Mossy Stonecrop (Crassula tillaea) A.k.a Moss Pygmyweed. Introduced/naturalized plant in the Stonecrop (Crassulaceae) family that grows in open, sandy soil. Stem is generally erect, 1--6 cm (up to 2.5 inches) tall, branched or not, and red in age. The foliage is dense and bushy (so internodes are not visible). Flowers are in 3 parts. Peak bloom time: February-May.

Mossy Stonecrop (Crassula tillaea) COMPARED to Sand Pygmyweed (Crassula connata): Crassula tillaea grows erect and has flowers in 3 parts. C. connata has 4-part flowers. The foliage is also different, with the leaves on C. tillaea being larger overall, and much bushier in their arrangement. On C. connata, you can just about always see the internode between the leaves, but in C. tillaea you can't really see the internodes (because it's too bushy).

Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=20590
"Annual, generally terrestrial. Stem: generally erect, 1--6 cm, branched or not, not rooting at nodes, red in age. Leaf: 1--3 mm, oblong; tip +- acute. Inflorescence: flowers generally 2 per node; pedicel generally < 0.5 mm. Flower: parts generally in 3s; sepals 1--1.5 mm, lanceolate, acuminate; petals < sepals, 0.5--1 mm, narrow-lanceolate. Fruit: ascending, ovoid. Seed: (1)2, elliptic, shiny, with +- wavy longitudinal lines at 20×. Ecology: Open, gravelly sites; Flowering Time: Feb--May. Synonyms: Tillaea muscosa."
Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=20590

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019, p. 99.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 434.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 141.

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COMPARED TO

Sand Pygmyweed (Crassula connata)

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 433.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 140-141.

Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=20582
Flower/Sepals: "parts generally in 4s; sepals 0.5--2 mm, lanceolate, acute to acuminate; petals generally < sepals, 0.6--1.2(1.5) mm, narrow-deltate"

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Plant (references in general):

Jepson eFlora (CA native and naturalized plants with botanical illustrations, some videos) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/
Calflora (CA native plants with species distribution maps, plant communities) https://www.calflora.org/search.html
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)
Native American Ethnobotany: Traditional Native Plant Uses (U.S. plants for medicines, fibers, tools): http://naeb.brit.org/
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.
Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page (search by scientific name)
Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (1,000+ color photos)
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/

Diffuse Spineflower mixed in with a carpet of Monterey Spineflowers.

Diffuse Spineflower (Chorizanthe diffusa) Native/endemic, annual, low-growing, green and white plant in the Knotweed (Polygonaceae) family that grows less than 10cm (4 inches) tall in sandy, gravelly, nutrient-poor soils. Involucral membranes are generally white, not continuous (not spanning the entire space between the ribs), but ovate to round at their base, abruptly narrowing to a long slender tip. The involucral teeth have hooked awns/tips. Peak bloom time: May-June. From a distance in looks green and white, not pink.
Diffuse Spineflower is hairy, but less hairy than Monterey Spineflower (Chorizanthe pungens pungens). Link to Monterey Spineflower observation for comparison: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/209397887

Calflora includes species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=2027
and sightings in Monterey County: https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Chorizanthe+diffusa&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=19335

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 172.

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 254-255.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 129.

Monterey County Wildflowers https://montereywildflowers.com/polygonaceae-spineflower/

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

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/

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Jepson eFlora Key to Chorizanthe
https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_keys.php?key=11204
Taxon Page for Chorizanthe: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=11204

Knotweed Family — Chorizanthe (Spineflower) "Flowers in this family do not have separate petals and sepals. For plants like this, the term “perianth” is used to describe the flower (i.e. the calyx and the corolla together) and “perianth parts” to describe the individual elements. In spineflowers, what you mostly see are the involucres and involucral membranes. The flowers themselves are 6-lobed, usually a similar color to the involucral membranes."
Monterey County Wildflowers– a photographic guide https://montereywildflowers.com/polygonaceae-spineflower/

Tiny, glandular, purple-black spots or streaks, sweet smell, and involucre shape is characteristic for Tall Tidytips. Link to confirmed observation nearby: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/156679341

Tall Tidytips (Layia hieracioides) Endemic in CA. A.k.a. Hawkweed Layia, Tall layia. It is a native, annual, hairy, sweetly or pungently scented plant in Tidy Tips (Layia genus) and Asteraceae family. It that grows 5--130 cm (up to 51 inches) tall in open, semi-shaded, or disturbed sites, in light soil. Stems are erect with tiny glandular, purple-black streaks or spots. Involucre is hemispheric to bell-shaped (like all Layias and unlike the Madias). There are 6–16 short ray flowers with dark anthers. Peak bloom time: April-June.

COMPARED TO Coast Tarweed (Madia sativa) (that also has black glandular beads):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/176359231

Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA) https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=4642

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 81, 83.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=3751

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

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

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

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Plant (references in general)

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

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

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

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

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/

Annual Knawel (Scleranthus annuus) A.k.a. German Knotgrass. Introduced/naturalized, uncommon, annual, prostrate, many-branched plant in the Pink (Caryophyllaceae) family that grows in sandy disturbed soils, serpentine areas, meadows, and along stream margins. Flowers appear greenish and tiny, only 3-4mm wide. Peak bloom time: June, and all year.

