These last few days of summer hold memories of weeks past and expectations of weeks to come. Flowers are transforming into fruits and leaves are turning from shades of greens into hues of yellows, reds, and oranges.

Shadows lengthen as days shorten upon the montane meadows of Ski Lake Trail, Bridger Teton National Park.

Aster Flowers and More:

Several wildflowers are still blooming, although they look rather ragged. Most are members of the Aster Family and sport many guises. The typical “aster” flowers attract the final, almost “desperate” pollinators, which are clinging to flower heads seeking remnant nectar and pollen. A few sunflower-like species still shine along roadways. Other flowers are individually very discreet, at least until they bloom together in such forces that you can’t fail to notice the yellow cast of pollen. And yet another species just stinks.

Note: Identification of Asters emphasizes “bracts”. These leaf-like structures surround the heads.  Heads consist of the bracts, a receptacle (platform), and many individual flowers whorled inside. Bracts are highly variable, beautiful, and helpful in ID. (also note in identification of any plant: look at several individuals to get full variation in size, color, features.)

The non-native, invasive, but forever fascinating and in fact beautiful, Musk Thistle – Carduus nutans – represents the change of the season:

A bee digs deep into the elongate violet-blue flowers surrounded by the armor of thick bracts.

Nearby, wind teases out tuffs of fluff, which carry seeds of Musk Thistle into unknown adventures…likely to become pests on nearby lands.

Two similar asters attract butterflies and bees:

Leafybract Aster – Symphyotrichum foliaceum var. canbyi – is still blooming strong by seeps and streams or on higher elevation slopes. This species is relatively easy to separate from other aster species. (Another variety S. f. var. apricus is found in subalpine to alpine elevations.)

The bracts are loose, leaf-like shingles encircling the head, hence the name Leafybract Aster. (Note these larger outer bracts may or may not be there.  Look at several flowers to see).

The elongate leaves of Leafybract Aster cling more  and more closely while alternating up the 16”-30” stems. Note the many pale ray flowers and the relatively wide leaves which are typically <7 times as long as wide.

Pacific Aster – Symphyotrichum ascendens – is a very common aster along roadsides and trails.

Pacific Aster is overall a smaller and bushier plant than Leafybract Aster (above) with the upper part of the 1-2’ stems covered with pale lavender flowers.  The leaves are long and narrow >7x as long as wide.

The bracts of Pacific Aster are narrow, sharp pointed, and tightly held against the heads.  The lower, outer bracts are much shorter than the inner upper bracts.

Two other aster species can be confusing:

The flowers of Thickstem Aster – Eurybia integrifolia – attract attention due to their larger size.

In Thickstem Aster the relatively few ray flowers are an unusual intense violet-blue. The inner disc flowers begin yellowish turning purple. Looking closely, you can see that the flower heads and stems have many sticky glandular hairs, a very helpful ID feature. Often these parts turn deep purple. The upper leaves clasp the thick, slightly zigzag stems. Overall the plants are heftier (and certainly stickier) than the two aster species described above.

Hoary Spiny Asters – Machaeranthera canescens – are still blooming on sage flats and other dry sites.  The delicate looking plants are deceptively durable.

The violet blue flowers of Hoary Spiny Aster catch the eye along Granite Canyon Trail.  Tiny silvery hairs on stem and leaves reflect back intense light, reduce wind velocity, and shade the surface of the plants, thereby keeping the plants from transpiring too much water on hot windy days.     

The spines on the tips of the slightly toothed 1-2” leaves and at the tips of the outward curved flower bracts give the plant its name: Hoary Spiny Aster

Two sunflower-like flowers persist along roadsides and trails.

Showy Goldeneye – Viqueria multiflora – continues to stare at you along portions of Ski Lake and History Trails near Teton Pass, as well as, roadsides of Grand Teton National Park. The 2-3” leaves are opposite and have pinnately veined leaves. The golden ray flowers pale towards their tips. The wiry plants average about 2’ tall.

Curly Cup Gumweed—Grindellia squarrosa – is easy to recognize. Resinous bracts curl back and stick together to form spiny cups which beam brilliant rays of sunshine.  They thrive along dry, disturbed edges of the inner park road.

