Provisional Plant Checklist tabulation for McGee Peak, Shasta County.

Magee Peak, Shasta County is a subalpine summit situated about 20 miles northward from Mt. Lassen. MaGee Volcano exploded with a caldera eruption about 220kA ago. The peak has an extensive cirque on the north facing caldera wall and floor, and a blast zone to the north containing about 70 lakes of various sizes. McGee Peak (8549 ft) and Crater Peak (8683 ft) are the highest summits on the rim of the caldera. The region is designated as the Thousand Lakes wilderness, although about 930 lakes shy of that number.

This checklist is based on CCH specimen records and on my 1974-1975 collections: Frank W. Peirson collected on Magee Peak in 1932. A total of 318 specimen records are databased.

My intention is to complete a florula of the region, for comparison with nearby Lassen Volcanic National Park, which is well documented.

1. Aceraceae Acer glabrum var. torreyi
2. Apiaceae Osmorhiza chilensis
3. Apiaceae Perideridia lemmonii
4. Apiaceae Perideridia parishii subsp. latifolia
5. Apocynaceae Apocynum androsaemifolium
6. Apocynaceae Cycladenia humilis
7. Apocynaceae Cycladenia humilis var. humilis
8. Aristolochiaceae Asarum hartwegii
9. Asclepiadaceae Asclepias cordifolia
10. Asteraceae Ageratina occidentalis
11. Asteraceae Antennaria corymbosa
12. Asteraceae Antennaria media ssp. media
13. Asteraceae Antennaria rosea ssp. confinis
14. Asteraceae Arnica dealbata
15. Asteraceae Chaenactis nevadensis
16. Asteraceae Chrysothamnus humilis
17. Asteraceae Chrysothamnus nauseosus X Ericameria bloomeri
18. Asteraceae Ericameria nauseosa ssp. speciosa
19. Asteraceae Erigeron compositus
20. Asteraceae Hieracium albiflorum
21. Asteraceae Hulsea nana
22. Asteraceae Madia glomerata
23. Asteraceae Oreostemma alpigena var. andersonii
24. Asteraceae Stephanomeria tenuifolia
25. Boraginaceae Cryptantha affinis
26. Boraginaceae Cynoglossum occidentale
27. Boraginaceae Plagiobothrys hispidulus
28. Boraginaceae Plagiobothrys hispidus
29. Brassicaceae Boechera howellii
30. Brassicaceae Boechera lemmonii
31. Brassicaceae Boechera platysperma
32. Brassicaceae Boechera retrofracta
33. Brassicaceae Boechera sparsiflora
34. Brassicaceae Boechera suffrutescens var. suffrutescens
35. Brassicaceae Cardamine bellidifolia var. pachyphylla
36. Campanulaceae Campanula scabrella
37. Caprifoliaceae Lonicera conjugialis
38. Caprifoliaceae Sambucus nigra ssp. cerulea
39. Caprifoliaceae Sambucus racemosa ssp. racemosa
40. Caryophyllaceae Eremogone congesta var. congesta
41. Caryophyllaceae Eremogone kingii var. glabrescens
42. Caryophyllaceae Minuartia nuttallii ssp. gracilis
43. Caryophyllaceae Silene douglasii
44. Caryophyllaceae Silene lemmonii
45. Cupressaceae Cupressus bakeri
46. Cyperaceae Carex brainerdii
47. Cyperaceae Carex breweri var. breweri
48. Cyperaceae Carex deflexa var. boothii
49. Cyperaceae Carex festivella
50. Cyperaceae Carex gymnoclada
51. Cyperaceae Carex lenticularis var. impressa
52. Cyperaceae Carex lenticularis var. lipocarpa
53. Cyperaceae Carex luzulina var. ablata
54. Cyperaceae Carex mariposana
55. Cyperaceae Carex multicostata
56. Cyperaceae Carex nebrascensis
57. Cyperaceae Carex phaeocephala
58. Cyperaceae Carex spectabilis
59. Cyperaceae Carex straminiformis
60. Cyperaceae Carex subfusca
61. Cyperaceae Carex utriculata
62. Cyperaceae Carex vesicaria
63. Cyperaceae Carex whitneyi
64. Dryopteridaceae Athyrium alpestre var. americanum
65. Dryopteridaceae Polystichum kruckebergii
66. Ericaceae Arctostaphylos nevadensis
67. Ericaceae Arctostaphylos patula
68. Ericaceae Cassiope mertensiana ssp. californica
69. Ericaceae Kalmia polifolia ssp. microphylla
70. Ericaceae Phyllodoce breweri
71. Ericaceae Vaccinium cespitosum
72. Ericaceae Vaccinium uliginosum ssp. occidentale
73. Euphorbiaceae Euphorbia crenulata
74. Fabaceae Trifolium kingii var. productum
75. Grossulariaceae Ribes nevadense
76. Hydrophyllaceae Phacelia hastata ssp. compacta
77. Hyperciaceae Hypericum anagalloides
78. Juncaceae Juncus drummondii
79. Juncaceae Juncus indet.
80. Juncaceae Juncus mertensianus
81. Juncaceae Juncus mexicanus
82. Juncaceae Juncus nevadensis
83. Juncaceae Juncus orthophyllus
84. Juncaceae Juncus parryi
85. Juncaceae Luzula comosa
86. Juncaceae Luzula divaricata
87. Lamiaceae Monardella odoratissima
88. Lamiaceae Scutellaria nana
89. Liliaceae Allium campanulatum
90. Liliaceae Calochortus nudus
91. Liliaceae Fritillaria atropurpurea
92. Loasaceae Mentzelia dispersa
93. Loasaceae Mentzelia montana
94. Malvaceae Sidalcea oregana subsp. spicata
