SELECTED COMMENTS ON THE VEGETATION AND FLORAOF MARYS PEAK, BENTON COUNTY

by

Esther H. G. McEvoy, Robert E. Frenkel, and Philp R. Hays

IntroductionMarys Peak (4,097 ft) is the highest point in the Oregon Coast Range. Situated in BentonCounty 15 mi. southwest of Corvalls and 25 mi. from the Pacific Ocean, the peak is aprominent landmark for the central Wilamette Valley, A road, initiated in 1938 by WPA andCCC crews, was completed in 1941 and provides public access to a campground, a trailcomplex and parking area a few hundred feet below the summit. One can climb the north slopeof the peak 2,300 ft. by trail from the Woods Creek road head, or 1,600 ft. across the east slopeaccessed about 5.6 miles from Hwy 34 on the Marys Peak road,

In 1987, the Forest Service established the Marys Peak Scenic Botanical Special Interest Area.

The 1,300 acre area features an outstanding scenic and botanical complex embracing anextensive grassland, xeric "rock garden", noble fir forest, and panoramic view of the Cascades,Coast Range and Willamette Valley, The summit has long been a lodestone for botanistsbecause of its diverse flora and distinctive vegetation.

A fire lookout was formerly located at the summit. Today, microwave installations are sited on. several high points. Heavy logging has taken place on lower slopes on private, City of Corvalls,

BLM, and Forest Service lands. On the summit area, general recreational activity, includingmountain bike use, unauthorized ATV trespass and vandalism, today constitute majordisturbances,

Geology and ClimateAn erosion resistant Mid-Tertiary sil intruding Eocene sandstones, which overlie early EoceneSiletz River Volcanics, caps Marys Peak. The peak is bounded by several northeast andsoutheast trending faults. One can observe the volcanic basement rocks in cuts along the firstfew miles of the Marys Peak road. An exemplary exposure of fine textured sandstone (EoceneFlournoy Formation (formerly the Tyee)) is 6.5 mi. from the beginning of the Marys Peak Roadon the north side. Parker Creek waterfall (at 6.1 mi.) displays the erosion resistant gabbroforming the Marys Peak silL. The intrusive gabbro elsewhere grades into a granophyric dioritemaking up the coarse parent material for the grassland and rock garden (Lawrence et al. 1980).

Climate is maritime with heavy precipitation (123 in. annually) concentrated from October toMay. Less than 5% of the yearly precipitation falls in summer. Snowpack above 3,700 ft. isdeep, but seldom remains past mid-May. Powerful winds and periods of winter thaw preventappreciable snow accumulation on the south and west slopes, but drifts pile up on shelterednorth and east slopes. Gale-force winds and thick rime accumulations characterize summitwinter conditions.

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VegetationExtending in elevation slightly above the Western Hemlock Zone, the summit area embracesseveral vegetation types that were first described by Merkle (1951). The peak's north slopesare dominated by western hemlock, noble fir and Douglas fir; east slopes by noble fir and atlower elevations by Douglas fir; south slopes by Douglas fir; and west slopes by hemlock andDouglas fir. An almost pure noble fir forest, the most extensive stand in the Coast Range,surrounds the prominent grassland, occupying elevations above 3,500 ft.. Bordering themeadow on the south is a precipitous apron of vine maple. A narrow riparian strip lines ParkerCreek, which plunges southward in a series of cascades from the summit. One of the mostbotanically interesting vegetation types on the peak is the summit "rock garden", a lithosolic(thin soil) community with a south to southwestern exposure.

The area has occasionally been burned as evidenced by tree age strLicture, snags, and firescars. Burns in 1908 on the north slope and in 1932 on the south slope, did not reach thesummit (Merkle 1951). Noble fir forest age is about 120-150 years with only a few sentinels of225 years. However, the forest reflects wind damage, especially though the creation of gapsand at the forest-meadow edge where the forest is encroaching on the meadow relativelyrapidly at 0.1-0.5 m/yr (Hadley and Savage 1996). Abetted by forest canopy openings for theroad and an historic campground, recent wind damage has been severe. The apparent loggingin the summit area has been strictly a salvage operation to remove timber from two recentblowdowns. .Two additional studies have documented significant features in the summit area. TeresaMagee and Joe Antos (1992) analyzed the stability of the boundary (ecotone) between thenoble fir forest and meadow with specific reference to tree invasion. Tree invasion into themeadow is occurring at meadow margins. They recognized four boundary types within whichactive noble fir tree invasion is progressing. Tree invasion is controlled by such environmentalfactors as light and moisture as well as by competitive factors. Deep graminoid litter .

