Plant Species of the Borrego Desert: Pictorial Gallery of Species in Bloom

This page does not contain all the species in the Borrego Desert! It only gives photographs of most of the species I have seen in bloom since Fall 2009. This page will be updated periodically as I update the 2010-2011 Blooms page.

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Photographs by Category (Click on the number to go to the detailed category, or click on the color to go to the beginning of each color section):

Color	Number of species
	Not Sunflower Family		Sunflower Family
	Small Flowers	Large Flowers	Rayless Flowers	Daisy- or Dandelion-Like Flowers
White	36	19	6	4
Yellow	13	21	13	8
Pink	13	5	1	2
Orange or Red	6	5	1	0
Blue or Purple	18	7	0	1
Green, Brown, Tiny, or Unclear Color	14		8
Grasses, Sedges and Rushes	7

As of 9 November 2011, there are 208 taxa on this page.

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Introduction

This page is primarily for non-botanists who want to try to identify some of the flowers they have seen in the Borrego Desert by matching pictures of a flower as seen from its front. This will work for ~80% of the species here, but it will fail for the other 20%, since they have look-alike species that are distinguished by traits other than the flowers themselves. For example, Mirabilis bigelovii and M. tenuiloba have nearly-identical flowers as seen from their front, but can be distinguished by the shape of their calyx lobes in pictures showing a side view of the flowers.

In general, to get your plants identified from pictures alone, a photographer should:

• Note the location where the picture was taken. The location alone often narrows down the possible number of species greatly, eliminating some possible look-alike species.

  A location should be as specific as possible. Southern California is better than just noting California, but it is not nearly as good as noting Borrego Palm Canyon, on the Alternate Trail about halfway down. Notes on the habitat of the species (in water, shady north-facing slope, dry ridgetop, etc.), and the date you took the photo, are also helpful. Of course, GPS coordinates are ideal.

• Take pictures of the entire plant to show it in the context of its surroundings.

• Take pictures of the base of the plant, and close-ups of the stem, leaves, and inflorescence. Many species are distinguished by properties of one of those characteristics. For example, the first branch of the lupine key for annuals is on whether the cotyledons are sessile or not, which can be easily determined by how the stem grows at the base of the lupine.

• Take pictures of the flower from the back and side, showing the calyx, if one exists, or showing the absence of a calyx. It is especially important to photograph any Asteraceae flower from the side, since properties of its involucre are often critical to the identification.

• Take pictures of any fruit that exists. Many Brassicaceae are distinguished only by the fruit, and the pappus or scales on Asteraceae fruit are also often critical to their identification.

Again, if you have only a picture of the flower from the front in a close-up, and you don't have a very specific location, you only have about an 80% chance of being able to get the correct determination.

Since this page is primarily for photographers who typically only photograph the front of the flower, and I'm limited to a single picture here, most pictures are of the flowers as seen from the front, even when that view does not discriminate between look-alike species. However, some flowers are photographed from the side, especially when the individual flowers are small, and when I forget to take a picture of the flower from the front in those cases when that view is not useful for identification.

I will add full pages on each species or group of look-alike species in the future, giving a complete set of pictures for each species, showing especially the characteristics needed for identification.

Also due to the limitation of having only one picture per species, I only show the dominant color version of each species. For example, some flowers of Mirabilis bigelovii are pink, instead of the usual white.

See Plant Species of the Borrego Desert for those species that have pages devoted to them.

All pictures were taken by myself, with a Sony Point and Shoot T9 camera except the following:

• Mike Crouse contributed the pictures for Camissonia pallida, Crassula connata, Eschscholzia parishii, Fouquieria splendens, Mammillaria dioica, Mirabilis tenuiloba, Penstemon clevelandii var. connatus, Prunus fremontii, and Ribes indecorum, using either a Cannon Point and Shoot SD1100IS or SD1200IS.

