Wildflowers Guide Preview 2Nd Edition

Home , Allium textile, Almutaster, Antennaria parvifolia, Biennial plant, Calochortus gunnisonii, Campanula rotundifolia

and Other Plants of the Larimer County Foothills Region Larimer County Department of Natural Resources I 2nd Edition Credits This guide was developed primarily by volunteers and staff of Larimer County Department of Natural Resources. Thanks also to reviewers and support from the Friends of Larimer County Parks and Open Lands, Colorado Native Plant Society, and City of Fort Collins Natural Areas Department.

Project Manager: Heather Young Writers: Paul Alaback, Jenna McAleer, Lisa Matthews, Linda Bilsing Editor: Linda Bilsing Photo Editor: Janet Sitas Illustrations: Lisa Matthews Design and Layout: Jane Thomson Cover Photo: Brendan Bombaci

How to Use This Guide This guide includes the most common, showy species of plants found in Larimer County at elevations between 5,000 and 8,000 feet. To use this guide, turn to the appropriate section using the colored headers and tabs: Wildflowers: White, orange/yellow, pink/red, blue/purple Wildflower species are further organized alphabetically by scientific family, and then genus and species. Grasses: Green Grasses are further organized alphabetically by genus and species. Woody Plants: Brown Woody plants are further organized alphabetically by scientific family, and then genus and species. Similar species that you might confuse with the species on that page are compared side-by-side for easier identification.

1 2 Look at the photographs, read the area. See the section on Further Reading descriptions, and use the ID Hints for and Reference for more information the key characteristics that differentiate (pp. 212-213). each species. Note, however, much Common names vary widely across variation exists in nature and the plant guides. This guide uses common descriptions serve only as guidelines. In names and scientific names (in italics) some cases, plants bloom at a different from Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope 3rd ed. time, grow to a different height, or have (Weber & Wittmann, 1996). different colored flowers.

If you do not find what you are looking for, look in a different colored section. However, if you still do not find the Note plant you are looking for, you might All plants in this guide are native need to consult another reference, as perennials with simple leaves, this guide only covers a limited number unless otherwise specified. of the over 1,000 species native to this A Note About Plant Families: Warning As you become more familiar with Many plant species are identifying plants, note the family poisonous if ingested, and some groupings. Most plants within a family may cause a negative reaction possess some similar characteristics. For with the slightest touch. While example, plants in the pea family the authors have attempted to (Fabaceae) generally have alternate, point out the extremely poisonous species in this guide, compound leaves, pod fruits, and it is by no means irregular flowers with 5 petals. comprehensive, and thus great Recognizing families is a great way to care should be taken. No plants improve your botanical skills, which is or plant parts should be why this guide is organized by family consumed or handled without within each color group. See Index of the proper knowledge or guidance. Plant Families starting on page 223.

3 4 About This Guide Larimer County parks and open spaces are lands protected for recreation and This guide focuses on the most conservation by the citizens of Larimer common, showy, native plants growing County, through the ¼-cent, citizen- in parks and open spaces in Larimer initiated “Help Preserve Open Spaces” County, Colorado, between 5,000 and sales tax started in 1996. 8,000 feet in elevation. Key traits for identification, comparisons between Most areas were originally ranches or similar species, and fun facts help you homesteads that landowners wished to identify and learn about these preserve in perpetuity as public lands. interesting plants. Some of these areas have been restored as wild examples of grasslands, riparian In addition, notes on ecology, habitat, areas, or forests that once dominated and bloom time and references to the landscape in Larimer County. specific Larimer County parks and open spaces will help you discover when and where to look for individual species. Ecology of the Larimer plant species grow on these slopes, as County Foothills Region well as the largest trees and densest thickets of vegetation. Differences in Climate: In Larimer County, moisture climate also explain differences between is the most important factor in ecological zones and habitats. determining where plants grow. West- to south-facing slopes are exposed to the hot Geology: Riparian areas (streamsides) afternoon sun; these are the driest and have some of the greatest diversity of most extreme sites for plant growth. wildflowers and shrubs due to complex Plants adapted to drought and sun stress and rich soils, especially when the soils (e.g., plains prickly pear cactus) and are formed from floodwater sediment. thick-leaved woody shrubs (e.g., Shale or mudstones also develop deep, mountain mahogany) commonly grow nutrient-rich soils for a wide diversity of here. North- to east-facing slopes, by plants. Fewer plant species grow in acid contrast, are shaded during the hot rocks (e.g., granite), which form thin, afternoon, so plants have more access to poorly developed soils that retain little moisture. As a result, a larger number of water and have few nutrients. 5 6 Limestone also has low water-holding than any other habitat in the Rockies. capacity, but can support unique species Flooding is essential to establish adapted to salts (alkalinity) and drought. cottonwood and willow seedlings.  Grazing by deer and elk, and

Natural and Human Disturbance: burrowing by wildlife such as prairie Disturbances recycle and release dogs, are essential to maintaining the nutrients for plant growth, so they are long-term health and diversity of essential to the long-term health of grasslands. native ecosystems.  Livestock grazing can imitate natural  Fire stimulates seeds to germinate and patterns and promote native plants to re-sprout and send up new wildflowers. shoots. Lodgepole pine, ponderosa  Plowing, by contrast, diminishes the pine, grasses, and many wildflowers availability of nutrients in grasslands, depend on fire for reproduction. changing the dominant plant species  Flooding creates a variety of habitats for 50 years or more. Smooth brome and delivers nutrients to riparian and other non-native grasses areas, supporting more plant species generally dominate after plowing. Ecological Zones three-leaf sumac), open rocky areas, and ponderosa pine woodlands. This guide focuses on the foothills ecological zone in Larimer County, with Montane: At the highest elevations some overlap with the plains and covered by this guide, this zone occurs montane zones, from 5,000 to 8,000 feet especially on cool east- or north-facing (Fig. 1). slopes. Shady montane forests predominate, including mixtures of Plains: This zone occurs at the lowest ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, elevations and includes grasslands, and juniper. cottonwood forests along streams, disturbed areas, and old agricultural fields.

Foothills: This zone occurs on small hills or the lower portions of mountains, usually with a mixture of grasslands, shrublands (mountain mahogany and 7 8

14. 000 ftl

8,000ft.

Fig. 1: Ecological zones and habitats in Larimer County Habitats blanketflower and scarlet gaura). Look for native grasslands at Cathy Fromme This guide organizes plants into 8 Prairie Natural Area, Eagle’s Nest Open habitats from 5,000 to 8,000 feet in Space, and Soapstone Prairie Natural Larimer County: grasslands, disturbed Area. Smaller patches of grasslands areas, riparian areas, shrublands, open grow at Horsetooth Mountain Open rocky areas, woodlands, forests, and wet Space and Devil’s Backbone Open meadows (Fig. 1). Space.

Grasslands: This habitat dominates Disturbed grasslands are also common the plains and occurs in smaller patches in this area, reflecting a long history of in the foothills and montane zones. agriculture and human use. Non-native Grasslands grow on fine-textured soils grasses from Central Asia and northern such as clay or silt. This habitat generally Europe (e.g., crested wheatgrass, has grasses in distinct bunches or smooth brome, and tall wheatgrass) patches (e.g., blue grama, needlegrass, usually dominate disturbed grasslands. and fescue) and wildflowers (e.g.,

9 10 Disturbed Areas: This habitat is streams and river floodplains and in most common in the plains, but can moist spots along seasonal creeks, occur locally in other zones as well. wetlands, or seepages. Willows, Disturbed areas occur along major trails cottonwoods, and a wide variety of or following construction activity, and shrubs occur in riparian areas, along also reflect historical disturbances such with buttercups, asters, and arnicas. as logging, fire, grazing, old homesteads, Look for unusual species next to fallen or mining. Human disturbance generally trees, in moist pockets, and in overflow favors non-native species such as areas. The Big Thompson and Cache la smooth brome, dandelion, Kentucky Poudre rivers offer excellent examples bluegrass, storksbill, and many of riparian areas. mustard species. Shrublands: This habitat is most Riparian Areas: This habitat can common in the foothills zone, but can occur at all elevations, but is most also occur on dry south- or west-facing common in the plains and foothills slopes in the montane zone. Shrubs zones. Riparian areas occur along dominate here due to the coarse nature of soils as contrasted with the silty or Devil’s Backbone Open Space. Rocks clay-dominated soils of the grasslands. can also dominate narrow gullies and Shrublands in places such as Devil’s canyons, where they act like mulch, Backbone Open Space and Horsetooth providing habitat for moisture-loving Mountain Open Space support three- plants. Many shrubs (e.g., American leaf sumac, mountain mahogany, pea plum, chokecherry, and hawthorn) family wildflowers, and many members occur in these areas. of the mustard family. Woodlands: This habitat is Open Rocky Areas: This habitat is transitional between grasslands and common in both foothills and montane forests in the foothills and montane zones. Loose rocks or rock outcrops zones. These open forests have widely create a complex and diverse habitat for spaced ponderosa pines and junipers plants. Drought tolerant plants (e.g., with grasses and showy wildflowers many members of the pea and mustard (e.g., pasqueflowers and sunflowers) families) grow on ridgetops along growing below. Forests, by contrast, Horsetooth Mountain Open Space and provide heavy shade and generally have 11 12 understory with a greater abundance of in higher elevations, where more herbs and shrubs. Look for woodlands moisture is available. Hermit Park Open at lower to middle elevations in Hermit Space and Horsetooth Mountain Open Park Open Space and Horsetooth Space offer excellent examples of native Mountain Open Space. forests at higher elevations.

Forests: This habitat is common in Wet Meadows: This habitat is most the montane zone, but also occurs on common in the montane zone in forest cool, wet, north- or east-facing slopes in openings, but can occur locally along the upper reaches of the foothills zone. rivers and other wetlands in the foothills Forests create dense shade habitat for and plains. Similar to grasslands, this shrubs and wildflowers (e.g., aster, habitat is dominated by grass-like plants, clematis, and arnica). Ponderosa pine but it has abundant moisture at least forests generally occur in the driest seasonally, usually from snowmelt. forest habitats, where fire is most Columbines, asters, and lilies are common. Douglas fir forests dominate common in this habitat. on north-facing slopes, near streams, or Open Space Conservation impacted by people as the Front Range has developed. Flat grasslands with Larimer County open spaces provide good soils support agriculture. Riparian some of the best remaining examples of areas, with their abundant water, attract nearly wild habitats for plants and human settlement. Larimer County open animals in the county. Open spaces are spaces preserve good quality native also popular places for hiking, mountain grasslands and riparian habitats. biking, running, and other outdoor activities, and can be in danger of being Enjoy these special places as you look “loved to death” by heavy recreational for the rich assortment of wildflowers, use. trees, shrubs, and grasses that grow here, but please be careful not to pick Native grasslands and riparian habitats flowers or disturb these sites! This are particularly important places for allows all of us, and future generations, conservation. They provide critical to continue to appreciate these special habitat for many plant and animal species and the heritage of wild places in species, but they have been highly Larimer County.