Two more very different members of the Aster Family with tiny flowers:

It is easy to overlook the fact that the Big Sagebrush – Artemesia tridentata var. vaseyana – is in full flower right now in parts of Jackson Hole.

With Big Sagebrush, only a few individual flowers form the tiny flower heads, which are easily overlooked. Look carefully for the arching stigmas that will capture windblown pollen.

While individually inconspicuous, the tiny flowers arranged all along the slender stalks add up to quite a show. They disperse millions of tiny pollen grains upon the wind. Such light and plentiful pollen is a source of allergies in humans.

Also, observe Big Sagebrush leaves. The larger ones produced when water was plentiful in spring are dying off, but the smaller leaves of early summer will remain throughout the winter.  The shrub is evergreen.  These leaves are essential to the survival of Sage Grouse.

A particularly odd ball member of the Aster Family:

Often only six inches high, Tarweed – Madia glomerata – is easily crushed underfoot, releasing an intense smell reminding some people of tar. The glandular hairs containing the scent are a defense mechanism to deter grazing animals large and small. It is interesting that some people like the fragrance while others find it pretty stinky. In fact plants vary in their chemical arsenal. While many grazers avoid the plants, honeybees use the pollen and ground squirrels eat the protein-rich seeds. Tarweed is a native annual that is used in habitat restoration efforts.

Schizocarps in the Carrot Family: A Quiz

Many of the members of the Carrot or Parsley Family (Apiaceae) are now in fruit. Below are photos of “schizocarps” – the uniquely designed fruits of this family: they split in half and are arranged in umbrella-like structures. Can you determine which species they belong to (hints provided): Wild Licorice – Osmorhiza occidentalis; Cow-parsnip – Heracleum spondylium; Fernleaf Lovage – Ligusticum filicinum – Sharp-tooth Angelica – Angelica arguta, Common Yampa – Perideridia montana? (Answers at end.)

A. Look closely: the two sides of the horizontally splitting fruits are each flat with 3 ridges on the back and wings to the sides.

A. The umbels of fruits stand 5-6′ feet high on smooth stems in moist locations.

B. These plants bloomed late this summer predominantly in the sage flats. Fruits are almost round and relatively smooth. (see closeup below),

B. Another hint: the roots of this plant are favored by bears. Note the splitting of the individual fruits. Also the stylopodiums: the swollen, persistent bases of the stigmas.

C. Two to three-foot plants of forest edges and meadows hold up elongate smooth, purple black fruits.  Note the beige central stalks (lower left) that held the two sided fruits which were flavorful when younger.

D. These slightly curved, ridged schizocarps are more or less oblong.  The large compound leaves are finely dissected.

E. These fruits are very flat with two to three decorative lines.  The plants are very large, coarsely hairy, and grow in moist areas.

Answers: A: Smooth-toothed Angelica B: Common Yampah C:Wild Licorice or Sweet-Cicely D: Fernleaf Lovage E: Cow-parsnip

Fleshy Fruits:

Last and not least, especially for the birds, bears, and small mammals of Jackson Hole, are the fruits of the Rose Family. When investigating the wild fruits, first consider your cultivated apples, cherries, peaches, plums, etc, which are relatives.  The flesh you are eating is actually the swollen base of fused sepals and petals and even anthers surrounding an inferior ovary in which seeds (pits or individual seeds) form, e.g. you are eating the ripened “hypanthium”. This fleshy juicy part is what most birds and mammals consume as well, although some rodents chew upon the hard coated seeds. The tasty fruit is the “reward” for dispersing the seeds.

Mountain Ash – Sorbus scopulina – decorates the beginning of Ski Lake Trail and various canyons. Note the shiny compound leaves, as well as the heavy clusters of orange fruits.

Hawthorn trees – Crataegus douglasii – are filled with bunches of dark fruits protected (supposedly) by 1-2” long thorns. No wonder people are seeing black bears along the Moose-Wilson Road where this plant is particularly abundant. Do be careful hiking around berries of any kind right now.

