Binocular surveys locate approximately 140 individuals along the north facing vertical cliff face of the Mitchell Point Overlook
unsure, did see a single torn up fruit nearby (~50m). multiple specimens around. range extension?
6cm tall, flowers a bit under 1cm across, leaves about 1/2cm
Silver Star Mountain.
One of many infected trees in the area; this one heavily disfigured with witches’ brooms
Growing along a gravel road with water parsley interspersed and mallow+ goatsbeards nearby
Red rock crab excavated a gaper clam (Tresus capax)
Purple Snake Root had not been seen in West Linn, OR. for one hundred years when it was discovered at the White Oak Savanna in May of 2014 by Phil and Jill Gaddis
One of the highest elevation Q. garryana recorded to date in north Oregon and Washington. The elevation on Highway 35 was 844 meters by the camera GPS. At the estimated location the elevation was 2,935 feet approximately 200 yards distant.
This is a wild Arctostaphylos Patula, I have never seen one this far west before, and there was only this one plant, it also survived a wildfire in 2020
This is a high elevation site (5100 ft/ 1555 m) located well in to the western Cascades. While this is a high elevation site that receives a large amount of winter snowfall (Tsuga mertensiana and Abies lasiocarpa grow close by), the site is a warm microsite sheltered by a south-facing cliff. I am a bit perplexed because these higher elevation oaks often have the bud shape characters of vars. breweri and semota as per FNA (http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501033), but I don't believe these plants are actually var. breweri or var. semota as they are outside the known ranges of those vars.
This is one of several documented sites for Canyon live oak at the very northern limit of its range, in the upper portion of the Coast Fork Willamette Watershed SE of Cottage Grove, Lane County.
Interesting lone individual, between known populations in the Swauk Creek watershed and the Yakima valley?
Ball Point Terrain
This observation is the highest to date for Q. garryana in the north Oregon Cascades. The geology of the ridge is quite unusual. The USGS web map of the location maps Grande Ronde Basalt but the trail traverses a completely different rock type. The adjacent rock unit is mapped as a silicic vent complex with a minor component of Rhyolite Dacite breccias. The ridge rampart above the observation appears to be basalt. A distinctive ecotone is apparent just above the observation. At the distinctive slope brake the upper vegetation is a dense Ceanothus cover.
The satellite image reviles an open ridge bald at 3900 feet. It is unknown if this is the same formation as this location or if addational oak is present at the higher elevation.
The ridge is composed of a light colored rock. It is poorly consolidated and fractures into small angular rock. The side slopes of the ridge are quite steep with a slope of +45 degrees.
The terrain under the oak woodlands at this location appear not to support the conifers. This provides a completive advantage to the oak at this high elevation.
This observation is a study and examination of the features of Quercus garryana var. garryana used by the Flora of North America http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=233501033 and the Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=10394 to identify the three Q. garryana varieties.
Typical Oregon White Oak, Quercus garryana var. garryana is a common White Oak across it's range between Vancouver Island in British Columbia and southern California. The taxon is morphologically diverse and frequently recorded on iNaturalist. The sister taxa Q. g. var. breweri and Q. g. semota are much less observed, occur in smaller ranges, and are difficult to identify. Q. g. var. breweri is found in SW Oregon to the central California Coast Range and Q. g. semota found in the Sierra Nevada to the Transverse Range. Although there is uncertainty on the actual range. Mostly this uncertainty is derived from the subtle features that define the taxa.
There is an ongoing discussion of observations from the Siskiyou Range in SW Oregon of Brewer's Oak. It is hoped that this observation can help with the identification of both of the Oregon taxa.