Lisa Matthews Jane Thomson

Prairie Wild Onion Allium textile Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Onion (Alliaceae) ID Hints: Prairie wild onion emits a strong onion-like odor. It typically has 2 General: Erect, up to 12" tall basal leaves per flower stalk, and up to Flowers/Fruit: Small, white, erect 40 flowers per umbel. When not in flowers, up to ¼" long, clustered in flower, this and other Allium species terminal umbels; see also Pink closely resemble death camas Onion Group (Toxicoscordion venenosum), which is highly poisonous. Leaves: Basal, linear, up to 10" long, green and grass-like Did You Know? The genus name Allium means garlic and the species

Habitat: Grasslands, open rocky areas name textile refers to the fibers that surround the underground bulb.

Lisa Matthews Jane Thomson

Mouse-ear Chickweed, Field Chickweed Cerastium strictum Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Chickweed (Alsinaceae) ID Hints: Due to the deeply notched petals, at first glance the flowers appear Erect, up to 12" tall, often General: to have 10 petals, rather than just 5. clumped and mat-forming Each open cluster consists of 5 or more Flowers/Fruit: Flowers up to ¾" flowers. wide, with 5 white petals, each deeply Cerastium species notched at the tip; yellow centers; Did You Know? have the common name chickweed arranged in loose clusters because they were once used as feed for Leaves: Opposite, linear, up to 1" domestic chickens. Members of the long, covered in velvety hair chickweed family are often grouped into the pink family (Caryophyllaceae). Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky areas, woodlands

Janet Sitas

Poison Hemlock Conium maculatum Bloom: Summer Family: Carrot (Apiaceae) ID Hints: Hollow stems are covered in purple blotches, particularly near the Erect, up to 10' tall; General: base. Plants produce a musty odor, introduced biennial especially when disturbed. Tiny white flowers Flowers/Fruit: Just as the common arranged in compound umbels up to Did You Know? name suggests, poison hemlock is highly 6" wide toxic; it led to the death of the Greek Leaves: Alternate or basal, up to 12" philosopher Socrates. Easily mistaken long, pinnately divided into lacy leaflets, for other non-toxic, edible members of toothed margins this family, such as wild carrot or parsley; extreme caution must be taken. Habitat: Wet meadows, riparian, disturbed areas, roadside ditches

Janet Sitas

Cow Parsnip Heracleum sphondylium Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Carrot (Apiaceae) ID Hints: Large leaves; huge flat- topped flower clusters; hairy, grooved General: Erect, up to 8' tall stems; and moist habitat help identify Flowers/Fruit: Tiny white flowers cow parsnip. arranged in compound umbels up to This species is often 12" wide Did You Know? mistaken for poison hemlock (Conium Leaves: Alternate; variable with 3 maculatum). Although they appear lobes, 3 leaflets or pinnately compound similar, closer inspection reveals distinct with large, broad leaflets with toothed differences: poison hemlock has lacy, margins fern-like leaves, hairless, purple-blotched stems, and smaller flower clusters. Also

Habitat: Wet meadows, wetlands, known as H. maximum. Caution: this riparian plant is poisonous to touch. 21

Lisa Matthews Jane Thomson

Salt & Pepper Lomatium orientale Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Carrot (Apiaceae) ID Hints: Muted colors make this plant easy to overlook. Get close with a General: Erect, up to 12" tall magnifying glass to see the red anthers. Flowers/Fruit: Tiny white flowers The similar plains spring parsley with red anthers; arranged in compound (Cymopteris acaulis) has black anthers and umbels on short, leafless stems narrower leaves.

Leaves: Basal, up to 5" long, highly Did You Know? The common name dissected into linear gray-green leaflets salt & pepper refers to the color contrast between the white petals and

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands dark red anthers present on each flower.

This plant is one of the earliest to bloom in spring and also goes by the common name northern Idaho biscuitroot. 23

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Common Yarrow, Milfoil Achillea lanulosa Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Red stems with soft, feathery, fragrant leaves. Basal leaves General: Erect, up to 3' tall typically larger than stem leaves. Tiny Flowers/Fruit: Creamy white to light composite flowers arranged in terminal, pink ray flowers; creamy white to yellow flat-topped clusters. central disk flowers Did You Know? Common yarrow Leaves: Alternate and basal, lance- provides an important food source for shaped, 3-8" long, pinnately dissected large mammals, such as deer and 1-2 times into lacy, fern-like leaflets bighorn sheep, as well as many bird species. It is very difficult to distinguish

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, from the introduced species, grasslands, riparian, disturbed areas A. millefolium.

26 Pearly Everlasting Pussytoes

Lisa Matthews Jane Thomson, Janet Sitas (inset)

Pearly Everlasting & Pussytoes Anaphalis margaritacea & Antennaria spp. Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Pearly everlasting typically has large stem leaves and small, Erect. Pearly everlasting up General: withering basal leaves, whereas to 3' tall. Pussytoes up to 2' tall. pussytoes predominantly has basal Flowers/Fruit: White to yellow disk leaves and relatively few, small stem flowers in rounded, terminal clusters; no leaves. Both have woolly stems and ray flowers present pearly white to pink papery bracts that surround the disk flowers. Leaves: Basal and alternate, lance- to egg-shaped, up to 4" long, gray-green Did You Know? Small-leaved pussytoes (Antennaria parvifolia) and

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, showy pussytoes (A. pulcherrima) are two open rocky areas, grasslands, riparian common species of pussytoes in Colorado. 27

Bracts Janet Sitas Paul Alaback

White Aster Group Aster spp. Bloom: Late Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Two or more rows of overlapping bracts surround the stem General: Erect, up to 4' tall under each flower head. This Flowers/Fruit: Numerous white ray differentiates these species from the flowers surround yellow central disk closely related fleabanes (Erigeron spp.), flowers; heads several to many, up to 1" which have bracts of roughly equal wide; see also Blue/Purple Aster Group length in one row.

Leaves: Alternate, linear to lance- to Did You Know? Asters are also paddle-shaped, up to 3" long, clasping classified under Almutaster, Virgulus, the stem Virgulaster, and Symphyotrichum. Four Habitat: Broadly distributed across commonly seen asters in the foothills habitats include Almutaster porteri, Virgulus ericoides, V. falcatus, and V. spathulatus. 29

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White Fleabane/Daisy Group Erigeron spp. Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Fleabanes and asters are easily mistaken; they both can have Erect, up to 3' tall; biennial General: numerous ray flowers and yellow disk or perennial flowers. However, the ray flowers on Flowers/Fruit: Numerous narrow, fleabanes are often much narrower and white to light pink ray flowers; yellow more numerous. Also, the bracts are central disk flowers; see also Blue/ roughly equal in length, whereas aster Purple Fleabane/Daisy Group bracts overlap like shingles. Erigeron leaves are often hairy. Leaves: Basal and alternate, linear to lance- to paddle-shaped, up to 2" long Did You Know? Nearly 50 different species of fleabane occur in Colorado.

Habitat: Broadly distributed across Three common species include E. habitats compositus, E. divergens, and E. flagellaris. 31

32 Easter Daisy Showy Easter Daisy

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Easter Daisy & Showy Easter Daisy Townsendia hookeri & T. grandiflora Bloom: Early spring Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Easter daisies are short plants usually with spreading grass-like Short plant with spreading General: leaves; true daisies (Erigeron spp.) are grass-like leaves. Easter daisy: stemless. usually erect with broader lobed or Showy Easter daisy: erect up to 8" tall. divided leaves. Also, Easter daisies have Flowers/Fruit: White ray flowers with stiff rough bracts under the flower; true yellow central disk flowers daisies have softer leaf-like bracts.

Leaves: Spreading, folded linear grass- Did You Know? Called Easter daisy like leaves. Showy Easter daisy also has because unlike most daisies it flowers in leaves on stems. the spring. Where it was first discovered in the Mediterranean it usually flowered

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, around Easter time. canyons

Janet Sitas

Miner’s Candle Oreocarya virgata Bloom: Summer Family: Borage (Boraginaceae) ID Hints: Tall, narrow column and tiny white flowers interspersed with leaves Erect, narrow, unbranched General: along the stem. Like other borages, the column up to 2' tall; hairy plant flowers have a tiny pore in the center of Flowers/Fruit: Tiny white waxy the flat wheel of the fused petals. flowers in leaf axils; petals fused This species is together forming a shallow cup with a Did You Know? unique to rocky portions of Wyoming tiny yellow center and Colorado. The name Borage comes Leaves: Long, linear, rough; arranged from burra, Latin for rough hair. Also all along stem known as Cryptantha virgata.

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, canyons, from plains to foothills

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Mariposa Lily, Sego Lily Calochortus gunnisonii Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Mariposa (Calochortaceae) ID Hints: Showy, bowl-shaped flowers grow atop thin stalks. Each flower General: Erect, up to 18" tall consists of 3 broad petals and 3 pointed, Flowers/Fruit: White to cream narrow, white sepals. colored flowers with a narrow, purple The genus name, stripe and fringe of yellow hairs in the Did You Know? Calochortus, is Greek for beautiful grass, center; up to 2" across; solitary or in a referring to its showy flowers and thin, loose cluster of 2-5 flowers grass-like foliage. Mariposa is Spanish Leaves: Basal and alternate, linear to for butterfly, referring to the lightweight 12" long, grass-like petals, which resemble butterfly wings. Mariposa lily is also frequently placed in

Habitat: Grasslands, open rocky the lily family (Liliaceae). areas, woodlands

Keel

Jane Thomson, Janet Sitas (bottom left inset)

White Milkvetch Group Astragalus spp. Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Milkvetches look very similar to locoweeds (Oxtropsis spp.), except General: Erect to spreading, up to 3' tall, hairy; annual or perennial milkvetch keels are rounded instead of sharply pointed. The common species Flowers/Fruit: White to cream pea of milkvetch in our area are often flowers up to 1" long, clustered in densely woolly and usually have leafy terminal racemes; fruit a legume; see flower stems. also Blue/Purple Milkvetch Group Did You Know? Over 70 species of Leaves: Alternate, pinnately milkvetch occur in Colorado. Four compound, usually 11 or more leaflets common species that grow along the with a terminal leaflet Front Range include A. bisulcatus, Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky A. drummondii, A. parryi, and A. racemosus. areas, grasslands, woodlands, riparian 39

Keel

Jane Thomson Lisa Matthews

White Locoweed, Rocky Mountain Loco Oxytropis sericea Bloom: Spring Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Locoweed flowers have unique pointed keels and leaves mostly Erect, less than 2' tall, often General: in a rosette at the base of the plant. with gray hairs and leafless flower stem Look for a purple spot on the keel of O. Flowers/Fruit: Spike-like raceme of sericea. white, cream, or yellow flowers Did You Know? Flowers often have a Leaves: Basal rosette of hairy leaves purple tinge, which usually comes from pinnately divided into linear leaflets interbreeding with the purple Colorado locoweed (O. lambertii). In mountains

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, and northern areas it is more commonly from foothills to montane yellow. Locoweeds are generally toxic to livestock.

