Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 2 Days

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Mar 182012
 

The Alpine Lily (Lloydia serotina) was another new find for me last summer. This bloom can be found in alpine areas of the western U.S. as well as in Europe in the Alps, the Carpathians, and a few inaccessible sites in Snowdonia National Park in Great Britain.  The white petals have purple veins that reflect ultraviolet light and attract pollinators.

The “Lloydia” part of its scientific name is for Edward Lloyd, 1660-1709, Curator of the Museum of Oxford University and discoverer of this plant in Wales. “Serotina” is Latin for “late-blooming,” a bit of a misnomer since this flower is actually one of the earlier-bloomers.

Alpine Lily, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Lily, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Lily, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Lily, Mount Evans, July 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 3 Days

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Mar 172012
 

The Fairy Trumpet (Ipomopsis aggregata) is a delicate member of the phlox family native to western North America and commonly found in Colorado’s foothills and montane zones. The trumpet-shaped flowers can be white, red, orange-red, pink, and, very rarely, yellow. This plant is a favorite food source for deer and elk. Some American Indian tribes boiled the plant as a drink for kidney health.

Fairy Trumpet, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Fairy Trumpet, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Fairy Trumpet, Goose Creek Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness Area, July 2011

Fairy Trumpet, Goose Creek Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness Area, July 2011

Fairy Trumpet, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Fairy Trumpet, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 4 Days

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Mar 162012
 

The electric blue flowers of the Alpine Forget-Me-Not (Eritrichium nanum) are easy to spot in the stark, rocky tundra above treeline in Colorado’s high mountains. The flowers, which can also occasionally be found in white, grow low to the ground on thick mats of fuzzy gray-green leaves to help ensure survival in the harsh alpine enviroment.

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Mount Evans, July 2011

Alpine Forget-Me-Not, Mount Evans, July 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 5 Days

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Mar 152012
 

Stork’s Bill (Erodium cicutarium), a member of the Geranium family, is an extremely common early-bloomer in Colorado’s foothills and montane zones, and is also one of the last bloomers in the fall. It occurs in all U.S. states except Florida and Louisiana and can also be found in much of the entire Northern Hemisphere. Native to the Mediterranean Basin, the Stork’s Bill was introduced into the US in the 18th century by early Spanish settlers. This plant is listed as a “noxious weed” in Colorado as it competes with crops and native plant species.

Stork's Bill, Roxborough Park, May 2011

Stork's Bill, Roxborough Park, May 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 6 Days

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Mar 142012
 

While generally found among grasses in Colorado’s montane meadows, the Blue Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum) is not actually a true grass, but is more closely related to the Wild Iris. The small bluish-purple blooms emerge from a “spathe”, a large, leaf-like bract that encloses the flower bud and then subtends and surrounds the flower on one side once the flower opens. The green leaf-looking projection in each of the photos below is part of the spathe.

Blue-Eyed Grass, Reynolds Park, June 2011

Blue-Eyed Grass, Reynolds Park, June 2011

Blue-Eyed Grass, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Blue-Eyed Grass, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 7 Days

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Mar 132012
 

Orange Agoseris (Agoseris aurantiaca), a close cousin of the Common Dandelion, can be found throughout western North America, and it also occurs disjunctly in small areas of the Canadian province of Quebec. Isn’t that weird? In Colorado, this wildflower can be found in the foothills, montane, and sub-alpine zones. While generally orange in color, it occasionally shows up in shades of lavender and pink.

Orange Agoseris, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Orange Agoseris, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 8 Days

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Mar 122012
 

The delicate little blooms of the Mountain Death Camas (Anticlea elegans) belie the deadly nature of this plant, all parts of which contain alkaline poisons that may be even more deadly than strychnine. The Mountain Death Camas and its even deadlier cousin, the Meadow Death Camas, both bear a strong resemblance to edible plants such as onions, sego lilies, fritillaries, and wild hyacinths when the plants are only a few inches high, so it’s best not to go around picking plants willy nilly for consumption in the Rocky Mountains in the spring unless you REALLY know what you’re doing. This member of the lily family can be found blooming in Colorado’s montane to sub-alpine zones between June and August.

Mountain Death Camas, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Mountain Death Camas, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Mountain Death Camas, Goose Creek Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness Area, July 2011

Mountain Death Camas, Goose Creek Trail, Lost Creek Wilderness Area, July 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 9 Days

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Mar 112012
 

I love the gentian family almost as much as I love the saxifrage family and was delighted to add three new gentian family members to my list last summer: the Green Gentian, the Fringed Gentian and this Star Gentian (Swertia perennis). The small, dusky purple blooms can be difficult to spot, as they tend to grow among tall grasses in wetland areas. Named after 16th century Dutch botanist Emanuel Sweert, the Star Gentian is native to the western U.S. as well as much of Eurasia.

Star Gentian, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Star Gentian, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 10 Days

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Mar 102012
 

With its bright magenta petals and little yellow “eye,” Parry’s Primrose (Primula parryi) is easy to spot in the subalpine and alpine zones of Colorado’s mountains. This is a plant that likes to get its feet wet, so it will generally be found along streams and in boggy areas. The whole plant is reported to exude a rather unpleasant, skunklike smell.

Parry’s Primrose was named after British-American botantist Charles Christopher Parry, who extensively studied the Colorado mountain flora in the 1860s. Mr. Parry has tons of flowers and trees named after him, as well as Parry Peak, one of Colorado’s 637 “thirteeners.”

Parry's Primrose, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Parry's Primrose, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Parry's Primrose, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

Parry's Primrose, Blue Lake, Indian Peaks Wilderness Area, August 2011

And as a bonus today, I present the diminutive cousin of Parry’s Primrose, the Fairy or Alpine Primrose (Primula angustifolia), a hardy tundra dweller found only in alpine areas of Colorado and northern New Mexico.
Fairy Primrose, Mount Evans, July 2011

Fairy Primrose, Mount Evans, July 2011

Countdown to Spring 2012 – T-Minus 11 Days

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Mar 092012
 

The Sego Lily, or Mariposa Lily (Calochortus nuttallii), is a very prolific bloom that is endemic to the Western United States. The petals are generally white, as shown here, but can also be found sporting lovely lavender shades. The bulbs of the sego lily were roasted, boiled or made into a porridge by the Ute tribes, who in turn taught Mormon pioneers about this food source. This may explain why the Sego Lily was chosen as the state flower of Utah.

As with yesterday’s flower (delphinium nuttallianum), plus a number of other flowers and birds, the Sego Lily owes part of its scientific name to English botanist/zoologist, Thomas Nuttall.

Sego Lily, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

Sego Lily, Caribou Ranch, July 2011

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