A web site of Mary and Graham Bothwell

Hillside walk, 20 May 2019

The hillsides are much the same as last week except that the prime appearance of spring is waning. For example, the chamise (Adenostema fasciculatum var. fasciculatum) has brown patches in its flowers; the deerweed (Acmispon glaber var. glaber) has inflorescences withering at one or both ends.

However, the past week has seen about 20 mm of rain, spread over several days, and all of it light rain. The result is that the spikemoss (Selanginella bigelovii) in Canyon 7 is once again green, as is the liverwort (Asterella californica) in that same canyon.

We also now have Vasey's prickly pear (Opuntia vaseyi) with multiple blooms in the Lida Street horseshoe bend. That's a sure sign of the spring being in its latter stages.