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Pale Larkspur, Carolina Larkspur Delphinium carolinianum Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Hellebore (Helleboraceae) ID Hints: Pale larkspur has leafy stems and unique-looking flowers that consist General: Erect, up to 3' tall of 5 petal-like sepals, the upper of which Flowers/Fruit: White/cream flowers is spurred, and 4 true petals. to 1" wide, sometimes tinged blue, with Almost all parts of a reflexed spur; clustered in a terminal Did You Know? the plant are poisonous to humans, as raceme up to 10" long; see also well as certain wildlife and livestock. Blue/Purple Larkspur Group This and other Delphinium species are Leaves: Basal and alternate, palmately sometimes classified in the buttercup lobed with linear leaflets family (Ranunculaceae). Also known as D. virescens. Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, grasslands

Janet Sitas

Sand Lily Leucocrinum montanum Bloom: Early Spring Family: Lily (Liliaceae) ID Hints: A low plant with star-like white flowers rising from the center of a General: Erect, up to 6" tall, clumps clump of grass-like leaves. 6 narrow, pointed, Flowers/Fruit: The flower has no separate tepals in star-like pattern Did You Know? stem! The base of the flower and the Leaves: Basal, linear, 3-8" long, folded seeds grow underground. The following on midrib, smooth year the new flower buds will push the seeds up to ground level, so the seeds Grasslands, wet meadows, Habitat: can be scattered. Petals and sepals look shrublands, open rocky areas the same, so are often called tepals.

Jane Thomson

Death Camas Toxicoscordion venenosum Bloom: Spring Family: False Hellebore ID Hints: Cream flowers with (Melanthiaceae) protruding, yellow stamens and yellow- green glands at the base of each tepal. Erect up to 10" tall, with General: Flower stems arise from thick, folded, showy flower cluster on top of stem grass-like basal leaves. 6 cream tepals in a Flowers/Fruit: Death camas sends loose cluster; green-yellow gland at base Did You Know? up its leaves very early, usually right of each tepal after snow melts, and resembles wild Leaves: Basal, smooth, thick, folded, onions (Allium spp.) and camas lily grass-like, up to 2/3" wide (Camassia quamash) before flowering. Death camas plants are poisonous,

Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, giving this plant its name. Also known forest openings as Zigadenus venosus. 47

Janet Sitas

White Evening Primrose Group Oenothera spp. Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Evening Primrose (Onagraceae) ID Hints: Evening primroses open in the late afternoon or evening and have long

General: Erect. Height varies: prairie up narrow tubes below the petal lobes. Prairie to 18"; stemless up to 8"; cutleaf up to 10". (O. albicaulis) has velvety stems and wooly Flowers/Fruit: 4 rounded or heart-shaped leaves, with flowers up to 2" across. white overlapping petals; see also Yellow Stemless (O. caespitosa) has flowers to 4" Evening Primrose Group across on a long, leafless stalk. Cutleaf (O. coronopifolia) has leafy stems with linear leaf Leaves: Prairie: alternate, pinnately lobed, lobes and flowers less than 1" wide. hairy, gray. Stemless: basal rosette with toothed, wavy margins. Cutleaf: deeply cut, Did You Know? White evening linear leaf lobes. primroses are fragrant at night to attract moth pollinators. Flowers often turn pink Habitat: Disturbed areas, grasslands, open after pollination. rocky areas, sandy soils, ant hills, roadsides

Linda Bilsing, Jane Thomson (top inset), Paul Alaback (bottom inset)

Prickly Poppy, Thistle Poppy Argemone polyanthemos Bloom: Spring Family: Poppy (Papaveraceae) ID Hints: Thistle-like, but with large, showy white flowers resembling tissue Erect, 2-3' tall; annual General: paper. Fruit has many prickles. Often or perennial found alongside roadsides. Large, up to 3" wide; Flowers/Fruit: Prickly poppy grows cluster of yellow stamens in center Did You Know? south to Peru. There it is called “fig of Leaves: Alternate, lance-shaped, 4-8" the devil” due to the fruit’s resemblance long, blue-green, prickly, lobed to a fig, but with many prickles. All parts to divided of the plant are poisonous.

Habitat: Grasslands, shrublands, open rocky areas, disturbed areas, roadsides

Paul Alaback, Jane Thomson (top inset)

Northern Bedstraw Galium septentrionale Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Madder (Rubiaceae) ID Hints: Whorled, sweet-smelling leaves, square stems, and numerous, tiny General: Erect, up to 2' tall white flowers distinguish northern Flowers/Fruit: Tiny, white to creamy bedstraw. Unlike other Galium species, white flowers, each with 4 petals, which have rough leaves and stems, G. grouped in many-flowered, septentrionale has smooth leaves and terminal clusters stems.

Leaves: Whorls of 4 along the stems, Did You Know? This species is very linear to lance-shaped, up to 2" long, similar to the introduced species, G. green, smooth boreale, and therefore the two are often lumped together and simply referred to

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, as G. boreale. grasslands, riparian

Lisa Matthews Jane Thomson

Snowball Saxifrage, Diamond-leaf Saxifrage Micranthes rhomboidea Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Saxifrage (Saxifragaceae) ID Hints: This species is distinguished by one leafless, hairy stem supporting a General: Erect, up to 12" tall round cluster of tiny white flowers that Flowers/Fruit: Small white flowers resemble a snowball and clusters of with yellow centers, crowded in a leathery, diamond-shaped basal leaves. rounded terminal cluster to 2½" wide, Often found growing in rocky crevices. atop a leafless stem Did You Know? Snowball saxifrage Leaves: Mostly basal, diamond- to grows at many elevations and a variety egg-shaped, up to 2½" long, toothed of habitats throughout Colorado. Also margins, often red tinged on underside known as Saxifraga rhomboidea and S. austrina. Habitat: Open rocky areas, shrublands

Whiskbroom Parsley Musineon Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Whiskbroom Parsley & Musineon Harbouria trachypleura & Musineon divaricatum Bloom: Spring Family: Carrot (Apiaceae) ID Hints: Musineon has much smaller umbels (to 1" wide) and is shorter in Erect. Whiskbroom parsley: General: stature than whiskbroom parsley up to 24" tall. Musineon: up to 12" tall. (umbels to 4" wide). Also, musineon Flowers/Fruit: Tiny yellow flowers only has basal leaves while whiskbroom clustered into compound umbels parsley often has one to several alternate stem leaves. Leaves: Basal, pinnately divided. Whiskbroom parsley: linear, stiff leaf Did You Know? Both of these segments. Musineon: flexible leaf species bloom very early in the spring segments, wider in the middle or base. and have long-lasting flowers. Musineon also goes by the common names leafy

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, and slender wild parsley. shrublands, woodlands, canyons

58 False Dandelion Wavy-leaved Dandelion

Janet Sitas

False Dandelion & Wavy-leaved Dandelion Agoseris glauca & Nothocalais cuspidata Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Yellow flower heads are similar to common dandelions with only Erect, with wooly leafless General: ray flowers present. Key feature to look flower stem. False: up to 24" tall. for are the distinctive leaves. Rather Wavy-leaved: up to 10" tall. than the wide spiny leaves of common Flowers/Fruit: Yellow ray flowers in dandelion, these have linear, folded, heads up to 2" across; no disk flowers wavy margined leaves with soft hairs (wavy-leaved dandelion) or flat lance- Leaves: False: linear, flat, lance-shaped shaped leaves (false dandelion). leaves. Wavy-leaved: linear folded leaves with wavy margins. Did You Know? Produces beautiful globular heads of feathery fruits, larger

Habitat: Grasslands, open rocky areas; and more intricate than a dandelion. false dandelion also in woodlands Highly variable color and inbred. 59

Janet Sitas Paul Alaback

Arnica Group Arnica spp. Bloom: Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Arnicas are distinctive in having opposite leaves and few flower Erect, up to 2' tall, with General: heads. Leafy arnica (A. chamissonis) has 5 distinctive paired leaves or more pairs of leaves. Meadow arnica Flowers/Fruit: Large, showy, yellow (A. fulgens) has linear leaves with parallel ray flowers and yellow or green veins. Heart-leaved arnica (A. cordifolia) disk flowers has rounded heart-shaped leaves.

Leaves: Opposite, paired, egg- to Did You Know? Arnicas are one of lance-shaped, hairy, smooth to toothed the more showy flowers in forests and openings. Arnicas have variable hairs on

Habitat: Woodlands, forest openings, their leaves depending on the harshness forests, riparian, canyons. Meadow of the site. arnica: grasslands, open rocky areas.

62 Fringed Silver Sage Sage

Flowers

Flowers Jane Thomson, Janet Sitas (left inset), Jenna McAleer (flower insets)

Fringed Sage & White Sage Artemisia frigida & A. ludoviciana Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: The leaves of these plants have a distinctive sage smell, silvery- Erect herb (not woody), up General: green color, and leathery texture. to 3' tall; fringed sage: bushy or creeping Fringed sage has divided, linear thread- Flowers/Fruit: Tiny, silvery-green to like leaves. White sage has strap-shaped, yellowish flower heads at branch tips white leaves. The similar wild tarragon (Oligosporus dracunculus) has long, linear, Leaves: Silvery-green, tough, leathery green leaves, similar to white asters. leaves. Fringed sage: linear, divided. White sage: strap-shaped, sometimes Did You Know? Artemisia plants are lobed, whitish above, hairy below. called sage because of the strong smell resembling the unrelated, edible sages of

Habitat: Grasslands, open rocky areas, the mint family. woodlands, forest openings, pastures

Seedhead

Jane Thomson, Paul Alaback (top inset), Lisa Matthews (bottom inset)

Blanket Flower Gaillardia aristata Bloom: Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Each yellow ray flower has three teeth at the tip. As these flowers General: Erect, up to 12" tall, clumps age, the ray flowers recede, leaving Flowers/Fruit: Yellow ray flowers perfect round, red globes of disk with red bases; dark red globe of disk flowers. flowers Did You Know? This is one of the Leaves: Alternate, lance-shaped, up to showiest wildflowers in foothills 6" long, hairy, often with linear lobes grasslands. The red of the disk flowers appears to leak into the yellow ray

Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, open flowers, forming artistic designs. rocky areas

Paul Alaback

Gumweed, Curlycup Gumweed Grindelia squarrosa Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Each flower head is surrounded by several rows of sticky Erect, up to 3' tall; biennial General: green bracts with reflexed, hooked tips. or short-lived perennial Resin-secreting Many yellow ray Did You Know? Flowers/Fruit: glands make the bracts of each flower flowers surround yellow central disk head gummy, and hence the common flowers; each flower head to 1½" wide, name gumweed. Although a common arranged in flat-topped clusters rangeland plant, cattle do not eat Leaves: Alternate, egg- to lance- gumweed because it emits a bitter taste. shaped, toothed margins, to 2½" long The foamy white spittle on old flower heads is formed by the spittlebug; the

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, foam protects the bugs’ offspring riparian, disturbed areas from predators. 67

68 Little Sunflower Goldeneye

Janet Sitas

Little Sunflower & Goldeneye Helianthella uniflora & Heliomeris multiflora Bloom: Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Little sunflower typically has 1 larger flower head (up to 2½" wide) General: Erect, 1-4' tall per stem, whereas goldeneye commonly Flowers/Fruit: Yellow ray flowers has 2 or more smaller flower heads (1-2" surround yellow to brownish-purple wide) per stem. central disk flowers (little sunflower) or These two species yellow central disk flowers (goldeneye) Did You Know? are often mistaken for true sunflowers Leaves: Mainly opposite, sometimes (Helianthus spp.). However, the flower alternate, lance-shaped, up to 6" long, heads of little sunflower and goldeneye bristly feeling to the touch are generally smaller than sunflowers, and their leaf margins are usually entire,

Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, rather than toothed. grasslands, shrublands, riparian

Janet Sitas

Sunflower Group Helianthus spp. Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Flower heads grow atop stiff, often reddish, rough stems that have General: Erect, 1-10' tall; annual or perennial leaves with toothed margins. The leaf arrangement can be quite variable; Flowers/Fruit: Flower heads 2-6" sometimes both opposite and alternate wide, comprised of bright yellow ray leaves grow on the same plant. flowers and dark purple disk flowers Did You Know? Some of the most Leaves: Basal, alternate and/or abundant species in the foothills include opposite, lance- to egg-shaped, 2-8" low or bush sunflower (H. pumilus) with long, rough to the touch multiple stems, annual sunflower (H.

Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky annuus) with a single stem, and prairie areas, grasslands, riparian, disturbed sunflower (H. petiolaris) with narrow areas leaves. 71

Jenna McAleer, Janet Sitas (inset)

Golden Aster Group Heterotheca spp. Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Grayish hairy stems, covered with numerous greenish-gray hairy Erect, up to 2' tall, General: leaves, support one to many small, clump-forming yellow composite flowers. Small flower heads up Flowers/Fruit: Heterotheca species, to 1" wide, comprised of golden yellow Did You Know? such as golden aster (H. canescens) and ray flowers and yellow to orange central hairy golden aster (H. villosa), are very disk flowers common in the foothills. They are often Leaves: Alternate, oblong to elliptic, difficult to identify to species level due up to 2" long and ½" wide, hairy to extremely variable leaf and stem characteristics. Also known as Chrysopsis. Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, grasslands, canyons

74 False Salsify Salsify

Mary Dubler Lisa Matthews

False Salsify & Yellow Salsify Podospermum laciniatum & Tragopogon dubius Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: False salsify’s lower leaves are typically pinnately dissected, while Erect, up to 3' tall; non- General: yellow salsify’s leaves are all entire. False native; annual, biennial, or perennial salsify has wiry, branched stems. Both Flowers/Fruit: Pale yellow ray species somewhat resemble the flowers; yellow salsify has bracts that common dandelion, especially when in extend beyond the ray flowers seed, as they produce a large tuft of white to brown feathery bristles. Leaves: Basal and alternate, grass-like. False salsify: up to 4" long. Yellow Did You Know? These flowers salsify: up to 12" long. typically open at dawn and close by noon, making them easy to overlook.

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, False salsify is also known as disturbed areas Scorzonera laciniata. 75

Paul Alaback Lisa Matthews, Janet Sitas (top inset)

Prairie Coneflower, Mexican Hat Ratibida columnifera Bloom: Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Every part of this plant is distinctive, which makes for easy Erect, up to 3' tall, one to General: identification: hairy, thinly dissected several slender stems leaves, drooping ray flowers, and an Flowers/Fruit: Yellow drooping ray elongated cone of darker colored disk flowers surround a dark brown to flowers. Ray flowers are occasionally purplish cone of central disk flowers dark red.

Leaves: Alternate, up to 6" long, Did You Know? This wildflower pinnately dissected into thin, resembles a traditional Mexican hat, linear leaflets with its tall center and brim of ray flowers. Also known as Rudbeckia

Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky columnifera and Lepachys columnaris. areas, grasslands

Lisa Matthews Jenna McAleer

Black-eyed Susan Rudbeckia hirta Bloom: Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Bright yellow ray flowers and dark brownish disk flowers make up Erect, up to 3' tall, hairy; General: each flower head, which grow atop biennial or short-lived perennial hairy, slender, leafy stems. Yellow to orange ray Flowers/Fruit: Many small flowers surround dark brown to purple Did You Know? mammals and birds rely on this species central disk flowers; flower heads up to as a source of food, as each flower head 3" wide, solitary or in open clusters produces anywhere from 250-500 seeds. Leaves: Alternate, lance- to egg- The name hirta means hairy, which is in shaped, up to 10" long, bristly reference to the hairy stems and leaves.

Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky areas, grasslands

Jenna McAleer

Ragwort Group Senecio spp. Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Many small flower heads clustered at top of stem. Each flower Erect, up to 4' tall; annual, General: head is surrounded by 1 row of green biennial, or perennial bracts, which are frequently black-tipped Flowers/Fruit: Yellow ray flowers up and are of equal length. to 1" long surround central yellow disk There are about 50 flowers; flower heads up to 3" wide Did You Know? species of Senecio in Colorado! Two Leaves: Basal and alternate, linear to common species in the foothills include lance-shaped, entire to pinnately divided lambstongue ragwort (S. integerrimus), with cobwebby hairs on the young

Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky leaves and stems, and broom senecio (S. areas, grasslands, shrublands, spartioides), with hairless, linear leaves. woodlands, riparian Also known as groundsel or butterweed. 81

Lisa Matthews

Goldenrod Group Solidago spp. Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Terminal, arching flower stems up to 9" long, with numerous General: Erect, 1-6' tall, clumped small, yellow flower heads clustered on Flowers/Fruit: Flower heads up to one side of the stem. ½" wide, clustered on arching stems; Smooth goldenrod yellow ray flowers surround yellow Did You Know? (S. missouriensis), one of the shortest central disk flowers species of goldenrod in the foothills (up Leaves: Basal and alternate, lance- to 20" tall), is primarily found in drier shaped, entire to toothed margins sites, while Canada goldenrod (S. canadensis) and giant goldenrod (S.

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, gigantea) are much taller and frequently open rocky areas, grasslands, riparian, occur in moister sites. disturbed areas, ditches, wetlands

Lisa Matthews Janet Sitas

Fringed Puccoon, Narrowleaf Stoneseed Lithospermum incisum Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Borage (Boraginaceae) ID Hints: Bright yellow tubular flowers with 5 distinctively crinkled petal lobes. General: Erect, up to 2' tall, clumped Fringed puccoon’s Lemon yellow to Did You Know? Flowers/Fruit: showy yellow flowers actually contribute orange tubular flowers up to 1½" long very little to the plant’s reproduction. and ¾" wide, with 5 flattened, fringed Instead, seeds are primarily formed lobes; flowers clustered at the ends from small, unopened flowers that are of stems produced later in the season. The Leaves: Alternate, linear to narrowly common name stoneseed is in reference lance-shaped, up to 3" long, firm, hairy to the hard fruits (nutlets) that encase the seeds. Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, grasslands

86 Plains Wallflower Western Wallflower

Fruit Pod

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews, Janet Sitas (right inset)

Plains Wallflower & Western Wallflower Erysimum asperum & E. capitatum Bloom: Summer Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae) ID Hints: Mustards commonly have 4 small light yellow petals; Erysimum Erect, up to 2½' tall with General: flowers are distinctive by having larger showy flower clusters yellow to orange petals. Leaves are Flowers/Fruit: 4 yellow to orange smooth and unlobed unlike most other petals ½" or more long, in head at top of mustards. Plains wallflower has yellow stem; long narrow fruits petals and spreading fruit pods; western wallflower has yellow-orange petals and Leaves: Linear to lance-shaped, erect fruit pods. smooth Wallflowers are Did You Know? Habitat: Wet meadows, grasslands, popular garden flowers and can become woodlands, forest openings, disturbed weeds. They interbreed, resulting in a areas, shrublands wide range of colors. 87

Bell's Twinpod Bladderpod

Jane Thomson

Bell’s Twinpod & Mountain Bladderpod Physaria bellii & Lesquerella montana Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Mustard (Brassicaceae) ID Hints: Both plants are densely hairy with star-shaped hairs and have reclining Erect to spreading. Bell’s General: stems. Twinpod has a basal rosette of twinpod: 2-5" tall. Mountain leaves and fruits that consist of 2 (twin) bladderpod: up to 12" tall. inflated pods fused together, while Flowers/Fruit: Yellow, 4-petaled bladderpod fruits are singular, elongated flowers; singular or double pods and upward pointing.

Leaves: Basal and alternate, gray. Bell’s Did You Know? Although common twinpod: dense rosette. Mountain on shale outcrops in the foothills, Bell’s bladderpod: linear to egg-shaped, on twinpod, also known as Front Range stems as well as base. twinpod, only occurs in 3 counties in Colorado. Mountain bladderpod is

Habitat: Open rocky areas, canyons widely distributed across the Rockies. 89

Jane Thomson

Yellow Stonecrop Amerosedum lanceolatum Bloom: Summer Family: Stonecrop (Crassulaceae) ID Hints: Fleshy pointed leaves are distinctive of this family; yellow flowers Erect, up to 8" tall, General: distinguish it from other species in the succulent, hairless, stems in clumps stonecrop family. 5 yellow, star-like Flowers/Fruit: Stonecrops grow petals ½" across; flat-topped clusters Did You Know? slowly in tough places, but have unique Leaves: Alternate, fleshy, about ½" adaptations to drought. They open their long, lance-shaped, green or reddish leaf pores at night to conserve water during the day (most plants open their

Habitat: Open rocky areas, woodlands, pores during the day). They are in the forest openings same family as sedum, hen and chickens and jade plants. Also known as Sedum lanceolatum. 91

Janet Sitas

Golden Banner, Golden Pea Thermopsis divaricarpa Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Large, bright yellow pea flowers make this wildflower hard to Erect, up to 3' tall; forms General: overlook. At the base of each leaf are 2 large patches egg-shaped, modified leaves called Flowers/Fruit: Bright yellow pea stipules; these often give the appearance flowers, up to 1" long, arranged in of 5 leaflets, rather than 3. terminal clusters Did You Know? Golden banner is Leaves: Alternate, compound with 3 toxic to livestock and may cause birth elliptical leaflets defects if ingested by pregnant cows. Prairie golden banner (T. rhombifolia) is a

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, similar species, blooming early in spring riparian, canyons on the plains.

Jane Thomson Lisa Matthews

Yellow Evening Primrose Group Oenothera spp. Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Evening Primrose (Onagraceae) ID Hints: Showy, yellow, tubular flowers, each with 4 fragile petals, grow above a

General: Erect, 6-48" tall; clumped dense basal rosette of toothed leaves. biennial or perennial Flowers often mature to pink. 4 rounded or heart-shaped Flowers/Fruit: Did You Know? These flowers, although yellow petals; flowers up to 2½" wide; see large and showy, can be overlooked because also White Evening Primrose Group they often remain closed during the day. Leaves: Basal and alternate, linear to Night-flying moths pollinate the flowers lance-shaped, up to 8" long, toothed that are open at night. Common species margins include O. howardii, O. flava, O. serrulata, and O. villosa. Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, open rocky areas, grasslands, shrublands, riparian, disturbed areas

Janet Sitas, Lisa Matthews (inset)

Sulphur Flower Eriogonum umbellatum Bloom: Summer Family: Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) ID Hints: Dense mounds of leaves and many flowering stalks distinguish Leafy mound with erect General: sulphur flowers. Flowers occur in cups clumps of flowering stems up to 16" tall formed by leaf-like bracts that have Flowers/Fruit: Dense rounded umbel fused together. James buckwheat (E. of yellow flowers turning red-orange jamesii), found in ponderosa pine forests, with age has hairy, cream-colored flowers.