• Bill Sullivan contributed the pictures for Oenothera elata ssp. hirsutissima and Mimulus cardinalis.

The photographs are first arranged in this order of flower color:

• white or whitish
• yellow or yellowish
• pink, pinkish-purple or magenta
• orange, red
• blue, purple
• brownish, greenish, very tiny flowers, or no clear color
• grasses, sedges and rushes of any color

The flower color here is defined primarily by the color of the petals (corolla), or any petal-like parts, such as the gland appendages for Chamaesyce. If there are no petals, such as in Chamaesyce micromera, the predominant color of other flower parts are used, such as the glands for that species.

If parts of a flower have different colors, the colors of the petals are used, or the predominant color.

Within each color group, the sunflower family (flowers like daisies, dandelions, or rayless flowers) are grouped together at the end of each color section. The rayless flowers are grouped first, followed by the daisy-like and dandelion-like flowers.

The non-sunflower family flowers are grouped by flower size, with small individual flowers given first (the entire inflorescence may be large, but if the individual flowers are small, they are placed in the small flower category).

I do not precisely define small here, since flowers range in size gradually from small to large, and the flowers of a single species can vary in size. A rough guideline is that I consider a flower small if it is smaller than your thumbnail (~1 cm = ~0.5 inch). A large flower is half the length of your thumb (~2 cm = ~1 inch). In-between size flowers might be placed in either category here, so check both. Also, if most of the flowers of a particular genus are large, but the genus also has a few small-flowered species, such as for Lotus, I've kept the small flowers in with their big sisters so that you can see them all together.

Each separate category is sorted by plant family and then scientific name, which keeps similar-looking flowers together.

Links to each of the separate categories are given at the top of this page.

The (Caucasian) flesh-colored objects in some of the pictures are usually my fingers, which can sometimes give an idea of the scale of the picture.

At the close of the 2009-2010 season, I'll split this page into separate pages by flower color, and duplicate some pictures in different color sections to make each one more complete. It would be too much work for me to try to do these things while I'm updating this page regularly.

Photographs by Category

The header above each picture gives the following information on separate lines:

• Family Name from the Jepson Manual 1993 edition
• Scientific Name from the Jepson Manual 1993 edition
• Common Name
• The date of the picture and the location where it was taken.

