Lick Creek Park Chapter 14
CHAPTER XIV - The Mesa
There are regions of the park that are not as easily accessible as the
field trip route
but which contain unusual habitats and some species of plants rarely
encountered in this
area. They can only be reached by "bushwhacking," which results in close
encounters
with biting and stinging insects, thorny plants, and lots of mud. It is
very easy to get lost
in the unmarked areas of Lick Creek Park and we recommend that visitors
not stray from
the developed paths. Instead, let us show you some of the more
interesting places.
One unusual location in the park is the Mesa, a small rocky hill. It is
difficult to reach
traveling cross country, which is probably good because it is a rather
fragile habitat.
The Mesa isn't very tall or very steep, but its thin, rocky soil is
unique to the park this
area in general and supports some interesting plants.
After a bit of searching, we found the Coryphantha missouriensis
we'd been
seeking. Other than Opuntia (Prickly Pear), this is the only
cactus genus locally.
The plants are round and squat. The pale greenish-yellow flowers are
nearly as big as the
plants themselves.
The fruits are small and red. They give the squatty little plants the
appearance of earth-
bound Christmas wreaths.
We also found Zigadenus nuttallii an attractive but toxic plant,
as hinted by its
common name of Death Camas. This is the only population we know of that
exists in
Lick Creek Park, although it is somewhat common in this area.
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Chapter 15 - Rocky Creek
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