95. Onagraceae Clarkia rhomboidea
96. Onagraceae Epilobium hallianum
97. Onagraceae Epilobium obcordatum
98. Onagraceae Gayophytum diffusum ssp. parviflorum
99. Onagraceae Gayophytum humile
100. Orobanchaceae Boschniakia strobilacea
101. Poaceae Achnatherum lemmonii
102. Poaceae Achnatherum occidentale ssp. californicum
103. Poaceae Achnatherum occidentale ssp. occidentale
104. Poaceae Agrostis variabilis
105. Poaceae Bromus
106. Poaceae Bromus orcuttianus
107. Poaceae Danthonia californica var. americana
108. Poaceae Danthonia intermedia
109. Poaceae Danthonia unispicata
110. Poaceae Deschampsia cespitosa ssp. cespitosa
111. Poaceae Deschampsia elongata
112. Poaceae Elymus elymoides ssp. elymoides
113. Poaceae Elymus glaucus
114. Poaceae Elymus multisetus
115. Poaceae Elymus scribneri
116. Poaceae Festuca idahoensis
117. Poaceae Koeleria macrantha
118. Poaceae Leymus cinereus
119. Poaceae Leymus triticoides
120. Poaceae Melica bulbosa
121. Poaceae Poa fendleriana ssp. longiligula
122. Poaceae Poa pringlei
123. Poaceae Poa secunda subsp. juncifolia
124. Poaceae Poa secunda subsp. secunda
125. Poaceae Poa wheeleri
126. Poaceae Trisetum canescens
127. Poaceae Trisetum spicatum
128. Polemoniaceae Collomia tinctoria
129. Polemoniaceae Ipomopsis aggregata ssp. formosissima
130. Polemoniaceae Ipomopsis congesta ssp. congesta
131. Polemoniaceae Leptodactylon pungens
132. Polemoniaceae Linanthus harknessii
133. Polemoniaceae Navarretia divaricata
134. Polemoniaceae Navarretia leptalea subsp. leptalea
135. Polemoniaceae Phlox diffusa
136. Polemoniaceae Polemonium pulcherrimum var. pilosum
137. Polygonaceae Aconogonon davisiae var. davisiae
138. Polygonaceae Eriogonum marifolium
139. Polygonaceae Eriogonum ovalifolium var. ovalifolium
140. Polygonaceae Eriogonum umbellatum var. dumosum
141. Polygonaceae Eriogonum umbellatum var. humistratum
142. Polygonaceae Eriogonum ursinum
143. Polygonaceae Oxyria digyna
144. Polygonaceae Polygonum douglasii
145. Polygonaceae Polygonum kelloggii
146. Polygonaceae Polygonum minimum
147. Polygonaceae Polygonum polygaloides ssp. kelloggii
148. Polygonaceae Polygonum shastense
149. Portulacaceae Calyptridium umbellatum var. umbellatum
150. Portulacaceae Lewisia nevadensis
151. Portulacaceae Lewisia triphylla
152. Pteridaceae Cryptogramma cascadensis
153. Pyrolaceae Chimaphila menziesii
154. Pyrolaceae Orthilia secunda
155. Pyrolaceae Pyrola picta ssp. dentata
156. Ranunculaceae Anemone drummondii
157. Ranunculaceae Aquilegia formosa
158. Ranunculaceae Delphinium nuttallianum
159. Ranunculaceae Ranunculus alismifolius var. alismellus
160. Ranunculaceae Ranunculus alismifolius var. hartwegii
161. Ranunculaceae Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. oxynotus
162. Ranunculaceae Ranunculus eschscholtzii var. suksdorfii
163. Ranunculaceae Ranunculus flammula
164. Ranunculaceae Ranunculus occidentalis var. ultramontanus
165. Rhamnaceae Ceanothus prostratus var. prostratus
166. Rhamnaceae Ceanothus velutinus
167. Rhamnaceae Rhamnus rubra ssp obtusissima
168. Rosaceae Amelanchier pallida
169. Rosaceae Drymocallis rhomboidea
170. Rosaceae Holodiscus microphyllus var. glabrescens
171. Rosaceae Horkelia fusca var. brownii
172. Rosaceae Horkelia tridentata ssp. tridentata
173. Rosaceae Ivesia gordonii var. alpicola
174. Rosaceae Luetkea pectinata
175. Rosaceae Potentilla bruceae
176. Rosaceae Potentilla flabellifolia
177. Rosaceae Potentilla fruticosa
178. Rosaceae Prunus emarginata
179. Rosaceae Prunus virginiana var. melanocarpa
180. Rosaceae Purshia tridentata var. tridentata
181. Rosaceae Rubus leucodermis
182. Rosaceae Sanguisorba occidentalis
183. Rosaceae Sibbaldia procumbens
184. Rosaceae Spiraea densiflora
185. Rosaceae Spiraea douglasii
186. Rubiaceae Galium aparine
187. Rubiaceae Galium bolanderi
188. Rubiaceae Kelloggia galioides
189. Salicaceae Salix lemmonii
190. Salicaceae Salix scouleriana
191. Saxifraga Micranthes aprica
192. Saxifragaceae Micranthes tolmiei
193. Saxifragaceae Saxifraga aprica
194. Scrophulariaceae Castilleja arachnoidea
195. Scrophulariaceae Collinsia torreyi var. latifolia
196. Scrophulariaceae Collomia grandiflora
197. Scrophulariaceae Mimulus breweri
198. Scrophulariaceae Penstemon davidsonii var. davidsonii
199. Scrophulariaceae Penstemon gracilentus
200. Scrophulariaceae Penstemon neotericus
201. Scrophulariaceae Penstemon newberryi var. newberryi
202. Solanaceae Chamaesaracha nana
203. Violaceae Viola purpurea ssp. integrifolia
204. Viscaceae Arceuthobium campylopodum f. abietinum
205. Viscaceae Phoradendron densum

