Part 24

A rather rare though very beautiful alpine flower found throughout the region in moist places and along alpine brooks; flowering in June.

Copiously glandular-hairy, 4—15 inches tall. Leaves crowded on the short rootstock, spatulate to oblanceolate-spatulate, 1—3 inches long, sharply and sometimes broadly toothed, mostly above the middle. Flower-stems solitary or several together, widely branching, bracts much smaller than the leaves; flowers terminating the stem, branches, and branchlets, but on many of the ultimate branchlets represented by clusters of green bulblets; sepals oblong-ovate to triangular-ovate, ⅙ of an inch or less long, purple, reflexed; petals white, ¼ of an inch long or less, the three upper with lanceolate or oblong-lanceolate blades; two lower with elliptic or spatulate-elliptic blades; seed pods ¼ of an inch long with diverging tips. The commonest form in the Selkirks, everywhere along streams and banks.

Caudex horizontal or ascending, clothed with folded leaf bases. Leaves leathery, oblong, or sometimes slightly broadest above or below the middle, 1½—3½ inches long, obtuse, serrate or crenate-serrate, deep green and lustrous above, paler beneath, narrowed into winged petiole-like bases. Flower-stalks 4—18 inches high, bearing 1 or 2 clasping leaves; flowers small and inconspicuous, at first congested in a compact head, becoming separated; sepals ovate, about as long as the base of the calyx, each with a terminal gland and usually some lateral glands; petals narrowly spatulate, white, ⅛ of an inch long; seed pods ¼ of an inch long with slightly spreading tips; purplish.

Along alpine streams and in damp shaded places, rather abundant throughout the region at the higher altitudes; flowering in June.

Stems decumbent. Leaves ⅛—½ of an inch long, the blades very thick, flattish, smooth, ciliate on the margins, spine-tipped. Flowers 1—several on stalks, 1½—3 inches tall, finely glandular-hairy, leafy, bearing larger leaves than the decumbent stems; sepals ovate to oblong-ovate, ⅛ of an inch long, smooth, more or less eroded at the apex; petals deep yellow, oblong, much longer than the calyx; seed pods ¼ of an inch or more long.

A common species throughout the Rockies, forming mats on the wet gravel and sand of the shores and flood-plains of the rivers and torrent fans at the bases of the moraines; flowering throughout June and July.

Leaves of the caudices ½ an inch or less long, stiff and crowded, but more or less spreading, the blades narrowly lanceolate to subulate, ciliate, slender, spine-tipped. Flower-stalks 1½—6 inches tall, nearly smooth or finely glandular-hairy, bearing several leaves which are smaller than those of the caudices; sepals ovate, sometimes rather narrowly so, ⅛ of an inch long, smooth or sparingly ciliate, obtuse; petals white, usually yellow-spotted, oblong to oblong-lanceolate, ¼ of an inch or more long, filaments slender; seed pods often nearly ½ an inch long.

Common everywhere throughout the Rockies at the lower altitudes on bare rocks and stony slopes, frequently forming mats a foot or more across; flowering in June.

Plants in dense mats, leaves densely folded together except on the flower-stalks and sometimes on the elongated stems, 4-ranked, the blades obovate to spatulate, ¼ of an inch long, ciliate, keeled. Flower-stalks ½—1 inch long or sometimes shorter when young, leafy; sepals oblong to ovate, ⅛ of an inch long, ciliate all around; petals lilac or purple, elliptic or oval, showy, ⅓ of an inch long, each narrowed into a stout claw.

Usually a high alpine species and not infrequently forming mats of considerable size; throughout the region, flowering in July.

GROSSULARIACEÆ

Gooseberry Family

Shrubs, usually with lobed, petioled leaves and racemose or subsolitary axillary or lateral flowers, the pedicels bracteolate; calyx tube attached to the ovary, the limb 4—5-lobed, often coloured; petals, 4—5, inserted on the throat of the calyx, small, scale-like, often included; stamens 4—5, inserted with the petals; berry globose or ovoid, pulpy, the calyx persistent on its summit.

Stems prostrate or ascending, 3—4 feet long, very prickly when young, spines slender and weak, generally clustered. Leaves nearly orbicular, thin, smooth or hairy along the veins beneath, deeply 5—7 lobed, 1—2 inches broad, the lobes acutish, incised-dentate. Flowers in racemes of 5—9; calyx rotate, ⅙ of an inch broad, spreading, green or purplish; petals exceeding the calyx; ovary glandular-hispid; berry black.