accumulation in the meadow, limits tree seedling establishment. Mineral soil exposure, deepsnow, reduced meadow vegetation and proximity to already established trees, encourageseedling establishment. Peak years in which tree seedlings established coincide with abundantrain during the growing season. The role of fire in maintaining the distinctiveness of thegrassland is unclear, but it is believed that "even infrequent fires. . , could maintain themeadow" (Magee and Antos 1992). In the short term, in the face of human disturbance and fireexclusion, the grassland appears stable; but stabilty is problematic in the longer term (~1 00years).

In stil another study, Bily Snow (1984) identified four grassland plant communities includingthree community phases:

1. Festuca rubra-Agrostis diegoensis-Carex califomica community dominating thegrassland with three phases:

a. Dry Phase, a species-poor assemblage on south slopesb. Forb Phase, a forb-rich assemblage on west slopes dominated by

Pteridium aquilinumc. Disturbed Phase, with combinations of forbs, grasses and someruderals

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2. Senecio triangularis community on north slopes including a snowbed assemblage withEryhroniurn grandiforum and Anemone Iyal/ii

3. Iris tenax community, a species-rich inclusion in an otherwise species-poor grass andsedge meadow

4. Xerophytic rock garden community, a lithosolic community on the southwest slope withmany spring-flowering forbs

FloraMarys Peak is of special floristic interest because of its isolation and elevation in the CoastRange. In a study of disjunct species with xeric affinities west of the Cascades Detling (1953)examined several Coast Range and Western Cascades mountains including Marys Peak. Hehypothesized that during the warm dry period that prevailed between 6,000 and 4,000 yearsbefore the present, a xeric flora advanced from southern and eastern Oregon into more mesicnorthwestern Oregon. Subsequently, with the advance of moister and cooler conditions, thesexeric species persisted in thin-soil habitats on mountain tops, For example, Lupinus lepiduswas thought to have come from central Oregon, and Eriogonum umbel/atum from the Roguearea. The affnities of the flora with more northern and more montane elements is suggested bythe dominance of noble fir (Abies procera) and such small assemblages as a snowbedcommunity characterized by Eryhronium grandiforum.

Literature Cited

Baldwin, Ewart.1964. Geology of Oregon .Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, Iowa.Detling, L.E. 1953. Relict islands of xeric flora west of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon.Madrono 12:39-47.Hadley, K.S, and M. Savage. 1996. Wind disturbance and development of a near-edge forestinterior, Marys Peak, Oregon Coast Range. Physical Geography 17 47-61.Hitchcock, C.L. and A. Cronquist. 1973. Flora of the Pacifc Northwest, Univ. WashingtonPress, Seattle.Lawrence, R.D., C.L. Rosenfeld, and W. Ruddiman. 1980. Marys Peak field trip: structure ofthe eastern flank of the central Coast Range, Oregon, p. 121-131. In Geologic Field Trips inWestern Oregon and Southwestern Washington. Oregon State Department of Geology. andMineral Industries Bull 1 01.Merkle, J. 1951. An analysis of the plant communities of Mary's Peak, western Oregon.Ecology 32:618-640. .Magee, T.K and J.A. Antos. 1992. Tree invasion into a mountain-top meadow in the OregonCoast Range, USA. Journ. Veg. Sci. 3:485-494.Snow, B.D. 1984. Plant communities of the grassy balds of Marys Peak, Oregon. M.S. thesis,Oregon State Univ., Corvalls.U.S. Forest Service. 1980. Marys Peak Scenic Botanical Plan. USDA Forest Service, Siuslaw

National Forest, Corvalls.

