Field Guide to The Dishman Hills Natural Area - Recently Updated Pages

Pinecliff Discovery Trail Map

dodosan — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 16:17:56 CST

Located in Dishman Hills Natural Resource Conservation Area. The map is from the Spokane County Parks brochure with trail station numbers (stops) added. To enlarge (zoom in), your Internet browser should perform this after holding down the control key (Ctrl) and pressing the "+" key in the number pad on the right side of the key board. If not, click on the View menu in the tool bar at the top of the browser window and then click on Zoom and click on what you want to do.

To save to your computer, place mouse cursor over the image and right click, then click on Save As... When the Save Window appears, choose or make sure where the image will be saved to and change the name of the image file if you wish.

Pages of the trail guide brochure are posted separately.

Parvovirus

dodosan — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 15:53:03 CST

Parvovirus and Dogs
Trailheads often have signs requiring dogs be kept on a leash and sometimes, their poop be picked up and removed. Parvovirus may be mentioned, but little more information is given. This article relies on information provided by Ron Hines DVM PhD on the web.

Like influenza (the flu), Parvovirus exists as strains adapted to specific animals such as fowl, swine or humans. Normally the virus does not infect animals outside its preferred host animal. Canine (dog) parvovirus has not been reported to cause any symptoms of disease in humans. For dogs, especially puppies under 6 months of age, parvovirus is the worst, common disease in the USA. It causes ulcerative enteritis and diarrhea. The diarrhea often kills. Since 1980, the virus has mutated several times, but the CPV-2B strain is most often encountered today. Vaccination is very effective.

Parvovirus survives indefinitely on floors, food containers and rugs. It is resistant to phenolic disinfectants and heat, but is susceptible to household bleach diluted one part to 20 parts water. Outside, sunshine kills the virus. The virus is spread mostly by feces (poop). Shedding of virus can start on the third day after exposure. Symptoms may not appear until 2 weeks after exposure. Thus, a healthy, active dog can be shedding the virus on the trail and in the home before becoming ill.

Symptoms vary from none-at-all to death. True diagnosis requires testing a stool sample (some poop), but can be false-negative early in the disease. Bloody diarrhea is usually enough to assume parvovirus.

Immediate veterinary service is needed. Treatment requires intravenous fluids to correct dehydration. Medicine may be given to stop intestinal spasms. Antibiotics are given to prevent secondary bacterial infection through damaged intestinal walls. Initially, fever may be present, but later chills often require a source of heat. Keep the dog indoors and/or near a heat lamp. It helps to pet and encourage the dog. Tail wagging and eating a little food are good signs.

Recovered dogs are immune for life, so carrier dogs don't exist. Vaccination produces good immunity when last given at the age of 18 weeks. A vaccine usually fails because it was given when maternal antibody (from the mother) was still present in the puppy's blood. A series of shots between 9 weeks and 18 weeks seem most cost effective.

It is impossible to keep a kennel absolutely safe from this disease. Despite a good vaccination schedule, there will be a short time gap when puppies can suffer from exposure. Parvovirus remains a common cause of death for puppies under six months of age.

Cow Parsnip

northwestgal99 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:51:26 CDT

Heracleum maximum

Description: The Cow Parsnip is a tall herb, reaching to heights of over two meters. It has the characteristic flower umbels of the carrot family (Apiaceous), about 20 cm across; these may be flat-topped, as in the picture at right, or more rounded, and are always white. The leaves are large, up to 40 cm across, divided into lobes. The stems are stout and succulent.

Fruit: Egg-shaped, 3/8"-1/2" long, 1/4"-3/8" wide; with 4 conspicuous vertical purple lines.

Native Uses: Various Native American peoples had many different uses for this plant; all parts of it were used by one nation or another. Perhaps the most common use was to make poultices to be applied to bruises or sores. In addition, the young stalks and leaf stems — before the plant reaches maturity — were widely used for food with the outer skin peeled off giving a sweetish flavor. The dried stems were also used as drinking straws for the old or infirm, and to make flutes for children. A yellow dye can be made from the roots, and an infusion of the flowers can be rubbed on the body to repel flies and mosquitoes.

