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Onyx Peak - Tip-Top Mountain Area

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A variety of plant communities is found in this region which lies, for the most part, on the desert side of the San Bernardino Mountains.

A pinyon woodland, which in portions is almost exclusively composed of Pinus monophylla, occupies much of the lower elevations.  Associated with it are several extensive stands of Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia; many exceptionally large individuals are present with trunk diameters of over 60 centimeters (2 feet).  One of the several disjunct stands of Utah juniper, Juniperus osteosperma, in the San Bernardinos occurs in the woodland.  Great Basin sage scrub, with Artemisia tridentata, rabbit brush, Chrysothamnus nauseosus, and bitterbrush, Purshia tridentata var. glandulosa, the dominants, is interspersed in the woodland.

In the higher elevations the pinyon is joined by Western juniper, Juniperus occidentalis, which here is near its southern distributional limit on the West Coast. There is also chaparral with Arctostaphylos patula, Ceanothus spp., and mountain mahogany, Cercocarpus ledifolius.  Western juniper, Jeffrey pine, Pinus jeffreyi, and white fir, Abies concolor, occur above the woodland.  In the highest elevations are islands of lodgepole pine, Pinus contorta ssp. murrayana, and limber pine, Pinus flexilis.  

Several rare or unusual plants occur in the area, including Arabis parishii, Castilleja martinii ssp. ewanii [Ed. note: not a valid taxon in The Jepson Manual], and Castilleja cinerea.

Animal life is abundant and typical.  Bighorn sheep, Ovis canadensis, once ranged portions of the area but there have been no recent sightings.

Geologically, most of the area is underlain by Mesozoic granitic rocks.  There are, however, in the area Carboniferous and other Paleozoic sedimentaries and metasedimentaries, primarily limestones and marbles, many fossiliferous.  Some Pleistocene nonmarine sedimentaries also occur here.

Several springs and a number of creeks, most intermittent, rise and flow through the area.

Integrity:  There are a few roads, campsites, mines, etc., in the area; however, the vegetation is relatively undisturbed.  There are also off-road-vehicle sites nearby.

Use:  Research, educational, observational, on public portions.  Some private.

January 1981  

San Bernardino
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2005 Steven Louis Hartman

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Last modified: December 06, 2005