Fruits of Chokecherry – Prunus virginiana – are arranged in a raceme, e.g. fruits dangle on short stems from a long central stalk. If ingested by humans or livestock, chemicals in the pits and leaves convert to hydrocyanic acid which inhibits cellular respiration and the ability to use oxygen: in short they are poisonous. On the other hand, the fruits, are relished by many animals (which excrete the pits) and numerous insect species overcome the defense systems. Plants may or may not be poisonous to different species, and in different life stages.  This plant is very important for sustaining biodiversity.

Serviceberries – Amelanchier alnifolia – still retain some red-blue-purple fruits, although many birds such as American robins, cedar waxwings, and western tanagers, have already consumed them to fuel their migration south.

Wood’s Rose – Rosa woodsii – holds several fruits at the tips of twigs. Rose hips are particularly high in vitamin C, perhaps as much as 60x as much as lemons….but who really eats lemons?
These fruits will last on the plants through much of the winter, providing food when other resources are scarce.

Fireweed Finale:

Fireweed – Chamerion/Epilobium angustifolium – is the traditional harbinger of autumn.

Fireweed is almost finished blooming, with bumblebees garnering the last bits of pollen and nectar.

The elongated fruits of Fireweed have burst into a whirlwind dance of seeds dispersing.

The crimson leaves provide an encore before hard frost.

Enjoy the fall:

Plants can be enjoyed in all seasons for their flowers, fruits, leaves, bark, structure. Observe closely and celebrate the cycle of the year.

Aspen groves on Munger Mountain are full of fall treats.

Some cultures revere the beauty of aging. Here is a dignified, grizzled head of the statuesque Five-nerved Helianthella – Helianthella quinquenervis.  

Happy botanizing!

Frances Clark, Wilson, WY

August 31, 2015

P.S. This blog is designed to encourage further exploration into the wonders of our native plant world.  As always, we appreciate you comments, additions, and corrections.

Moose-Wilson Road has an array of tall forbs (wildflowers) – Tall Larkspur, Butterweed Groundsel, and Canada Goldenrod.

As one drives along the Moose-Wilson Road or up to Two Ocean Lake, or hikes through montane meadows, several tall 3-6’ wildflower species may divert your attention. Most of these thrive in relatively moist and/or cool situations where they can take up sufficient moisture to support their large bodies of stems and leaves, along with plentiful, showy flowers.

Moose Pond Trail has a small meadow with Cow Parsnip, Giant Hyssop, Sticky Geranium and more!

Giant Hyssop – Agastache urticifolia – is a member of the Mint Family.   Feel the square stem, smell the fragrant leaves, and observe what comes to the “irregular” flowers. Occasionally it is pollinated by hummingbirds, probably attracted by the reddish pink bracts.  The stamens protrude beyond the fused petals, bonking pollen on the heads of pollinators.

Pause and take a close look and think about what is happening: What do the flowers look like: are they simple or complicated; all they all the same color or highly variable; what are their pollinators? Unseen variations may be that some species are extremely poisonous. Other species display an extraordinary abundance of flowers this year due to unusual environmental triggers last year. Many factors: environmental and biological–affect what grows where in Teton County and well beyond. Below are a few species to ponder.

Tall Larkspur – Delphinium occidentale– comes in a range of colors from white to deep blue.

Tall Larkspur – Delphinium occidentale – Many have noticed the 4-6’ tall, deep blue, pale blue, to white spires along the Moose-Wilson Road and meadows of Two-Ocean Lake and near Goodwin Lake Trail. The reason for the three color variations of our Grand Teton populations was studied by Ron Scogin in 1993. While he didn’t come to any direct conclusions, the researcher found that all plants had similar number of flower stalks (inflorescences) although the albino stalks had many fewer flowers/stem. All had similar seed results per flower indicating that the pollinators–bees and hummingbirds–visited them without discrimination. Furthermore, over time, the proportion of each color morph has remained pretty much the same. The proportion was likely dependent on the original number of seeds per morph and are result of the “founder effect”. So far the colors remain separate and in the same approximate proportions. A follow up study, with new genetic understanding, would be interesting.  For more details on the work 20 years ago: http://repository.uwyo.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1792&context=uwnpsrc_reports

Tall Larkspur – Delphinium occidentale – has trumpet shaped flowers that require pollinators to push deeply into them to receive their rewards. (And an esoteric taxonomic note:  According to the expert Holmgrens, we have only D. occidentale, not D. glaucum here in Wyoming.  It comes down to hairy, not smooth, follicles or fruits.)