Modern Uses: The juices of all parts contain a phototoxic that can act on contact with skin and exposure to ultraviolet light, causing anything from a mild rash to a blistering, severe dermatitis, depending on the sensitivity of the individual. The plant is a pernicious weed especially in pastures, where it can ruin the milk of cows that eat it.

Ecology: Widespread and common at low to subalpine elevations in moist, wet, open forest, seepage areas, sand moist disturbed ground; often abundant in moist deciduous forest.

Sources: Parish , Roberta, Ray Coup'e, and Dennis Lloyd . Plants Of Southern Interior. Inland Northwest, BC: Lone Pine Publishing , 1996.

Woods Strawberry

northwestgal99 — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 00:44:04 CDT

Identification: A Low plant spreading by runners. Flowers: White 5 Broad Petals and numerous green-yellow stamens. Flowers that are alone or in clusters on flower stalks separate from leaves. Fruit a red berry.Fruit seed located on the surface of the fruit , not embedded in pits. Leaves and stems slightly hairy. Leaves on separate petioles arising from a single base with flower stems. Flower Clusters distinctively higher than the leaves.

Distribution: Through out most North America except for the southeastern states.

Habitat:Wood Strawberry is found in rocky woods , pastures, , and old fields.

Flowering Period: May-August.

Similar Species: Woods Strawberry is similar to Common StrawBerry.

Native Uses: the native americans had two main uses for strawberries the first being the same as what we use it for, eating and the second dieing cloth.

Modern Uses: food

Woods Strawberry.

Woods Strawberry Flower.

Woods Strawberries.

Sites found info on: http://www.nearctica.com/flowers/rosa/Fvesca.htm

Maidenhair Fern

Jewelleesname — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:26:00 CDT

Yellow Glacier Lily

Jewelleesname — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:14:04 CDT

(Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh)

Other names:Dogtooth violet, Avalanche Lily, Faun Lily, Snow Lily, Trout Lily

Wildflowers

Jewelleesname — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:42:20 CDT

St Johns Wort

Jewelleesname — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 22:02:56 CDT

There is no abstract available for this page revision.

Plants

rylee_w — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 20:14:20 CDT

A plant is an organism that is grown from a seed or another plant of that species. It gets its water and nourishment by taking it in through its roots, and it grows in the ground. Some plants like sun, others like shade. Some live by ponds or streams, some live in places as dry as a bone. But plants can grow in almost any place besides deserts and the extreme cold. Plant categories include, but are not limited to, trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, mosses, ferns, etc. Did you know that trees are very healthy for the environment by helping to reduce the amount of CO2 in the air? Dishman hills is full of hundreds, maybe even thousands, of different kinds of plants. They are homes, food sources, and shelter to many animals and insects, whether it be a Caterpillar munching on leaves or a bird building her nest in the highest branches of an old Pine tree, plants play a huge role in the ecosystem of Dishman Hills.

Garter Snake

sciencestud — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 00:45:54 CDT

Garter snakes, also called garden snakes or gardener snakes, are North American snakes within the genus Thamnophis sirtalis. Their name comes from their stripes, which look like old-fashioned men's garters. They are harmless to humans.

The patterns on these snakes consist of one or three stripes on the back, typically red, yellow, or white. Even within a single species the color of the pattern can vary greatly. Most garter snakes are less then 24 inches long, but they can be much larger as well. The garter snakes average weight is 2.22 grams. The average life span is 6 years.

Like most snakes, garter snakes are carnivorous. They will eat almost anything they can get, including many kinds of insects, amphibians, birds, fish, and rodents.

