Eastern Mojave Vegetation
By Tom Schweich
| Eastern Mojave Vegetation | Images -- Swertia albomarginata |
| By Tom Schweich | |
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Images are organized by the topics listed at left. Click on a topic name to see images with that topic. Would you like to use these photographs in your school term paper or report? License is hereby granted for non-commercial use of the images contained herein provided that the images are reproduced with the copyright notice intact. This means that we give you our permission to use the photographs and information you find here in your school term papers and reports. You may resize the photograph to fit your needs, but you may not remove the copyright. Your term paper should note that the photographs are reproduced with permission and it should have a reference to this web site, such as: "Photograph ©1999 Tom Schweich. Used by permission, http://www.schweich.com" If you have a comment or a question about a photograph you may write to me at tas4@schweich.com I will answer you as soon as I can. I sometimes post interesting questions in my FAQ, but I will not disclose your full name or address. Age at Flowering
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Age of Swertia albomarginata at Flowering | My data set contains data about 276 individual plants that have been observed between 30 April 1996 and 7 June 2006. A chart of the ages of plants when they flowered and set seed is shown above. On 7 June 2006, 42 of the 134 plants shown as "3 - Still Growing" were in some stage of forming buds, flowering, or setting seed. Therefore, category "3 - Still Growing" is clearly overstated. This chart shows that S. albomarginata can be a biennial as seven plants flowered in the second season following germination and establishment. Three plants flowered in the third season. The remaining 15 plants that flowered were 4 or more years in age. The reason I say 4 years or more is that these plants were established rosettes in my experimental plots when the plots were established. I don't really know how old they are. I think, though, that it is reasonable to assume that these plants were established after the heavy bloom of 1993. Therefore, a preliminary conclusion is that the species is a biennial at a minumum, probably grows two to seven years before flowering, but that the age of flowering is probably influenced mainly by precipitation.
Blue 73
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Blue 73 in April, 2004. | Photograph taken April 22, 2004.
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Blue 73 at Pinto Mountain | This plant is one of the longest-lived plants at Pinto Mountain. It now has two growth centers.
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Swertia albomarginata Blue 73 on May 28, 2005. | Photograph taken May 28, 2005.
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Blue 73 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
Collections
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Collection No. 183, Wild Horse Mesa. | Swertia albomarginata collected on the north face of Wild Horse Mesa, May 29, 1999.
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Collection No. 184, Coal Pits Wash, Utah. | This is my collection of S. albomarginata from Coal Pits Wash, Utah, near Zion National Park.
Dried flower stalk.
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Dried flower stalk. | Photograph taken in September 1998 on the north face of Wild Horse Mesa. The seed capsules were 1/3 to 1/2 full of seed. This leads me to believe that the primary mode of seed dispersal is shaking of the flower stalk by the wind.
Early growth
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Young Swertia albomarginata. | Early growth for Swertia albomarginata is development of a rosette of leaves and a caudex.
Early Growth
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First year rosette at North Wild Horse Mesa. |
Establishment
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Staked plant at Pinto Mountain. |
Flower
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Swertia albomarginata flower. | This is a close-up of a S. albomarginata flower. I took this photograph in mid-May, 1993. The species did not bloom again in any significant numbers until late-June, 1999.
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Swertia albomarginata that failed in bud. | My examination of one Swertia albomarginata that budded but failed to flower showed that the caudex was still fleshy. This would imply that S. albomarginata might bud again, if it fails to flower the first time. However, later observation showed that once a a plant buds and then fails to flower, it will die without attempting to flower again.
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Swertia albomarginata, rosette of leaves. | This rosette, about 6 cm across, is growing in loose rock.
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Swertia albomarginata infloresence. |
Foveae
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Fovae. | Diagram of foveae found in specimens of Swertia albomarginata
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Diagram of foveae of Swertia albomarginata | images/fovea.gif Habitat
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Swertia albomarginata near the Giant Ledge Mine. | Also found near the Giant Ledge Mine, this specimen of Swertia albomarginata was growing in shade on the edge of an incised watercourse. Notice, though, that there is quite a bit of soil between the cobbles.
