Part 18

b Pulsatilla occidentalis (S. Wats.) Freyn. (⅔ Nat.) Western Anemone.]

Stem rather stout, silky-hairy, 6—18 inches high, simple. Leaves biternate, the lower on long petioles, the divisions deeply pinnatifid into deeply cut linear, acute lobes; those of the involucre similar but short-petioled. Flowers 1½—2 inches broad, peduncled, the peduncles much elongated in fruit; sepals spreading, 6—7, oval-obtuse, white, the outside usually blue at the base; fruit of long plumose tailed achenes in a globular fluffy head.

Frequent throughout the Rockies at an elevation of 6000 to 10,000 feet, blossoming on the edges of the snow banks as they recede, a conspicuous feature of many an alpine meadow during early June.

Smooth, pale green, and glaucous; stem purplish, erect, 6—18 inches tall. Leaves 3—4, ternate, long-petioled, leaflets firm, obovate, rounded at the apex, wedge-shaped or subcordate at the base, ¼—½ an inch long, 3—5-lobed, the lower surface prominently veined. Flowers diœcious, with 4 or 5 small, purplish-green sepals and large, linear, wedge-shaped anthers or slender styles; the achenes wedge-shaped and tapering into a short beak.

A frequent plant in the dry open valleys in the Rockies at the lower altitudes; flowering in June.

Stems slender, 1—3 feet high. Leaves 2—4, ternate, the lowest petioled; leaflets thin, ¼ to nearly an inch long, 3—9 lobed at the summit, sparingly glandular-hairy beneath. Flowers diœcious, nodding on very slender pedicels in an ample open panicle; calyx of 4—8 sepals which soon fall, filaments purplish and slender; anthers linear and pointed; achenes lanceolate or somewhat sickle-shaped, nearly half an inch long.

Frequent in rich woods and moist shady places at the lower altitudes throughout the Rockies; flowering in June, like the previous species striking for its leaves, resembling a robust maiden-hair fern, and the large loose heads of delicate tasselled flowers.

Aquatic herb with submerged stems, a foot long or more. Leaves petioled, 1—2 inches long, finely dissected. Flowers white with yellow centre, ½—¾ of an inch broad, blooming on the surface of the water on stout pedicels 1—2 inches or more long.

Frequent throughout the Rockies at the lower altitudes in shallow ponds and ditches; flowering in June and July.

Aquatic or creeping, hairy, at least on the younger parts. Leaves slender-petioled, ¼—1 inch, wide, palmately divided nearly to the base, into obtuse lobes. Flowers less than ½ an inch broad, bright yellow; petals 5; head of fruit globose, a little less than ¼ of an inch broad.

Frequent in shallow pools throughout the Rockies; flowering throughout the summer.

Stems creeping, rooting at the joints; flowering stems and peduncles ascending. Leaves linear-lanceolate or spatulate ½—2 inches long, entire, gradually narrowed into the petiole. Flowers nearly half an inch broad, solitary, on peduncles ¾—2 inches long; petals 4—7, much exceeding the calyx; stamens numerous; achenes flat.

On muddy shores of ponds and streams throughout the Rockies, flowering in midsummer, the creeping stems frequently interlaced and forming dense mats.

b Ranunculus Purshii Richards. (⅓ Nat.) Pursh’s Buttercup.]

Erect 4—12 inches high, branching. Basal leaves petioled, broadly ovate or nearly orbicular, about ¾ of an inch broad, crenate or often lobed, those of the stem deeply and narrowly lobed, nearly sessile. Flowers about ⅓ of an inch in diameter, petals little surpassing the spreading sepals.

In moist shaded situations near Banff; flowering in June.

Stem branching, more or less hairy, 6—18 inches high, sparingly leafy. Leaves rounded in outline, mostly 5-parted, the segments cut into about 3-toothed lobes. Flowers of ¼ an inch or more broad, the light yellow petals surpassing the sepals; fruit in an obtusely ovoid head.

In wet springy places, ditches and the margins of pools, frequent through the Rockies at the lower altitudes; flowering in June and July.

Smooth, 3—12 inches high, 1—3-flowered. Leaves round in outline, those at the root all 3—5-parted and deeply cut; their obovate or wedge-shaped divisions mostly lobed or narrowly cut, stem-leaves similar with oblong to spatulate or lanceolate, often entire divisions. Flowers bright yellow; petals 5, a third of an inch or more long.

Frequent at the higher altitudes, blooming close to the melting snow, throughout the region; flowering in June and July.

Similar in habit to the previous species though usually larger, bright green and nearly smooth throughout. Leaves sparingly hairy on the margins, the basal broader and less divided. Flowers pale yellow, ¼ of an inch or more broad; petals little longer than the calyx.

Along streams and in moist grounds, an alpine species frequent throughout the Rockies; flowering in June and July.

b Ranunculus alpeophilus A. Nelson. (½ Nat.)]

Stems about 4 inches long, decumbent or ascending, smooth. Basal leaves on petioles 2 inches long, rounded, somewhat hairy when young, 3-lobed, lobes spreading and toothed, stem-leaves 1—3, nearly sessile, cleft into 3—7 linear lobes. Flowers about ½ an inch broad, sepals tinged with brown, half the length of the petals, broad, obovate, obtuse, slightly hairy; petals broadly obovate, bright yellow; achenes more or less hairy, with a straight style.

Throughout the Rockies in stony ground at the higher altitudes; flowering in July.

Stems rather stout, 6—12 inches high, slightly hairy. Root leaves on short petioles, rounded, crenate-toothed or 3-lobed, stem leaves sessile and cut into 3—6 oblong-lanceolate segments. Flowers ¼ of an inch or more broad, usually several together on short slender peduncles; petals obovate-oblong, light yellow; achenes small, hairy.

In open ground sparingly throughout the Rockies at the lower elevations; flowering in June.

Stem 3—6 inches high, smooth, slender, 1—3-flowered. Leaves ½ an inch or more long, sub-reniform or broadly fan-shaped with wedge-shaped base, deeply 3—5-cleft or parted, the radical into cuneate 3—5-cleft or incised divisions, those of the stem linear. Flowers bright yellow; petals round-obovate, ⅓—½ an inch long.