King snakes are one of the biggest reptile predators of the Garter snake. They eat Garter snakes that can be up to two-thirds their size and their own width. Birds are also predators of the Garter snake. Road runners are great at catching snakes. They watch the snake at first, but suddenly swoop down and grab the prey. The mammal predators of the Garter snake are both wild and domestic. In the wild, only a few animals feed on snakes. Minks can easily kill and eat the Garter snakes, but animals such as the raccoon only occasionally kill and eat the Garter snake.

Garter snakes habitat ranges from the forests, fields and prairies to streams, wetlands, meadows, marshes and ponds. They are often found near water and wetlands, like most snakes. The area in which they live can range from sea level to mountain locations. The Garter snake is able to adjust to most habitats, as well as hot or cold weather. Living in a habitat like they do, they mostly eat amphibians and earthworms, plus fish, small birds and rodents.

Surprisingly, the Garter snake also lives in parts of Mexico. They also are native to the United States and can live as far out as Florida. Some others live as far north as Canada and into the southern part of the Northwest Territories.

Females give birth to about ten to fifteen live young at once. The Garter snakes that live in warm climates in the south are active all year long while Garter snakes from the north hibernate for the cold months. Hibernating males become active a little earlier in the spring then the females, and mating occurs right after the females wake up from hibernation. Young are born alive in summer

For a long time scientists thought that garter snakes did not produce venom. This has recently been shown to be false, as they produce very mild neurotoxic venom. However, this venom is not strong enough to be harmful to humans.

Some similar species to the Garter snake include the Exiled Garter snake, Yellow-throated Garter snake, Giant Garter snake, Western Garter snake and many more. All of these live in California. With all of the different designs and colors of these snakes, it shouldn't be too hard to tell them apart.

Since Garter snakes don't have legs, there tracks are a little different than what you would expect. Their tracks are slither lines. Some people wonder what snake scat looks like. Well, some people say it smells bad, it's light brown and it's very glossy. It can also be white, chalky and yellowy.

From 1986-2001 some scientists figured out approximately how many Pacific coast aquatic Garter snakes there are. They figured out that over the 16 year period of their study, they marked 1730 snakes. Their data demonstrated higher survival rates for females than males and showed low and annually variable capture probabilities for both.

Bibliography:
Lind, Amy J., et al. "Garter snake population dynamics from a 16-year study: considerations for ecological monitoring."15 .1 (1 2005): 1. 1 <http://www.treesearch.fs.fed.us/pubs/25047>.

Zim, Herbert S., and Hobart M. Smith. Reptiles and Amphibians. St. Martins Press, 2001.

Bullrush

foggybottom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 13:09:59 CDT

Scirpus lacustris

General Desctription: stout, red scaly, up to 3 m tall; stems round, 1-2 cm thick at base and tapering; often growing in dense stands.

Flowers: Has some flowers, but are small.

Fruit: None

Ecology: It is found at most elevations. It can be found in ponds, meadows, sawmps, near streams, etc

Habitat: The are mostly found near swamps, ponds streams, and like moisted areas.

Range: You can find them everywhere exept for alaske, and antarica.

Traditional Uses: They use to use this plant as a decoration in houses.

Modern Uses: And today it is still being used for a decoration and for it's good smell.

Pearly Everlasting

foggybottom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 12:32:10 CDT

Anaphalis margaritacea

General Description: 20-60cm tall,The American species, Anaphalis margaritacea, grows as a wildflower over much of the country. It has slender, pointed leaves that are green on top and gray underneath. Small clusters of 1/4-inch white flowers bloom in the summer. Anaphalis triplinervis comes from the alpine Himalayas. It has silvery gray leaves in the spring that turn green as summer progresses. Flowers bloom in clusters from midsummer until frost.

Leaves: alternate on stem up to 12cm long and 2cm wide, lance shaped to linear, stalkless edges often rolled under,loosely white wooly,commonly less hary above than benieth or green above.