Small White Flowers (solitary or in large groups; non-Sunflower Family)
Boraginaceae Cryptantha angustifolia narrow-leaved cryptantha Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Split Mountain Road near Elephant Tree Area turnoff, 12/1/09	Boraginaceae Cryptantha barbigera bearded cryptantha Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Boraginaceae Cryptantha costata ribbed cryptantha Palm Wash, 2/28/10	Boraginaceae Cryptantha decipiens gravel cryptantha Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Boraginaceae Cryptantha maritima Guadalupe cryptantha Palm Wash Overlook on S22 1 mile east of Imperial County Line, 2/28/10	Boraginaceae Cryptantha micrantha purple-root cryptantha Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Boraginaceae Cryptantha nevadensis Nevada cryptantha Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Boraginaceae Cryptantha racemosa bushy cryptantha Butler Canyon, 4/9/09
Boraginaceae Heliotropium curassavicum seaside heliotrope Upper Coyote Canyon, Turkey Track, 10/29/09	Boraginaceae Pectocarya heterocarpa chuckwalla pectocarya Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Boraginaceae Pectocarya recurvata curvenut combseed Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/28/10	Brassicaceae Draba cuneifolia wedge-leaved draba Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Brassicaceae Guillenia lasiophylla California mustard Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/15/10	Brassicaceae Lepidium lasiocarpum var. lasiocarpum hairy-podded pepper-grass Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/28/10
Brassicaceae Thysanocarpus curvipes fringe-pod Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/15/10	Campanulaceae Nemacladus glanduliferus var. glanduliferus glandular nemacladus Harper Canyon, 1/19/11
Caryophyllaceae Achyronychia cooperi frost mat Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Cuscutaceae Cuscuta californica var. papillosa papillate dodder Borrego Mountain Wash, 1/6/11
Euphorbiaceae Chamaesyce melanadenia red-gland spurge Lowermost Culp Valley, 11/7/11	Euphorbiaceae Chamaesyce pediculifera Carrizo Mountain spurge Fossil Canyon, 12/23/10
Euphorbiaceae Chamaesyce polycarpa small-seeded spurge Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Split Mountain Road near Elephant Tree Area turnoff, 12/1/09	Euphorbiaceae Chamaesyce setiloba Yuma spurge Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Euphorbiaceae Ditaxis lanceolata narrowleaf ditaxis female flower, Rockhouse Canyon, 1/15/09	Euphorbiaceae Ditaxis neomexicana New Mexico ditaxis male flower, Hellhole Canyon Alluvial Fan, 12/31/09
Fabaceae Dalea mollis silky dalea Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10	Fabaceae Dalea mollissima downy dalea Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Hydrophyllaceae Eucrypta chrysanthemifolia var. bipinnatifida eucrypta Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Hydrophyllaceae Eucrypta micrantha desert eucrypta Hawk Canyon, 1/11/11
Loasaceae Petalonyx thurberi ssp. thurberi Thurber's sandpaper-plant Butler Canyon, 4/13/09	Malvaceae Eremalche exilis white mallow Henderson Canyon Road, 2/28/10
Malvaceae Malva parviflora *cheeseweed Palm Canyon Road, 2/28/10	Plantaginaceae Plantago ovata desert plantain Just above Henderson Canyon Road just west of Pegleg Monument, 2/13/10
Polygonaceae Eriogonum deflexum var. deflexum flat-topped buckwheat Fish Creek south of Split Mountain, 10/6/10	Polygonaceae Eriogonum elongatum var. elongatum long-stemmed buckwheat Sheep Canyon, 11/19/09
Polygonaceae Eriogonum fasciculatum var. polifolium California buckwheat Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Polygonaceae Pterostegia drymarioides threadstem Butler Canyon, 4/9/09
Large White Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Brassicaceae Dithyrea californica spectacle-pod Galleta Meadows, 2/13/10	Crossosomataceae Crossosoma bigelovii rock crossosoma Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/28/10
Grossulariaceae Ribes indecorum white-flowering currant Hellhole Canyon, 1/24/10, by Mike Crouse (view of bottom of flower)	Hydrophyllaceae Pholistoma membranaceum white fiesta flower Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/31/10
Liliaceae Hesperocallis undulata desert lily North end of DiGiorgio Road, 2/23/10	Loasaceae Mentzelia involucrata bracted blazing star Arroyo Salado, 3/23/09