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Habitat, Nevada, Spring Mountains
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Habitat for Swertia albomarginata along NV SR 158 -- Deer Creek Highway. | Near the intersection of Kyle Canyon Road and the Deer Creek Highway, this old gravel road provided the openings that the species seems to prefer.
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Swertia albomarginata with Rock Spiraea (Petrophyton sp.). | Photograph taken September 1998 at Desert Viewpoint on the Deer Creek Highway in the Spring Mountains.
Last Chance Range
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Rosette on Last Chance Mountain | Photograph taken October 7, 2000.
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Area on Last Chance Mountain where Swertia albomarginata was found. | Photograph taken October 7, 2000.
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Layout of Plots
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Layout of plots in Swertia albomarginata. | images/swealb_pg4.gif
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Layout of plots in Swertia albomarginata. | images/swealb_pg4.gif Life cycle
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Diagram of possible Swertia albomarginata life cycle. |
Literature Cited
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Summary of Literature. |
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Interim report. |
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Summary of Literature. |
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Summary of Literature. |
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Research of the genus Swertia by Phillipe Chassot. |
Maps
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Location of Swertia albomarginata on the north slope of Wild Horse Mesa. |
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Map showing the locations of Swertia albomarginata. | Locations derived from Post (1956) and my own review of vouchers in the University and Jepson Herbaria at U. C. Berkeley.
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Location of one experimental plots in Swertia albomarginata. | This plot is on the south face of Pinto Mountain north of Cedar Canyon Road.
Methods
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The author collecting data on the north face of Wild Horse Mesa in May 1988. |
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Working in the experimental plot on the north face of Wild Horse Mesa. |
Pinto Mountain plot.
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The Hackberry Complex Fire burned quite close to my plot. | Photograph taken October 15, 2005. I took this photo while standing at the edge of my plot, looking south.
Population
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Population of S. albomarginata and Salvia dorrii by observation date. | This figure shows the total population of S. albomarginata at both sites by date observed. A comparison is made with the population in a nearby plot of Salvia dorrii. I established the plot in April, 1997 as part of a separate study, then realized that the plot may provide a control for Swertia albomarginata populations. Salvia dorrii is a common woody perennial that produces significant amounts of seed. In my gardening with Salvia dorrii I have learned that the species germinates readily, and seedlings establish quickly. Not surprisingly, the population of Salvia dorrii increased at the same time as Swertia albomarginata during the El Niño years of 1998-1999. The populations of both species plummeted in the drought years of 2001-2003. The number of Swertia albomarginata increased rapidly, after the drought in 2004-2006, because there was seed stored in the soil. However, the population of Salvia dorrii did not increase because there is no soil seed bank, and the living plants had to recover and produce seed over several years before there would be seedlings. Unfortunately, we will never know whether the number of Salvia dorrii would have increased in 2006 because the species was extirpated from my plot by the Hackberry Complex Fire of June 22-25, 2005.
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Population of S. albomarginata compared to recent years' rainfall. |
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Swertia albomarginata population. | This chart shows the total number of S. albomarginata at the two experimental sites, north Wild Horse Mesa and Pinto Mountain, by observation date.
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Rainfall records related to heavy "bloom" of S. albomarginata. |
Relation to Soils
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S. albomarginata growing in a cryptogamic soil. |
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Swertia albomarginata in alluvial soil near Apex Mine, Utah. |
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Swertia albomarginata habitat in Caruthers Canyon. | Cauthers Canyon, opening in woodland in which many Swertia albomarginata were growing.
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Typical habitat of S. albomarginata in the Beaverdam Mountains. |
S. radiata
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Swertia radiata at Carson Pass, California. | Photograph taken in August 1998, on the trail to Winnemuca Lake.
