Slatsz Wildflower Walks 2012: April 17, 2012 phlox, prairie star, cutleaf fleabane, Montia linearis

April 17, 2012 phlox, prairie star, cutleaf fleabane, Montia linearis

Over two hours. 170 images. 71 keepers.

This blog has had 202 viewers. That’s a bit inflated because I have been some of the viewers.

I parked at the east end of the park. I wanted to walk the drier area there hoping it was a good place to find a prairie star, Lithophragma glabrum.

I saw one and only that one.

I also checked Phlox caespitosa for blossoms. There were a few, here and there, wherever I walked.

There were single yellow bells, Fritillaria pudica, everywhere. They don't seem to gather in patches. But there are quite a few on Yellow Bell Hill, later.

I saw a tiny white flower in deep grass. The blossom looks like narrow leaf miner’s lettuce, Montia linearis. But the foliage doesn’t have the ‘succulent look’ I expect of Montia linearis. I saw these flowers everywhere I walked and photographed them again in two locations. The base foliage was ‘succulent’ where there was more water.

Grant pointed out an infestation of purple deadnettle, Lamium purpureum, just below the little stand of pruned fir trees. I checked it.

I found one in bud.

I suppose the service berry, Amelanchier alnifolia, will be the second shrub to bloom, after the golden currant, Ribes aureum.

I can’t remember the identifications of most of the shrubs. I suppose the service berry will be the first to leaf out. I attempted to photograph bud-like structures. I can see in the computer that they are leaf buds. I had camera trouble I don’t understand.

I walked down to check the cutleaf fleabane, Erigeron compositus, that had petals showing on its buds, last outing, 6 days ago. It was in full bloom. I saw lots more plants in bud but no others in bloom.

I made use of slatsz stump for a sit-down and a drink of water. There in front of me were several Geyer’s onion, Allium geyeri, in bud.

I had to deal with a false memory. I thought I remembered seeing and photographing larkspur, Delphinium nuttallianum, in bud. I walked over to the little hollow with the Besseya rubra that has a lot of larkspur. I found no larkspur but the Besseya rubra are in bud.

I saw an interesting bug on a Besseya rubra. It wouldn’t fly away but it would run around the plant, out of sight, when I pointed the camera at it. I got some images but nothing good.

I checked the early golden currant, Ribes aureum, and its buds are nearly open but not quite.

Both ponds look like they have been higher since I was here last and both have receded a couple of inches. I went over to the south pond to find the narrow leaf miner’s lettuce I saw in bud and didn’t find them. They must be flooded.

I saw Grant in his yard and we had a good chat. I asked Grant to show me the Polemonium micranthum he showed me last year. He found some foliage but no blossoms or buds. He said the common name was ‘Jacob’s ladder' because the leaves have a ladder-like look.

I checked the golden currant in Grant’s yard. It is even earlier than the earliest plant in the park. It does have a few blossoms.

Grant showed me his service berry.

I tried to photograph the whitlow grass, Draba verna, with the curb for a back-drop that I saw last outing and didn’t photograph. The depth of field problem was too much for me.

I had read that the willow is dioecious and that yellow catkins are male, female catkins are green. I found no green catkins.

In looking for green catkins I came on the very early balsamroot, just off the north access path beside the large willow in the north pond. Its buds have petals showing.

I saw a patch of grass widow there that I thought would be photogenic. The patch didn’t work well in my photos but I got some images I liked. I didn’t notice the bug till I got the images into the computer.

The rich color of Sedum lancdolatum foliage is hard to ignore.

I drove to the west end of the park to check the Antelope brush, Purshia tridentata, and it was in bud. Grant says it has a very rich, sweet smell when it’s in bloom. I look forward to it.

I tried to keep an eye out for blue eyed Mary, Collinsia parviflora, everywhere I walked. They are very small but the blue color is eye catching. They should be out but I saw none.

Phlox caespitosa

Prairie star, Lithophragma glabrum
The only one I have seen this year.

Yellow bell, Fritillaria pudica
They are here and there around the park, now

Narrow leaf miner's lettuce, Montia linearis
I couldn't believe this was montia till I saw the others with their inflated basal leaves

Purple deadnettle, Lamium purpureum
The plants are few at the moment. This will be a large patch, later.

Cutleaf fleabane, Erigeron compositus
There are plants with buds everywhere but I saw only one plant in bloom. It was the plant with petals showing 6 days ago..

Service berry, Amelanchier alnifolia
I wondered if these could be flower buds but I saw, later, they are leaf buds

Slatsz' stump
I sat to rest, facing this direction, and right at my feet there were Geyer's onions in bud

Geyer's onion, Allium geyeri
I tasted a leaf. Mild and very stringy

Besseya rubra

Pretty little bug
Even so, didn't care to have it's picture taken

Golden currant, Ribes aureum
I saw only one one plant in the park with buds. This plant was earliest last year, too.

This is Grant's Golden current. It's not in the park.

Whitlow grass, Draba verna
This is a photo to remind me to solve the problems of this photo.

Pacific willow catkin, Salix lasiandra, presumably male, because it is yellow
I had to run up the color to see the structure.
Female catkins are said to be green.