Tecate Peak
Map SatelliteOn the north slope of the mountain, near the highway, is a stand of the rare Tecate cypress, Cupressus forbesii. It formerly occurred on the peak itself but repeated burnings have eliminated it from this site. This cypress occurs with an endemic chaparral (see Otay Mountain) which includes Ceanothus otayensis and Chamaebatia australis.
Two rare plants, Caulanthus heterophyllus var. heterophyllus and Monardella hypoleuca ssp. lanata, occur in the area.
Integrity: The stand has not been burned for at least 40 years. However, burning has eliminated larger stands that occurred on the peak, thus demonstrating the inability of the cypress to reproduce when subjected to repeated fires.
Use: Private
Ref: Wolf, Carl B. 1948. Taxonomic and Distributional Studies of the New World Cypresses. El Aliso Vol. I, pp. 1-250.
July 1975
Inventory of California Natural Areas
Revision © 2009 Steven Louis Hartman