Recognize the Chelonaceae

Classification is a system of coding and organizing objects, be they books, species or whatever. In the library stacks, we expect to find books with largely corresponding subject matter shelved together. Similarly, in a local, regional or continental flora, we expect to find similar plants 'shelved' together. Placement of Penstemon and allied genera in the Plantaginaceae is the funcitonal equivalent of placing floras in with the cookbooks: it does not serve direct discovery.

Users of floras use floras because they want to know the name of a plant. Although polyphylletic, the "Scrophs" served this objective. Find a tubular corolla, often brightly colored, often 2-lipped, capsular fruit plant and fish about in the key to Scrophs...

Taxonomy and classification are often incorrectly equated, to do so is to conflate. Taxonomy is a system of classification, A taxonomic system is a particular type classification: a classification based on phyllogenetic relatedness is one system. An alternative 'system' often used in flora guidebooks is flower color.

Placement of Penstemon, Collinsia, Kecklilla, Tonella (California plants) and others (Chelone, Chinophila, Russelia,
Tetranema etc) in the Plantaginaceae, along with dozens upon dozens of equally diverse tribes and genera creates a discordant grouping. An expanded Plantaginaceae is a discordant grouping. Recognizing Plantaginaceae becomes difficult. What key feature does one use to equate these plants? In my opinion, none!

The point: in a regional flora, if one is such dire need to use a phyllogenetic system, why be bashful? After all, we no longer grumble about splitting up artificial, aggregate genera (vis Stipa into many genera) although sometimes revert to these aggregates.

Penstemon is a member of the Chelonaceae Martinov, containing Chelone, Chinophila, Collinsia, Keckiella, Pensteomon, Russelia, Tetranema, Tonella and Uroskinnera. All are New World, bird or bee pollinated, large showy flowered (or for Collinsia, unusual in their "pseudo-papillanceous flowers). Placement of Brookea auriculata of Asia is the only outlier in that genus should it belong here.

The problem with an expanded Plantaginaceae is that is a library where no two books shelved next to one another share much information. Make families that are closely related lineages consisting of groupings of genera and their radiant species. The expanded Plantaginaceae is not a natural family.

California botanists, recognize the Chelonaceae.

Brodiaea matsonii in cultivation

Brodiaea matsonii has been maintained in cultivation since 1997. I was originally given a single one-gallon pot by Gary Matson which contained about 30 or so corms with leaves present. In growing this plant, its tendency to propagate vegetative became quickly apparent. From the original lot of corms, by the onset of the first summer in cultivation, many young corms had begun to form from offests. Vegetative reproduction is not uncommon in many native California liliaceous endemics: several taxa of Brodiaea do this, others do not.

The offset corms arise at the ends of short (10 cm or so) threadlike structures (rhizomes?), which terminate in a new small corm, which then puts up a leaf. A second season of growth, and this corm is sufficiently large to itself produce more offsets. Larger corms, about 3 yr, flower.

In the space of three or so years, the original pot was packed, and so it was divided when the corms became dormant in late summer. Replanted, that original pot became several one-gallon pots. In 2007, one of these was referred to Dr Robert Preston, a botanist familiar with the taxonomy of Brodiaea, whom has recently described California’s newest, and perhaps most-narrow endemics.

In cultivation in Aptos, Brodiaea matsonii flowers readily in cultivation in pots. The plants have been maintained just as they were given to me: one gallon plastic pots, about 2/3rds full with potting soil mixed with pea gravel.

More on Brodiaea matsonii soon...