July 3

Black hairs matter

Erigeron melanocephalus, July 21, 2023

Common & scientific name

Blackhead daisy, Erigeron melanocephalus

Family

Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location

Upper Lost Man, 12,100’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

There’s no mistaking this daisy: the black hairs on the underside of its flower, covering the phyllaries, make this an easy ID in the field. Found in large numbers in the alpine, growing several inches tall with bright-white to very-pale lavender ray flowers. Another well-named flower!

Phyllaries

Wormskjold makes his mark

Veronica wormskjoldii, July 21, 2023

Common & scientific name

Alpine speedwell, Veronica wormskjoldii

Family

Plantain, Plantaginaceae

Location

Upper Lost Man, 12,000’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

Common, variably-sized, delightful subalpine and alpine plant that frequently grows trailside near streams or wetlands. Named after Danish botanist, Morton Wormskjold. Hopefully he didn’t discover too many other plants.

An angelic carrot

Angelica grayi, July 21, 2023

Common & scientific name

Gray’s angelica, Angelica grayi

Family

Parsley, Apiaceae

Location

Geisslerl, 12,900’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

This alpine carrot is unmistakeable, with its large umbel of greenish flowers and overall stocky demeanor. It is usually found high on the Pass near water in the company of many other flowers and grasses.

With Senecio fremontii, Green Mountain, 12,000’, August 2, 2023

Not a lemon

Oxyeria digyna, July 21, 2023

Common & scientific name

Mountain sorrel, Oxyria digyna

Family

Buckwheat, Polygonaceae

Location

Geissler, 13,100’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

Heart-shaped leaves and red and green flowers then seeds make this charming alpine plant unmistakeable. The tart, lemony leaves are edible and have been enjoyed by humans and wildlife alike for millennia.

A rare delight

Chionophila jamesii, July 21, 2023

Above Ruby, 12,600’, August 4. 2023

Common & scientific name

Snowlover, Chionophila jamesii

Family

Plantain, Plantaginaceae

Location

Near summit

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

Until recently classified as a rare plant of Colorado, the careful observer can find it with some regularity on the high peaks of Independence Pass. It stands 3” high, and its one-sided, cream-colored flowers are the opposite of showy. That being said, it is always a delight to find this snowlover, for three reasons: (1) it looks like no other wildflower, with a subtle, intricate beauty that requires a close-up viewing, (2) it is a rare plant, seen probably by 0.0001% of the world’s population, and you’re one of them!, and (3) if you’re finding it, you’re in the high alpine, which is the definition of delight.

Reindeer pollination

Campanula uniflora, July 21, 2023

Common & scientific name

Arctic bellflower, Campanula uniflora

Family

Harebell, Campanulaceae

Location

Geissler, 12,400’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

The following comes from a website called The Flora of Svalbard. Svalbard (in case you didn’t know, like I didn’t) is a Norwegian archipelago between mainland Norway and the North Pole. One of the world’s northernmost inhabited areas, it's known for its rugged, remote terrain of glaciers and frozen tundra sheltering polar bears, Svalbard reindeer and Arctic foxes. The Northern Lights are visible during winter, and summer brings the “midnight sun”—sunlight 24 hours a day.

What I found fascinating is how this other-worldly place’s treatment of this plant we enjoy in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado applies here equally:

“The plant flowers from mid July to mid August. Flowers potentially pollinated by insects but self pollination is probably common. We have no information on germination rate of seeds of the Svalbard populations; however, the plant must recruit regularly as populations of this relatively short-lived plant sustain in the same locations for a long time. . . . Local seed dispersal is facilitated by the stiff stems and the capsules with apical pores, resulting in ballistic dispersal during strong winds or when touched by animals (reindeer).”

Presumably elk, mountain goats, marmots & pika would perform the same role here!

There's gold in them thar hills

Saxifraga chrysantha, July 21, 2023

July 21

Common & scientific name

Golden saxifrage, Saxifraga chrysantha

Family

Saxifrage, Saxifragaceae

Location

Geissler, 12,900’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

A single yellow flower with orange dots at the base of its petals sits atop a 2”-3” red stem covered with gland-tipped hairs (as can be seen in this photo) arising from a sweet little rosette of succulent leaves. Yet another jewel of the alpine! It does not have the red runners of its close cousin, Saxifraga flagellaris.

July 21

On the straight and narrow

Senecio serra, July 19, 2023

Common & scientific name

Tall ragwort, Senecio serra

Family

Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location

Difficult campground, 8,100’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

Senecio serra’s long, narrow, serrated leaves distinguish it from the equally tall Senecio triangularis, whose leaves, you guessed it, are more triangle-shaped and have bigger teeth. The latter seems also to require more water, and is often seen in the company of bluebells, larkspur, and monkshood.

Is the end nigh?

Helimoerus grandiflora, July 19, 2023

Common & scientific name

Showy goldeneye, Heliomeris multiflora

Family

Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location

Roadside, 8,200’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

Grows from the foothills to the subalpine, and is most often seen roadside on the lower portion of Independence Pass. The penultimate sunflower (“helios” means “sun”), it is a favorite of bees, both sweat and bumble. It is considered a late summer flower—and is blooming in July! (Hint: don’t wait to see the flower show this summer—it will end early.)

July 19