- Carnelian (also spelled cornelian) is a brownish-red mineral commonly used as a semiprecious stone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker; the difference is not rigidly defined, and the two names are often used interchangeably. Both carnelian and sard are varieties of the silica mineral chalcedony colored by impurities of iron oxide. The color can vary greatly, ranging from pale orange to an intense almost-black coloration. Significant localities include Yanacodo (Peru); Ratnapura (Sri Lanka); and Thailand. It has been found in Indonesia, Brazil, India, Russia (Siberia), and Germany. In the United States, the official State Gem of Maryland is also a variety of carnelian called Patuxent River stone.
- Castle Rock Natural Area Preserve (dnr.wa.gov)
On this preserve, dramatic basalt cliffs, canyons and tabletop mesas support unusually well preserved examples of eastern Washington’s shrub speckled grasslands known as shrub-steppe. A diversity in soil and habitats on the preserve provide sites for six distinct plant communities identified in the State of Washington Natural Heritage Plan. Threetip sage brush, big sagebrush, bluebunch wheatgrass, needle-and-threadgrass, and Idaho fescue are the main species represented in these habitats. On top of the castle, alkali-tolerant wildflowers and grasses grow in bands around a shallow, seasonal (vernal) pond which gradually dries up during summer.