April 03, 2012 Olsynium douglasii, [grass widow] - Galanthus nivalis, [snowdrop]

I walked something over an hour, 99 images, kept 35.

Rose came with me today. We went out to see if anything was happening with the grass widows [Olsynium douglasii].

Little had changed with the foliage I had been watching.

Rose went over to Lomatium gormanii rock and found lots of grass widows in bloom. Some were in their prime so they had been out for awhile. Rose saw lots more grass widows west of the rock.

I continued walking north most of the way across the park, looping back on a different route. I found only one grass widow in bloom.

I need to remember to check Lomatium gormanii rock for early grass widows next year.

I noticed the snow drops [Galanthus nivalis] when we drove by. I don’t pay enough attention to camera settings. The light was too hot for the settings I used. The whites were bleached.

I remember Sylvia asking about the burgundy leaves on Oregon grape [Berberis aquifolium]. I wondered if the plants, here, growing in the shade would have colored leaves. They do. I was surprised to find buds on the plants.

Before I crossed the park I stopped by the whitlow grass [Draba verna] to get images in strong light. I got some images of narrow leaf miner’s lettuce [Montia linearis] in bud. Some of the whitlow grass had developed seeds so it has been in bloom for awhile, probably longer than the grass widows.

The plant I have been calling Saxifraga integrifolia is in bud almost everywhere I went. I checked Burke and they don’t have it listed. I’ve been using the Burke Museum website for my authority on the current technical names for plants.

Burke has Micranthes integrifolia, but the photo is not convincing. Their photo of Micranthes nidifica looks more like the plants I have been observing. Neither Micranthes is reported in Spokane County.

I looked around the internet. Robert Carr’s photos of Micranthes nidifica is convincing. His website says that his taxonomy is consistent with Burke.

He lists Saxifraga integrifolia as a synonym for Micranthes nidifica.

The foliage I have been watching on yellow bell hill seems to be a yellow bell [Fritillaria pudica]. Maybe a bud, something strange developing.

I only checked one shrub for buds today, Ceanothus sanguineus, [red-stem ceanothus, Oregon tea-tree].

Both ponds are full. I don’t think they are as full as they were last year. Grant says there was another 2.5 inches of rain recently.


This is the grass widow [Olsynium douglasii] foliage I've been watching. It's far behind the grass widows Rose found today.

These are the grass widows Rose found






This blossom was verticle, pointed to the sky. I have not seen that before.



Snow drops [Galanthus nivalis] a garden escapee. The light was too hot for the settings on my camera.

Interesting insects. Similar to insects on early butteups.


I tried to salvage this closeup. I didn't have much to work with.


Oregon grape [Berberis aquifolium]


Whitlow grass [Draba verna]



Seed pods says they were in bloom awhile before I found them

The photo of the day

Narrow leaf miner's lettuce [Montia linearis]



Peak saxifrage, Northwest saxifrage [Micranthes nicifica]



Yellow bell [Fritillaria pudica] foliage


Oregon tea tree [Ceanothus sanguineus]


South pond

Rose





North Pond