Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Spring Blooms East of the Cascades

Update: Thanks for the assistance
 
I find the plant diversity in the scrub steep landscapes a bit humbling. Some of the blooms I once knew, but the identification has leaked out of my head. I did catch a timely break on a few as Meandering Washington documented some spring flowers in similar terrain south of where I was. Otherwise I just enjoyed the small diverse treasures of Spring in the scrub lands.

 A variety of bluebells? 
Mertensia longiflora, Long flowered bluebells

Bluebells?
Mertensia longiflora, Long flowered bluebells



Prairie Star, Lithophragma bulbifera

Shooting star of some sort
Dodecatheon pulchellum , Shooting Star

Shooting star plant - very small

Yellow bell

This one is an ID that has leaked out of my head - should be easy
Hooker’s balsamroot, Balsamorhiza hookeri

Cushion phlox

Cushion phlox is one I remember as it forms wonderful clumps of flowers on otherwise harsh rocky ground.
Cushion phlox

Daggerpod, Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

Daggerpod, Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

Sagebrush violet

Sagebrush violet
  I will say I did recognize this as some sort of violet.
Sagebrush violet

at

5 comments:

  1. KatMarch 24, 2015 at 11:26 AM

    Trumpet bluebells, I believe.
    Can't remember for the life of me...
    Woodland star?
    Bonneville (desert) shooting star.
    Hooker's balsamroot.
    Wallflower.
    Ugh. Hard to keep 'em all straight!

    ReplyDelete
  2. HollisMarch 24, 2015 at 1:02 PM

    Great to see these beauties! Do you know this website? Many of yours are featured on the page.
    http://www.bentler.us/eastern-washington/plants/wildflowers.aspx

    ReplyDelete
  3. susanMarch 24, 2015 at 8:51 PM

    4th one is prairie star

    ReplyDelete
  4. UpupaepopsMarch 25, 2015 at 6:34 AM

    bluebells are mertensia longiflora, Long flowered bluebells

    # 3 not enough information
    # 4 Prairie Star, Lithophragma bulbifera

    #5 Dodecatheon pulchellum , Shooting Star

    After the yellow bell. It is a DYC ( Damn Yellow Composite the hardest groups to get a grip on. I am struggling with the leaves, appears to be one of the balsamroots, perhaps Hookers, which likes lithosoil.

    the pink is the Daggerpod, Phoenicaulis cheiranthoides

    and you got the violet right

    best book for dry side flora is Plants of Southern Interior BC and Inland Northwest . Parish Coupe and Lloyd

    the UW Herbarium can be helpful as well. They have a photo collection as well as a Key to help you narrow down the tough ones.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Dan McShaneMarch 25, 2015 at 11:56 PM

    Thanks for the great tips. Good learning exercise for this geologist.

    ReplyDelete