Malvaceae Hibiscus denudatus rock hibiscus Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Nyctaginaceae Mirabilis bigelovii var. retrorsa wishbone plant Box Canyon, 2/11/09
Nyctaginaceae Mirabilis tenuiloba slender-lobed four o'clock Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/31/10, by Mike Crouse	Onagraceae Camissonia boothii ssp. condensata Booth's desert primrose Butler Canyon, 4/9/2009
Onagraceae Camissonia claviformis ssp. peirsonii brown-eyed primrose Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10	Onagraceae Camissonia refracta narrow-leaf sun-cup Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Onagraceae Oenothera deltoides ssp. deltoides dune primrose Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Rosaceae Prunus fremontii desert apricot Hellhole Canyon, 1/24/10, by Mike Crouse
Scrophulariaceae Mohavea confertiflora ghost flower Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10	Solanaceae Datura discolor desert thornapple Split Mountain Road, north of turnoff to Elephant Tree Area, 12/9/09
Solanaceae Datura wrightii sacred datura Coyote Creek, Lower Willows, 11/15/09	Solanaceae Nicotiana obtusifolia desert tobacco Alma Canyon, 12/9/09
Solanaceae Solanum douglasii white nightshade Sheep Canyon, 11/22/09
Rayless White Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Baccharis salicifolia mule fat female flower, Coyote Creek, Lower Willows near Third Crossing, 11/15/09	Asteraceae Brickellia desertorum desert brickellia Sheep Canyon, 11/19/09
Asteraceae Chaenactis fremontii Fremont pincushion Henderson Canyon, 3/14/08	Asteraceae Chaenactis stevioides desert pincushion Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Asteraceae Conyza canadensis horseweed Coyote Creek, Middle Willows, 10/29/09	Asteraceae Pleurocoronis pluriseta arrow-leaf Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Daisy- or Dandelion-like White Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Calycoseris wrightii white tackstem Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10	Asteraceae Monoptilon bellioides desert star Coachwhip Canyon, 2/24/09
Asteraceae Perityle emoryi Emory's rock-daisy Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Asteraceae Rafinesquia neomexicana desert chicory Alcoholic Pass Trail, 3/21/08
Small Yellow Flowers (solitary or in large groups; non-Sunflower Family)
Boraginaceae Amsinckia menziesii var. intermedia common fiddleneck Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/15/10	Boraginaceae Amsinckia tessellata var. tessellata bristly fiddleneck Little Surprise Canyon, 2/13/10
Brassicaceae Brassica tournefortii *Asian mustard Split Mountain Road, north of turnoff to Elephant Tree Area, 12/9/09	Brassicaceae Descurainia pinnata western tansy-mustard Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/15/10
Brassicaceae Sisymbrium irio *London rocket Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10	Brassicaceae Streptanthella longirostris longbeak streptanthella Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Fabaceae Acacia greggii catclaw Alma Canyon, 12/15/09	Fabaceae Hoffmannseggia glauca hog potato Yaqui Ridge, 12/3/10 (flowers not open)
Fabaceae Prosopis glandulosa var. torreyana honey mesquite Butler Canyon, 4/13/09	Loasaceae Mentzelia affinis yellow blazing star Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Polygonaceae Eriogonum inflatum desert trumpet Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Polygonaceae Eriogonum thomasii Thomas' buckwheat Palm Wash Overlook on S22 1 mile east of Imperial County Line, 2/28/10
Zygophyllaceae Tribulus terrestris *puncture-vine Christmas Circle, Borrego Springs, 12/17/10
Large Yellow Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Asclepiadaceae Asclepias subulata rush milkweed Coachwhip Canyon, 11/28/08	Cactaceae Ferocactus cylindraceus California barrel cactus Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Cactaceae Mammillaria dioica California fish-hook cactus Hellhole Canyon Alluvial Fan, 1/24/10, by Mike Crouse	Cactaceae Opuntia echinocarpa silver cholla Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Cactaceae Opuntia ganderi Gander's cholla Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10	Capparaceae Isomeris arborea bladderpod Coyote Canyon, Lower Willows, 11/15/09
Fabaceae Caesalpinia virgata wand holdback Fossil Canyon, 12/23/10	Fabaceae Lotus rigidus desert lotus Alma Canyon, 12/9/09