Flowers: white up to 10mm wide, with disk florets only, witch are yellow to brown, several growing in dense clusters, involucre about 5-7mm high with white,papery bracts some times with a small bassaly dark spot

Fruits: achnes with small, rounded bumps with pappus of short wite hair

Traditional Uses: Eat the leaves

Modern Uses: planting in gardens,Yellow to gold, also green and brown dyes can be obtained from the flowers, stems and leaves combined, The leaves, flowers and stems have been used as an incense, especially in baby cradles

Sources: 12 June 2009 <montana.plant-life.org/species/anaphalis_marga.htm>.

Pine Grass

foggybottom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:44:49 CDT

Calamagrostis rubescens

General Deescription:
As a Perennial Graminoid. This Monocot (monocotyledon) is native to the U.S. (United States) and has its most active growth period in the spring and summer. Pinegrass has Dark Green foliage and inconspicuous Yellow flowers, with inconspicuous brown fruits or seeds. The greatest bloom is usually observed in the Late Spring, with fruit and seed production starting in the spring and continuing until summer. Leaves are not
retained year to year. The Pinegrass has a Moderate life span relative to most other plant species and a Slow growth rate. At maturity, the typical Pinegrass will reach up to 3 feet high, with a maximum height at 20 years of 3 feet. Commercial Uses: The Pinegrass is easily found in nursery, garden stores and other plant dealers and distributors. It can be propagated by Seed and Sprigs. It has a slow ability to spread through seed production and the seedlings have Low vigor. Note that cold stratification is not required for seed germination and the plant cannot survive exposure to temperatures below -28°F. Pinegrass has Low tolerance to drought and restricted water conditions.
"Pine grass." garden guides.com 10 June 2009. Antos, Joe, and Ray Coupe. Plants of Southern Interior Inland Northwest. Vancouver, BC: long pine publishing, 1996.

Lime Dust

foggybottom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:38:03 CDT

Chrysothrix chlorina

General Description:
Lime Dust is a greenish to a yellow kind of a color. It is a very thin lichen and is usually scattered around its rock. Even though this is named like a dust it is lichen that all though looks like a type of moss. This Lichen is very common around dishman hills natural area and around almost at every rock. Its heavily common up their and
to almost everyone.

Reproductive: No sexual fruiting bodies.

Habitat:
Lime dust grow on narrow rocks near the cliff edges and in shady areas under either trees, caves or large rocks above. It also grows in the dry terrain to try and stay away from damp areas and all the rain. After are last field trip found numerous rocks scattered with this type lichen. Lime dust can make the a rock look like a plain jungle after a while. But in dishman hills its usually very low on the rock and very thin.

This picture consists of a lot of lime dust just covering the rock and looking allot like a moss.
This is a very bright color of a green and even in the back round the lichen has scattered out around the rocks probably way further back. Lime dust can actually grow pretty fast and is pretty dangerous. People say that if you acquire the dust on your eye that the dust can and most likely will cause eye damage.

This rock has very little lime dust on top. This is probably how much you will most likely see on our rocks over in dishman hills.

When i fist new about lime dust i did not know that it could scatter this much through a tree. It seems to be a pretty well spread lichen even through dishman.

Biblliography
Alaback, Paul, Joe Antos, and Trevor Goward. Plants of the Pacific. Washington, BC: Lone pine, 1994.

Lantern Moss

foggybottom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:36:13 CDT

Andreaea rupestris

General Description: They grow in small dark to red-brown tufts, 1-2 cm tall, tightly attached to a rock, sometimes forming short turf.

Leaves: Ovate, with blunt tips at 0.5 mm long, they spread when moist.

Sporophytes: Capsules that are dark brown to black, elliptic, 0.5 mm long, with 4 longitudinal gaps that open when ripe.

Habitat: you can find it no igneous rocks; most ferquent at mid to high elevations on exposed to somewhat shaded rock surfaces.

Interesting Information: this moss genus has a unique capsule which resembles a tiny lantern.

Sources: Roberta Parish, Ray Coupe, and Dennis Lloyd, ed. Plants of Southern INterior British Columbia and the Inland Northwest. Canada: B.C. Ministry and FOrsts and Lone Pine, 1996.

