When I first read the field notes of Annie Alexander and Louise Kellogg, I was fascinated by the descriptions they wrote about the places they went and the plants and animals they found there. By publishing my field notes on the Internet I hope to follow a little bit in their tradition.
2024
January 2024
Other articles: • Alley:
about even with front door; Muddy alley on 23 January 2024.
Muddy alley on 23 January 2024.
Other articles: • Alley:
at sidewalk; Muddy snow on the sidewalk.
6 February 2024
Muddy conditions on the alley.
Other articles: • Arapahoe Street:
at alley; Muddy water on its way to Clear Creek from the alley.
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Other articles: • Magpie Gulch Trail:
social train down; Upper end of the shortcut trail.
Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Other articles: • Trail to Parkview Court:
at drain; • Magpie Gulch Trail:
social train down; A walker on the social trail, calling to her dog that is off-leash in the yard at right center.
A couple walking their dog on the social trail.
Plants of the Coal Creek Canyon Study Area Jefferson County Open Space, Colorado, USA
Ranunculaceae
Pulsatilla nuttalliana (DC.) Bercht. & J. Presl.
Pasque Flower.
Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel, Jefferson County, Colorado.
280 m. northwest of Coal Creek Canyon Fire Department Station 3, 14.2 km. north northwest of Golden.
39.87518°N, 105.27963°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 2034 m.
Open rocky field, recognizable here at this early date: Lomatium orientale, Echinocereus viridiflorus, Yucca glauca, and Carex inops ssp. heliophila.
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Tom Schweich
3232.
12-Apr-2024
Monday, 15 April 2024
Staminate catkins on Coll. No. 3233, Populus deltoides.
Fragmenting collection of staminate catkins, Coll. No. 3233, Populus deltoides monilifera.
Populus deltoides, pistillate catkins. Poor collection, discarded.
Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Weeding at Schweich Hill.
Locations: Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel.
View from the low hill in the northeast corner of the Lacey parcel.
Pulsatilla nuttalliana under Ponderosa pines.
Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel, with John Vickery.
Carduus nutans rosette.
Small gulch above Coal Creek (S2.2)
View across Coal Creek Canyon.
Upper part of small gulch S2.2.
View back across upper part of small gulch (S2.2).
Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel, Jefferson County, Colorado.
Isolated hill in the Idaho Springs-Ralston shear zone, 540 m. northwest of the Coal Creek Canyon Fire Department Station 3, 14.4 km. north northwest of Golden.
39.8765°N, 105.28229°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 2053 m.
North side of hill in Ponderosa pine woodland.
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Plants of the Coal Creek Canyon Study Area Jefferson County Open Space, Colorado, USA
Asteraceae
Cirsium vulgare (Savi) Ten.
Bull Thistle.
Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel, Jefferson County, Colorado.
In cobbles and gravel of the bank of Coal Creek, 850 m. northwest of the Coal Creek Canyon Fire Department Station 3, 14.6 km. north northwest of Golden.
39.87778°N, 105.28556°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 2024 m.
Basal rosette.
iNaturalist Observation 209169508.
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Tom Schweich, with John Vickery
3237.
24-Apr-2024
Locations: Schweich Hill.
Field Chickweed (Cerastium arvense var. strictum) on Schweich Hill.
Packera fendleri on Schweich Hill.
Native and Naturalized Flora of the Golden Area, Jefferson County, Colorado
Sapindaceae
Xanthoceras sorbifolium Bunge.
Yellowhorn.
Golden, Jefferson County, Colorado.
West end of alley parallel to 4th and 5th Streets, between Arapahoe and Cheyenne Streets, north side of alley, rooted between telephone pole and fence post, nearest street address 407 Cheyenne Street, 940 m. northwest of the GNIS location of Golden.
39.76091°N, 105.22961°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 1759 m.
Woody shrub, about 2 m. tall, rooted at the base of a telephone pole, between that pole and a fence post.
Formerly grown in a private garden at 409 Cheyenne Street. Garden was destroyed by residential construction in 2018. However, this plant appeared in 2022 at the edge of the former garden some distance from the original location the plant was grown.
Collected by permit: City of Golden, 2024, issued: Mar 29, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Tom Schweich
3238.
8-May-2024
Locations: Hildebrand Ranch Park.
Where we found Physaria, either P. bellii or P. vitulifera.
Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Hildebrand Ranch Park
Locations: Hildebrand Ranch Park.
Physaria sp. On Pierre shale.
General habitat of Coll. No. 3209.
Hildebrand Ranch Park, Jefferson County, Colorado.
East-facing slope below a flat. Unclear whether we are in Niobrara Fm. or on the Pierre Shale. 815 m. west of Hildebrand Ranch Park parking lot, 2.10 km. south southwest of West Metro Fire Rescue Station 14
39.55156°N, 105.11959°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 1739 m.
Fine-grained calcareous sandstone with Musineon divaricatum, Helianthis pumilis, Delphinium sp., and Cercocarpus montanus.
These collections were made because of previous collections on nearby private land that are determined P. bellii (COLO201392, COLO201400).
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Tom Schweich, with John Vickery
3239.
14-May-2024
Coll. No. 3239, Physaria vitulifera.
The photograph was taken at roughly the same time as this collection was made, but I do not think this is actually one of the plants in the collection.
