Las Vegas Bearpoppy

The Bear Paw Poppy

On March 8-10th, professional photographer Karen Linsley and I will be conducting a wildflower photography workshop in Death Valley.  As a prelude to the workshop, I will be writing some posts about wildflowers that grow in the Mojave Desert near Death Valley. 

In Part 1 as an introduction, I would like to begin with a very unique wildflower that is only found to grow in a small area near Lake Mead close to Las Vegas, Nevada, the Bear-paw Poppy, Arctomecon californica.

The Bear-paw Poppy or Las Vegas Bearpoppy is endemic to the gypsum-rich soils of the Lake Mead region of the Upper Sonoran and Mojave Desert.  Due to the limited area where the Bear-paw Poppy is found to grow and with all the increased urbanization around Las Vegas, it has been placed on the Threatened Species list by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service.

 

From March to May, the yellow Bear-paw Poppy can be seen at lower elevations from 1,200 to 3,150 feet (365.7 to 960.12 meters) along eroded, disturbed habitats where the gypsum content ranges between 36 to 69 percent, in what is categorized as the Gypsum Barren Community. 

The Bear-paw Poppy grows from a 5 inch (12.7cm) clump of blue-gray, wedge-shaped leaves resembling a hairy 3-5 toed bearpaw. 

The 6 petal large poppy grows atop long stems, reaching about 20 inches (50.8cm) from the basal clump of leaves.  

At the end of its flowering season in late June, numerous tiny black seeds are expelled when the oval seed pod opens and the Bear-paw Poppy's cycle continues. 

 The Mojave Desert is home to a huge diversity of plants and animals that have adapted for many years to its unique and harsh conditions. With increased urbanization more of its fragile ecosystems are becoming threatened and even endangered through construction, recreational activities, groundwater pumping and increased grazing of domestic livestock.  It takes a conscientious effort on the part of humans to protect and not disturb these fragile ecosystems so that the animal and plants may continue to thrive and make their home in the Mojave Desert.

For more Information on the Bear Paw Poppy:

http://www.birdandhike.com/Veg/Species/Forbs-P/Arctom_cal/_Arc_cal.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctomecon

http://www.ehow.com/list_7346729_list-protected-plants-mojave-desert.html

---

What an exciting and interesting photo-adventure this day has been.  I love it when I am drawn to an area and not knowing what to expect I get treated to new experiences. 

Sign up and follow my blog to see where my next photo-adventure will be!

Photography places me in the moment where I can share that moment in time. It becomes a life story as represented by my interaction with the scene. The happiness and beauty or the sorrow and strife; how I focus leaves a lasting impression that might touch the viewer on a spiritual level.

 "Reflecting Nature's Artistry" 

Many of these images are available on my website:

 http://www.bonnierannald.com/ 

For custom matted and framed images:
Off The Wall

No images on this blog are within Public Domain or are available for free download. 

 All rights reserved, world-wide and images protected by Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). All photography, graphics, text, design, and content is copyrighted by Bonnie Rannald and should not be copied, down-loaded, transferred and re-created in any way without the express consent, in writing to Bonnie Rannald. For information on Bonnie Rannald licensed, right-managed images, please submit a written request.

---