Monkshood – Aconitum columbianum –The genus name Aconitum comes from the Greek akoniton: Theophrastis used this name to indicate “poisonous plant”, which indeed it is!

Monkshood – Aconitum columbianum – is related to the similar looking Tall Larkspur (see above). both are in the highly variable Buttercup Family and have complicated flowers. It is also deadly poisonous.

Monkshood is pollinated by both queen and worker bumblebees, as well as moths and hummingbirds. Observe the structure of the flower. The five sepals (not petals) form a complex purple flower.

Monkshood sports a “hood” that covers two petals and nectaries. Four additional sepals: two side, two bottom, surround the many anthers and three stigmas. All parts of the plant are poisonous. Found in wet meadows.

The two lower and two side sepals encase and then expose the numerous anthers, while the hood covers two greatly altered petals which contain a stiff coiled spur terminating with nectar glands. Observe when the anthers open and release their pollen (then fade), and when the 3 hidden stigmas become available amidst the anthers: the timing of the male and female reproductive parts is separate to facilitate out-crossing.

Sharp-tooth Angelica – Angelica arguta – A member of the Parsley Family – as one can tell by the umbrella arrangement of their tiny flowers, this plant typically grows to 4-5’ in moist montane situations.

Sharp-tooth Angelica – Angelica arguta – is in the Parsley Family, same as Cow Parsnip (see below). But Angelica has more divided leaves and has a smooth, not hairy, stem.

Sharp-tooth Angelica can be mistaken for the more robust Cow Parsnip, but notice the large, toothed leaves are divided into numerous, smaller leaflets. The stem is smooth and slightly bluish. Angelicas have been used for medicines by many indigenous people, but note the species also resembles Water Hemlock – Cicuta maculata – called “suicide plant” by the Iroquois – which also grows in moist to wet sites! Always make sure you know the ID of any plant you use!

Water Hemlock – Cicuta maculata – grows in similar wet places and can be mistaken for Angelica. The Iroquois called this plant “suicide plant” for a reason. Here it is in a ditch in Wilson.

Water Hemlock – Cicuta maculata – looks very similar to Angelica, but it is not an angel! It is deadly poison. Note the side veins end at the indentations of the teeth of the leaf. Know your plants well  before you touch or eat them!

Cow Parsnip – Heracleum spondylium – One of the largest and most obvious members of the Parsley Family, this giant is found in wet meadows. The inflorescence is the size of a dinner plate. The stems are very hairy (hairs may cause a rash) and the giant leaves are divided into three large, jagged lobed leaflets.   Many pollinators take advantage of the numerous tiny flowers.

Cow Parsnip – Heracleum spondylium – has large jagged leaves, plate-sized flower clusters, and very hairy stems.  The hairs can cause a rash in some people.

Butterweed Groundsel – Senecio serra – This tall, 4-5’ yellow composite plant is frequent in moist to wet meadows. The leaves are 4-5”, oblong to lance-shaped, with many teeth (unlike the similar S. triangularis whose leaves are elongate triangles.) Senecios typically have a “palisade fence” of waxy, even-sized bracts surrounding the flower head. In this case, each bract is black tipped. The showy ray flowers are few—here about 6-8, and the disc flowers several. Combined, the head provides a platform for many pollinators—including butterflies–which can crawl over and sip nectar from each of the tiny goblet- shaped disc flowers. The fruits (achenes) will have a tuft of white fluff to help send them on their way. “Senes” = old man. Ragwort is another common name.

Butterweed Groundsel – Senecio serra – is common along road sides and in meadows right now.  The 5-6″ elongated, serrated (like a saw) leaves help separate it from other large Groundsel species.

Butterweed Groundsel has shiny, even sized bracts, often black-tipped, surrounding each head of flowers.