Seed capsules
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Open seed capsules of Swertia albomarginata. | Photograph taken in September 1998 on the north face of Wild Horse Mesa.
Small plant
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A small S. albomarginata plant at Pinto Mountain. | images/3221-63.jpg Soil relations
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Swertia albomarginata growing in granite. | Here is an exception to the typical soil relations of Swertia albomarginata. These are two plants growing in a fracture in granite. The picture was taken at the Giant Ledge Mine in Caruthers Canyon. However, the outcrop is very close to the contact between the granite and the limestone it was intruding. Therefore, it may be that the chemistry of the granite has been altered and that it may contain a substantial amount of carbonates.
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Spring Mountains
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Swertia albomarginata growing in old gravel road near the Deer Creek Highway. | This photograph was taken in the Spring Mountains, Nevada, in September, 1998.
Vegetation
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Experimental plot in Swertia albomarginata, north slope of Wild Horse Mesa. |
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Experimental plot in Swertia albomarginata on the north slope of Wild Horse Mesa. | Photograph of my experimental plot for Swertia albomarginata on the north slope of Wild Horse Mesa. images/NWHMPlot.jpg
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Photograph of staked Swertia albomarginata. |
White 142
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White 142 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
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Swertia albomarginata White 142 on May 28, 2005. | Photograph taken May 28, 2005.
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White 142 in June, 2007 | Photograph taken 4-Jun-07. White 142 had set quite a bit of seed.
White 152
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White 152 on 7-Jun-06 | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
White 153
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White 153 on 7-Jun-06 | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
White 167
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White 167 on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
White 168
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White 168 on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
White 42
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White 42 in April, 2004 | Photograph taken April 22, 2004.
Wild Horse Mesa
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Some Swertia albomarginata on Wild Horse Mesa. | Photograph taken May 29, 2005.
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My plot in Swertia albomarginata after the Hackberry Complex Fire | Photograph taken October 15, 2005.
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General view of my Wild Horse Mesa plot. | Photograph taken May 29, 2005.
With Flower stalk
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Swertia albomarginata with flower stem. | When Swertia albomarginata flowers it sends up a stem which is 8 to 24 inches (2-6 dm) tall and has very thin leaves aranged around the stem in a whorl.
Worksheet
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Swertia albomarginata worksheet. | This chart shows a typical page from my data collection worksheets. I have simulated the writing of field data on the worksheet in a blue color. The worksheet is a report from the Microsoft Access data base in which I keep my data about the species.
Yellow 101
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Yellow 101 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-07. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
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Swertia albomarginata Yellow 101 on May 28, 2005. | Photograph taken May 28, 2005.
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Yellow 101 in June 2007 | Photograph taken 4-Jun-07.
Yellow 103
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Yellow 103 at Wild Horse Mesa on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
Yellow 116
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Yellow 116 in my plot at Pinto Mountains. | Photograph taken October 15, 2005. The reddish plants to the right and left are Cordylanthus parviflorus (Ferris) Wiggins.
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Swertia albomarginata Yellow 116 on May 28, 2005. | Photograph taken May 28, 2005.
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Yellow 116 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
Yellow 16
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Yellow 16 in April 2004 | Photograph taken April 22, 2004.
Yellow 201
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Yellow 201 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
Yellow 204
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Yellow 204 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
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Yellow 204 tries to flower in June 2007 | Photograph taken 4-Jun-07. There is one open flower.
Yellow 205
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Yellow 205 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
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Yellow 205 struggles for survival. | Photograph taken 4-Jun-07.
Yellow 206
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Yellow 206 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
Yellow 207
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Yellow 207 at Pinto Mountain on 7-Jun-06. | Photograph taken 7-Jun-06.
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Yellow 207 just barely hanging on. | Photograph taken 4-Jun-07.
Yellow 208
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Yellow 208 in June 2007 | Photograph taken 4-Jun-07. The little plant just behind the S. albomarginata is an annual Senecio.
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