Flora of the Kern River Preserve

Flora of Audubon's Allen Sanctuary     Flora of Audubon's Kelso Creek Sanctuary      Wildflower Reports for the Kern River Preserve

Species diversity in the Kern River Valley watershed when all living groups are combined is unparalleled in North America north of Mexico. The region's flora makes up a large part of this with over 2000 species of plants documented. Just a portion of the amazing diversity of the Kern River Watershed is reflected in this plant list. The table contains 310 species that have been recorded growing on the Kern River Preserve. If you have found other species or see errors please contact us right away. 

DIVISION/CLASS/FAMILY Scientific Name Common Name(s)   ORIGIN
PTEROPHYTA     TRUE FERNS
AZOLLACEAE Azolla filiculoides mosquito fern Native
PTERIDACEAE Cheilanthes covillei  scaly fern scaly fern Native
Pellaea mucronata  bird's foot fern  bird's foot fern Native
SPHENOPHYTA
EQUISETACEAE Equisetum arvense horsetail Native

Division Coniferophyta -- gymnosperms, Class Pinopsida

CONIFERS

       
CUPRESSACEAE CYPRESS FAMILY Cupressus arizonica E. Greene Arizona Cypress planted
  Juniperus californica Carrière California Juniper Native
PINACEAE PINE FAMILY Pinus monophylla Single-needle Pinyon Pine Native
  Pinus sabiniana Douglas Gray Pine Native
GNETOPHYTA        
EPHEDRACEAE Ephedra nevadensis nevadensis S. Watson Mormon tea mormon tea Native
Ephedra viridis Cov. green ephedra Native
ANTHOPHYTA - FLOWERING PLANTS
DICOTYLEDONES - DICOTS
AMARANTHACEAE Amaranthus albus pigweed amaranth S. America
APIACEAE (UMBELLIFERAE) Apium graveolens celery Eurasia
Berula erecta cut-leaved water parsnip   Native
Cicuta douglasii water hemlock

 

Native
ASCLEPIADACEAE Asclepias erosa desert milkweed   Native
  Asclepias fascicularis narrow leaf milkweed   Native
ASTERACEAE (COMPOSITAE) Ambrosia acanthicarpa annual bur-sage Native
Anisocoma acaulis scale bud scale bud Native
Artemisia douglasiana mugwort mugwort Native
Artemisia dracunculus tarragon

Native
Artemisia tridentata great basin sagebrush Native
Aster frondosus short-rayed alkali aster Native
Aster subulatus (A.exilis) slender aster Native
Baccharis salicifolia (B. glutinosa, B. viminea) mule fat mulefat Native
Baccharis sergiloides desert baccharis Native
Bidens frondosa sticktight Native
Chaenactis fremontii desert pincushion desert pincushion Native
  Chaenactis glabriuscula Yellow Pincushion   Native
Chamomilla suaveolens pineapple weed chamomile NW N.A.
Chrysothamnus nauseosus rabbit brush rabbitbrush Native
Cichorium intybus chicory chicory Europe
Cirsium occidentale var. venustum (C.proteanum) Venus thistle cobwebby thistle Native
Cirsium vulgare bull thistle Europe
Cnicus benedictus blessed thistle   Europe
Conyza coulteri Coulter's horseweed   Native
Conyza canadensis horseweed   Native
Coreopsis bigelovii Bigelow's coreopsis Biglow's coreopsis Native
Cotula australis Australian brass-buttons   Australia
Cotula coronopifolia brass buttons   S. Africa
Encelia actoni (E.virginensis ssp. a.) mountain bush sunflower Native
Ericameria linearifolia interior goldenbush Native
Erigeron foliosus leafy daisy, fleabane fleabane Native
Eriophyllum ambiguum woolly sunflower Native
  Eriophyllum confertiflorum yellow yarrow   Native
Eriophyllum pringlei bud eriophyllum bud eriophyllum Native

Euthamia occidentalis

(Solidago o.)