Fabaceae Lotus scoparius var. brevialatus short-winged deerweed Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/31/10	Fabaceae Lotus strigosus strigose lotus Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Hydrophyllaceae Emmenanthe penduliflora var. penduliflora whispering bells Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Liliaceae Agave deserti desert agave Hellhole Canyon Slope, California Riding and Hiking Trail, 2/6/06
Malvaceae Horsfordia newberryi Newberry's velvet mallow Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Onagraceae Camissonia californica California suncup Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Onagraceae Camissonia cardiophylla ssp. cardiophylla heartleaf sun-cup Coyote Mountain, above Coyote Wash, 12/1/05	Onagraceae Camissonia pallida ssp. pallida pale sun-cup Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10, by Mike Crouse
Onagraceae Oenothera elata ssp. hirsutissima Hooker's evening-primrose Coyote Creek, Lower Willows/Third Crossing, 10/21/2009, by Bill Sullivan	Papaveraceae Eschscholzia minutiflora ssp. minutiflora small-flowered poppy Alcoholic Pass, 3/21/08
Papaveraceae Eschscholzia parishii Parish's poppy Rockhouse Canyon, 2/5/09, by Mike Crouse	Solanaceae Physalis crassifolia thick-leaved ground cherry Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Zygophyllaceae Larrea tridentata creosote bush Ella Wash, 12/4/08
Rayless Yellow Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Bebbia juncea var. aspera sweetbush Henderson Canyon, 4/4/09	Asteraceae Chrysothamnus paniculatus punctate rabbitbrush Coyote Creek, Lower Willows, 11/15/09
Asteraceae Encelia frutescens button encelia Coyote Creek Wash, 12/1/05	Asteraceae Ericameria brachylepis boundary goldenbush Upper Coyote Canyon, 10/29/09
Asteraceae Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia alkali goldenbush Arroyo Salado, 12/19/08	Asteraceae Isocoma acradenia var. eremophila solitary-leaved alkali goldenbush Upper Coyote Canyon, 10/29/09
Asteraceae Lepidospartum squamatum scale-broom Upper Coyote Canyon, Turkey Track, 10/29/09	Asteraceae Peucephyllum schottii pygmy-cedar Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Asteraceae Psathyrotes ramosissima turtleback Glorietta Canyon, 3/23/09	Asteraceae Senecio mohavensis Mojave ragwort Malperia Ridge, near parking for Elephant Tree Natural Area, 3/4/10
Asteraceae Solidago californica goldenrod Hellhole Canyon, 1/24/10	Asteraceae Trichoptilium incisum yellow-head Coachwhip Canyon, 2/24/09
Asteraceae Trixis californica var. californica California trixis Henderson Canyon, 4/4/09
Daisy- or Dandelion-like Yellow Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Baileya pauciradiata Colorado Desert marigold 500 feet south of S22 just west of Thimble Trail, 2/28/10	Asteraceae Encelia farinosa brittlebush Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Asteraceae Geraea canescens hairy desert-sunflower Henderson Canyon Road, 2/28/10	Asteraceae Gutierrezia californica California matchweed Sheep Canyon, 11/22/09
Asteraceae Malacothrix glabrata desert dandelion Box Canyon, 2/11/09	Asteraceae Pectis papposa var. papposa chinch-weed Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Split Mountain Road near Elephant Tree Area turnoff, 12/1/09
Asteraceae Senecio flaccidus var. monoensis Mono ragwort Coyote Canyon, Middle Willows, 10/29/09	Asteraceae Viguiera parishii Parish's viguiera Sheep Canyon, 11/22/09
Small Pink Flowers (solitary or in large groups; non-Sunflower Family)
Amaranthaceae Amaranthus fimbriatus fringed amaranth Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Asclepiadaceae Sarcostemma cynanchoides ssp. hartwegii climbing milkweed Coyote Canyon, Lower Willows, 11/15/09
Boraginaceae Tiquilia plicata plicate coldenia Coyote Canyon, Lower Willows, 11/15/09	Brassicaceae Lyrocarpa coulteri var. palmeri Coulter's lyrepod Elephant Tree Area, 12/9/09
Krameriaceae Krameria grayi white rhatany Arroyo Salado, 3/23/09	Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia coccinea scarlet spiderling Harper Canyon, 1/19/11
Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia intermedia fivewing spiderling Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Nyctaginaceae Boerhavia wrightii Wright's spiderling Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Onagraceae Epilobium ciliatum ssp. ciliatum willowherb Upper Coyote Canyon, Middle Willows, 10/29/09	Polemoniaceae Gilia stellata star gilia Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Polygonaceae Eriogonum molestum pineland buckwheat PCT north of Scissors Crossing, 12/13/10	Polygonaceae Eriogonum wrightii var. nodosum Wright's buckwheat Henderson Canyon, 12/29/08