Hildebrand Ranch Park, Jefferson County, Colorado.
Top of an east-facing slope below flat. Unclear whether we are in Niobrara Fm. or on the Pierre Shale. 835 m. west of Hildebrand Ranch Park parking lot, 2.10 km. south southwest of West Metro Fire Rescue Station 14.
39.55153°N, 105.11978°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 1746 m.
Fine-grained calcareous sandstone with Musineon divaricatum, Helianthis pumilis, Delphinium sp., and Cercocarpus montanus.
These collections were made because of previous collections on nearby private land that are determined P. bellii (COLO201392, COLO201400).
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Hildebrand Ranch Park, Jefferson County, Colorado.
Just on the east slope of a small hogback mapped as Niobrara Fm., 965 m. west of Hildebrand Ranch Park parking lot, 2.15 km. south southwest of West Metro Fire Rescue Station 14.
39.55139°N, 105.12128°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 1762 m.
Three of six plants growing under Cercocarpus montanus, with Eriogonum umbellatum and Opunita polyacantha.
These collections were made because of previous collections on nearby private land that are determined P. bellii (COLO201392, COLO201400).
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Plants of Jefferson County Open Space Jefferson County, Colorado
Cyperaceae
Carex rossii Boott.
Ross Sedge.
Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel, Jefferson County, Colorado.
On a terrace, right bank of the second creek on the south side of Coal Creek Canyon, the first being that of Blue Mountain Estates, 565 m. west southwest of Coal Creek Canyon Fire Department Station 3.
39.87211°N, 105.28411°W.
WGS 1984
Elev. 2108 m.
Open Douglas fir forest with little understory, and that of Physocarpus monogynus, with a large patch of a Veronica, c.f. V. biloba.
Smut-infected(?).
Collected by permit: Jefferson County Open Space, 2024, issued: Mar 6, 2024, to: Tom Schweich.
Tom Schweich
3250.
10-Jun-2024
Coll. No. 3250, 10 June 2024, characters observed:
Perennial sedge, cespitose, to 30 cm.;
Leaves,
0.7 mm. wide,
green,
sheaths margins white-hyaline;
Inflorescence,
30 mm. × 5 mm. wide,
3-5 spikes;
Spikes,
basal present,
terminal staminate,
lateral, pistillate, 2-4;
Bracts,
proximal 20 mm.,
±= inflorescence,
leaf-like;
Pistillate scales,
3 mm.,
>perigynia,
green mid-vein, brown laterally, hyaline margin,
awn 0;
Perigynia,
2-4 per pistillate spike,
2.7 mm. × 1.7 mm. wide,
wingless,
pubescent,
beak 0.7-1.3 mm.,
bi-dentate;
Achene,
spherical,
1.5 mm. × 1.5 mm. wide,
black,
smut-infested?;
Stigma,
#3;
Anthers,
not seen.
Locations: Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel.
Where I am headed today … the grassy slope in the middle ground.
Obs. No. 3770, habitat of Pericome caudata in Coal Creek Canyon.
Friday, 19 July 2024
Coal Creek Canyon Study Area, Lacey Parcel
Upper grassy slope.
View back across Coal Creek Canyon.
Flood debris (from 2013?) buttressed by two Douglas fir.
If you have a question or a comment you may write to me at:
tomas@schweich.com
I sometimes post interesting questions in my FAQ, but I never disclose your full name or address.
Eastern Mojave Vegetation
Staminate catkins on Coll. No. 3233, Populus deltoides.
Fragmenting collection of staminate catkins, Coll. No. 3233, Populus deltoides monilifera.
Pistillate catkins on Coll. No. 3235, Populus deltoides.
Coll. No. 3237, Cirsium vulgare.
Coll. No. 3237, basal rosette of Cirsium vulgare.
Coll. No. 3238, Xanthoceras sorbifolium.
Coll. No. 3240, Physaria vitulifera.
Coll. No. 3241, Physaria vitulifera.
Coll. No. 3246, Lupinus argenteus var. argenteus.
Coll. No. 3247, Physocarpus monogynus.
Coll. No. 3248, Ligusticum porteri.
Coll. No. 3248, Ligusticum porteri.
Coll. No. 3250, Carex rossii.
Inflorescence of Coll. No. 3250, Carex rossii.
Oribanche fasciculata in Artemisia frigida.
Habitat of Coll. No. 3266, Galium boreale in Coal Creek Canyon.
Lithospermum multiflorum in Coal Creek Canyon Study Area.
Coll. No. 3280, 26 June 2024.
Obs. No. 3721, Asclepias viridiflora in Magpie Gulch.
Obs. No. 3721, Asclepias viridiflora in Magpie Gulch.
Coll. No. 3283, Potentilla sp.
Obs. No. 3279, Opuntia fragilis.
Habitat of Obs. No. 3279, Opuntia fragilis.
Obs. No. 3729, ???
Obs. No. 3729, ???
A rogues' gallery of weeds.
Obs. No. 3756, Heuchera hallii.
Obs. No. 3757, Asplenium septentrionale.
Obs. No. 3758, Laennecia schiedeana.
Obs. No. 3759, Collomia linearis.
Coll. No. 3301, Oenothera, probably O. elata.
Coll. No. 3307, Castilleja integra.
Coll. No. 3312, Ribes inerme.