6/2005

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Marys PeakScenic-Botanical

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Marys Peak Scenic Botanical Area Plant Species List 2005 update by Esther

This plant list was compiled from lists of Teresa Magee and Bily Snow, Dave Danley, and Alcetta CampbelL.Bob Frenkel, Phil Hays, and Esther Guber McEvoy have been annotating the list over the past years.Plant list was annotated by Rhoda Love with the Oregon check list to reflect modern usage

Scientific Name Common Name

Acer circinatumLigusticum apiifoliumLomatium martindaleiLomatium utriculatumOsmorhiza purpurea

Apocynum androsaemifoliumOplopanax horrdumAscarum caudatumAchillea milefoliumAdenocaulon bicolorAnaphalis margaritaceaAmica amplexicaulisAster radulinus

Bells perennisLeucanthemum vulgare=(Chrysanthemum leucanthemum)Cirsium edule

Cirsium halliCirsium vulgareCrepis capilarisEriophyllum lanatumHieracium albiforum

Hypochaeris radicataLactuca biennisLapsana communisMadia madioidesMatricaria discoideaSenecio integerrimus var. exaltatusSenecio jacobea .Senecio sylvaticusSenecio triangularisTanacetum vulgareTaraxacum offcinaleAchlys triphyllaBerberis aquifolium

Berberis nervosaVancouveria hexandraAlnus rubraCorylus comuta var. califomicaArabis glabraCardamine pulcherrma var.pulcherimaDraba vemaErysimum asperumStreptanthus cordatusCampanula scouleri

vine maplecelery leaved lovageMartindale's lomatiumcommon lomatiumpurple sweet cicelyspreading dogbanedevils club

wild gingeryarrUUwpathfindercommon pearly.everlastingclasping Arnicarough leaved asterEnglish daisy

oxeye daisyedible thistleHall's thistlebull thistlesmooth hawks beardwoolly sunflowerwhite flowered hawksweedspotted cats-eartall blue lettucenipplewortwoodland tarweedpineapple weedwestern groundsel

tansy ragwort

wood groudselarrow leaf grounselcommon dandelioncommon dandelionvanila leafshining Oregongrapedull Oregongrapewhite inside-out-flowerred alderhazelnuttower mustard

spring beauty

spring Whitlow grassrough wallflowerheart shaped streptanthusScouler's harebell

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Family

AceraceaeApiaceaeUmbellferaeUmbellferaeUmbelliferaeApocynaceaeAraliaceaeAristolochiaceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceae

AsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeAsteraceaeBerberidaceaeBerberidaceaeBerberidaceaeBerberidaceaeBetulaceaeBetulaceaeBrassicaceaeBrassicaceaeBrassicaceaeBrassicaceaeBrassicaceaeCampanulaceae

Unnaea borealisSambucus mexicanaSambucus racemosa var. arborescensSymphoricarpos albusSymphoricarpos mollsArenaria macrophyl/aCerastium arvenseCerastium fonatanum spp vulgare

Silene douglasiiSpergularia rubraStel/aria crispaThuja plicata

Carex califomica

Carex fractaCarex hoodii

Carex merlensii

Carex rossiiCarex aquatilis var. dives=Carex sitchensis

Arctostaphylos uva-ursiChimaphila umbel/ata .Gaultheria shal/onMonotropa hypopitys =Hypopitys monotropaMonotropa uniforaPvrola aohvl/aPyrola picta

Vaccinium membranaceumVaccinium parvifoliumVaccinium scopariumCytisus scopariusLathyrus polyphyllusLathyrus nevadensisLotus crassifolius

Lotus micranthusLupinus albicaulisLupinus lepidus var. lobbiiLupinus rivularisMe/iotus offcinalisTrifolium dubiumTrifolium pratenseTriolium repensTriolium subte"aneumVicia americana var. truncataChrysolepis chrysophylla var. chrysophyllaCastanopsis chrysophyl/aDicentra formosaRibes sangineumHydrophyl/um capitatumHydrophyllum occidentaleHydrophyl/um tenuipesNemophila parvifora var. parviforaPhacelia heterophyl/a

Phaceilia nemoralisRomanzoffa sitchensis

twinflowerblue elderberrycoast red elderberry

creeping snowberrycommon snowberrycommon snowberrybigleaf sandwortcommon mouse earDouglas silenered sandspurrycrisped starwortwestern red cederCalifornia sedgefragile sheathed sedgeHood's sedgeMertens' sedgeRoss' sedge