Link to confirmed observation nearby: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/153765298

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019, p. 88.
(lists Scleranthus annuus annuus)

Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA): https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=10361

Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=77174
Jepsen eFlora does not list the species, only the subspecies: Scleranthus annuus annuus. There are 7 other subspecies that are native to Europe, western Asia, and northern Africa.
Jepson excerpt: "Stem: prostrate to erect, much-branched, generally 4--20 cm, rigid; hairs +- in lines, fine, recurved. Leaf: 4--20+ mm; sheath scarious, ciliate; tip sharp-pointed. Inflorescence: 3--15 mm diam. Flower: 3--4.2 mm; hypanthium 10-ribbed; sepals narrowly triangular to awl-shaped, erect to spreading; styles +- 0.8--1 mm. Seed: 1.4--1.6 mm, widely ovoid, tan except red crescent near acute tip. Ecology: Meadows, stream margins, serpentine areas, disturbed areas; Elevation: 300--1200 m. Flowering Time: All year. Unabridged Note: 7 other subspecies, native to Europe, western Asia, northern Africa."

Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=77174

Monterey County Wildflowers (photographic guide of wildflowers, shrubs and trees) https://montereywildflowers.com/index/ (species not listed)

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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

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PLANTS (References in general)

Jepson eFlora (CA native and naturalized plants with botanical illustrations, some videos) https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/
Calflora (CA native plants with species distribution maps, plant communities) https://www.calflora.org/search.html
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)
Native American Ethnobotany: Traditional Native Plant Uses (U.S. plants for medicines, fibers, tools): http://naeb.brit.org/
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.
Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Main_Page (search by scientific name)
Fort Ord A Love Story, Dorothy E. Denning, 2024 (1,000+ color photos)
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/

Tiny, glandular, purple-black spots or streaks, sweet smell and involucre shape is characteristic for Tall Tidytips. Link to confirmed observation nearby: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/156679341

Tall Tidytips (Layia hieracioides) Endemic in CA. A.k.a. Hawkweed Layia, Tall layia. It is a native, annual, hairy, sweetly or pungently scented plant in Tidy Tips (Layia genus) and Asteraceae family. It that grows 5--130 cm (up to 51 inches) tall in open, semi-shaded, or disturbed sites, in light soil. Stems are erect with tiny glandular, purple-black streaks or spots. Involucre is hemispheric to bell-shaped (like all Layias and unlike the Madias). There are 6–16 short ray flowers with dark anthers. Peak bloom time: April-June.

COMPARED TO Coast Tarweed (Madia sativa) (that also has black glandular beads):
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/176359231

Calflora (includes species distribution map in CA) https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=4642

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 81, 83.

Jepson eFlora https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=3751

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

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

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

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Plant (references in general)

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

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

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

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

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/

Common Goldfields (Lasthenia gracilis) Endemic in California. Native, annual plant in the Sunflower (Asteraceae) family that grows in many plant communities throughout California. It can cover entire grassland fields or hillsides with a brilliant gold carpet that can be seen from a great distance. Stem is simple or freely branched and +- hairy. Leaves are linear to oblanceolate, entire, +- hairy, (+- fleshy in coastal forms). Involucre is bell-shaped or hemispheric, and hairy. There are 6–13 ray flowers and 4–13 free, hairy phyllaries, and many disk flowers.The pappus is lance-ovate in shape and opaque white in color. Peak bloom time: February-May.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California, David Styer, 2019, p. 49. (D. Styer calls Lasthenia gracilis "Coast Goldfields," . . . "This species is a chaparral edge or woodland edge plant," unlike the other two vernal pool goldfield plants on Fort Ord)

Jepson eFlora (with botanical illustration): https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=79082

Calflora: Wild Plants of California (includes species distribution map) https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=9143 and 69 sighting in Monterey County as of 4/25/24): https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Lasthenia+gracilis&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT

Flora of North America http://beta.floranorthamerica.org/Lasthenia_gracilis
"Phyllaries 4–13 (in 1 series), ovate-lanceolate to oblong, ± hairy."

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell, 2015, pp. 70-71.

Monterey County Wildflowers: a Field Guide, Yeager and Mitchell, 2016, p. 302.

Monterey County Wildflowers– a photographic guide https://montereywildflowers.com/asteraceae-sunflower1/

Stem is simple or freely branched, branching is occasionally basal in desert forms, +- hairy. "L. gracilis is the correct name for the taxon occuring in southern California and Baja California." Jon P. Rebman.
Baja California Plant Field Guide, Jon P. Rebman, Norman C. Roberts, 3rd. ed, 2012, p. 145.

"This species used to be merged with L. californica, and is the only one in the Aguanga area." Tom Chester.

Anza-Borrego Desert Wildflowers (and more) https://borregowildflowers.org/?type=search&searchtype=C&family=&name=Common%20goldfields

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

Mouse-ear Cress(Arabidopsis thaliana) A.k.a. Thale Cress. This uncommon species is famous in genetics; it was the first plant to be genetically sequenced. It is an introduced/naturalized, annual plant in the Mustard (Brassicaceae) family that grows 6-30cm (up to 12 inches) tall in sandy, disturbed soil. It has a well formed basil rosette of hairy leaves. It has tiny white flowers that have 6 stamens and 4 petals. Fruits are spreading to ascending cylindrical silques that are 1-5 cm long, hairless and unsegmented, on distinct pedicels. Peak bloom time: March-April.

Jepson eFlora: https://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/eflora/eflora_display.php?tid=13682

Calflora https://www.calflora.org/app/taxon?crn=433 and sightings in Monterey County (only on Fort Ord as of 4/25/24): https://www.calflora.org/entry/observ.html?track=m#srch=t&lpcli=t&taxon=Arabidopsis+thaliana&chk=t&cch=t&cnabh=t&inat=r&cc=MNT

Plants of Monterey County: an Illustrated Field Key, 2nd edition, Matthews and Mitchell ,2015, pp. 106-107.

Flora of Fort Ord: Monterey County, California , David Styer, 2019, p. 72.

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

Monterey County Wildflowers: https://montereywildflowers.com/brassicaceae-cress/

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PLANTS (general references)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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/