I've been searching all day trying to identify this plant but I'm completely lost. There was only one located near the Oak Forest in Eaton Canyon, and it was around 4 feet tall. Note the swirly little things that attached to a nearby plant.
Common name "western" or "pacific oak" was found In the oak Forest community, under the oak trees.
A Prickly Pear Cactus in Eaton Canyon Park, CA