COMPARISON of 5 local Sand-Spurrey (Spergularia genus): All are a low-growing plants in the Pink (Caryophyllaceae) family that grow in sandy soil. (A comparison of the fruits may be necessary for 100% accurate I.D. to species.)

Jepson Key to Spergularia: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=10861
Taxon Page for Spergularia: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=10861

Leaf Terminology: Simple Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd ed., by James G. Harris and M. W. Harris, 2022.

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Red Sand Spurrey (Spergularia rubra) A.k.a. Purple Sand Spurry. Introduced/naturalized, perennial, plant that grows in sandy, gravelly meadows, between sidewalk cracks and other disturbed soil. It's a common, low-growing plant, often forming mats. It has pink to lavender flowers, with two-tone pale green and purple sepals. Leaves are fleshy and ciliated. Peak bloom time: April-Sept.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 39.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 128-129.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=45090

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 89.

Monterey County Wildflowers, Trees & Ferns https://montereywildflowers.com/caryophyllaceae-spurrey/

Link to confirmed obs. of Red Sand Spurrey: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/113035898

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COMPARED TO

Greek Sea-Spurrey (Spergularia bocconei) formerly called Boccone's Sand Spurry (Spergularia bocconi) before taxon change. Introduced/naturalized, annual, mat-forming plant in the Pink (Caryophyllaceae) family that grows near the coast and in many plant communities in California. Leaves are linear and fleshy, solitary or in clusters of 2 (unlike the other Spergularias described below). Leaves are minutely papillate (tiny bumps). Stipules are also distinctive: dull white, deltate with acute tip, and 1.5-4.5mm long. (Stipule is where stem meets base of leaf). Flowers are pale pinkish-white with 8-10 stamens. Peak bloom time: April-May.

Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=10693

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 38.
(calls it Boccone's Sand Spurry (Spergularia bocconi)

Link to a "look-a-like" confirmed observation: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/21577267

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=45079

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 128-129.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 89
(very limited on Fort Ord in coastal dunes)

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COMPARED TO

Sticky Sand-Spurrey (Spergularia macrotheca) Native, perennial, glandular-hairy, prostrate plant that is commonly seen along sandy, coastal bluff trails. A.k.a. Large-flowered Sand Spurry. Hairy-glandular, sticky to the touch. Stamens 7–10. Pale green sepals alternate between pink-lavender petals. Sepals are longer than those of S. rubra. Sepals are pale green, not green-purple like S. rubra. Long, thin, fleshy leaves ascend close to stem. Peak bloom time March-October.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=45084

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p.89.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 38.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 128-129.

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COMPARED TO

Hairy Sandspurry (Spergularia villosa) A.k.a. Villous Sand Spurry. Introduced/naturalized, perennial, glandular-hairy, sprawling plant in the Pink (Caryophyllaceae) family that grows on sandy slopes and bluffs, clay ridges, plains, and in disturbed soils. It has 7-10 stamens and petals are WHITE. Peak bloom time: April-June. Per Jepson: "strongly perennial herb. Stamens 7–10. Calyx lobes 2.5–4 mm, in fruit < 5 mm. Styles 0.4–0.6 mm. Seeds 0.4–0.5 mm" ..... S. villosa

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=45096

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019, p. 90.

Calflora (with species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=7717

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 214.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 128-129.

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COMPARED TO

White Sticky Sand Spurry (Spergularia macrotheca var. leucantha) Native, perennial, glandular-hairy, UNCOMMON Spergularia that grows in alkaline soils, floodplains, vernal pools, meadows, and marshy ground at elevation less than 800m. Petals of this subspecies are white. Leaves are thread like to linear. It has 7-10 yellow stamens. Peak bloom time: April-June. Common name of Sticky Sand-Spurrey may be due to the hairy-glandular buds and stems. Peak bloom time: April-June.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=66606
"Per Jepson: "strongly perennial herb. Stamens 7–10. Petals white; styles 1.2–3 mm. Fruit 1.2–1.4 × calyx. Styles 1.2–1.9 mm ..... var. leucantha"

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019, p. 89
Large-flowered Sand Spurry (Spergularia macrotheca) is found "under Monterey Cypress trees on the Beach Ranges."

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 128-129.

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"In the Pink family, leaves are generally opposite on swollen nodes. Most genera have smallish, regular, 5-petaled and 5-sepaled flowers. For example, Silene (Catchfly or Campion) has larger, more striking flowers. A few genera, such Herniaria (Rupturewort) and Cardionema (Sandmat), have petal-like sepals, but lack true petals."

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/caryophyllaceae-misc/

Jepson eFlora Key to Pink (Caryophyllaceae): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=90
Taxon Page for Pink: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=90

Rosy Sandcrocus, about 1/2 inch wide flower, growing in hard-packed soil along the trail at our lunch spot.

Rosy Sandcrocus (Romulea rosea) Introduced/ naturalized, uncommon, perennial monocot in the Iris (Iridaceae) family that grows less than 10 cm (4 inches) tall in dry, sandy or often hard-packed soil. Leaves are very long and narrow. Flowers are 15–20 mm (0.6-0.8 inches) across with pink or lilac lobes and a yellow throat. Peak bloom time: April-May.

