We hiked a route in Kenna Cartwright Park with the plan to observe the natural world along the way.    It is a route we have done before at this time of year so we knew what to look for.

Blazing-Star

• Mentzelia laevicaulis is a tap-rooted biennial or short-lived perennial.
• There are 5 showy yellow petals and many long stamens.
• We usually spot these on dry, rocky south-facing slopes at lower elevations.

Wavy-leaved Thistle

• Cirsium undulatum has simple or branched stems, the leaves are densely hairy, and are often deeply lobed with a spiny tip.
• The flower heads are usually pinkish and disc-urn-shaped.
• As with many thistles, they are frequently visited by bumblebees and a variety of other pollinating insects.

Showy milkweed

Information on Asclepias speciosa can be found at this link – Showy Milkweed.

Hairy false Goldenaster

• Heterotheca villosa is a perennial in the aster family.
  
• It has a branching – spreading habit with many showy yellow flowers.
• An abundant, showy flower found in dry, opens spaces.

Yellow Salsify

• Trapopogon dubius is a common weedy tap-rooted perennial in our area.
• After flowering the seed heads form a radial “cloud” of fruits which will be dispersed by the wind.
• This one had a more spherical shape than we usually see.

Swallowtail Butterfly

• Papilio sp. can often be spotted on thistles in summer.
  
• There are over 550 species of swallowtails and they are found on 6 continents.

Horsebrush

• Tetradymia canescens is a perennial shrub in the aster family,
  
• The terminal bright yellow flowers are small and appear in the summer.
• Rabbitbrush looks similar, but ti blooms at the end of summer and into the fall.

Shaggy Fleabane

• Erigeron sp. grows in dry open spots at low to mid elevations and produces many flowers.
• It is a perennial with a deep taproot.
• There are many similar species of daisies and deciding which one each one is will take careful inspection.   Even then it will be a challenge.