Five-veined Little Sunflower/Helianthella –Helianthella quinquenervis –  Not so little, this 3-4’ robust plant is closely related to One-flowered Sunflower (H. uniflora) seen throughout the valley these past few weeks. This species is larger, the flower heads are bent at right angles to the stalk—they appear to glare straight at you, and the lower leaves have 5 strong veins. It prefers more moist conditions than H. uniflora.

Five-nerved Helianthella – Helianthella quinquenervis – appears to stare right at you!

Five-nerved Helianthella is named for its 5 strong veins on the lower leaves.

Western Coneflower – Rudbeckia occidentalis – This member of the Sunflower Family never looks quite in bloom (compare to Helilanthella above). We expect yellow “ray flowers” to whorl around the outside of each “head”.  However, in this species, there are no flashy ray flowers, only a whorl of green bracts.  There is a “cone” of tiny “disc” flowers which begin to bloom from the base and gradually, with time, spiral up to the tip.  The bees know it is ready for pollination somehow and are often seen crawling around, dipping their mouth parts into the tiny maroon cups for nectar and collecting pollen.

Western Coneflower – Rudbeckia occidentalis – Tiny disc flowers with yellow pollen attract bee pollinators. It flowers from bottom to top.

Mountain or Wild Hollyhock – Iliamna rivularis – Many people notice this pink plant popping up here or there along the park road or main highway, as well as in meadows or woodland edges.

Mountain or Wild Hollyhock – Iliamna rivularis – pops up along highways, in the woods, and especially in areas after forest fires.

The stems are lined with many large 2-3” flowers. The stamens form a tube in the center with 5 roundish stigmas sticking out. The leaves are like maple leaves.

The fruit of Mountain Hollyhock – Iliamna rivularis – looks like a hairy tangerine.

The hairy fruit will look like a somewhat compressed 1” tangerine which divides into several sections. This plant in the Mallow Family (Malvaceae) is related to garden hollyhock, marshmallow, okra, and cotton.

Mountain Bluebells – Mertensia ciliata – Colonies of 2-3’ bluebells inhabit wet seeps and meadows at high elevations.

Mountain Bluebell – Mertensia ciliata – colonizes wet meadows at high elevations, for instance above Ski Lake.

The 2-4” oval, bluish green leaves alternate up the stems which often arch over stream sides. The dangling tubular flowers start out pinkish and then turn blue when ready to attract bumblebee pollinators. The anthers have small pores at their tips. The frequency of buzzing bee-wing muscles shakes out the pollen onto the bee!

Mountain Bluebells – Mertensia ciliata – are buzz-pollinated. Bees vibrate their wings at a certain frequency, and pollen falls onto their bellies! Note the flowers go from pinkish purple to light blue, signaling to the bees when to visit.

Mountain Bluebells are self-compatible—they can receive their own pollen and make seeds, although the resultant off-spring often are not as strong – inbreeding depression.

Monkey Flower – Mimulus lewisii – These cheerful brilliant pink flowers with splashes of yellow on their lower petals ornament rivulets and seeps in the cool mountains. The leaves of Monkey Flower, which have three strong veins, are arranged opposite to each other along 2-3’ stems. They are pollinated by bumble- and mason bees.

Lewis’ Monkey Flower – Mimulus lewisii – graces seeps with its cheerful blooms.  You can see the nectar guides attracting bumble- and mason bees into the center of the flower.

Some of you may have seen a very similar species in the Sierras – M. cardinalis – whose red flowers are pollinated by hummingbirds. In the laboratory, the species will interbreed; however, in nature where the ranges of the two species overlap they do not exchange genes: the pollinators are different. Therefore, the two species maintain their integrity and continue to evolve in their own way.

False Hellebore – Veratrum californicum/tenuipetalum – is having a “mast” year. This profuse stand is growing the west end of Phelps Lake.

False Hellebore – Veratrum californicum/tenuipetalum – This is a very poisonous plant in the Lily family (now split off into the Bunch-berry Family-Melanthiaceae) which grows in very damp soils. It has formed a very large, 6’-7′-tall colony along the west end of Phelps Lake this year. This is a display of “masting”—when a plant species produces many, many flowers and fruits synchronously in one year. The overabundance attracts many pollinators: flies during the day, moths at night, and the plentitude makes it difficult for all the seeds to be consumed.

