About 20 feet tall
I searched through all the coast live oak, and finally found
hybrid? looks like a coast live oak, but with scrub oak galls. Jasper Ridge docents are aware of these weird hybrids
Something making this Blue Dicks look very strange
Host Galium
Host Quercus cedrosensis
Fasciated
Interesting deformities on Ranunculus californicus
This was suggested by iNaturalist
1500ft elevation.
Puddling Party: There were over 2 dozen Pale Swallowtail butterflies puddling (sipping minerals from sand) in a 6‘ x 6‘ area next to San Jose Creek in the San Lucia mountains.
COMPARISON of 3 Swallowtail butterflies: Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus) COMPARED TO Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon) COMPARED TO Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon). All 3 are large butterflies in the Swallowtails (Papilioninae) subfamily and Swallowtails and Parnassians (Papilionidae) family.
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Western Tiger Swallowtail (Papilio rutulus a.k.a. Pterourus rutulus) is a large, native butterfly in the Swallowtails (Papilioninae) subfamily with a wing span of 2.75 - 3.5 inches. It is deeper yellow with narrower black stripes than Pale Swallowtail. It has 2-3 flights per year, March-October. It's a puddler where it sips minerals from wet or moist sand. It favors riparian canyons, city parks, and neighborhoods. Adult nectaring favorites include California Buckeye, Willows, Sycamore, Cottonwoods and garden landscaping plants.
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, Chris Tenney and Jan Austin, August 2023, pp. 18-19. (Pterourus is the newer genus name used.)
(Note: Taxonomic name changes occur regularly following DNA discoveries. Tenny's excellent butterflies field guide follows the 2022 update to the Pelham Catalogue for both scientific and common name changes. For example, old name for Western Tiger Swallowtail is Papilio rutulus, Tenny uses newer Pterourus rutulus.
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, Chris Tenney and Jan Austin, August 2023, p. 15.)
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 50-51.
Link to closeup profile views of Western Tiger Swallowtail: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81632292 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/122248991 and top view: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/128078719
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-rutulus
BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Papilio+rutulus
Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020, pp. 424-426.
Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America. Brock and Kaufman, 2003, p. 22-23.
Butterflies & Their Favorite Flowering Plants: Anza-Borrego Desert State Park & Environs, Lynn and Gene Monroe, 2004, p. 22.
My favorite Western Tiger Swallowtail photo/observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/81631274
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COMPARED TO
Pale Swallowtail (Papilio eurymedon a.k.a. Pterourus eurymedon) Large, native butterfly in the Swallowtails (Papilioninae) subfamily with a wingspan of 2.75 - 3.5 inches. Pale Swallowtail has one flight per year, March - July. It is common in chaparral and canyons. Wings are long and narrow. Male forewing is triangular. Ground color is white in males and pale yellow in females. The black vertical stripes are broader than those of Western Tiger, and it tends to have more pointed forewings than Western Tiger, and the long tails have a half twist. it is often seen puddling for mineral nutrients in groups, with heads all facing in the same direction. Larval food plants include Coffeeberry, Alder, and Ceanothus. Adult nectaring favorites are Mints, Thistle, Yerba Santa, and California Buckeye.
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, Chris Tenney and Jan Austin, August 2023, pp.20-21. (Pterourus is the newer genus name.)
Link to observation of large cluster of Puddling Pale Swallowtails: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/220613688 and https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165606552
Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions, pp. 98-99, plate 2
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 50-51.
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-eurymedon
BugGuide: https://bugguide.net/index.php?q=search&keys=Papilio+eurymedon
My favorite Pale Swallowtail photo/observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/165606552
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COMPARED TO
Anise Swallowtail (Papilio zelicaon) is a large, native butterfly in the Swallowtails (Papilioninae) subfamily with a wingspan of 2.5 - 3 inches. It is smaller than Pale and Western Tiger Swallowtails. It has a black upper basal forewing with yellow bars, instead of alternating black and yellow tiger stripes. Yellow can vary from pale to deep yellow. Upper surface of hind wing has yellow-orange eyespot near tail with a round black center that is not connected to hindwing margin. Anal cell of hind wing is primarily yellow. It is a hilltopper where it is commonly seen on open, exposed hilltops. Larval food plants include native and introduced carrot family plants like fennel and poison hemlock. Favorite adult nectaring plants are native and non-native Thistles.
