[Wildflower bloom in the Columbia River Gorge: 2011]
Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge

BLM and Washington Department of Natural Resources Parcels

Middle Klickitat River Drainage

T4N R14E S16 & S17

Elevation: 1300-1500'

March 5, 2011

A view north across the lower Little Klickitat River towards the snow-covered Simcoe Mountains...........March 5, 2011.

A view north across the lower Little Klickitat River towards the snow-covered Simcoe Mountains...........March 5, 2011.
* indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Weather: Moderate overcast with sun trying to shine through cloud layer. Mt. Adams and Mt. Hood (with thick lenticular clouds) visible in the morning but obscured by lowering cloud layer in the afternoon. Temperature high 30s to low 40s (chilly when still) with light winds to 4 mph. Klickitat Canyon visible from lower Swale Canyon north to Soda Springs. Lower Canyon Creek and lower Little Klickitat River visible. North side of the Columbia Hills and upper High Prairie are snow covered (snow level about 1600'). The Simcoe Mountains (including Grayback Mt. several miles directly north) are covered with fresh snow.

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Alder: Alnus sp.

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana

Willow: Salix sp. - In bud.

Elk Sedge: Carex geyeri

Cheatgrass: Bromus tectorum

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides (ssp. ?)

Prairie Junegrass: Koeleria macrantha ? (or Pinegrass: Calamagrostis rubescens ?)

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata ?

Medusa-head: Taenitherum caput-medusae

Onion or Harvest Lily: Allium sp. or Triteleia sp.

Panicle Deathcamas: Toxicoscordion paniculatum

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - A few plants in bloom.

Rein Orchids: Piperia (elegans or unalascensis ?)

Common Chickweed: Stellaria media ?

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum (var. nuttallianum?)

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

Prairie Stars: Lithophragma sp.

Northwestern Saxifrage: Saxifraga integrifolia var. claytoniifolia - A few plants in bud.

Oceanspray: Holodiscus discolor

Velvet Lupine: Lupinus leucophyllus

Columbia Gorge Lupine: Lupinus sp. (latifolius X sericeus ?)

Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Deerbrush: Ceanothus integerrimus

Slender Clarkia: Clarkia gracilis ? or (Small-flowered Godetia: Clarkia purpurea ssp. quadrivulnera ?)

Tall Annual Willowherb: Epilobium brachycarpum

Stiff Spike-primrose: Epilobium strictum - ?

Burr Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis ?

Desert Parsley: Lomatium sp. (columbianum or grayii) -

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow flowers) - Beginning to bloom.

Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule

Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi (with possibility some were L. gormanii) - Corms were palatible. Some plants were caulescent, others seemed to be acaulescent.

Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens

Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum ?

Columbia Frasera: Frasera albicaulis var. columbiana

Needleleaf Navarretia: Navarretia intertexta (ssp. ?)

Showy Phlox: Phlox speciosa

Puccoon: Lithospermum ruderale

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium var. occidentalis

Spearleaf Agoseris: Agoseris retrorsa

Pussytoes: Antennaria sp.

Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza (careyana?)

Knapweed: Centaurea (diffusa?)

Gray Rabbitbrush: Ericameria nauseosa (var. ?)

Yellow Salsify: Tragopogon dubius

Blanketflower: Gaillardia aristata ?

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus (var. exaltatus or var. ochroleucus ?)

Earth Stars (Geastraceae)

Animals Seen Along This Route:

California Ground Squirrels

Western Gray Squirrel and nest

Spotted Skunk ? - carcass

Coyote - carcass

Mule Deer

Elk - tracks

Red-tailed Hawk

Ravens

Stellers Jays

Western Meadowlarks

American Robins - numerous

Western Bluebirds

Horned Larks

Praying Mantis egg cases

 

Paul Slichter E-mail