Perhaps these plants, that were in the dry part of the wash in Eaton Canyon, were buckwheat plants with no flowers. Some of them had blue dicks in bloom that were sticking up out of the top of them almost making them look like they were part of the same plant even though they were not.
I saw at least three quail in the area near the Eaton Canyon nature Center.
More photos of examples in this cluster of Solanum elaeagnifolium or lanceolatum or dimidiatum. Some leaves are lobed. Stems and underside of leaves are densely hairy, with some of stellate hairs on stalks.
Taking note of some detailed information on these species:
https://solanaceaesource.myspecies.info/solanaceae/solanum-elaeagnifolium
https://solanaceaesource.myspecies.info/solanaceae/solanum-lanceolatum-1
https://solanaceaesource.myspecies.info/solanaceae/solanum-dimidiatum
At first I thought I saw a doe grazing between the nature center & the parking lot, but then I could see there were two other deer a few feet away. All three had small antlers, so I’m assuming they were three young bucks.
photos of three different examples
several seen