[Wildflower Bloom Reports for the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington: 2016]

Wildflower Bloom in the Columbia River Gorge of Oregon and Washington

Memaloose State Park and USFS Lands

March 16, 2016

Oregon Meconella: Meconella oregana

Oregon Meconella: Meconella oregana

* Indicates the wildflower is currently in bloom.

Weather: Temps mid 50s to low 60s under beautiful, clear skies and very light winds.

Red Glossy Bryum Moss: Bryum miniatum

Juniper Haircap Moss: Polytrichum juniperinum

Awned Hairycap Moss: Polytrichum pilferum

Elongate Racomitrium Moss: Racomitrium elongatum

Wallace's Spikemoss: Selaginella wallacei

Podfern: Aspidotis densa

Fragile Fern: Cystopteris fragilis

Goldback Fern: Pentagramma triangularis ssp. triangularis

Licorice Fern: Polypodium glycyrrhiza

Imbricate Sword Fern: Polystichum imbricans ssp. imbricans

Ponderosa Pine: Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa

Douglas Fir: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii

Big-leaf Maple: Acer macrophyllum - Buds swelling.

Red Osier Dogwood: Cornus sericea

Black Cottonwood: Populus trichocarpa

Oregon White Oak: Quercus garryana var. garryana

* Long-anthered Rush: Luzula macrantha - Beginning to bloom.

Bristly Dog's-tail Grass: Cynosurus echinatus

Bottlebrush Squirreltail: Elymus elymoides

Bulbous Blue Grass: Poa bulbosa

Bluebunch Wheatgrass: Pseudoroegneria spicata

Tapertip Onion: Allium accuminatum - Basal leaves.

Sagebrush Mariposa: Calochortus macrocarpus var. macrocarpus - Basal leaves.

Ookow, Ball-head Cluster Lily: Dichelostemma congestum - Basal leaves

* Pale-anther Glacier Lily: Erythronium grandiflorum var. pallidum - Beginning to bloom.

* Yellow Bells: Fritillaria pudica - Peak bloom.

Bicolored Cluster Lily: Triteleia grandiflora ssp. howellii - Basal leaves.

Hyacinth Cluster Lily: Triteleia hyacinthina - Basal leaves.

* Grass Widows: Olsynium douglasii var. douglasii - Fading out of bloom.

Long-spurred Rein Orchid: Platanthera elegans ? - (basal leaves only, so this could also be Platanthera unalascensis or one of the other 3 rein orchids)

Heart-leaf Buckwheat: Eriogonum compositum var. compositum

Tall Buckwheat: Eriogonum elatum

Strict Buckwheat: Eriogonum strictum var. proliferum

Curly Dock: Rumex crispus

* Miner's Lettuce: Claytonia perfoliata ssp. perfoliata

* Line-leaf Montia: Montia linearis

* Jagged Chickweed: Holosteum umbellatum

Upland Larkspur: Delphinium nuttallianum - Many plants with flower buds.

* Western Buttercup: Ranunculus occidentalis var. occidentalis

American Wintercress: Barbarea orthoceras

* Oaks Toothwort: Cardamine nuttallii

* Little Western Bittercress: Cardamine oligosperma

* Spring Whitlow-grass: Draba verna

* Scalepod: Idahoa scapigera

Dutchman's Breeches: Dicentra cucullaria - Leaves up.

Leiberg's Stonecrop: Sedum leibergii - In bud.

Broad-leaf Stonecrop: Sedum spathulifolium

* Bulblet Prairie Star: Lithophragma bulbifera (now included as part of Lithophragma glabrum)

* Smooth Praire Star: Lithophragma glabrum

* Small-flowered Prairie Star: Lithophragma parviflorum

* Peak Saxifrage: Micranthes fragosa

* Rusty-hair Saxifrage: Micranthes rufidula

Mock Orange: Philadelphus lewisii

Antelope Bitterbrush: Purshia tridentata - Leafing out.

Trailing Blackberry: Rubus ursinus

Common Broad-leaf Lupine: Lupinus latifolius X sericeus (formerly Lupinus latifolius var. thompsonianus)

Small-flowered Lupine: Lupinus micranthus - Small annual: Basal leaves only.

Bighead Clover: Trifolium macrocephalum

Vetch: Vicia sp.

* Filaree: Erodium cicutarium

Poison Oak: Toxicodendron diversilobum

Chervil: Anthriscus caucalis

* Columbia Desert Parsley: Lomatium columbianum

* Biscuitroot: Lomatium macrocarpum (yellow-flowered form)

* Barestem Desert Parsley: Lomatium nudicaule - Beginning to bloom.

* Butterfly-loving (Pungent) Desert Parsley: Lomatium papilioniferum

* Salt and Pepper: Lomatium piperi - Fading out of bloom.

Nineleaf Desert Parsley: Lomatium triternatum var. triternatum

* Desert Shooting Star: Dodecatheon conjugens - Beginning to bloom.

Poet's Shooting Star: Dodecatheon poeticum - Leaves coming up.

* Midget Phlox: Microsteris gracilis

Ball-head Waterleaf: Hydrophyllum capitatum var. thompsonii - In bud.

* Meadow Nemophila: Nemophila pedunculata

Variedleaf Phacelia: Phacelia heterophylla ssp. virgata

* Harsh Paintbrush: Castilleja hispida (var. ?) - Beginning to bloom.

* Large-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia grandiflora - Beginning to bloom.

* Small-flowered Blue-eyed Mary: Collinsia parviflora

Bedstraw: Galium aparine

Common Snowberry: Symphoricarpos albus var. laevigatus - Beginning to leaf out.

Yarrow: Achillea millefolium

* Carey's Balsamroot: Balsamorhiza careyana X deltoidea - Beginning to bloom.

* Gold Stars: Crocidium multicaule

Scouler's Hawkweed: Hieracium scouleri (former var. cynoglossoides ?)

Western Groundsel: Senecio integerrimus var. exaltatus - In bud.


Animals Seen Along This Route Today:

California Ground Squirrels

Turkey Vultures

Golden Eagle

Red-tailed Hawks

Northern Flicker

Lewis' Woodpeckers

Ravens

Scrub Jays

Stellers Jays

Western Meadowlarks

Spotted Towhees

American Robins

Western Bluebirds

Dark-eyed Juncos

White-breasted Nuthatch


Paul Slichter