The abundance of flowers of False Hellebore first satiates pollinators, and then once they are pollinated, hopefully flowers produce an abundance of seeds–too many to be eaten by hungry predators.

Research indicates that “masting” of False Hellebore is cued by cool July temperatures the previous year, a trigger which could be affected by warming of climate change. Observe the flowers near the top of the bountiful flower stalks: they are typically male and female, while the lower flowers are only male.  See if you can find the difference.

Look at the flowers of False Hellebore closely. Apparently the upper flowers are “perfect” with both male and female parts. The lower flowers have only male parts. Hard to tell which this example is.

Information on dispersers and fate of the seeds of False Hellebores was not readily available in a web search. However, there is great information on the masting biology of these plants: http://www.amjbot.org/content/100/3/519.full

These are just a few of the fascinating flowers in bloom right now.  A future posting will discuss some of the smaller species that are beginning to flourish.  In any case, keep on hiking, observing, and enjoying the bounty of flowers we have this summer!

Frances Clark, Wilson, WY

July 23, 2015

P.S. As always, this blogger appreciates comments, corrections, additions to the information provided here.

9:50 p.m.

Throughout Jackson Hole native plants are flowering in abundance due to plentiful May rains and now the unseasonably hot weather.  We have picked only a few highlights. There is much more to observe.

Snowbrush on the Moraines:

Snowbrush Ceonothus- Ceonothus velutinus – covers the burn area of the 1999 Alder Fire located south and west of String Lake.  You can also see Snowbrush in another burned forest on the way to Bradley and Taggart Lakes.  Not only are the flowers showy, but also the fragrance is heavenly.

Seeds of Snowbrush Ceonothus – Ceonothus velutinus – can remain dormant in soil for decades, ready to sprout after a fire.  Mature plants cover the moraine by String Lake, Grand Teton National Park.

Snowbrush Ceonothus has elegant clusters of white flowers and 3-4″ leaves with three strong veins and a glossy texture on the surface. Buds and leaves can be sticky with resin, which provides a different fragrance.

Mulesears on Mountain Sides

Another big show is Mulesear Wyethia (Mulesear for short).  Mulesear looks to many people like the popular and plentiful Balsamroot because of its big yellow sunflower-like flowers and its large leaves. However, Mulesear has darker yellow ray flowers, glossy green elliptical leaves that grow up the stems compared to paler yellow flowers and arrow-shaped, gray-green leaves that grow only from the base of Balsamroot.  Importantly, Mulesear grows in heavier clay soils vs. the well drained soils where we find Balsamroot.

Mulesear Wyethia – Wyethia amplexicaulis – has large, dark yellow flowers and 12-18″ elongate, deep green leaves (the size and shape of mule’s ears!). It grows in heavier soils than the look-alike Balsamroot.

Cliff Creek drainage in the Bridger-Teton National Forest south of Hoback was magnificent last week. These mountains consist of sedimentary rock which breaks down into clay particles, forming heavier soils.  Note in the distance the mist of pine pollen wafted on the wind.

Wally’s World trail off Fall Creek Road near Munger Mountain was full of wildflowers June 20.

You can also see stands of Mulesear along the highway near Antelope Flats Road and up by Cattleman’s Bridge near Oxbow Bend in Grand Teton National Park.

Sulphur Buckwheat and More on Sage Flats

The glacial outwash plains of Jackson Hole within Grand Teton National Park are in full bloom.  Amidst the silvery Big Sagebrush (Artemesia tridentata var. vaseyana), is a tapestry of color: creams, blues, yellows, reds, maroons.  The plant composition varies but the following species are typical at this time.

Sulphur Buckwheat – Eriogonum umbellatum – forms mats of small oval leaves and clouds of creamy yellow flowers which are often tinged with pink. Sulphur Buckwheat is  blooming throughout the valley. Note the whorl of leaves just below the inflorescence or flower cluster.