Leaves: Greenish-white, paddle- Did You Know? Buckwheats are in shaped leaves with dense white hairs on the same family as the plants used for underside; turn bright red in fall flour. There are over 50 species native to the West, mostly in dry rocky habitats

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, in the mountains. woodlands, forest openings

Janet Sitas Paul Alaback

Buttercup Group Ranunculus spp. Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) ID Hints: Shiny yellow, saucer-shaped flowers mature into a rounded cluster of Erect to spreading, up to 2' General: numerous small fruits (achenes). Some tall; often produces roots along the stem species have more than 5 petals. if spreading Buttercups are all Usually 5 glossy, Did You Know? Flowers/Fruit: poisonous to some degree, although yellow petals; flowers ½ - 1" wide their levels of toxicity can vary greatly Leaves: Basal and alternate; shallowly depending on species, habitat and an 3-lobed to deeply divided into 3 leaflets; individual’s sensitivity. Macoun’s leaf shape and size variable buttercup (R. macounii) typically grows in wet locations, while sagebrush buttercup

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, (R. glaberrimus) is usually found on shrublands, riparian, forest openings drier sites. 99

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Paul Alaback Janet Sitas

Cinquefoil Group Drymocallis spp., Potentilla spp. Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: A diverse group of plants, distinguished primarily by differences in General: Erect up to 3' or spreading with many basal leaves leaves. Silvery cinquefoil (P. hippiana): densely hairy above, white hairy below. Flowers/Fruit: Yellow or white, 5 Sticky cinquefoil (D. arguta): white petals, up to ½", with many stamens flowers and pinnately divided hairy clustered around center of flower leaves. Leafy cinquefoil (D. fissa): similar

Leaves: Leaves usually compound to sticky cinquefoil but with hairless leaves and yellow flowers. with toothed leaflets, either palmately or pinnately arranged Did You Know? Cinquefoils are Habitat: Open rocky areas, woodlands, similar to buttercups, but buttercups forest openings, grasslands, usually have shiny petals and occur in disturbed areas moist places. 101

102

Lisa Matthews, Janet Sitas (right inset)

Smooth Ground Cherry, Virginia Ground Cherry Physalis virginiana Bloom: Summer Family: Nightshade (Solanaceae) ID Hints: Has overall look of a scraggly tomato or Chinese lantern, to which it is Erect, up to 2' tall, General: closely related. Wide smooth leaves are bushy, hairless distinctive of this group; other species Flowers/Fruit: Pale yellow flowers are hairy. Fruits turn yellow when ripe with purple centers nod from side and have papery husks. branches at base of stem leaves; fruits Ground cherry like tomatillos Did You Know? species can be weeds in our gardens and Leaves: Broad lance-shaped, smooth along roads where we have created ideal with long stems, wavy or lobed margin moist, disturbed habitat for them. A purple species (Quincula lobata) is

Habitat: Disturbed areas, roads, trails, also common. pastures, grasslands, ditches

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Janet Sitas

Nuttall’s Violet, Yellow Prairie Violet Viola nuttallii Bloom: Spring Family: Violet (Violaceae) ID Hints: A lower petal with brown- purple veins and leafless stem are General: Erect, up to 6" tall, clumps distinctive. Nuttall’s violet is one of the Flowers/Fruit: Nodding flowers, up only violet species with lance-shaped to ¾" wide; 2 upper, backward curving leaves, making for easy identification; petals and 3 lower petals, one of which many others have heart-shaped leaves. is spurred; dark stripes on lowest petal Did You Know? The lines on the Leaves: Basal, lance-shaped, vibrant petals, also known as nectary guides, green, up to 8" long; mostly entire serve to direct pollinating insects toward margins, sometimes shallowly toothed the nectar, which is located in the spur. Seeds provide food for ants; the ants

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, can easily grasp the seeds using the open rocky areas, grasslands, shrublands irregularly-shaped growths on the seeds.

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Janet Sitas

Pink Onion Group Allium spp. Bloom: Summer Family: Onion (Alliaceae) ID Hints: The smell and flower umbels distinguish onions. Common species Erect, up to 20" tall; cluster General: include the nodding onion (A. cernuum), of grass-like leaves which has a drooping umbel, Geyer’s Flowers/Fruit: Narrow, cup-shaped, onion (A. geyeri), which has 3 or more pink flowers in loose umbels; see also leaves per stem, and the prairie onion white species A. textile (A. textile), which has only 2 leaves per

stem and usually has whitish flowers. Leaves: Linear, grass-like, often rolled Wild onions smell Grasslands, open rocky areas; Did You Know? Habitat: the same as garden onions. Leeks, wet meadows (A. cernuum and A. geyeri) chives, and garlic are also close relatives

in this family. Before blooming, the

plant is easily mistaken for death camas. 107

108

Seeds

Jenna McAleer, Lisa Matthews (insets)

Showy Milkweed Asclepias speciosa Bloom: Summer Family: Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) ID Hints: Flowers have unique shape, with “horns” pointing inward and General: Erect, up to 6' tall; hairy; milky sap; large heads of flowers reflexed petals. A white flowered species also can be found in our area (A. pumila). Flowers/Fruit: Dense umbel of up to 50 white-pink-purple, star-like flowers, Did You Know? Preferred host for reflexed petals; knobby fruit pods up to monarch butterflies. Uniquely-shaped 5" long containing seeds with silky hairs stamens release clumps of pollen that attach to the butterflies when they land. Leaves: Gray-green egg-shaped leaves Whitish, toxic sap exudes outward up to 12" long in opposite pairs; whenever damaged. Monarch caterpillars pink midrib become distasteful to their predators Habitat: Riparian, woodlands, after consuming the sap. disturbed areas, roadside ditches 109

110

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Rocky Mountain Bee Plant, Spider Flower Cleome serrulata Bloom: Summer Family: Caper (Capparaceae) ID Hints: Long protruding stamens give this plant a unique shaggy General: Erect, branched bushy annual up to 5' tall, with loose flower appearance. Narrow, cylindrical green clusters on top (racemes) pods dangle from long stems, characteristic of fruits in the caper Flowers/Fruit: 4 pink petals, ½" wide, family. A related species, clammy weed with long protruding pink stamens; (Polanisia) is similar but has sticky dangling green fruit pods texture on stem.

Leaves: Compound, palmately divided Did You Know? This annual readily into 3 lance-shaped leaflets, short stem colonizes disturbed areas and grows all Habitat: Grasslands, disturbed areas, across the Great Plains. The odor can wet meadows be offensive.

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Jane Thomson Janet Sitas

Colorado Locoweed Oxytropis lambertii Bloom: Spring Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Pink-purple flowers with pointed keel and flat basal leaves Erect with tall leafless flower General: distinguish Colorado locoweed from stalks up to 16" tall; silky hairy other pea-like plants. Sometimes it throughout hybridizes with Rocky Mountain Flowers/Fruit: Pink-purple flowers in locoweed indicated by lavender petals spike-like racemes; pointed keel and black or white hairs on fruit. For creeping plants, see vetch. Leaves: Basal, pinnately compound, up to 12" long with many narrow Did You Know? Locoweed leaflets, forming basal rosette concentrates selenium from the soil, which is both addictive and toxic to

Habitat: Grasslands, open rocky areas, livestock; it makes them go crazy or sandy places “loco” in Spanish. 113

114

Lisa Matthews

Wild Geranium Geranium caespitosum Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Geranium (Geraniaceae) ID Hints: Wild geranium flowers in summer and has rounded lobed leaves. General: Bushy, many stems up to 2' A sticky, white-flowered species with tall; showy flowers larger leaves, Richardson’s geranium Flowers/Fruit: 5 pink to magenta (G. richardsonii), grows at higher petals with dark veins; column of elevations or cool sites. stamens; after flowering, the long, pointed capsule resembles a stork’s bill Did You Know? Geranium seeds have styles that coil like springs. When Leaves: Rounded with 3-5 palmately the seed falls to the ground, the spring divided lobes coils and uncoils with changes in

Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, open moisture, drilling the seed into rocky areas the ground.

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Lisa Matthews

Copper Mallow, Scarlet Globemallow Sphaeralcea coccinea Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Mallow (Malvaceae) ID Hints: Bright orange to reddish flowers on grayish-green hairy stems and Erect, up to 12" tall, grayish General: palmately lobed, hairy leaves. hairy stems, clump-forming Marshmallows used 5 orange to pink-red Did You Know? Flowers/Fruit: to be made from the roots of a sister petals, each with a shallow notch at the genus of copper mallow; now they are tip; flowers up to ¾" wide made synthetically. This species and Leaves: Alternate, up to 1½" long and other members of the mallow family 2" wide, palmately lobed into 3 or 5 often have star-shaped hairs on their segments, grayish-green, hairy stems and leaves; however, you need a hand lens or microscope to see them. Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, shrublands

117

118 Scarlet Gaura Velvetweed

Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Scarlet Gaura & Velvetweed Gaura coccinea & G. mollis Bloom: Summer Family: Evening Primrose ID Hints: Scarlet gaura is usually less (Onagraceae) than 12" tall with ½" flowers; velvetweed can tower to 7', is branched General: Erect, up to 7' tall and has a long spike of many small Flowers/Fruit: 4 white-pink petals; flowers. The reflexed sepals give these reflexed sepals; conspicuous protruding flowers a unique, shaggy appearance. stamens; long racemes with oldest pink Moths with long flowers on bottom, newer white flowers Did You Know? tongues pollinate these long-tubed on top flowers in the evening or at night, when Leaves: Linear, grayish green, hairy, the flowers are most fragrant. and densely crowded on stem

Habitat: Grasslands, disturbed areas

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120

Mary Dubler Marlene Bornema

Scarlet Gilia, Skyrocket Ipomopsis aggregata Bloom: Summer Family: Phlox (Polemoniaceae) ID Hints: Trumpet-shaped flowers up to 1½" long identify this as a member of Tall raceme of flowers on General: the phlox family. Unlike most other erect stem up to 3' tall phloxes, scarlet gilia is tall and narrow Flowers/Fruit: Pink to red trumpet- and has a skunk-like odor. Long petal shaped with 5 equal petal lobes flaring lobes are sharply pointed. outwards in short racemes Did You Know? The long narrow Leaves: Pinnately divided into linear tubes of these flowers and red-pink leaflets, smaller at top of stem color make them ideal for hummingbird pollinators. Also a popular garden plant. Habitat: Wet meadows, forest openings, open rocky areas

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Janet Sitas

Spring Beauty Claytonia rosea Bloom: Early spring Family: Purslane (Portulacaceae) ID Hints: Spring beauties have unique waxy pink petals and have only 2 sepals. Tiny erect flowers, with weak General: They need moisture and emerge right stems up to 6" tall; fleshy leaves after snow melts. At higher elevations or Flowers/Fruit: White to pink petals in cool moist spots, lanceleaf spring with red veins, only 2 sepals beauty (C. lanceolata) grows with wider stem leaves and no basal leaves. Leaves: 1 pair of opposite stem leaves, linear to lance-shaped; 1-2 basal leaves Did You Know? Spring beauty is one usually present as well. of the first flowers to bloom in spring. Look carefully for the green, fleshy