Blue-bunch Wheatgrass

foggybottom — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 11:30:02 CDT

Blue-Bunch Wheatgrass

Centaurea maculosa

General Description: It is a mix of grass and wheat, it bunches at the bottom and grows up from there

Leaves: None

Inflorescence: None

Habitat: It is found on farms and in people's yards (see bright green on map)

Uses: It is good for horses and deer and other animals to eat and is healthy for them

Family: It is part of the grass and wheat families

Traditional Uses: Horses eat it in the winter and other animals and the people would feed the grass to their animals

Modern Uses: It is a grass that horses eat & other animals eat

Height: 1.5 to 4 feet tall

Color: Green to blue and tan

Flowers: Green turning straw-colored, spike-lets borne in rows along an elongated terminal stalk, flowers early summer

How It Got Its Name: It got its name form the way it looks; wheat shaped with blue green coloring

Bibliography: http//www.unps.org/plant%20data%20base/plant%20sheets/bluebunch.html http://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/Articles/Forage/Species/Grasses/Bluebunch-wheatgrass.htm
http://extension.usu.edu/range/Grasses/bluebunchwheatgrass.htm

Rossy Pussy-Toes

foggybottom — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 13:38:18 CDT

rossy Pussy-Toes
Antennaria microphylla

general discription: perennial, with many leafy runners, flowering stems are 5-40 cm. tall

Plant Type: This is a herbaceous plant, it is a perennial which can reach 40cm in height (16inches).

Leaves: This plant has basal leaves and often stem leaves. The leaves are often fuzzy especially on the underside and there is usually a small pointed tip to the otherwise entire leaf. The leaves are parallel veined the number of veins being helpful to species identification. There are small leaflets on the stem.

Flowers: The flower parts are not discernable with the naked eye . They are white. Blooms first appear in early spring and continue into late spring. The small tubular flowers are in flower heads that are in tight terminal clusters except for A. solitaria which has a signal flower head.

Habitat: Open woods and fields.

Range: Throughout the southeast

modern uses: the plant is used for medicine, coughs, cold, and snake bites traditional uses: the traditional uses are the same as the modern uses it is used for medicine, coughs, colds,and snake bites
fruits: Achenes, tiny, cylindric, olive-green, tipped with white bristles, enclosing small seed

Lloyd, Parish C. plants of southern interior. canada: lone pine, 1996.

Tall Oregon Grape

foggybottom — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:49:27 CDT

Scientific Name- Mahonia aquifolium

General Description- The Creeping Oregon grape is the state flower of Oregon. It is a low growing plant that is found in most of the Pacific Coast. It has waxy green leaves that are spiny and have little thorns on them, light yellow flowers that bloom in the spring, and dark blue berries that ripen in the late fall. The plant can also be used for medicine, and other helpful uses. This plant grows in clusters and can grow to be 6 ft ore taller, but that is very rare, usually they grow to be 4 ft tall. The foliage is in the family deciduous. This plant needs lots of water to live other wise it will die out very quickly. The Oregon grape is in the barberry family. The Oregon Grape adaptes to dry, open, rocky habitats. Its fruit clusters resembles those of the Concord grapes. The stems are thorn less and the flowers are in distinctive clusters. The leaves are clustered, 6-12 inches long. The Oregon Grape has bright yellow clustered flowers followed by purple fruits.

Leaves- The leaves of the Tall Oregon Grape are 6-12 inches long and are very spiney so they make good barrier hedges. At times they will turn a bronzy color and the leaves resemble those of holly. The leaflets are a dark glossy green.

Flowers- The flowers are yellowish green and small. They grow in small clusters. The blooming time of the Tall Oregon Grape is mid spring and it can also be used for landscaping. The flowers are sometimes used by florists for greenery.

Fruits- The Tall Oregon Grapes Fruits are small blue-black berries. They are quite tart and contain large seeds. It is bitter so it is generally not eaten without being sweetened first. Sometimes in the winter the berries will turn purple. The first fruits ripen in late June and later.