Tamaricaceae Tamarix ramosissima *saltcedar Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Large Pink Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Bignoniaceae Chilopsis linearis ssp. arcuata desert-willow Coyote Creek, Lower Willows near Third Crossing, 4/30/10	Cactaceae Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris beavertail cactus Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Malvaceae Eremalche rotundifolia desert five-spot Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10	Malvaceae Malacothamnus aboriginum Indian Valley bush mallow Upper Coyote Canyon, 10/29/09
Scrophulariaceae Penstemon clevelandii var. connatus San Jacinto beardtongue Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/15/10, by Mike Crouse
Rayless Pink Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Palafoxia arida var. arida desert needle Upper Coyote Canyon, 10/29/09
Daisy- or Dandelion-like Pink Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Stephanomeria exigua ssp. exigua slender wreathplant Clark Valley, 3/31/09	Asteraceae Stephanomeria pauciflora var. pauciflora wire-lettuce Ella Wash, 12/4/08
Small Orange or Red Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Asclepiadaceae Sarcostemma hirtellum rambling milkweed Borrego Mountain Wash, 1/6/11	Chenopodiaceae Atriplex hymenelytra desert holly Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Chenopodiaceae Chenopodium murale *nettle-leaved goosefoot Split Mountain Road, north of turnoff to Elephant Tree Area, 12/9/09	Crassulaceae Crassula connata pygmy-weed Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10, by Mike Crouse
Euphorbiaceae Chamaesyce micromera Sonoran spurge Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Split Mountain Road at Elephant Tree Area turnoff, 12/1/09	Viscaceae Phoradendron californicum desert mistletoe Rockhouse Canyon, 1/28/09
Large Orange or Red Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Acanthaceae Justicia californica chuparosa Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Fouquieriaceae Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens ocotillo Rockhouse Canyon, 2/5/09, by Mike Crouse
Malvaceae Sphaeralcea ambigua var. ambigua apricot mallow Rockhouse Canyon, 3/31/09	Onagraceae Epilobium canum ssp. latifolium mountain California-fuchsia Sheep Canyon, 11/19/09
Scrophulariaceae Mimulus cardinalis scarlet monkeyflower Coyote Creek, Upper Willows, 10/29/2009, by Bill Sullivan
Rayless Orange or Red Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Adenophyllum porophylloides San Felipe dogweed Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Small Blue or Purple Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Boraginaceae Tiquilia palmeri Palmer's coldenia Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Split Mountain Road at turnoff to Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Fabaceae Lupinus arizonicus Arizona lupine Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Fabaceae Marina parryi Parry's marina Harper Canyon, 1/19/11	Fabaceae Psorothamnus emoryi Emory's indigo-bush Butler Canyon, 4/9/09
Fabaceae Psorothamnus polydenius Nevada indigo-bush Domelands, Imperial County, 12/27/10	Fabaceae Psorothamnus schottii indigo bush Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Geraniaceae Erodium cicutarium *redstem filaree Hellhole Canyon Alluvial Fan, 1/24/10	Krameriaceae Krameria erecta Pima rhatany Lower Willows, 4/30/10
Lamiaceae Hyptis emoryi desert-lavender Rockhouse Canyon, 2/1/09	Lamiaceae Salvia columbariae chia Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Lythraceae Lythrum californicum California loosestrife Coyote Creek, Second Crossing, 11/7/11	Nyctaginaceae Abronia villosa var. villosa hairy sand-verbena Split Mountain Road, at turnoff to Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Nyctaginaceae Allionia incarnata trailing four o'clock Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Orobanchaceae Orobanche cooperi Cooper's broom-rape Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Rutaceae Thamnosma montana turpentine broom Butler Canyon, 1/24/09	Scrophulariaceae Mimulus bigelovii var. bigelovii Bigelow's monkeyflower Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10