Habitat: Ponderosa pine forests, leaves in March in an otherwise woodlands, wet meadows, riparian, brown landscape. forest openings

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Janet Sitas Jane Thomson

Shooting Star Dodecatheon pulchellum Bloom: Early spring Family: Primrose (Primulaceae) ID Hints: Unique-looking flowers with bright pink-purple (sometimes white), Erect, up to 20" tall; leafless General: reflexed petals and anthers forming a flower stem, leaves basal dark cone. Dart-shaped flowers Flowers/Fruit: Flowers release with anthers forming black and yellow Did You Know? pollen in response to rapid wing beats of cone (“beak”); pink-purple reflexed bees, as they try to access the nectar petals through the gap in the anthers. Also Leaves: Basal, smooth, lance-shaped known as prairie pointer in the Great or elliptical Plains and formerly called American cyclamen. Common at higher elevations. Habitat: Wet meadows, riparian, woodlands

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Janet Sitas

Red Paintbrush Group Castilleja spp. Bloom: Summer Family: Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) ID Hints: Paintbrushes form a wide range of colors and leaf shapes. Most General: Erect cluster of short leafy stems up to 2' tall common reddish species include C. linariifolia, with linear leaves and Flowers/Fruit: Pink-red bracts with narrowly lobed bracts and C. miniata, long narrow lobes; red-green flowers in which grows near forests and has dense spikes mostly hidden by bracts broader bracts and broad leaves often

entire or shallowly lobed. Leaves: Lance-shaped to linear, often lobed with rounded tips; Did You Know? Paintbrushes are sometimes hairy root parasites; they tap onto roots of Habitat: Grasslands, wet meadows, shrubs and grasses to get extra nutrients. open rocky areas, woodlands C. linariifolia is the Wyoming state flower. 127

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Bracts

Janet Sitas, Jenna McAleer (right inset)

Blue/Purple Aster Group Aster spp. Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Numerous ray flowers surround yellow disk flowers, grouped General: Erect, up to 3' tall in small heads. Leafy, branched slender Flowers/Fruit: Pale lavender to blue stems. Bracts overlap like shingles, ray flowers; yellow central disk flowers; unlike Erigeron, which has bracts of heads several to many, to 1" wide; see roughly the same length. also White Aster Group Did You Know? Three very common Leaves: Alternate, linear to lance- to and similar species found in the foothills paddle-shaped, up to 3" long, clasping include Machaeranthera spp. (tansy aster), the stem A. laevis, and A. spathulatus. Look for asters particularly in the fall. Asters are

Habitat: Broadly distributed across also classified under Virgulus, Virgulaster, habitats and Symphyotrichum. 129

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Janet Sitas

Wavy-leaved Thistle, Gray Thistle Cirsium undulatum Bloom: Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Hairy leaves and lack of spines on leaf surfaces separate gray Erect, grayish native thistle, General: thistle from exotic weedy thistles. Musk often branched, very spiny, up to 6' tall thistle (Carduus nutans) has nodding Flowers/Fruit: Red-pink or white, heads. Native plains thistle (C. heads up to 1½" wide, ball-like base, ochrocentrum) has heads 3" or more wide weak curved spines, no ray flowers and stiff, straight spines on the flower head. Leaves: Spiny, wavy margins with small lobes, white hairs underneath Did You Know? Thistles are often assumed to be non-native weeds, but

Habitat: Grasslands, pastures, Colorado has 15 species of native roadsides; common in the plains thistles. They provide nutritious forage for deer and elk. 131

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Bracts

Lisa Matthews

Blue/Purple Fleabane/Daisy Group Erigeron spp. Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Fleabanes and asters are easily mistaken; they both can have Erect, up to 3' tall; biennial General: numerous ray flowers and yellow disk or perennial flowers. However, the ray flowers on Flowers/Fruit: Numerous narrow, fleabanes are often much narrower and blue-purple ray flowers; yellow central more numerous. Also, the bracts are disk flowers; see also White Fleabane/ roughly equal in length, whereas aster Daisy Group bracts overlap like shingles. Erigeron leaves are often hairy. Leaves: Basal and alternate, linear to lance- to paddle-shaped, up to 2" long Did You Know? Nearly 50 different species of Erigeron grow in Colorado.

Habitat: Broadly distributed across Many look similar and require advanced habitats skills to identify. 133

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Janet Sitas

Kansas Gayfeather, Dotted Blazing Star Liatris punctata Bloom: Late Summer Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Shiny, glandular dots cover the upward arching leaves. Each small General: Erect, up to 2½' tall head contains 4-6 disk flowers and Flowers/Fruit: Pink-purple disk feathery styles, but no ray flowers. flowers clustered in heads, arranged in a Kansas gayfeather terminal spike Did You Know? plants can have a taproot as deep as Leaves: Alternate, linear, up to ¼" 7-16', depending on the soil type. This wide and 6" long, dark green makes it extremely drought tolerant. This popular garden plant is common

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands throughout the Great Plains.

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Lisa Matthews

Chiming Bells, Lanceleaf Chiming Bells Mertensia lanceolata Bloom: Spring Family: Borage (Boraginaceae) ID Hints: Unbranched, leafy stems with sky blue flowers and pink buds in General: Erect, up to 15" tall nodding clusters. Small, blue-purple Flowers/Fruit: Long tubular flowers tubular flowers, up to ¾" long, Did You Know? are common with all mountain drooping in loose clusters bluebells. Chiming bells start out pink Leaves: Alternate, lance-shaped, blue- and turn blue as they mature. True green, up to 4" long; fleshy and soft bluebells (Campanula spp.) have bell- shaped flowers and are in a Woodlands, open rocky Habitat: different family. areas, grasslands

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Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Common Harebell Campanula rotundifolia Bloom: Summer Family: Bellflower (Campanulaceae) ID Hints: Delicate stems support either one flower or several, arranged in a General: Erect, up to 2' tall loose cluster. Basal leaves are often Flowers/Fruit: Blue-violet, nodding, absent at time of flowering. Typically bell-shaped flowers, ¼-1" long; petals forms small patches. fused at the base and flared at the tips Did You Know? Campanula is Latin Leaves: Alternate, stem leaves linear to for bell-shaped. Strong insects, such as 2½" long, basal leaves round bees, are required to pollinate these difficult to reach drooping flowers.

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, Grows all across the northern U.S., open rocky areas from desert to rainforest.

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Janet Sitas Lisa Matthews

Western Spiderwort, Western Dayflower Tradescantia occidentalis Bloom: Summer Family: Spiderwort (Commelinaceae) ID Hints: Large blue 3-petaled flowers are unique as are its jointed, and coarse, General: Erect, up to 2' tall, bushy, grass-like folded grass-like leaves. One petal is slightly smaller than the others. Flowers/Fruit: 3 blue (sometimes pink) petals up to 2" across, 3 narrow Did You Know? Also called sepals, yellow stamens; clusters at top of dayflower or flower of the day because stem or at base of stem leaves the flowers only last one day, usually appearing in morning. Called spiderwort Leaves: Grass-like, sheathed or because of web-like pattern of sticky partially rolled around smooth stem, up sap. So unique, it is placed in its to 12" long own family. Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, disturbed areas, roadsides 141

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Lisa Matthews, Jane Thomson (inset)

Blue/Purple Milkvetch Group Astragalus spp. Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Milkvetches look very similar to locoweeds (Oxtropsis spp.), except General: Erect to spreading, up to 3' tall, hairy; annual or perennial that the keel petal of milkvetches is not sharply pointed. The common species Flowers/Fruit: Purple to blue flowers of milkvetch in our area are often up to 1" long, often bicolored, clustered densely wooly and the flower stems are in terminal racemes; fruit a legume; see usually leafy. also White Milkvetch Group Did You Know? Astragalus is the Leaves: Alternate, pinnately largest genus in the world. Roughly 70 compound, usually 11 or more leaflets species grow in Colorado alone. They with a terminal leaflet frequently hybridize, so they can be Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky extremely variable and confusing. areas, grasslands, woodlands, riparian 143

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Janet Sitas, Lisa Matthews (inset)

Purple Prairie Clover Dalea purpurea Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Look closely to see shiny, translucent glands dotting the leaves. General: Erect, up to 2' tall Golden orange stamens protrude Flowers/Fruit: Numerous tiny (¼") distinctly from the purple flowers. The pink-purple flowers clustered in a cone- stems appear wiry and often have a shaped, terminal spike 1-1½" long yellowish cast.

Leaves: Alternate, divided into 3 or 5 Did You Know? Purple prairie clover linear leaflets provides excellent wildlife food because of its high protein content. It is also an

Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, important source of food for native grasslands bumblebees and honeybees.

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Lisa Matthews, Jane Thomson (inset)

Common Lupine, Silvery Lupine Lupinus argenteus Bloom: Summer Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Lupines are distinguished by palmately compound leaves on an General: Erect, up to 3' tall obvious stem with terminal racemes of Flowers/Fruit: White, blue or purple pea flowers. pea flowers up to ½" long, in dense to The flowers and open terminal racemes up to 8" long; Did You Know? seeds of common lupine are toxic to fruit a hairy legume up to 1" long humans and certain livestock. However, Leaves: Alternate, palmately they serve as an important food supply compound with 5 or more leaflets, for several species of butterflies. There silvery green are many species of lupines, many of which hybridize, making them

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, sometimes difficult to identify. open rocky areas, grasslands

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Tendril Janet Sitas, Lisa Matthews (top inset)

Vetch Group Vicia spp. Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Pea (Fabaceae) ID Hints: Vetch plants always have leaf tendrils used to clasp or climb. Blue Spreading or clasping with General: vetch (V. americana) is a large, summer- weak stems up to 4' long blooming climber with oblong leaves. Flowers/Fruit: Up to 10 red-purple Narrow-leaved vetch (V. linearis) is a pea flowers in branched clusters short, spreading, spring-flowering plant with long linear leaflets and white and Leaves: Pinnately compound with a blue flowers. For erect hairy plants, see tendril at the tip; linear to oblong leaflets locoweed and milkvetch. Grasslands and open rocky Habitat: Did You Know? Vicia means binding, areas; pastures and disturbed referring to how these plants clasp to areas (V. americana) fences or other plants.

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Janet Sitas

Colorado Columbine, Blue Columbine Aquilegia coerulea Bloom: Summer Family: Hellebore (Helleboraceae) ID Hints: Very distinctive flowers that mature into clusters of 1" long, hairy General: Erect, up to 3' tall seed pods. Light blue-green leaves are Flowers/Fruit: 5 showy bluish-white mostly basal; stem leaves, when present, sepals, white to blue spurred petals, up are much smaller, which distinguishes to 3" across this species from meadow rue.