Traditional Uses- The Tall Oregon Grape is useful to bees for the flowers and to the birds for the berries.

Modern Uses- The Oregon Grape is used for medical purposes and contains alkaloid berberine, known as an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial used in the treatment for infection. It is also used for a bitter tonic and is sometimes used for a yellow dye. It is sometimes used to make jelly.

Sources-

1. "Oregon Grape." Oregon Grape. 24 May 2009. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.. 1 Jan. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oregon-grape.

2. Jacobson, Arthur L. "Plant of the Month." Oregon Grape. Aug. 2002. 12 June 2009 http://www.arthurleej.com/p-o-m-Aug02.html

3. "Tall Oregon Grape." Native Plant Guide. Aug. 2008. King County. 12 June 2009 http://green.kingcounty.gov/gonative/Plant.aspx?Act=view&PlantID=25
.

Thimbleberry

LIbby20 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:29:45 CDT

Rubus parviflorus

General Description:
Upright non spiny shrub,50 to 200 cm tall, very short barley noticealbe hairs with gray flaking bark.

Leaves: Membranous, lanceolate stipules and stalks with stalked galnds.

Flowers: 3 to 7 termanal flat- topped clusters.

Fruits: Red drupelets eggregate fruit, looks simalar to a rasberry.

Modern Uses: When hikers need to go to the bathroom they can use the leaves of the thimbleberry.

Tradition uses: Idians used it as flavor to meat stew or they ate the root skin raw.

Sources: Hogan, M. (2009, January 1). wikipedia.org. Retrieved June 12, 2009, from From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thimbleberry

Common Camas

austin99203 — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 12:12:23 CDT

Camassia quamash

General Description: The common camas is a 12-28 inch tall plant with dense influences. They are perennial herbs that grow from a bulb. This camas can be easily mistaken for death camas because they have the same shape bulb and have similar flowers. This wildflower has brilliant purple flowers and grass like leaves. This herb is edible but should only be eaten if you are 100% positive that it is a Common Camas not a Death Camas.

Leaves: The Common Camass' leaves are blade like grasses. The leaves grow at the base of the plant and can grow to be as tall as the plant itself. The leaves can be ate but the bulb is the richer part. The blades can get to be 3 inches wide and 1.5 inches tall. The leaves are usually a radiant green.

Flowers: The flowers are a violet color and can be up to 1 inch wide. At the top of the Camas, the flowers are in a huddled bunch before blooming. The flowers of the Common Camas are almost all purple as to the Death Camas where the flowers can are mostly white.

Fruits: The fruit of this Camas is the bulb and is the most edible part of this plant. The fruit is a very widely distributed plant in food trade today. The bulb can grow to be the size of a large grape and is most readily available in the early summer-late fall.

Traditional uses: The common Camas was used by Northwest Coast peoples, the Coast Salish of Vancouver Island, western Washington groups, Squamish, Sechelt, Comox, and Kwak-waka'wakw of the British Columbia coast. Common Camas was considered to be the most important bulb to the California natives. Besides dried salmon, no other food was as widely traded. To the Nez Peirce tribe, Camas root is the most popular in trade today and trade is almost impossible without the Camas bulb. Around 100 years ago, a traditional trade of Camas root was, a newly married wife would give out Camas roots in corn husk bags to family and in a funeral trade, the widowed would give out Camas roots to family and relatives.

Modern Uses: 1.) this plant is used for cut flowers, beds, borders, ground cover, and rock gardens. 2.) It is used mainly for trade and is still a very important roll in the Native Americans today. 3.) This flower can be used for weaving mattresses
.
Common Camas Death Camas

Common Camas flower

Sources:
USDA, . "Common Camas." Plant guide. 1 1 http://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_caqub2.pdf.
ask.com. 1 Ask. 1 <dictionary.reference.com/askhome/browse/common+camas>.