arabis sparsiflora var. subvillosa) - Spreading pods

Nuttall's Draba: Draba densifolia

Rough Wallflower: Erysimum capitatum var capitatum

Heartleaf Jewelflower: Streptanthus cordatus

* Wormleaf Stonecrop: Sedum stenopetalum - Fading out of bloom.

* Alpine Alumroot: Heuchera cylindrica var. alpina

Mitrewort: Mitella stauropetala or Mitella trifida - Past bloom.

* Streambank Saxifrage: Saxifraga odontoloma

Fringed Grass-of-Parnassus: Parnassia fimbriata

Wax Currant: Ribes cereum var. cereum

Sticky Currant: Ribes viscosissimum

Serviceberry: Amelanchier alnifolia (var. ?)

Mountain Mahogany: Cercocarpus ledifolius var. ledifolius

* Woods Strawberry: Fragaria vesca ssp. bracteata

* Broadpetal Strawberry: Fragaria virginiana ssp. platypetala

Prairie Smoke: Geum triflorum ssp. ciliatum - Whiskery fruits present.

* Rock Spiraea: Holodiscus microphyllus var. glabrescens

* Diverse-leaved Cinquefoil: Potentilla glaucophylla var. glaucophylla

* Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. glandulosa

* Sticky Cinquefoil: Potentilla glandulosa var. nevadensis

Bittercherry: Prunus emarginata var. emarginata

* Pearhip Rose: Rosa woodsii var. ultramontana - Fading out of bloom.

* Thimbleberry: Rubus parviflorus

Sitka Burnet: Sanguisorba stipulata (S. canadensis) - In bud.

Cascade Mountain Ash: Sorbus scopulina

* Shining Spiraea: Spiraea betulifolia

Idaho Milkvetch: Astragalus conjunctus var. conjunctus - Pods developing.

Whitney's Balloon Milkvetch: Astragalus whitneyi var. sonneanus - Attractive pods well-developed.

* Spurred Lupine: Lupinus arbustus - Fading out of bloom.

Roundleaf Violet: Viola orbiculata

* Western St. John's Wort: Hypericum scouleri ssp. scouleri

Snowbrush: Ceanothus velutinus var. velutinus

Soapberry: Shepherdia canadensis

* Fireweed: Chamerion angustifolium

* Annual Willowherb: Epilobium brachycarpum

Sharptooth Angelica: Angelica arguta ?

* Fennel Cymopteris: Cymopterus terebinthinus var. foeniculaceus

* Gray's Lovage: Ligustium grayi

* Common Sweet-cicely: Osmorhiza berteroi

* Creek Dogwood: Cornus sericea

Pinemat Manzanita: Arctostaphylos nevadensis

Pipsissewa: Chimaphila umbellata - In bud.

Sidebells Wintergreen: Orthilia secunda - In bud.

* White-vein Wintergreen: Pyrola picta

Grouseberry: Vaccinium scoparium

Spreading Dogbane: Apocynum androsmaeifolium (var. ?)

* Tall Mountain Shooting Star: Dodecatheon jeffreyi - Only a few plants still in bloom.

* Cusick's Elkweed: Frasera albicaulis var. cusickii - Fading out of bloom.

Phlox: Phlox sp.

* Purple Phacelia: Phacelia hastata var. alpina - Fading out of bloom.

* Mountain Balm: Monardella odoratissima

* Wavy-leaf Paintbrush: Castilleja applegatei (var. pintetorum ?) - Fading out of bloom.

* Slender Indian Paintbrush: Castilleja gracillima

* Narrow-leaved Paintbrush: Castilleja linariifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Common Monkeyflower: Mimulus guttatus

* Tapertip Penstemon: Penstemon attenuatus var. palustris - Fading out of bloom.

Yellow Penstemon: Penstemon confertus - Just past bloom.

Shrubby Penstemon: Penstemon fruticosus var. fruticosus

* American Brooklime: Veronica americana

* Northern Bedstraw: Galium boreale

Shrubby Bedstraw: Galium multiflorum or Serpentine Bedstraw: Galium serpenticum

* Twinflower: Linnaea borealis

Twinberry: Lonicera involucrata

* Blue Elderberry: Sambucus cerulea

* Black Elderberry: Sambucus racemosa var. melanocarpa

Mountain Snowberry: Symphoricarpos oreophilus

* Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Pearly Everlasting: Anaphalis margaritacea - Beginning to bloom.

* Rosy Pussytoes: Antennaria rosea

* Heartleaf Arnica: Arnica cordifolia - Fading out of bloom.

* Long-leaved Arnica: Arnica longifolia

Serrate Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza serrata

* Dusty Maidens: Chaenactis douglasii var. douglasii - Fading out of bloom.

* Thistle: Cirsium sp. (Gray-green Thistle: Cirsium cymosum var. canovirens, Intermountain Thistle: C. inamoenum var. inamoenum ?)

* Western Hawksbeard: Crepis occidentalis - Fading out of bloom.

Hawksbeard: Crepis sp. - In bud. ??

Showy Rubber Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa (var. speciosa ?)

* Scabland Fleabane: Erigeron bloomeri var. bloomeri

* Eaton's Shaggy Fleabane: Erigeron eatonii var. villosus

* Foreign Fleabane: Erigeron glacialis var. glacialis

* Woolly Sunflower: Eriophyllum lanatum var. integrifolium - Fading out of bloom.

Western Boneset: Eupatorium occidentalis

Showy Aster: Eurybia conspicua

* White-flowered Hawkweed: Hieracium albiflorum

* Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri

Colonial Silverback: Luina serpentina - In bud.

* Woolly Groundsel: Packera cana

* Streambank Butterweed: Packera pseudaurea var. pseudaurea

* Rocky Mountain Butterweed: Packera streptanthifolia

* Narrowhead Goldenweed: Pyrrocoma carthamoides var. cusickii

*Arrowleaf Groundsel: Senecio triangularis

Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius


Animals seen along this route:

Chipmunk

Pine Siskins

Parnassian

Fritillarys

Wood Nymphs

Blues

Skippers

Flying Grasshoppers


Paul Slichter