At a guess there are 4-5 species of sandmats in this area, some as you would expect on the caliche ridges and slopes, but some springing up through the grass and leaf litter in sandy areas in a most unsandmatly way. I did not take time to ID most of my observations intending to go back over them later (sure), but thanks to Euphorbia expert Nathan Taylor for so many IDs.
Only one observation so far has been identified as being unique to our region and that is the Ranunculus which has otherwise been found only as near as Amarillo (by @amzapp ). If all plants were identified, I suspect there would be a couple more unique species. A number of little plants observed are unidentified or tentatively identified. Goodness knows I have dozens of observations I consider unidentified even when there is a label on them.
ADDED; Rarities sighted --
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/9216895 Panicled Aster
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/2429933 Osprey
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13766547 Cursed Crowfoot
I am not good at grasses, either photographing them, finding them, or identifying them. @rowdius is much much better as are the others whose observations are included. I suspect we have only scratched the surface of the grasses here in Mackenzie Park Wilds.
The riverine habitat has a number of dock-like and allium-like species that are hard to identify and even when photographed and "observed" here may not be properly identified.
Also the trees. Has a single Siberian Elm been "observed" in this project? Yet there are many of them. I think there are several tree species unobserved or at least unidentified.
Birds. I've had a number of unusual birds "get away" unidentified and unphotographed in this area, two in the last week or so. You have too.
Nobody has looked at the fish and invertebrates in the stream. We got turtles but no fish, crawdads, or water boatmen.
The Escobaria missouriensis cactus is interesting. See my journal post on this species: https://www.inaturalist.org/journal/thebark/15763-missouri-foxtail-cactus-escobaria-missouriensis-observations-in-yellowhouse-canyon-lubbock-texas
Within the city of Lubbock, Escobaria missouriensis has been found wild only in this area of Mackenzie Park and around Dunbar Lake. Ellen5 found several outside Lubbock and I photographed a different species of Escobaria at Tahoka Lake. Why have none been found elsewhere in Yellowhouse Canyon? I would guess that in landscaping Lubbock canyon lakes parks the city destroyed many cactus. Why then have no Escobaria been found at Lubbock Lake Landmark? Good question. LLL has one would think been thoroughly explored.; not true of the canyon up from LLL or down from Dunbar.
Ellen5 was looking at a photo I took of some wildflowers in the Mackenzie Wilds area and wondered whether what I dismissed as Woolly Locoweed was another species altogether. "Fortune favors the prepared mind," as Pasteur said. Ellen's mind was well-prepared while mine was not.
If confirmed, this is the first Lubbock County observation of Oxytropis lambertii, right here in Mackenzie Park Wilds. https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/13895324 While it was my photo, credit belongs to Ellen5.