Sulphur Buckwheat and Lance-leaved Stonecrop are overtopped by many grasses at the beginning of the Bradley-Taggart Trail.  Grasses seem more abundant this year compared to 2014.

Several species of grasses are in full bloom, although the flowers are naturally inconspicuous. Grasses count on the wind for pollination and the wind cannot see or smell, so no fancy colors , patterns, or  scents are necessary.  Even so, close up, Melicgrass –Melica spectabilis – has elegant, dangling spikelets of individual flowers.  Light, wind-dispersed pollen is causing hay-fever (hay comes from grasses!) in many people right now.

Lance-leaved Stonecrop – Sedum lanceolatum – is tucked below the taller plants.  They have succulent 1/2″ leaves on 6-8″ stems and bouquets of 5-parted, star-shaped yellow flowers. Members of this desert-adapted plant family have a very different metabolism than most other plants.  Look up “CAM- Crassulacean acid metabolism” on the internet to find out more!

Scarlet Gilia – Ipomopsis aggregata – attracts hummingbirds. Birds see red (insects don’t) and the stiffly arrayed tubular flowers enable hummingbirds to hover while lapping up nectar deep within.  In the process of drinking the high-test nectar, the forehead of the bird bumps the protruding yellow anthers, collecting pollen.  Upon the bird’s next visit, the next flower may have a long stigma to which the pollen will stick.  With luck, the pollen tube grows and fertilizes the egg deep inside the plant….fertile seeds then form!

The south end of the Park Road includes tall accents of Scarlet Gilia, as well as plumes of creamy Sulphur Buckwheat.  

Silky Lupine – Lupinus sericeus – is typical of sage flats and dry hillsides.  It has hairs on the backside of the “banner” of the pea-like flowers and very hairy palmate leaves.  As of this posting, I have seen few plants flowering compared to last year. Are you finding it?

Sheep-sorrrel – Rumex acetosella – adds another color to the tapestry. A plant of disturbed soils, it is a non-native species. Plants have tiny either males or female flowers . Take a close look to find anthers (male) or stigmas and ovaries (female). Sheep-sorrel happens to be in the same family – Polygonaceae – as Sulphur Buckwheat – Eriognoum spp.

Bright yellow Rocky Mountain Groundsel – Packera (formerly Senecio) streptanthifolia – pops up in odd corners of the sage flats, such as Lupine Meadows. The leaves vary greatly in their shape and incisions.  The “flowers” typically have only 8-10 “petals” or ray flowers, per head.

This species of Hawksbeard – Crepis aggregata – is common along the Gros Ventre Road. Note the sword-shaped, deeply lobed leaves at the base of the plant.  The dozens of flower heads have only a few ray flowers each.

One-flower Sunflowers  or Helianthellas – Helianthella uniflora – are 2- to 3-foot tall bright spots in the sage flats along Gros Ventre Road.  They also are found along dry river benches and lower slopes of the buttes. It’s more robust relative – Five-nerved Helianthella – H. quinquenervis – blooms here and there. Look for the 5 strong nerves on the large lower leaves to help distinguish the two.

These last three yellow species are all members of the Aster or Sunflower Family.  It is fun to compare their flowers, leaves, and habit (size, shape, and posture) of these relatives.

Aspen Groves on Rolling Hills 

Aspen stands are particularly welcome oases.  The dappled light created by the shimmering deciduous leaves and the more alkaline soils compared to the pine forests nurtures a rich array of flowers.  The trees themselves are homes to many woodpeckers which in turn create holes for nesting House Wrens, Mountain Bluebirds, and Tree Swallows.

Stands of Aspen – Populus tremuloides – feature a rich array of flowers and birds. The mix of species varies from place to place. This shot is taken on the west slope of Munger Mountain. Aspen are easily seen at Cascade Canyon Trail Head, Oxbow Bend, and Two-Ocean Lake Road in GTNP.

One of the most common flowers in aspen groves, meadows, and sage flats is the Sticky Geranium.

Sticky Geranium – Geranium viscossissimum – is common throughout the valley. Its wide open petals with obvious nectar guides form landing pads available to many types of pollinators. 