western goldenrod Native
Filago californica herba impia Native
Gnaphalium luteo-album weedy cudweed Eurasia
Gnaphalium palustre lowland cudweed Native
Helenium puberulum sneezeweed Native
Helianthus annuus ssp. lenticularis common sunflower common sunflower Native
  Hemizonia fasciculata Slender Tarweed Native
Hemizonia pungens prickly tarplant Native
Hymenoclea salsola burrobush, cheesebush Native
Isocoma acradenia (Haplopappus a.) goldenbush, desert isocoma  Native
Lactuca serriola prickly lettuce Europe
Lasthenia californica goldfields goldfields Native
Layia glandulosa white layia white layia Native
Lepidospartum squamatum scale broom Native
Lessingia glandulifera vinegar plant Native
  Lessingia lemmonii Lemmon's vinegar weed Native
Malacothrix californica wild marigold Native
Malacothrix glabrata desert dandelion desert dandelion Native
Microseris campestris San Joaquin silverpuffs Native
Microseris douglasii Douglas' silverpuffs Native
Pyrrocoma racemosa var. paniculata  racemose pyrracoma Native
Sonchus asper prickly sow-thistle Europe
  Stephanomeria exigua small wirelettuce Native
Stephanomeria virgata wand chicory Native
Taraxacum officinale dandelion dandelion Europe
Tetradymia axillaris var. longispina cottonthorn cotton thorn Native
  Tetradymia glabrata Little-leaf Horsebrush    
Uropappus lindleyi  silver puffs Native
Xanthium spinosum spiny cocklebur   Native
Xanthium strumarium cocklebur cocklebur Native
BETULACEAE Alnus rhombifolia white alder Native
BORAGINACEAE Amsinckia tessellata fiddleneck, Devil's lettuce fiddleneck Native
Cryptantha dumetorum popcorn flower Native
Cryptantha micrantha popcorn flower Native
Heliotropium curassavicum (var. oculatum) salt heliotrope heliotrope Native
Pectocarya penicillata winged pectocarya Native
Plagiobothrys canescens valley popcorn flower

© 2004 Laura Ann Eliassen

Native
BRASSICACEAE (CRUCIFERAE) Capsella bursa-pastoris shepherd's purse shepherd's purse Europe
Cardaria chalepensis lens-podded hoary cress

© 2004 Steve Matson

Asia
Cardaria pubescens var. elongata white-top Asia
Caulanthus coulteri Coulter's jewelflower coulter's jewelflower Native
Descurainia incana (D. richardsonii ssp. viscosa) tansy mustard   Native
Descurainia sophia herb Sophia tansy mustard Eurasia
Draba cuneifolia wedge-leaved draba Native
Hirschfeldia incana (Brassica geniculata) Mediterranean mustard mediterranean mustard Mediterranean
Lepidium densiflorum pepper-grass Native
  Lepidium strictum prostrate pepper-grass   Native
Rorippa palustris ssp. occidentalis marsh yellow-cress

© David Smith

Native
  Sisymbrium irio London rocket

© 2004 James M. Andre

Europe
Thysanocarpus curvipes fringepod Native
Tropidocarpum gracile slender keel fruit slender keel fruit Native
CACTACEAE Opuntia basilaris beavertail beavertail cactus Native
Echinopuntia echinocarpa silver cholla silver cholla Native
CALLITRICHACEAE Callitriche heterophylla water starwort

© Michael Charters

Native
CAPRIFOLIACEAE Sambucus mexicana blue elderberry Native
Caryophyllaceae Stellaria pallida pale starwort SW Europe
CERATOPHYLLACEAE Ceratophyllum demersum hornwort