Leaves: Alternate, palmately Did You Know? This is the Colorado compound, divided 2-3 times into state flower. The long, backward threes, each leaflet ¾-2" long pointing spurs contain nectar that only hummingbirds and insects with long

Habitat: Wet meadows, riparian, tongues can reach. woodlands, forest openings

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Spur

Janet Sitas, Jane Thomson (insets)

Blue/Purple Larkspur Group Delphinium spp. Bloom: Late Spring, Summer Family: Hellebore (Helleboraceae) ID Hints: Larkspur flowers have 5 petal-like sepals, the upper of which is General: Erect, up to 2½' tall spurred, and 4 small petals in the center. Flowers/Fruit: Blue-purple petals Numerous flowers are arranged in open with one backward pointing spur; see racemes. also white species D. carolinianum Did You Know? D. geyeri and D. Leaves: Basal and alternate, palmately nuttallianum are two fairly common divided with linear leaflets larkspur species located in the foothills. Almost all parts of the plant are

Habitat: Wet meadows, shrublands, poisonous to humans, as well as certain grasslands, open rocky areas wildlife and livestock. This plant is sometimes classified in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae). 153

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Paul Alaback Marlene Bornema

Wild Iris, Blue Flag Iris missouriensis Bloom: Late Spring, Summer

Family: Iris (Iridaceae) ID Hints: Very delicate and showy flowers. The 3 showy sepals curve Erect, up to 2' tall, spreads General: downward, while the 3 petals inside are into dense clumps held upright. Large, lilac-purple Flowers/Fruit: The fine, silky fibers flowers with a yellow center, 2-4" wide Did You Know? found along the leaf margins are Leaves: Mostly basal, linear, 8-15" incredibly strong and have been used to long, light gray-green make fishing nets, string and snares for catching wild game. The vertical

Habitat: Wet meadows, riparian, grass- orientation of the leaves minimizes solar lands, disturbed areas heating, which conserves moisture.

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Janet Sitas

Bee Balm, Horsemint Monarda fistulosa Bloom: Summer Family: Mint (Lamiaceae) ID Hints: The very showy flower cluster sits atop a square, hairy, General: Erect, up to 4' tall unbranched stem. The flowers may Flowers/Fruit: Rose-purple, 1-1½" appear messy, like uncombed hair. The long flowers in a terminal head leaves have a very minty fragrance.

Leaves: Opposite, lance-shaped, up to Did You Know? The nectar inside 3½" long, gray-green bee balm flowers attracts butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. The aromatic

Habitat: Wet meadows, riparian, leaves are frequently used in perfumes canyons, woodlands, forest openings and potpourris. You can usually smell this plant 6' or more away.

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Janet Sitas

Skullcap Scutellaria brittonii Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Mint (Lamiaceae) ID Hints: Skullcap flowers are found in pairs in the leaf axils. They consist of a General: Erect, up to 8" tall larger lower lip and a smaller upper lip. Flowers/Fruit: Dark blue-violet, up to Although somewhat small overall, the 1½" long; the upper sepals and petals prominent helmet-like shape of the form a rounded, helmet-like lobe; lower upper sepals and petals stands out, even lip has white streak from a distance.

Leaves: Opposite, somewhat firm, Did You Know? Skullcap, like other linear to egg-shaped, 1-3" long members of the mint family, has a square stem. The common name Habitat: Wet meadows, riparian, skullcap is in reference to the flowers' woodlands, open rocky areas distinctive helmet-like appearance.

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Oscar Otto, Janet Sitas (inset)

Wild Blue Flax, Prairie Flax Adenolinum lewisii Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Flax (Linaceae) ID Hints: Delicate, sky blue flowers with yellow centers on top of slender Erect to spreading, up to 2' General: stems. This species is very difficult to tall, clusters of stems or bunches distinguish from the introduced species Flowers/Fruit: 5 separate, pale blue (A. perenne), which has a more erect petals, darker blue veins, to 1½" wide habit and darker blue flowers.

Leaves: Alternate, linear, to ¾" long, Did You Know? The extremely slender stems very leafy when young fragile petals will drop with the slightest breeze. The stems were used as an

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, ancient source of fiber. Linum lewisii and woodlands, forest openings A. perenne are commonly used synonyms.

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Seedhead

Janet Sitas, Jane Thomson (inset)

Sugarbowl, Leatherflower Coriflora hirsutissima Bloom: Early Spring Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) ID Hints: Distinctive silver hairs cover the stems, leaves and flowers. Seedheads General: Erect, up to 2' tall resemble feathery plumes. Flowers Flowers/Fruit: Dark violet, nodding resemble clematis, but the latter grow on with outward curving tips; usually vines attached to, or growing on top of, solitary on stem other plants.

Leaves: Opposite, pinnately divided Did You Know? The flowers have 2-3 times, linear leaflets, up to ½" wide colored sepals and no petals. The sepals feel like leather and the entire plant is Habitat: Grasslands, shrublands, wet hairy, giving rise to its name hirsutissima, meadows, ponderosa pine forests or hairy. Also known as Clematis hirsutissima.

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Seedhead

Janet Sitas

Pasqueflower, Prairie Crocus Pulsatilla ludoviciana Bloom: Early Spring Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) ID Hints: Clumps of lavender flowers nestled in a collar of furry bracts; one General: Erect, up to 12" tall, clumps flower per stem. Lavender cups, 1-2" Flowers/Fruit: Flowers emerge wide; bright yellow stamens in center; Did You Know? before leaves. The fruit resembles a feathery seedhead feathery plume of smoke. The name Leaves: Basal, divided in 3s, lobed, pasqueflower comes from the Latin root hairy for Easter, because flowers often bloom at Easter time in Europe. Anemone patens

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, and P. patens are commonly used open rocky areas, ponderosa synonyms. pine forests

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Janet Sitas Jane Thomson Lisa Matthews

Penstemon Group Penstemon spp. Bloom: Spring Family: Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) ID Hints: 5 fused petals, with 2

Erect, up to 20" tall forming an upper lip and 3 a lower lip. General: th 4 fertile stamens; the 5 usually appears Flowers/Fruit: Tubular blue, pink, thicker and hairy, giving rise to the white, red, or maroon, up to 1½" long; common name beardtongue. often arranged in spikes Did You Know? The Rocky Leaves: Opposite (occasionally Mountains contain more species of alternate), lance-shaped, up to 4" long Penstemon than anywhere else in the U.S. Over 30 species grow in the Front Grasslands, shrublands, wood- Habitat: Range and 10 species grow in Larimer lands, wet meadows, riparian, open County open spaces and parks. rocky areas

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Crested Wheatgrass Agropyron desertorum Bloom: Summer

General: Non-native, erect bunchgrass, 1-3' tall Spikelets Inflorescence: 1-4" long bristly-looking terminal spike with closely overlapping spikelets

Leaves: Basal and alternate, flat, up to 8" long and ½" wide

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, disturbed Lisa Matthews, Paul Alaback (inset) areas, pastures, trails, roadsides ID Hints: Dense, bristly, flat spikes elevated above relatively wide, flat leaves.

Did You Know? Although a non-native, crested wheatgrass is often planted for its high livestock forage value and erosion control. The beautiful spikes are commonly used for dried flower arrangements. Also known as A. cristatum.

Side-oats Grama Bouteloua curtipendula Bloom: Summer

General: Erect, clumped to spreading, 8-36" tall

Inflorescence: 4-12" long branched spike; drooping purple spikelets

Leaves: Mostly basal, up to 12" long and 1/3" wide, flat to slightly rolled inward

Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, grasslands,

Paul Alaback shrublands, disturbed areas, trails ID Hints: Very distinctive 1-sided inflorescence with many drooping spikelets.

Did You Know? Side-oats grama is frequently used as an ornamental grass because of its unique looking inflorescence. Wildlife and livestock graze on this grass during the summer and fall. 169

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Smooth Brome “W” Bromopsis inermis Bloom: Summer

General: Erect non-native; 2-4' tall in loose clumps

Inflorescence: 2-8" long panicle; spikelets held on narrow to open branches

Leaves: Alternate, flat, up to 15" long and ½" Flowers wide, smooth to hairy

Habitat: Wet meadows, open rocky areas, grasslands, disturbed areas, pastures, roadsides Lisa Matthews, Jane Thomson (inset) ID Hints: Brome grasses have a “W” across the leaf blade. Smooth brome has long, rounded, drooping spikelets and forms dense patches.

Did You Know? Smooth brome is planted for forage grass and soil stability, but once established excludes other native species. Also known as Bromus inermis.

Blue Grama Chondrosum gracile Bloom: Summer

General: Erect, clumped to mat-forming, 8-24" tall

Inflorescence: Spikes with 1-6 densely flowered branches, often 1-sided

Leaves: Mostly basal, up to 10" long and 1/5" wide, flat to loosely rolled inward

Flowers Jane Thomson, Lisa Matthews (inset) Habitat: Grasslands, shrublands, disturbed areas ID Hints: Each branch on a blue grama spike resembles a dense eyelash.

Did You Know? Blue grama is one of the dominant grass species of the shortgrass prairie and is used for waterwise lawns. It is the state grass of Colorado. Also known as Bouteloua gracilis. 171

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Canada Wild Rye Elymus canadensis Bloom: Summer

General: Erect bunchgrass, 2½ - 5' tall

Inflorescence: 3-10" long bristly spike, erect to nodding; spikelets with many long awns

Leaves: Alternate, flat to folded, up to 16" long and ¾" wide, with fine-toothed margins

Habitat: Open rocky areas, woodlands, riparian Paul Alaback ID Hints: Canada wild rye has very characteristic flower spikes that somewhat resemble bristly bottlebrushes.

Did You Know? In addition to being decent forage for wildlife, Canada wild rye provides nesting sites for many bird species.

Needle-and-Thread Grass Hesperostipa comata Bloom: Summer

General: Erect, densely clumped bunchgrass, up to 3½' tall

Inflorescence: 4-15" long panicle; few spikelets, each with 1 very long, terminally curled awn

Leaves: Alternate, flat to inwardly rolled, up to 16" long and less than ¼" wide

Paul Alaback Habitat: Grasslands, woodlands, open areas ID Hints: Distinguished by its unique long, curly awn, which is up to 9" long and remains persistent on the tip of the mature fruit as well.

Did You Know? The common name refers to the hard, sharp-tipped fruits (needle) with their long, curly awn (thread). Also known as Stipa comata. 173

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Junegrass Koeleria macrantha Bloom: Spring

General: Erect bunchgrass, up to 6" tall; grows in small clumps

Inflorescence: Green flowers in dense spikes

Leaves: Basal, linear (up to 1/10" wide), rolled or folded, hairy along margins

Habitat: Open rocky areas, wet meadows, Flowers Lisa Matthews woodlands, foothills to montane ID Hints: Junegrass has prow-shaped leaf tips, similar to many turf-forming bluegrass species (e.g., lawngrass, Poa spp.). Narrow, vertical spikes are unique also.

Did You Know? Junegrass is popular for water-wise gardens and dried flower arrangements. The flower spikes can persist for months if protected from winds.

Switchgrass Panicum virgatum Bloom: Summer

General: Erect bunchgrass, 3-5' tall

Inflorescence: 4-20" long, open, airy panicle with many tiny spikelets (less than 1/3" long)

Leaves: Alternate, flat, up to 24" long and ½" wide

Habitat: Wet meadows, woodlands, Flowers Lisa Matthews, Paul Alaback (inset) grasslands, riparian ID Hints: The stems of switchgrass are often tan- to red-colored; this, combined with its delicate looking panicle, make it easily recognizable from a distance.

