Kern CNPS Home Page

Mill Creek

number of families = 33
number of genera = 67
number of species, subspecies and varieties = 84

LOCATION: Lower Kern River Canyon, Kern County
To find this on Google Earth copy and paste:
35.537894 -118.613894
into Google Earth's 'Fly to' box.

The map to the right (and the coordinates above) show the location of the trailhead on the Kern Canyon Road (the old canyon road). Mill Creek runs down the canyon just to the south and east of this.


View Larger Map

PLANT LIST indicates that the picture link directs you to pictures from the actual location
(all other picture links are directed to CalPhotos)
Anacardiaceae (sumac family)
  • Toxicodendron diversilobum (Rhus d.) poison oak

    Apiaceae (Umbelliferae) (carrot family)
  • Bowlesia incana
  • Lomatium utriculatum bladder/wild parsnip, hog fennel
  • Osmorhiza brachypoda sweet-cicely

    Asteraceae (Compositae) (sunflower family)
  • Chaenactis glabriuscula yellow pincushion
  • Chamomilla suaveolens (Matricaria matricarioides) pineapple weed
  • Cirsium occidentale
  • Filago gallica narrow-leaf filago
  • Hypochaeris glabra (Hypochoeris g.) smooth cat's ear
  • Lasthenia sp. goldfields
  • Microseris sylvatica
  • Rafinesquia californica California chicory

    Boraginaceae (borage family)
  • Amsinckia menziesii common fiddleneck, rancher's fireweed
  • Cryptantha sp.
  • Plagiobothrys arizonicus (no vars) arizona popcorn flower

    Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) (mustard family)
  • Capsella bursa-pastoris
  • Lepidium nitidum shining/common peppergrass
  • Thysanocarpus curvipes (no vars) fringe/lace pod

    Caryophyllaceae (pink family)
  • Silene californica Indian pink (Cal Photos link)

    Cucurbitaceae (gourd family)
  • Marah horridus wild cucumber, big-root, man-root

    Datiscaceae (datisca family)
  • Datisca glomerata Durango root

    Fabaceae (Leguminosae) (pea family)
  • Lotus scoparius deerweed, California broom
  • Lupinus benthamii spider lupine
  • Lupinus bicolor (no vars) dove/miniature lupine
  • Lupinus microcarpus (L. ruber, densiflorus, subvexus) chick/whorled/clay lupine
  • Trifolium albopurpureum rancheria clover
  • Trifolium willdenovii (no vars) (T. tridentatum) tomcat clover

    Fagaceae (oak family)
  • Quercus douglasii blue oak
  • Quercus wislizenii interior live oak, chaparral oak

    Geraniaceae (geranium family)
  • Erodium cicutarium red stemmed filaree

    Hippocastanaceae (buckeye family)
  • Aesculus californica California buckeye

    Hydrophyllaceae (waterleaf family)
  • Nemophila menziesii baby blue eyes (Cal Photos link)
  • Phacelia cicutaria caterpillar phacelia
  • Phacelia tanacetifolia lacy/tansy leaf phacelia
  • Pholistoma auritum var. auritum (P. a.) fiesta flower
  • Pholistoma membranaceum white fiesta flower

    Lamiaceae (Labiatae) (mint family)
  • Salvia columbariae chia

    Liliaceae (lily family)
  • Calochortus venustus mariposa lily
  • Dichelostemma capitatum (Brodiaea, D. pulchella) blue dicks, wild hyacinth
  • Triteleia laxa Ithuriel's spear
  • Yucca whipplei (no vars) our lord's candle, spanish bayonet

    Malvaceae (mallow family)
  • Eremalche parryi ssp. parryi (Malvastrum)

    Onagraceae (evening-primrose family)
  • Clarkia heterandra (Heterogaura h.)
  • Clarkia unguiculata elegant clarkia

  • Orobanchaceae (broomrape family)
  • Orobanche uniflora naked broomrape

    Papaveraceae (poppy family)
  • Eschscholzia caespitosa
  • Eschscholzia californica (no vars) California poppy
  • Platystemon californicus Cream Cups

    Pinaceae (pine family)
  • Pinus ponderosa ponderosa pine
  • Pinus sabiniana digger/grey pine

    Plantaginaceae (plantain family)
  • Plantago erecta (no vars) California/western/annual/dwarf plantain

    Platanaceae (sycamore family)
  • Platanus racemosa California/western sycamore

    Polemoniaceae (phlox family)
  • Allophyllum gilioides
  • Gilia capitata globe/ball gilia
  • Gilia tricolor bird's eye gilia (CalPhotos link)
  • Linanthus ciliatus whisker brush
  • Linanthus dichotomus evening snow
  • Linanthus montanus mustang clover

    Polygonaceae (buckwheat family)
  • Chorizanthe membranacea pink spineflower
  • Chorizanthe xanti turkish rugging
  • Eriogonum fasciculatum California buckwheat
  • Polygonum sp.
  • Pterostegia drymarioides wing-over, calif. threadstem, fairy mist, granny's hairnet

    Portulacaceae (purslane family)
  • Claytonia perfoliata (Montia p.) miner's lettuce (Cal Photos link)

    Pteridaceae (brake fern family)
  • Pellaea andromedifolia (P. andromedaefolia) (no vars) coffee fern
  • Pentagramma pallida (Pityrogramma triangularis v. p.) silverback fern (Cal Photos link)
  • Pentagramma triangularis (Pityrogramma t.)


    Ranunculaceae (buttercup family)
  • Delphinium hansenii larkspur
  • Thalictrum fendleri var. polycarpum (T. p.)

    Rhamnaceae (buckthorn family)
  • Ceanothus greggii var. vestitus mojave/desert ceanothus
  • Rhamnus ilicifolia holly-leaf redberry

    Rubiaceae (madder family)
  • Galium aparine common bedstraw, goose grass

    Saxifragaceae (saxifrage family)
  • Lithophragma bolanderi (L. scabrella) woodland/rock star
  • Saxifraga californica

    Scrophulariaceae (figwort family)
  • Castilleja attenuata (Orthocarpus a.) valley tassels
  • Castilleja exserta (Orthocarpus purpurascens) common/purple owl's-clover (Cal photos link)
  • Collinsia childii
  • Collinsia heterophylla (no vars) chinese houses
  • Keckiella breviflora
  • Mimulus aurantiacus (M. aridus, longiflorus, puniceus) bush/sticky monkeyflower
  • Mimulus floribundus (M. dudleyi) granite/slimy monkey flower
  • Scrophularia californica bee plant

    Valerianceae (valerian family)
  • Plectritis ciliosa

    Violaceae (violet family)
  • Viola purpurea ssp. quercetorum (V. q.) oak yellow violet
  • Back to the PLANT LISTS page Kern County CNPS HOME PAGE