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, Chris Tenney and Jan Austin, August 2023, pp. 16-17.
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, pp. 48-49.
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species/Papilio-zelicaon
Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020, pp. 424-425.
My favorite Anise Swallowtail photo/observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/208895983
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BUTTERFLY and CATERPILLAR (Annotated References):
In California, there are about 240 species of butterflies. There are more than 3,000 species of MOTHS, which represent 4 suborders in about 50 families. Butterflies have clubbed antennae, moths do not. Many moths are nocturnal, but not all.
Field Guide to California Insects, by Kip Will, J. Gross, D. Rubinoff , J. Powell, 2nd ed., 2020 (Lepidoptera, pp. 347-426)
Butterflies of Monterey County: A comprehensive guide to finding and identifying 91 species of butterflies in Monterey County, by Chris Tenney and photograher Jan Austin, August 2023 and companion website: https://www.montereybutterflies.online/
Glossary of Butterfly (and Moth) Terminology: https://butterfly.ucdavis.edu/resources/glossary
Butterflies of the San Francisco Bay and Sacramento Valley Regions: A Field Guide, Arthur M. Shapiro and Timothy D. Manolis, 2007
Law's Field Guide to the Sierra Nevada, John Muir Laws, California Academy of Sciences, 2007
eButterfly: (2115+ species) https://www.e-butterfly.org/ebapp/en/observations/explore
BugGuide: Butterflies and Moths (U.S. and Canada) clickable categories or use search bar: https://bugguide.net/node/view/57
Butterfly Wing Areas and Body Parts (diagram)
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001, p. 40.
Butterflies Through Binoculars: The West: a field guide to the butterflies of western North America, by Jeffrey Glassberg, 2001
Butterflies and Moths of North America https://www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species_search
Butterflies of Central and Northern California, a laminated pamphlet (guide to common and notable species) by Jim Brock, 2023
Caterpillar Anatomy diagram and Butterfly Basics: https://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/butterfly/activities/printouts/caterpillarprintout.shtml Life Cycle of a Butterfly: Egg --> Larva (the caterpillar) --> Pupa (the chrysalis or cocoon) --> Adult.
Caterpillars: INaturalist Project https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/california-caterpillars
Gagne 1989 page 221 states that adults from Brodiaea stem galls collected in the fall emerged in spring the following year. This gall on Bloomeria crocea seems to have the same timing. I cut a very small part out, just enough to see it was moist inside. I'll try to rear them.
Weird gall on Artemisia douglasiana
3-whorled variant
Yo who knows turtles
I think? Kinda strange looking.
Location within radius, not precise
Growing interspersed with Q. garryana, may have some influence
Tentative I. axillaris ID on the varigates There was only 2 of the fully variegated plants. The green ones smelled like thyme or oregano, the white ones did not. I did find another I. axillaris plant with sport variegation running up one stem, and they have similar growth patterns but the white ones where more compact and not in bloom. More help with the id ould be great.
Abundant, collected from clonal patch of Quercus palmeri on FONM.
Stored galls in an unsealed cup at 40F for 14 days until dissection 2/24/24.
2 adults found in 1 gall, stored in 95% ethanol at 40F.
5 other galls were found to be empty.
1 more organism found in dissection of 2 last galls. Collected same day, from same clonal colony of Q. palmeri as this one:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200353736
Empty galls here:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200820223
Maybe "Heteroecus q-palmeri-kernel-gall (agamic)" https://gallformers.org/gall/2010
Chef's hat gall: https://www.gallformers.org/gall/5432
Closest alternate might be R. spithamea
Fruit appears to keep sepal so not R gymnocarpa (sorry bad fruit specimen)
Note that R pinetorum and R spithamea ranges do not overlap but maybe hybridizes??
http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=97
COMPARISON of 3 Roses (genus Rosa) found in Monterey County, CA: California Wild Rose (Rosa californica), Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum), and Ground Rose (Rosa spithamea)
(There a 8 confirmed species of Rosa genus on INaturalist as of 5/13/24: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=118063&quality_grade=research&taxon_id=53438&view=species)
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California Wild Rose (Rosa californica) Native, perennial, thicket-forming shrub in the Rose (Rosaceae) family that grows 8--25 dm (up to 8 ft) tall in generally +- moist areas, especially along streambanks.