Solanaceae Lycium andersonii Anderson's desert-thorn Coyote Canyon, Lower Willows, 11/15/09	Solanaceae Lycium fremontii Fremont box-thorn Box Canyon, 2/17/09
Large Blue or Purple Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Fabaceae Astragalus crotalariae Salton milk-vetch S22 between Beckman and Inspiration Wash, 2/13/10	Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia crenulata var. ambigua heliotrope phacelia Borrego Dump Area, 2/20/09
Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia crenulata var. minutiflora little-flowered heliotrope phacelia Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia distans common phacelia Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10
Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia minor wild canterbury bells Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10	Zygophyllaceae Fagonia laevis California fagonia Just above Henderson Canyon Road just west of Pegleg Monument, 2/13/10
Zygophyllaceae Fagonia pachyacantha sticky fagonia Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/9/09
Daisy- or Dandelion-like Blue or Purple Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Xylorhiza orcuttii Orcutt's woody-aster Arroyo Salado, 12/19/08
Green, Brown, Tiny, or Unclear Color Small Flowers (non-Sunflower Family)
Amaranthaceae Amaranthus albus *tumble pigweed Christmas Circle, Borrego Springs, 12/17/10	Amaranthaceae Amaranthus palmeri Palmer's amaranth Christmas Circle, Borrego Springs, 12/17/10
Asclepiadaceae Matelea parvifolia spearleaf Yaqui Ridge, 12/3/10	Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia eriantha beetle spurge Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Euphorbiaceae Stillingia linearifolia linear-leaved stillingia Rockhouse Canyon, 3/31/09	Euphorbiaceae Stillingia spinulosa annual stillingia Fossil Canyon / Palm Wash, 12/23/10
Geraniaceae Erodium texanum Texas filaree Palm Wash, 2/28/10 (Our plants rarely have petals)	Platanaceae Platanus racemosa western sycamore Sheep Canyon, 11/22/09
Polygonaceae Chorizanthe rigida devil's spineflower Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10	Resedaceae Oligomeris linifolia narrowleaf oligomeris Palm Wash, 2/28/10
Rhamnaceae Ziziphus parryi var. parryi lotebush Borrego Palm Canyon, 2/9/10	Salicaceae Salix exigua narrowleaf willow Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/28/10
Simmondsiaceae Simmondsia chinensis jojoba Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Urticaceae Parietaria hespera var. hespera pellitory Butler Canyon, 4/13/09
Green, Brown, Tiny, or Unclear Color Small Flowers (Sunflower Family)
Asteraceae Ambrosia dumosa burroweed Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Split Mountain Road near Elephant Tree Area turnoff, 12/1/09	Asteraceae Ambrosia psilostachya western ragweed Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/28/10
Asteraceae Dicoria canescens desert dicoria Coyote Creek, Lower Willows, 11/15/09	Asteraceae Filago arizonica Arizona herba impia Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 3/4/10
Asteraceae Filago depressa dwarf filago Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10	Asteraceae Gnaphalium luteo-album *common cudweed Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/31/10
Asteraceae Hymenoclea salsola var. salsola cheesebush Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/31/10	Euphorbiaceae Croton californicus California croton Coyote Creek, Lower Willows, 11/15/09
Grasses, Sedges and Rushes
Poaceae Aristida adscensionis six-weeks three-awn Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09	Poaceae Bouteloua aristidoides var. aristidoides needle grama Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Poaceae Bouteloua barbata var. barbata six-weeks grama Alma Canyon, 12/9/09	Poaceae Leptochloa uninervia Mexican sprangletop Coyote Creek, Second Crossing, 11/7/11
Poaceae Pennisetum setaceum *fountain grass Borrego Palm Canyon, 1/31/10	Poaceae Pleuraphis rigida big galleta Northeast Vallecito Mountains, Elephant Tree Area, 12/1/09
Poaceae Schismus barbatus *Mediterranean schismus Alcoholic Pass Trail, 2/23/10

Go to:

• Plant Species of the Borrego Desert: 2010-2011 Blooms
• Plant Species of the Borrego Desert
• The Borrego Desert

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Updated 9 November 2011.