Jepson eFlora only lists ssp., not species): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=65230

Calflora (with species distribution map CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=10308

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/iridaceae/

Cal-IPC: Invasive Plants across California (400+ species described with photos) https://www.cal-ipc.org/plants/profiles/
(only has preliminary info on this species: https://www.cal-ipc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Romulea-rosea-California-_-PRE.html)

Clover, with wide spacing between the individual flowers, growing in a drying meadow that was recently very wet (near the picnic tables).

Pacific Grove Clover (Trifolium polyodon) Endemic and rare. Conservation Status: 1B.1 in California, US (CNPS). It is a native, rare/endangered, glabrous, annual clover WITH involucre, that grows in moist meadows, along streams, and in closed-cone pine forests. Involucre is glabrous and wheel-shaped with deep cuts. Calyx lobes are widely spaced apart (you can see between the lobes) and each lobe usually has 3 parts. Looking at flower head from above, you can see through the pink straight to the green bracts. Flowers are pink to white with pink tips. Peak bloom time: April. Leaves are widely elliptic to obovate with rounded tips and bristly margins. Despite the common name Pacific Grove Clover, it is found in Santa Cruz and Monterey Counties, Del Monte Forest, Fort Ord National Monument, and in Pacific Grove.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 172-173.

Jepson eFlora: "involucre wheel-shaped, generally well developed, cut to middle. Flower: calyx 4--7 mm, tube 10--many-veined, lobes +- <= tube, +- 3-parted; corolla 8--10 mm, pink to white with purple tip."
Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=47159

Calflor (includes species distribution map) https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=8103

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 123.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 63

Monterey County Wildflowers– a photographic guide https://montereywildflowers.com/fabaceae-clover-inv/

Endangered Species Fact Sheets (85+ species in Monterey County) http://www.elkhornsloughctp.org/factsheet/ (species not listed)

Leaf Terminology: Simple Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd ed., by James G. Harris and M. W. Harris, 2022.

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Trifolium (Clover) are in the Fabaceae (Pea) family. Trifolium has 3 leaflets per leaf and dense heads of small flowers. Clover are divided into 2 groups: those WITHOUT involucre and those WITH involucre (bracts at the base of the head which are fused to form a cup, bowl or wheel under the flower head).

David Styer regarding Trifolium: Fort Ord (National Monument), "which is roughly the size of San Francisco, has 33 species of wild Trifolium, 17 of which are native, and 5 of which are California endemics! . . ."
Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, pp. 117-125.

Jepson eFlora Key to Trifolium: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=10383
Jepson Taxon Page for Trifolium: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=10383

Irene's "working notes" for Trifolium in CCo, using Jepson eFlora Filter Keys:
Trifolium (Clovers) is divided into 2 groups: those WITH involucre (bowl-shaped cup holding the flowers),
and those WITHOUT involucre.
In CCo (Central Coast of CA) Jepson filter key search lists the following 12 Trifolium species WITH Involucre:
Jepson eFlora https://keybase.rbg.vic.gov.au/keys/show/4182?filter_id=55b17b2b4727a

Trifolium barbigerum
Trifolium depauperatum var. truncatum
Trifolium hydrophilum
Trifolium microdon
Trifolium obtusiflorum
Trifolium polyodon
Trifolium trichocalyx
Trifolium variegatum var. geminiflorum
Trifolium variegatum var. major
Trifolium variegatum var. variegatum
Trifolium willdenovii
Trifolium wormskioldii

20 WITHOUT Involucre in CCo:
Trifolium albopurpureum
Trifolium amoenum
Trifolium angustifolium
Trifolium arvense
Trifolium bifidum var. bifidum
Trifolium bifidum var. decipiens
Trifolium campestre
Trifolium cernuum
Trifolium ciliolatum
Trifolium dubium
Trifolium glomeratum
Trifolium gracilentum
Trifolium hirtum
Trifolium incarnatum
Trifolium macraei
Trifolium pratense
Trifolium repens
Trifolium resupinatum
Trifolium striatum
Trifolium vesiculosum

Calflora lists the following 4 native Trifolium in Monterey County that has an affinity to SERPENTINE soils:
Trifolium gracilentum, Pin point clover
Trifolium fucatum, Bull clover
Trifolium microcephalum, Small-headed Clover
Trifolium willdenovii, Tomcat clover
Calfora https://www.calflora.org/entry/psearch.html?namesoup=trifolium&countylist=MNT&serpentine=t&plantcomm=any&format=photos&orderby=taxon

Fruiting and flowering Checker Lily in semi-shaded mixed woodland. Link to close-up of the inside flower parts: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/203414125 and the fruit: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/162389266

Checker Lily (Fritillaria affinis) A.k.a. Mission Bells. Native, monocot in the Lily (Liliaceae) family that arises from a bulb and grows 1--12 dm (up to 4 ft) tall in oak or pine woodlands, shaded grasslands, and sometimes in serpentine soils. Lower leaves are arranged in 1–4 whorls around the stem. Leaf blades are linear-lanceolate to ovate. Each stem has 2-4 nodding, pendulous flowers, each 1-4 cm long and short-lived. Flower color and tepal appearance is highly variable. Tepals may be brownish purple to pale yellowish green, mottled yellow or purple, or unmottled. Yellow anthers surround the 3-cleft spreading style. Peak bloom time: March-June. Fruit capsules are widely winged with 6 sections that have deeply serrated margins.
They bulbs and roots were an important food source for Indigenous people. 12 traditional uses described here: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Fritillaria+affinis

Calflora https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Fritillaria+affinis&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT

Fritillaria affinis (includes height comparison chart by region):
http://www.fritillariaicones.com/info/news/news_2018/Hill_RHS_2018.html

Jepson eFlora (includes botanical illustration and video)
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=76930

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 326-327.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 225.