Sitka sedgekinnikinnickprince's pinesalalpinesappinesapIndian pipeleafless pvrolawhite veined pyrolabig huckleberryred huckleberrygrouseberryScotch broomleafy peavinesweetpeabig deervetch .small flowered lotussickle keeled lupineprostrate lupine

riverbank lupine

yellow sweet cloverleast hop cloverred cloverwhite cloversubterraneum cloversmooth pod American vetch

golden chinquapinPacific bleedingheartred flowering currantballhead waterleafwestern waterleafslender stem waterleafwood nemophilavarileaf phaceliawoodland phaceliaSitka mistmaiden

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CaprifoliaceaeCaprifoliaceaeCaprifoliaceaeCaprifoliaceaeCaprifoliaceaeCaryophyllaceaeCaryophyllaceaeCaryophyllaceaeCaryophyll8ceaeCaryophyllaceaeCaryophyllaceaeCupressaceaceCyperaceaeCyperaceaeCyperaceaeCyperaceaeCyperaceae

CyperaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEncaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeEricaceaeFabaceaeF abaceaeFabaceaeFabaceaeF abaceaeF abaceaeF abaceaeFabaceaeF abaceaeF abaceaeFabaceaeFabaceaeF abaceaeFabaceaeFagaceaeFagaceaeFumariaceaeGrossulariaceaeHydrophyllaceaeHydrophyllaceaeHydrophyllaceaeHydrophyllaceaeHydrophyllaceaeHydrophyllaceaeHydrophyllaceae

Iris tenaxLuzula campestrisLuzula parvifora

Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolataSatureja douglasiiStachys mexicanaStachys rigidaAllum crenulatumCalochortus tolmieiClintonia uniforaProsartes hookenDisporum smithiiProsartes smithiiDisporum smithiiErthyronium grandiforum var. grandiforumErthyronium oregonum sp oregonumFriti/laria affinis va,. affinisFritilaria lanceolata choclatae liyLilium columbianum columbia liyMaianthemum dilatatum flase liy-of-the-valleyMaianthemum racemosus subsp. amplexicauleSmilacina racemosa large false solomon's sealMamn~emum sæ/latumSmilacina stellataStenanthium occidentaleStreptopus amplexifoliusTrillum ovatumXerophyllum tenaxLycopodium clavatumEpilobium angustifoliumBotrychium multifdumCorallorhiza maculataGoodyera oblongifoliaPlatanthera strictaHabenaria saccataListera cordataOxalis oreganaOxalis trillifoliaAbies grandisAbies proceraPseudotsuga menziesiiThuja plicata -Tsuga heterophyllaPlantago lanceolataPlantago majorName changeAgrostis diegoensisAgrostis halliiAira caryophylleaAira praecoxBromus carinatusBromus mollisBromus sitchensisBromus vulgaris var. vulgaris?

Oregon irisfield wood rushsmall flowered wood rushnative heal allyerba buenaMexican betonyrigid betonyscalloped onion

Tolmie's mariposaQueen's cup

fairy bells

fairy lanternsyellow avalanche liy

giant fawn liy

star-flowered solomon's sealwestern stenanthium

twisted stalkwestern trilliumbeargrasscommon clubmossfireweed

. leathery grape fernspotted coral rootwestern rattlesnake plaintain

slender bog orchid

northwestern twaybladeOregon wood sorreltrilium leaved wood sorrelgrand firnoble firDouglas firwestern red cedarwestern hemlockEnglish plantaincommon plantain

thin bentgrassHall's bentgrasssilver hairgrassearly hairgrassCalifornia bromesoft bromusAlaska bromenarrow-leaved brome

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IridaceaeJuncaceaeJuncaceaeLamiaceaeLamiaceaeLamiaceaeLamiaceaeLiliaceaeLiliaceaeLiliaceae

Liliaceae

LiliaceaeLiliaceae

LiliaceaeLiliaceaeLiliaceae

Liliaceae

LiliaceaeLiliaceaeLilaceaeLiliaceaeLiliaceaeLycopodiaceaeOnagraceaeOphioglossaceaeOrchidaceaeOrchidaceae

OrchidaceaeOrchidaceaeOxalidaceaeOxalidaceaePinaceaePinaceaePinaceaePinaceaePinaceaePlantaginaceaePlantaginaceae

PoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceae

Cynosurus echinatusDactylis glomerataDanthonia califomicaElymus glaucus var?Festuca occidentalisFestuca roemeriFestuca subulata

Koeleria cristataLolium perenneMefica bulbosaMelica spectabilis

Mefica subulataPhleum alpinumPoa annuaPoa laxiforaPoa pratensis

name changeSitanion hystrix

Col/omia heterophYl/a

Gifa capitataLinanthes sp.Phlox gracilis

Microsteris graci/isPhlox diffusaEriogonum nudumEriogonum umbel/atumPolygonum avicularePolygonum minimumRumex acetosel/aAdiantum pedatumAthyrium fiix-feminaCryptogramma crispaPolystichum munitumPteridium aquilinumClaytonia perfoliata

Montia perfoliata

Claytonia sibirica var. sibiricaMontia sibiricaTrentalis latifoliaAnemone deftoideaAnemone IyaffiAnemone oreanaAqui/egia formosaCoptis laciniata

Delphinium menziesii var. pyramidaleRanunculus occidentalisRanunculus uncinafus var. uncinatusThafictrum spRhamnus purshianaAme/anchier alnifoliaFragaria vescaFragaria virginiana var. platypeta/aH%discus discolorPrunus emarginataRosa gymnocarpa

hedgehog dogtailorchard grassCalifornia oatgrassblue wild ryewestern fescueRomer's fescue

bearded fescue

prairie JunegrassEnglish ryegrassoniongrassoniongrassoniongrassalpine timothyannual bluegrassloose-flowered bluegrassKentucky bluegrass

bottlebrush squirreltailvaried leaf collomiabluefield gila

linanthus

slender phloxspreading phlox

barestem buckwheatsulfur buckwheatdoorweedbroad leaf knotweedsourweeedmaidenhair fernladyfernrock-brakesword fern

bracken fernMiner's lettuce

candy flower

candy flowerwestern starfower

three leaf anemoneLyall's anemoneOregon anemonered columbineOregon goldthreadValley larkspurwestern buttercuplittle buttercupmeadowruecascaraPacific serviceberrywoods strawberrystrawberrycreambush ocean-spraybittercherrylittle wild rose

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PoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceaePoaceae

PoaceaePolemoniaceaePolemoniaceaePolemoniaceae

PolemoniaceaePolemoniaceaePolygonaceaePolygonaceaePolygonaceaePolygonaceaePolygonaceaePolypodiaceaePolypodiaceaePolypodiaceaePOIYPodiaceaePolypodiaceaePortulacaceaePortulacaceaePortulacaceaePortulacaceaePrimulaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRanunculaceaeRhamnaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceae

Rubus laciniatusRubus parviforusRubus pedatusRubus spectabilisRubus ursin usGalium apanne var. apanneGalium oreganumGalium triforumChrysosplenium glechomifolium

Heuchera sp.Lithophragma parviforum

Mitella brewenTellma grandiforaTiarella tnfoliataCastileja hispida

Collnsia grandiforaCollnsia parviforaDigitalis purpureaMimulus dentatusNothochelone nemorosaPenstemon cardwelliPenstemon ovatusScrophulana califomica ssp. CalifomicaSynthyns reniformisVeronica serpyllfolia var. humifusaSelaginella densa var. scopulorumTaxus brevifoliaViola aduncaViola glabellaViola sempervirens

evergreen blackberrythimbleberrydwarf bramblesalmonberryPacific blackberrybedstrawOregon bedstrawfragrant bedstrawwestern golden carpet

alumrootsmall flowered prairie starBrewer's mitrewortfringecupfoamflowerharsh paintbrush

large flowered blue-eyed Marysmall flowered blue-eyed Maryfoxglovetooth leaved monkey flowerwoodland beard tongueCardwell's penstemonbroad-leaved penstemonCallfornia figwort

snow-queenthyme-Ieaveä speedwellselaginella .western yewwestern blue violetstream violetevergreen violet

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RosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRosaceaeRubiaceaeRubiaceaeRubiaceaeSaxifragaceaeSaxifragaceaeSaxifragaceaeSaxifragaceaeSaxifragaceaeSaxifragaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeScrophulariaceaeSelaginellacaeTaxaceaeViolaceaeViolaceaeViolaceae