Two members of the Parsley Family are found in open forests. Can you figure out from the pictures below why it was once called the Umbelliferae Family?

Fernleaf Lovage – Ligusticum filicinum – is a tall – 3- to 5-foot plant with ferny, greatly dissected leaves.  The white flowers held on wide umbels are equally as delicate.

Related to Fernleaf Lovage, Western Sweetroot, Wild Licorice – Osmorhiza occidentalis – has delicate yellow-green flowers in umbels.  The compound leaves are much less divided and have the fragrance of anise or licorice, as does the root.  True licorice comes from a member of the Pea Family, not the Parsley Family.

Note the elongate, ribbed, smooth fruit.  Western Sweetroot or Wild Licorice – Osmorhiza occidentalis – is a member of the Carrot or Parsley Family.  As with many members of this family – anise, caraway, dill – the seeds are filled with flavor. Try a taste!

Two members of the Orchid Family can be discovered along trails in aspen groves and elsewhere if you are lucky.  Both are small plants with only a few 1-2′ stems of a reddish to fleshy hue.  They have no chlorophyll but depend on a fungal relationship to nourish the plants. Coralroots get their names from their knobby roots.

Spotted Coralroot – Corallorhiza maculata – is variable in its decoration. However, a lobe on each side of the base of the lowest petal (lip) and a bump (spur) under the throat of the flower help confirm ID.

Striped Coralroot – Corrallorhiza striata – is the largest of 5 species of Coralroot in Teton County.  This reddish plant has no chlorophyll, but rather depends on a fungus to relay nutrients from other plants nearby.

Shrubs of Note

Several shrubs are coming into bloom right now.  Serviceberry, Hawthorn, and Chokecherry are beginning to develop fruits that will be favored by bears, birds, and small mammals in the fall, particularly in such places as along the Moose-Wilson Road.  Antelopebush is also fading in the sage flats.  However, Mountain Ash and Elderberry are coming into bloom in the canyons.  Here are three other shrub species that are obvious in their habitats:

Woods Rose – Rosa woodsii – flowers in abundance along roadsides. Many pink flowers are clustered together at the tips of twigs.  Another rose species with sparsely prickly branches bares flowers individually: Nootka Rose – R. nutkana.

Mountain Snowberry – Symphiocarpus oreophilos – a 2-3 foot shrub with opposite oval leaves is blooming in both shade and sun throughout the valley.

Red-stemmed Dogwood – Cornus stolonifera – is a favorite food of browsing moose, as my ornamental plantings attest. This wetland shrub is easy to identify with its opposite oval leaves with parallel veins and clusters of 4-petaled white flowers.

Odd Species:

The following are a few discoveries in particular habitat niches:

Streamsides and ditches:

White Bog Orchid – Platanthera dilatata – is found in wet spots. The small white flowers have a lip or lower petal that is expanded near the base, and a spur extending underneath.  The lovely fragrance clinches its identity as White Bog Orchid.

Clasping Twisted Stalk – Streptopus amplixifolius – graces the edges of streams. The kinked stalk to the flower gives it its name.

Hot spot:

Prickly Pear – Opuntia fragilis – is in bloom on the ledges by Kelly Warm Springs.  The flower is gorgeous. The pad-like stems break off easily (fragile) to help in dispersal. They will attach readily to you: do not touch!

Beneath my foot:

Hiking up Cliff Creek, by chance we didn’t step on this 3-4″ wonder.

One-flowered Broomrape, Ghost Plant – Orobanche uniflora – is a mysterious species of an odd family. Scientists don’t even know if it is an annual or perennial. Perhaps it lives more than one year, but after it flowers it dies. It is unclear what pollinates it, or if it pollinates itself.  Without chlorophyll, the plant attaches to other species for its food. Apparently it is not picky as to its host plants. It is a rare species in several states.

There is much more to see, but only so much time to write.  Hopefully, this posting will provide incentive for you to go and see for yourself what is in bloom.  We appreciate your photos (between 500k to 2-3 mb–please not larger) and any identification questions or pointers of where to see them–tetonplants.org.  We can post them too!

Frances Clark, Wilson, WY