Borges Ranch Flowering Plants

March 22, 2004

This year was cold and wet so the wildflowers are springing up two to three weeks later than normal. Our walk took us up the steep hill (south) at Old Borges Ranch, left through the gate and into East Bay Regional Park District land by going through the second gate. Here the road forks and goes left down to the bottom of the hill. Option 1 is to stop and turn around and come back at the picnic table. A second option is to continue up this road to the left, turn right at the first road switchback and continue up the steep hill until you see the foot trail off to the right and take that to the summit road. Here you can retrace yur steps or follow the road back to Borges Ranch.

			(1)(2)
Common Name	Color	Scientific Name	Peterson Refs.	Where Seen
Milk Thistle	-----	Silybum marianum	330	Road sides
Blue dicks	Blue	Dichelostemma pulchellum	352	All over
Blue-eyed grass	Blue	Sisyrinchium bellum	350	All over
Pearly Everlasting	Cream	Anaphalis margaritacea	210	A few left
Sagebrush	No blossoms	Artemisia californica	K 87	Canyon
Bush Monkey Flower	Orange	Dilacus aurantiacus	K 90	Canyon
California poppies	Orange	Eschscholzia californica	224	All over
Owls Clover	Pink	Orthocarpus purpurascens	240	Hill tops
Shooting Stars, Western	Pink	Dodecatheon pulchellum	246	A few left
Vetch, Winter	Pink	Vicia villosa	326	All over
Filaree—storksbill	Purple	Erodium moschatum	286	All over
Geranium	Purple	Geranium dissectum	284	All over
Black Sage	White	Salvia californica	K 100	Canyon
Manroot--Cucumber	White	Marah organus	98	Bottom of canyon
Meadow Nemophila	White	Nemophila pedunculata	74	Cool wet areas
Miner’s lettuce	White	Montia spathulata	294	Wet cool places
Peppergrass	White	Lepidium campestre	24	Road sides
Poison Oak	White	Toxicocendron diversilobum	K 112	Hill, wet sides
Radish	White	Raphanus raphanistrum	K 240	Road sides
Woodland Star	White	Lithophragma affine	88	All over
Yarrow, Common	White	Achillea millefolium	108	Tops of Hills
Birdsfoot Lotus	Yellow	Lotus corniculatus	180	Road sides
Buttercups	Yellow	Ranunculus orthorhynchus	154	All over
Common butterweed	Yellow	Senecio vulgaris	208	Road sides
Fiddleneck	Yellow	Amsinckia intermedia	226	Road sides
Mule Ears, Green	Yellow	Wyethia glabra	184	Tops of Hills
Mustard	Yellow	Brassica geniculata	140	All over
Pineapple Weed	Yellow	Matricaria matricarioides	210	Roads

(1) Peterson's "Pacific States Wildflowers"
(2) Keater, "Plants of the East Bay Parks