Native
CHENOPODIACEAE Atriplex canescens ssp.linearis four-wing saltbush four wing saltbush Native
Atriplex patula ssp. hastata spear oracle Native
Atriplex rosea redscale, tumbling oracle Eurasia
Atriplex semibaccata Australian saltbush Australia
Atriplex serenana bractscale Native
Bassia hyssopifolia five-hook bassia Eurasia
Chenopodium berlandieri pitseed goosefoot Native
Chenopidium botrys Jerusalem oak Europe
Chenopodium dessiccatum (var. leptophylloides) narrow-leaved goosefoot Native
Chenopodium pumilio Tasmanian goosefoot Australia
Grayia spinosa hop sage hop sage Native
Salsola tragus (S. australis) Russian thistle tumbleweed Eurasia
CONVOLVULACEAE  Convolvulus arvensis bindweed bindweed Europe
  Dichondra donelliana Dichondra    
CRASSULACEAE Crassula connata (Tillaea erecta) pigmy weed Native
Dudleya calcicola limestone dudleya Native
CUCURBITACEAE Cucurbita foetidissima calabazilla, stinking gourd Native
  Cucurbita palmata coyote gourd, coyote melon Native
Marah fabaceus (M. fabens)  California man-root Native
Marah horridus Sierra man-root man root Native
CUSCUTACEAE Cuscuta californica chaparral dodder Native
EUPHORIBACEAE Chamaesyce polycarpa (Euphorbia p.) sand spurge Native
Chamaesyce serpyllifolia  thyme-leaved spurge Native
FABACEAE Astragalus didymocarpus two seeded milkvetch Native
Glycyrrhiza lepidota wild licorice Native
Lotus argophyllus silver birdsfoot trefoil broadleaf birdsfoot trefoil Native
Lotus corniculatus broadleaf birdsfoot trefoil   Eurasia
Lotus oblongifolius copper-flowered birdsfoot trefoil Native
Lotus purshianus var. purshianus Spanish clover Native
Lotus scoparius California broom California broom Native
Lotus strigosus Bishop Lotus Native
Lupinus albifrons silver lupine grape soda lupine Native
Lupinus benthamii spider lupine lupine Native
Lupinus bicolor (ssp. microphyllus) miniature lupine miniature lupine Native
Lupinus concinnus (ssp. orcuttii) bajada lupine bajada lupine Native
  Lupinus microcarpus var. densiflorus chick lupine Native
  Lupinus odoratus Mojave lupine   Native
  Medicago lupulina black medick   Europe
  Medicago sativa alfalfa alfalfa Eurasia
Melilotus alba white sweetclover white sweet clover Eurasia
Melilotus indica sourclover sourclover Mediterranean
Trifolium repens white clover Eurasia
Trifolium wormskioldii cow's clover Native
FAGACEAE Quercus wislizenii interior live oak Native
FRANKENIACEAE Frankenia salina (F. grandifolia var. campestris) alkali heath Native
GERANIACEAE Erodium botrys broadleaf filaree S. Europe
Erodium cicutarium red-stemmed filaree filaree Eurasia
GROSSULARIACEAE Ribes quercetorum oak gooseberry oak gooseberry Native
HYDROPHYLLACEAE Emmenanthe penduliflora whispering bells whispering bells Native
Nama demissum purple mat purple mat Native
Phacelia cicutaria caterpillar phacelia white phacelia Native
Phacelia distans fern phacelia Native
Phacelia fremontii Fremont's phacelia Fremont's phacelia Native
  Phacelia ramosissima branching phacelia   Native
Phacelia tanacetifolia lacy phacelia lacy phacelia Native
Pholistoma membranaceum white fiesta flower white fiesta flower Native
JUGLANDACEAE Juglans californica var. hindsii California black walnut California black walnut N. CA
LAMIACEAE Lamium amplexicaule common henbit henbit Eurasia
Mentha arvensis field mint Native
Monardella candicans Sierra pennyroyal Native
Salvia carduacea thistle sage thistle sage Native
Salvia columbariae chia chia Native
Stachys albens hedge nettle Native
Trichostema lanceolatum vinegarweed Native
LOASACEAE Mentzelia affinis Yellow Comet Native
LYTHRACEAE Lythrum californicum California loosestrife Native
  Lythrum salicaria Purple Loosestrife Europe
MALVACEAE Eremalche exilis desert mallow desert mallow Native
Malva neglecta common mallow common mallow Eurasia
  Malva parviflora little mallow, cheeseweed Eurasia
  Malvella leprosa alkali mallow Native
Sphaeralcea ambigua apricot mallow apricot mallow Mojave
NYCTAGINACEAE Mirabilis californica (M. laevis) wishbone bush Native
OLEACEAE Fraxinus velutinus velvet ash velvet ash Native
ONAGRACEAE Camissonia campestris Mojave sun cup Native
Camissonia claviformis brown-eyed evening-primrose brown-eyed evening primrose Native
Camissonia kernensis  Kern sun cups Native
Camissonia strigulosa evening primrose Native
Clarkia xantiana gunsight fairyfan