Flora of North America (with botanical illustration): http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Fritillaria_affinis

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 397.

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/liliaceae-xcalochortus/

Native American Ethnobotany: Native plants used as food, medicine, dyes, tools, fibers and more by indigenous people of North America: (search by scientific name) http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Fritillaria+affinis

Leaf Shape and Arrangement diagrams: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd ed., by James G. Harris and M. W. Harris, 2022.

Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (1,000+ color photos, trail maps), p. 85.

5-minute video of Fort Ord Flora and Fauna, produced by David Styer: https://fortordcleanup.com/archives/2020/natural-treasures-of-fort-ord-90-amazing-photographs/

Tidy Tips are carpeting the grassy meadows in Fort Ord National Monument.

Tidy Tips (Layia platyglossa) is a native, annual, decumbent to erect, glandular, not strongly scented plant in the Asteraceae family that grows I3--70 cm (up to 27 inches) tall. It grows in sandy, rocky, or serpentine soils in inland valleys, meadows, on coastal dunes and sea bluffs, in many plant communities. It can grow in huge numbers often alongside Sky Lupine and Purple Owl's Clover. Leaves are long, narrow, glandular and hairy. Flowers have 5-18 yellow ray flowers (3-21 mm long), often but not always white-tipped, and many disc flowers. Anthers are dark purple. Peak bloom time: April-May.
Indigenous people ground the seeds into (porridge-like) pinole. 3 traditional uses described here: http://naeb.brit.org/uses/search/?string=Layia+platyglossa

Calflora https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=4649

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=3757

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 305.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 80-81.

Monterey County Wildflowers: https://montereywildflowers.com/asteraceae-sunflower2b/

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019, p. 49.

Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024, pp. 102-103.

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Plant (Annotated References)

Native American Ethnobotany: Traditional Native Plant Uses (U.S. plants for medicines, fibers, tools): http://naeb.brit.org/

Calflora (CA native plants, includes species distribution maps, plant communities, links) https://www.calflora.org/search.html

Jepson eFlora (CA native and naturalized plants with botanical illustrations, some videos) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell ,2015 (2300+ species)

Monterey County Wildflowers (photographic guide of wildflowers, shrubs and trees) https://montereywildflowers.com/index/

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016 (950+ species with photos)

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019 (includes peak bloom times)

Leaf Terminology: Simple Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd ed., by James G. Harris and M. W. Harris, 2022.

Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (1,000+ color photos, trail maps)

5-minute video of Fort Ord Flora and Fauna, produced by David Styer: https://fortordcleanup.com/archives/2020/natural-treasures-of-fort-ord-90-amazing-photographs/

Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page (search by scientific name)

Sandysoil Suncup (Camissonia strigulosa) Native, annual plant in the Evening-primrose (Onagraceae) family that grows in sandy soils on dunes, grassland, and desert scrub. Stems are thin, wiry, decumbent or erect, minutely strigose, and up to 50 cm (19 inches) long. Leaves are linear to narrowly elliptic and minutely serrated. 4 bright yellow petals are only 2.1--4.5 mm long, yellow fading to +- red with age. Fruits are long, 15-45mm, and a bit wavy. Genus Camissonia has straight fruits, cauline leaves only, and its 4-petaled flowers are on the uppermost nodes. Peak bloom time: April-May.

Calflora https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=1453

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 150.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=16947

Flora of North America: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Camissonia_strigulosa

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, p. 213.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 360.

Monterey County Wildflowers– a photographic guide https://montereywildflowers.com/onagraceae-primrose/

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Plants (general references)

Calflora (CA native plants, includes species distribution maps, plant communities, links) https://www.calflora.org/search.html

Jepson eFlora (CA native and naturalized plants with botanical illustrations, some videos) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell ,2015 (2300+ species)

Monterey County Wildflowers (photographic guide of wildflowers, shrubs and trees) https://montereywildflowers.com/index/

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016 (950+ species with photos)

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019 (includes peak bloom times)

Leaf Terminology: Simple Diagrams/Definitions: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e8/Leaf_morphology.svg

Plant Identification Terminology: An Illustrated Glossary, 2nd ed., by James G. Harris and M. W. Harris, 2022.

Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (1,000+ color photos, trail maps)

5-minute video of Fort Ord Flora and Fauna, produced by David Styer: https://fortordcleanup.com/archives/2020/natural-treasures-of-fort-ord-90-amazing-photographs/