Part 30

Sparingly hairy, stems weak and decumbent, multiplying by long slender rootstocks. Leaves mostly basal, rounded, cordate, reniform or sometimes ovate ½—1½ inches broad, finely crenate; peduncles mostly exceeding the leaves. Flowers yellow; petals oblong, ⅓ of an inch or more long, sparingly veined with brown toward the base; spur short and sac-like.

In open woods throughout the region at elevations ranging from 5000 to 7000 feet, blossoming very early in May or June shortly after the melting of the snow.

Minutely hairy or smooth, stems fleshy from a short fleshy horizontal rhizome, naked or sparingly leafy below, 5—12 inches high. Basal leaves on long petioles, the upper short-petioled reniform-cordate to cordate, acute, crenate-toothed, 1—4 inches broad. Flowers bright yellow on peduncles mainly shorter than the leaves; petals broadly oblong, ⅓—½ an inch or more long, the lateral and lower with brown lines at the base.

A striking plant on shaded banks and borders of streams and rills at the higher altitudes, very abundant in the Selkirks; flowering in June.

Smooth or nearly so; stems 3—14 inches high, tufted, leafy throughout. Leaves broadly ovate or nearly orbicular, cordate, acuminate or acute, 1—2½ inches long, serrate, the veins on the lower surface often hairy. Flowers on peduncles mainly shorter than the leaves, pale violet or nearly white, veined with purple, and often tinged with purple on the outside, ½—¾ of an inch broad; petals nearly in the same plane.

In rich moist woods throughout the Rockies and occasionally in the open alpine meadows, continuing in flower from June until September.

Slightly hairy or nearly smooth, branching from the base, usually 3—11 inches high, at length sending out runners that bear cleistogamic flowers. Leaves ovate, more or less cordate at the base, ½—1½ inches long, obscurely crenate. Flowers on peduncles usually longer than the leaves, violet-purple to white; petals ½ an inch or more long; spur ¼ of an inch long, rather slender and curved.

A low-stemmed violet usually with brilliant blue flowers, growing in dry, sandy, shaded or open ground at varying elevations throughout the Rockies: flowering in June and July.

ELÆAGNACEÆ

Oleaster Family

Shrubs or trees mostly silvery-scaly or stellate-pubescent with entire leaves and flowers clustered in the axils or at the nodes of twigs of the preceding season; fruit drupe-like.

Stamens as many as the perianth parts; flowers perfect or polygamous: leaves alternate. =Elæagnus.= Stamens twice as many as the perianth parts; flowers diœcious; leaves opposite. =Lepargyræa.=

A stoloniferous much branched shrub sometimes 12 feet high, the young twigs covered with brown scurf, becoming silvery. Leaves oblong-ovate or ovate-lanceolate, densely silvery-scurfy on both sides, acute or obtuse short petioled, 1—4 inches long. Flowers usually numerous in the axils of the leaves, fragrant, silvery, ½ an inch or more long; perianth silvery without, yellowish within, the lobes ovate and short.

On the eastern slope of the Rockies, on the banks of the rivers and streams, very abundant at Banff on the Bow and Spray rivers; flowering in June.

A shrub 4—8 feet high, with brown-scurfy young shoots. Leaves with short petioles, ovate or oval, obtuse at the apex, rounded or some of them narrowed at the base, 1—1½ inches long, green and sparingly scurfy, stellate above, densely silvery, stellate, scurfy beneath, some of the scurf usually brown. Flowers small, yellowish, in short spikes at the nodes of the twigs, expanding with or before the leaves; fruit showy ¼ of an inch in diameter, translucent, varying in colour on different plants from orange to brilliant crimson.

Thickets and wooded banks throughout the Rockies; flowering in May or early June.

ONAGRACEÆ

Evening Primrose Family

Herbs, with alternate or opposite leaves and perfect flowers; calyx tube adnate to the ovary, 2—6 lobed; petals white, yellow, pink, or purple, folded on each other in the bud; stamens usually as many or twice as many as the petals.

Parts of the flower in 4’s; seeds with tufts of hair on the ends. Calyx tube not prolonged beyond the ovary; flowers large. =Chamænerion.= Calyx tube prolonged beyond the ovary; flowers usually small. =Epilobium.= Parts of the flowers in 2’s; fruit with hooked hairs. =Circæa.=

Erect, stout, simple or branched, usually smooth, 2—8 feet high. Leaves numerous, alternate, very short petioled, lanceolate, entire or denticulate, 2—6 inches long, ¼—1 inch wide, pale beneath, thin, acute at the apex, the lateral veins confluent in marginal loops. Flowers ¾—1½ inches broad, reddish-purple, in elongated terminal spike-like racemes, 1—2 feet or more long.

An abundant plant throughout the entire region on open mountain sides and banks, especially where visited by fire, flowering throughout the summer, the air being filled with the white cottony seeds a few weeks after flowering commences.

Erect, usually branching, very smooth below, 6—18 inches high. Leaves mostly sessile, 1—2 inches long, ¼—½ an inch wide, denticulate or entire, lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, acutish at both ends, thick, those of the branches opposite, the veins inconspicuous. Flowers reddish-purple, 1—2 inches broad, mainly in short leafy-bracted racemes; petals entire; stigma 4-lobed.

On gravelly river bars and moist clayey banks throughout the entire region; flowering during July.

b Chamænerion latifolium (L.) Sweet. Broad-Leaved Willow-herb.]

Stems rather stout, 1—2 feet high, usually simple, nearly smooth. Leaves 1—3 inches long, ovate or elliptical to broadly lanceolate, acute or acuminate, sinuate-toothed, sessile, or when large, obliquely tapering to a winged petiole, slightly fleshy. Inflorescence with more or less glandular pubescence; flowers about ¾ of an inch long, not opening widely, pale yellow, rather few, at first nodding in the axils of the upper leaves; style usually exserted and deeply 4-parted.

A rather rare plant in springy places and along alpine brooks, confined to the Selkirks: flowering during July.

Slender, smooth or nearly so, 3—12 inches high. Leaves pale, petioled, opposite or the upper alternate, obtuse or obtusish at the apex, ½—¾ of an inch long. Flowers, few, white, nearly erect, ¼ of an inch or more broad; stigma nearly entire; capsules slender stalked, 1—2 inches long, seeds beaked.