Stem: prickles are relatively sparse (few to many), paired or not, 3--15 mm long, thick-based and compressed, and generally (re)curved. Single, older thorns at nodes along stem have a thick base and are recurved (unlike local Rosa woodsii and Rosa pinetorum that have spines that are not recurved, but are dense, straight, thin, with no thickness at the base.) Leaflets are pinnate, 5-7, +- hairy, sometimes glandular, and finely toothed along the margins. Flowers are often in clusters, each flower with 20–40 pistils. Sepals are "persistent" meaning they remain on the rose hip (fruit) after the pale pink petals have fallen off. Peak bloom time: May-August.
Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41631
Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Rosa_californica and http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 286-287.
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 191.
Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, p. 138.
Monterey County Wildflowers, Trees & Ferns https://montereywildflowers.com/rosaceae-rose/
Comparison of Rosa pinetorum with diagrams: http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=97
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COMPARED TO
Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum) is an Endemic, rare, petite plant in the Rose (Rosaceae) family that grows less than 39 inches tall. It is endemic to the closed-cone pine forests of the Central Coast ranges around Monterey Bay. It is a non-thicket forming, dwarf shrub in the Rose (Rosaceae) family that grows less than 10dm (less than 39 inches) tall in shaded Monterey Pine woodland. Spines on stem are dense and many, both slender and +- thick-based, and straight (not recurved). Peak bloom time: May-June.
Conservation Status: 1B.2 in California, US (CNPS) (Rare, threatened, or endangered in CA and elsewhere).
Illustration of the differences in Rosa foliage (including R. pinetorum) from Flora of North America (FNA): http://floranorthamerica.org/w/images/f/ff/FNA9_P12_Rosa_acicularis_subsp_sayi.jpeg
Flora of North America--detailed Rosa pinetorum description:
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=250100422 and
http://floranorthamerica.org/Rosa_pinetorum
Endangered Species Fact Sheets: Global Distribution of Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum) "Restricted to the central California coast. Known from coastal terraces on the Monterey Peninsula to Carmel Highlands (Monterey County), the mouth of Waddell Creek at Big Basin Redwoods State Park (Santa Cruz County), and possibly Cambria (San Luis Obispo County)"
Endangered Species Fact Sheets: http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/factsheet.php?SPECIES_ID=97
Native California Roses, by Barbara Ertter, 2001, Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/ina/roses/rosa_pinetorum.html
There are 43 records of this species listed in Monterey County (as of 5/12/24) on CalFlora by local botany legends like Vern Yadon, Dean Taylor, and David Styer.
Calflora https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Rosa+pinetorum&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT
Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41684
Pine Rose (Rosa Pintorum): Native, “dwarf shrub, openly rhizomed, generally < 10 dm. Stem: prickles many, not paired, 3--10 mm long, both slender and +- thick-based, and straight (not recurved). Leaf: axis glabrous or finely hairy, glandular; leaflets 5--7, glabrous to hairy; terminal leaflet 10--30 mm, generally +- elliptic, widest near middle, tip +- obtuse, margins +- single- or double-toothed, +- glandular. Inflorescence: generally 1--5-flowered; pedicels generally 10--30 mm, glabrous, glandular or not. Flower: hypanthium generally +- 4 mm wide at flower, glabrous, glandless, neck +- 3 mm wide; sepals generally +- glandular, entire, tip generally +- = body, entire or toothed; petals +- 15--20 mm, pink; pistils +- 10--20. Fruit: +- 12 mm wide, spheric; sepals +- erect, persistent; achenes 3--4 mm. Ecology: Pine woodland; Elevation: generally < 300 m. Flowering Time: May--June" https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41684
Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/rosaceae-rose/
"This is a small, rare rose. Like Wood Rose (Rosa gymnocarpa), it has smaller flowers than California Rose (Rosa californica), and prickles that are straight and slender. The flowers are a little larger than Wood Rose (petals 15–20 mm long), usually pink to red, and with more numerous (10–20) pistils. The hypanthium is also broader, 4 mm wide at the base of the petals. Leaflets are generally no more than 7 in number. Its sepals are persistent, meaning they remain on the hip as it matures. "
Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/rosaceae-rose/
"Stems with straight, slender prickles, some thick-based. . . sepals persistent in fruit"
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 286-287.
Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 139.
Coastal California's Living Legacy: The Monterey Pine Forest, 2nd. ed, Nikki Nedeff, et. al. The Monterey Pine Forest Watch, 2018
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019
(species not listed--no pine forests)
Endangered Species Fact Sheets (85+ species in Monterey County) http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/
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Ground Rose (Rosa spithamea) A.k.a. Coast Ground Rose. Endemic in California. Peak bloom time: April-August.
Illustration of the differences in Rosa foliage (including R. spithamea) from Flora of North America (FNA): http://floranorthamerica.org/w/images/f/ff/FNA9_P12_Rosa_acicularis_subsp_sayi.jpeg
Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell,2015, pp. 286-287.
Calflora (includes species distribution in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=7187
Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=41696
Rosa spithamea: "Habit: Dwarf shrub, openly rhizomed, generally < 5 dm. Ecology: Open forest, chaparral, especially after fire. Stem: prickles few to many, generally not paired, 3--8(12) mm, generally slender (thick-based), +- straight. Leaf: axis generally glabrous (finely hairy), glandular; leaflets 5--7(9), 2--4 per side, (+-) glabrous; terminal leaflet +- 10--30 mm, +- widely elliptic (obovate), widest near middle, tip obtuse to truncate, margins +- double-toothed, glandular. Inflorescence: 1--10-flowered; pedicels generally 5--15 mm, glabrous, +- stalked-glandular. Flower: hypanthium generally 4--5 mm wide at flower, stalked-glandular, neck 3--4 mm wide; sepals generally glandular, entire, tip generally +- = body, entire; petals 10--15 mm, pink to red; pistils 10--20. Fruit: 7--12(15) mm wide, +- spheric; sepals +- erect, persistent; achenes 3.5--5 mm.
Synonyms: Rosa spithamea var. sonomensis "
Monterey County Wildflowers (photographic guide of wildflowers, shrubs and trees) https://montereywildflowers.com/index/ (species not listed)
Possibly Q. agrifolia x parvula.
GPS approximate based on memory, needs refining. On trail with Salix in middle, Q. parvula at crossroads end.
ML suggestion.
In area cleared by bulldozer for fuel reduction program
Not seeing any great matches among pics or in the key. Erect flower, maybe 10 cm tall, growing on serpentine outcrop.
Found by Elle in the Pigmy Forest. Fresh mushroom was not photographed.
Micrograph is gill edge 1000x in KOH
This oak was growing on the edge of a serpentine area dominated by Sargent’s Cypress, arcostaphylos and ceanothus species. Although it appeared largely deciduous, it had retained a number of green leaves spread evenly over the tree. There were no sign of any acorns in the vicinity. Presumably a hybrid?
The hair on the upper calyx is satisfyingly "appressed to spreading" (L. microcarpus var. densiflorus) but the hair on the lower calyx is dangerously close to being "shaggy" (L. microcarpus var. microcarpus).
Seen initially on roadside verge by another observer on 2/23 with a vulture near it, later had been moved further off-road, maybe by scavengers, then even further back by the time I documented it 2/27.
About 28" in length from snout to rump. With a long tail.
I thought bobcat, but it has a long tail. It's spotted, so I don't think it's a fox.
Maybe a juvenile mountain lion?
https://outdoornebraska.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/TRACKS1.jpg
Best fit, but leaves seem consistently too small for this species over many years of observing it!
Maybe a new subspecies?
Similar observations in the Dunes (starting with mine):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/69542433
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/38499081
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/208623192
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/104551840
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/154621069
maybe:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/198456983
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/200307748
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/113593841
Young individual. Very interesting that the adaxial leaf surfaces were glaucus (as evidenced by my finger print!)
At least 3 clumps seen along this popular corridor for horses.
I'm now convinced they're a vector for noxious invasive species, which means extra monitoring and restoration effort is needed along any popular horse trails.
In an ideal world, there'd be a horse tax specifically for this sort of externality.
This Mallow was growing unplanted next to the sidewalk. Unfortunately it had no reproductive structures. I pulled it out. After pulling it out I noticed it is host to multiple galls and a leaf miner.
Host to:
Bad photo, but the leaves were huge and super hairy