A very abundant gooseberry throughout the region in cool damp woods and bogs at the lower elevations; flowering in June.

Stems erect, 3—4 feet high, with numerous stout bristles, especially on the young wood; axillary spines 1—3 together, rather stout and spreading. Leaves slender-petioled, more or less finely hairy, at least when young, ½—1 inch wide, broadly ovate or orbicular, 3—5-lobed, the lobes incised or coarsely toothed. Flowers 2—3, ¼—½ an inch long on very short pedicels; calyx tube cylindric, greenish-white or pinkish; petals white; berries small, purple or blue and very sour.

Frequent throughout the Rockies on lake shores and in thickets at the lower altitudes; flowering in June.

Spines generally solitary, light-coloured, ¼—½ of an inch long; prickles commonly wanting. Leaves petioled, roundish, subcordate and 5-lobed, hairy or nearly smooth, the lobes deeply toothed or crenate. Flowers greenish-purple or white, little more than ¼ of an inch long; berry half an inch in diameter, smooth, reddish-purple and sweet when ripe.

Throughout the Rockies at the lower elevations, in open ground and on stony hillsides; flowering in June; fruit ripening in July.

Stems ascending, crowded, 2—5 feet high, without spines. Leaves triangular, 2—3 inches in diameter, cordate at the base, deeply 5-lobed, the acute lobes doubly serrate, smooth above, often resinous-dotted beneath, petiole as long as or longer than the blade. Flowers ⅓ of an inch broad in a loose raceme, bracts linear, about ¹/₁₆ of an inch long, much shorter than the slender, glandular pedicels; calyx rotate with broad spatulate lobes; petals red, narrowly spatulate, shorter than the calyx lobes; berries red.

A rather showy plant with a pungent, skunk-like odour when bruised, growing on wet, shaded rocks and in springy places throughout the region, at the lower altitudes; flowering in June.

ROSACEÆ

Rose Family.

Herbs, shrubs, or trees with alternate leaves and perfect flowers; calyx free or adnate to the ovary, 5—9-lobed; petals equal in number to the calyx lobes, distinct or none; stamens usually numerous and distinct; fruit mostly follicles or achenes.

Carpels few; in fruit becoming 2-several sided. Stamens united at the base; flowers racemose. =Lutkea.= Stamens not united at the base; flowers in panicles or corymbs. Shrubs with simple leaves, flowers perfect. =Spiræa.= Herbs with compound leaves; flowers diœcious. =Aruncus.= Carpels few or many; in fruit becoming achenes or drupelets. Fruit consisting of drupelets, usually united. =Rubus.= Fruit consisting of achenes. Achenes enclosed in a fleshy fruit; prickly shrubs. =Rosa.= Achenes on a plane or concave receptacle; herbs. Styles deciduous, naked. Styles terminal. =Potentilla.= Styles lateral. Carpels hairy; shrubs. =Dasyphora.= Carpels smooth; herbs. Stamens 5; carpels 10—15. =Sibbaldia.= Stamens 20; carpels numerous. Leaves trifoliate; receptacle fleshy. =Fragaria.= Leaves pinnate; receptacle not fleshy. Flowers dark purple. =Comarum.= Flowers yellow. Plant with stolons; flowers solitary. =Argentina.= Styles persistent, mostly plumose. Calyx lobes and petals 8 or 9. =Dryas.= Calyx lobes and petals 5. Style jointed, upper part deciduous. =Geum.= Style not jointed, upper part plumose. =Sieversia.=

Smooth, stems cæspitose, very leafy. Leaves trifoliate, persistent, leaflets deeply 2—4-lobed, the lateral ones decumbent, forming a broad petiole. Flowering stems 2—6 inches high with a dense terminal raceme of many white flowers, about ¼ of an inch broad; calyx lobes ovate, acute; petals 5, obovate, exceeding the calyx; stamens numerous, shorter than the petals.

Frequent throughout the Selkirks, on alpine slopes and beside streams at the higher elevations; flowering in June.

Stem 2—4 feet high, reddish. Leaves ovate or elliptical, serrulate at the apex, entire below, narrowed at the base to a very short petiole or the lowest sessile, dark green on both sides, ½—1 inch long. Flowers small, deep rose-colour in dense, round, leafy, bracted corymbs, terminating the numerous branches.