Flowers of mountain and plain — Text and Context

Flowers of Mountain and Plain

_Edith S. Clements, Ph. D._

The H. W. Wilson Company New York 1926

Copyright 1926 by Edith S. Clements Reprinted June 1945 Reprinted November 1949 Reprinted March 1955

Printed in the United States of America

“Flowers of Mountain and Plain” is intended primarily for travelers and flower lovers who wish a short cut to recognizing flowers seen on excursions or from car windows. It may also serve as a souvenir of pleasant summer days or vacation trips. The book consists of the twenty-five color plates to be found in “Rocky Mountain Flowers” (Clements and Clements, 1914), representing one hundred and seventy-five of the most beautiful and striking flowers of the mountains and plains of the West. If it succeeds in opening the eyes of the passer-by to an appreciation of the flowers by the way, or in further stimulating an already awakened interest, it will have served its purpose. Edith S. Clements.

_University of Minnesota_ _March 30, 1915_

PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION

Opportunity has been taken of the demand for a second edition of “Flowers of Mountain and Plain” to add a simple text to the plates. It is hoped that this will increase the interest in the flowers of the region and help create a sentiment in favor of their preservation. Edith S. Clements.

_Alpine Laboratory,_ _Manitou, Colorado,_ _July 9, 1920._

Flowers of Mountain and Plain

Monkshood, Aconite Aconitum columbianum

The flowers of the Monkshood are usually deep purple-blue, but yellowish white ones are often found. The tall plants, 4-8 ft. high, grow in mountain meadows and along streams at 6000-12000 ft., and bloom from early July to late August. The Aconite disguises its relation to the buttercups by having irregular sepals, developed by insect visitors in search of nectar. The two nectaries are underneath and at the base of the cowl-shaped upper sepal which gives the plant its name. In seeking nectar, the bees crawl over the group of stamens and stigmas and in so doing either collect or deposit the pollen which clings to their legs and abdomens. The Monkshood is frequently cultivated in gardens and some of the species furnish a powerful drug, aconite, used in medicine. All are poisonous and often produce fatal results among stock when feed is scarce.

Blue Columbine Aquilegia coerulea

This Columbine varies in color through several shades of blue and may rarely be white. It is the state flower of Colorado, growing in spruce and aspen woods, or in mountain meadows at 6500-12000 ft. It is usually 2-3 ft. high and blossoms from early summer to midsummer. Like the Monkshood and Larkspur, the columbines also belong to the group of irregular buttercups. The nectar is contained in the swollen tips of the petals. Pollination is effected by long-nosed bees which cling to the petals while inserting the proboscis up the spur and at the same time touch the group of pendant stamens with the underside of the body. Short-nosed bees are unable to get at the nectar in this way and steal the honey by biting holes in the tips of the spurs. The columbines make beautiful garden plants and the Blue Columbine as well as one or two other native species is cultivated. The ordinary columbine of the garden, however, belongs to the European _Aquilegia vulgaris_. The name “Aquilegia” is derived from the Latin “aquila,” eagle, and probably refers to the resemblance of the spurred petals to eagles’ talons.

Red Columbine Aquilegia canadensis

The blossoms of this plant are bright red, usually more or less tinged with yellow. It is 1-2 ft. tall, grows on wooded mountain-sides at 7500-11000 ft. and blooms in July and August. The mountain form has smaller, more brightly colored flowers than the eastern plant.

Blue Larkspur Delphinium scopulorum

The Larkspur, like the Monkshood, has developed oddly shaped sepals, but the upper one, instead of resembling a cowl, is more like the spur of a bird. The common name refers to this resemblance. The plants grow as tall as 6-8 ft. and are found on foothills and mountain-sides at 5000-10000 ft. They bloom in midsummer and the flowers vary from pale blue to deep purple-blue. The Blue Larkspur, like many other species of larkspur, is poisonous to stock.

Anemone, Wind Flower Anemone multifida

This Anemone is usually white, but it varies through pink to deep rose-red. It is 1-2 ft. tall, grows in meadows and on hillsides at 7000-12000 ft. and blooms throughout the summer. Most anemones have an acrid juice which irritates the skin and is poisonous if taken internally. They make very attractive garden plants, though the native species are little cultivated as yet.

Alpine Clematis Clematis alpina