Did You Know? Switchgrass is one of the dominant species of the tall grass prairie in the Midwest. Rabbits and pheasants will often nest within its dense cover. 175

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Native Western Wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii Bloom: Summer

General: Erect, spreading, up to 3½' tall

Inflorescence: 2-7" long spike; closely spaced bluish-green spikelets, often with short awns

Leaves: Alternate, flat to inwardly rolled, firm, up to 10" long with obvious veins

Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands Paul Alaback ID Hints: Look for blue-green, conspicuously veined leaves and similarly colored spikelets.

Did You Know? Native western wheatgrass is one of the most common native grasses in the United States. Also known as Agropyron smithii and Elymus smithii.

Sand Dropseed Sporobolus cryptandrus Bloom: Summer

General: Erect bunchgrass, up to 36" tall

Inflorescence: 6-15" long panicle with tiny gray to purple spikelets

Leaves: Alternate, flat, but often inwardly rolled near tip, up to 10" long and ¼" wide Bract Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, shrublands Paul Alaback ID Hints: When first beginning to flower, the inflorescence appears dense and spike-like; however, it matures into an open, pyramidal panicle with a distinct bract.

Did You Know? Sand dropseed is extremely drought tolerant. During the hot summer, leaves curl inward to reduce surface area and thereby reduce water loss. 177

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Lisa Matthews Janet Sitas

Narrow Leaved Yucca, Soapweed, Spanish Bayonet Yucca glauca Bloom: Summer Family: Agave (Agavaceae) ID Hints: A unique prairie plant with its round cluster of sharp leaves, similar Rounded cluster of stiff General: to yuccas in southwestern deserts. Tall sharp leaves; flowering stems up to flower stalks are particularly showy in 5' tall early summer. Large raceme of Flowers/Fruit: The pronuba moth nodding, bell-shaped, white-cream- Did You Know? pollinates the flowers while laying its greenish flowers; 6 tepals eggs, and the developing fruit provides Leaves: Large clumps of basal leaves; food for the moth’s offspring, a linear, stiff, sharp pointed, rolled mutually beneficial relationship between inward, whitish; also growing on stem different species known as symbiosis.

Habitat: Grasslands, open rocky areas, pastures 179179

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Flowers Paul Alaback

Three-leaf Sumac, Skunkbrush Rhus aromatica Bloom: Spring Family: Sumac (Anacardiaceae) ID Hints: One of the few woody shrubs with 3 leaflets. Flowers appear Erect, heavily branched, General: before leaves. Leaves are dull, unlike rounded, woody shrub up to 6' tall poison ivy’s shiny green leaves. Small Flowers/Fruit: Yellow/cream cup- clusters of red fruits with stiff hairs are shaped flowers with 5 tiny petals distinctive in mid-summer.

Leaves: Alternate, divided into 3 Did You Know? Native people have rounded and lobed dull-green leaflets up used parts of this plant for medicine and to 1½" long the stems for weaving baskets. It is one of the most common shrubs in low Habitat: Open rocky areas, grasslands, elevation foothills habitats, especially in shrublands (mountain mahogany, rocky areas. Also known as R. trilobata. sagebrush), canyons

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Fruits

Jane Thomson, Paul Alaback (insets)

Poison Ivy, Western Poison Ivy Toxicodendron rydbergii Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Sumac (Anacardiaceae) ID Hints: Leaves are glossy when young, red in fall. Remember “leaflets Creeping, climbing or erect General: three, let it be.” Three-leaf sumac, in woody shrub/vine up to 3' tall the same family, has leaves that differ by Flowers/Fruit: Small, inconspicuous being dull green and smaller. cream/yellow flowers clustered at top of The toxic resin in stem; small greenish-white fruits Did You Know? poison ivy’s leaves and stems causes a Leaves: Alternate, divided into 3 egg- painful, itchy skin rash, even in winter. shaped leaflets over 2" long, toothed, The resin easily spreads from clothes or pointed, prominently veined pets to skin. Washing the skin with strong soap within 15 minutes of

Habitat: Woodlands, riparian, canyons, contact may diminish its effects. Also moist disturbed areas, fences, trails known as Rhus rydbergii. 183183

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SeedsSeeds Janet Sitas

Rabbitbrush Chrysothamnus nauseosus Bloom: Summer, Fall Family: Sunflower (Asteraceae) ID Hints: Large woody shrub covered with yellow flowers in late summer and Small, creeping to large General: fall. The many thin, upward bending sprawling woody shrub up to 6' tall; shoots or branches give this plant a many small, thin ascending branches broom-like appearance. Green Flowers/Fruit: Dense clusters of long, rabbitbrush (C. viscidiflorus) has smooth narrow, yellow disk flowers with pointed green young twigs (no fine white hairs tips flaring outwards like common rabbitbrush) and grows in the foothills and moister areas. Leaves: Small, tough, linear leaves, often partially rolled under Did You Know? Rabbitbrush is valued for its colorful fall flowers. Fast Grasslands, disturbed areas, Habitat: growth in disturbed sandy areas makes it riparian, roadsides, ditches valuable for erosion control.

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Fruit

Flower Buds Lisa Matthews

Prickly Pear Cactus Opuntia polyacantha Bloom: Summer Family: Cactus (Cactaceae) ID Hints: This species of cactus has dense spines, a smooth surface and Low, creeping with fleshy, General: fruits that wither soon after ripening. A segmented stems and long spines similar species found on the plains, O. Flowers/Fruit: Showy pink, yellow or macrorhiza, has scattered spines, skin copper-colored flowers up to 3" across; wrinkled horizontally and fruits that fleshy fruits persist for several months.

Leaves: Long spines, which are Did You Know? Cactus species modified leaves mostly grow in subtropical areas but a few can tolerate our county’s cold Grasslands, open rocky Habitat: winters. They grow slowly and can only areas, shrublands survive in tough dry places where they will not be shaded by other plants.

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188188 Common Juniper Rocky Mountain Juniper

Cones

Cones Janet Sitas, Jane Thomson (middle inset)

Common Juniper & Rocky Mountain Juniper Juniperus communis & Sabina scopulorum Family: Cypress (Cupressaceae) ID Hints: Dense scale-like or flat needle-like leaves distinguish junipers Common juniper: creeping, General: from other conifers in our area. low mat. Rocky Mountain juniper: shrub Common juniper has small needles in 3s to tree-like, erect up to 20' tall, thin that are white above, green below. stringy bark. Rocky Mountain juniper has scale-like Cones: Cones covered with fleshy triangular leaves in pairs. tissue form blue-gray “berries” Did You Know? Junipers grow in dry Needles: Common juniper: sharp, sites near the growth limit of forest, so pointed, flat needles. Rocky Mountain they grow slowly. Like other plants in juniper: densely arranged, scale-like. this family, they have a strong smell from chemicals that protect them from Woodlands, open rocky areas, Habitat: insects and wood decay. shrublands, forests 189189

190190 Flowers

Fruit

Lisa Matthews, Paul Alaback (top right)

Wax Currant Ribes cereum Bloom: Spring Family: Gooseberry (Grossulariaceae) ID Hints: One of the first shrubs to flower in spring. Only currant that can Tall, highly branched shrub General: grow in open dry habitats. Leaves also without spines; up to 5' tall smaller, more tough and waxy than Flowers/Fruit: Small white to pink other Ribes species. Golden current (R. tubular flowers in clusters; red-orange aureum), with showy yellow fruits with long dried “stalk” at end flowers, grows along streams.

Leaves: 1" wide alternate, rounded, Did You Know? Early flowers are tough, waxy leaves with rounded lobes important for hummingbirds in spring. Some Ribes species are an alternate host Grasslands, shrublands, open Habitat: for the disease blister rust, which attacks rocky areas, riparian, canyons white pines.

191191

192192 Seed Cone Male Pollen Cones

Bark

Year 1 Female Cones Janet Sitas, Paul Alaback (left inset,), Hilary Thomson (right insets)

Ponderosa Pine Pinus ponderosa Bloom: Summer Family: Pine (Pinaceae) ID Hints: The only pine in the Larimer County foothills with bundles of 3 Large erect tree can grow General: needles. Other pines have shorter 100' or more in height; thick brown to needles in bundles of 2 (lodgepole) or 5 orange bark with deep fissures (limber). Bark fissures smell faintly of Cones: 3-6" rounded to triangular seed butterscotch or vanilla. cones with sharp prickles on tips of An iconic symbol of scales; pollen cones are red-yellow Did You Know? the west, ponderosa pine is legendary Needles: Bundles of 2-3 needles, 4-8" for its longevity and adaptability. Thick long, forming at tips of branches bark allows it to survive low-intensity ground fires. Seeds provide a major

Habitat: Woodlands, open rocky areas, food source for many birds and riparian, grasslands, montane zone small mammals.

193193

194194 Fruits

Janet Sitas

Virgin’s Bower, White Clematis Clematis ligusticifolia Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) ID Hints: One of the few woody vines native to our area. Unique in having Climbing vine with thin General: clusters of small white flowers. Fruits woody stems, tendrils at tips form distinctive feathery balls in late Flowers/Fruit: Clusters of small white summer or fall. flowers at branch tips; five strap-like Clematis has weak, tepals; feathery fruits in fall Did You Know? thin, woody stems and climbs over Leaves: Opposite, compound leaves, fences, poles and shrubs. It is usually 3 leaflets, lance-shaped, flat bases particularly common in moist areas near streams. The feathery fruits resemble

Habitat: Riparian, grasslands, disturbed those of pasqueflowers, to which it is areas, forest openings, closely related. cottonwood forests

195195

196196

Flowers Fruits

Jane Thomson, Lisa Mathews (top inset), Janet Sitas (bottom inset)

Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus montanus Bloom: Spring Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: Only woody shrub in our area with small, coarsely toothed leaves Highly branched, rounded, General: and no spines or thorns. Often grows woody shrub up to 8' tall with three-leaf sumac and grasses. Tiny, cream-pink, Flowers/Fruit: Usually flowers in narrowly cupped flowers; fruit: achene Did You Know? May at low elevations. Cercocarpus refers with long, feathery style to the unique tailed, feathery fruits that Leaves: Alternate, simple, smooth, coil and straighten with moisture to help egg-shaped, tough green leaves with drill the seed into the ground. The term pointed teeth, hairy on underside mahogany refers to its tough wood, which is resistant to decay. Leaves turn Open rocky areas, grasslands, Habitat: copper red in fall. shrublands, openings in dry sites, rocky ridges 197197

198198

Fruit Lisa Matthews, Janet Sitas (insets)

Boulder Raspberry Oreobatus deliciosus Bloom: Summer Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: Large white flowers, rounded lobed leaves and long-lived sprawling Erect woody shrub up to 5' General: branches distinguish this species. tall with long arching stems; flaky bark Growing in moister areas, raspberries Flowers/Fruit: 5 large, rounded, (Rubus) have prickles and compound showy white petals; solitary; up to 3" leaves; thimbleberry (Rubacer) has larger wide; fruit resembles red raspberries leaves 4-8" wide and thin fragile branches. Leaves: Alternate large, rounded, lobed leaves, 1-2" wide; toothed Did You Know? This species is margins; whitish below unique to the Front Range. The term deliciosus is a misnomer because the Open rocky areas, rock Habitat: berries look good, but are not edible. outcrops, canyons; common along cliffs

199199

200200 Fruits

Flowers Jane Thomson, Paul Alaback (top inset), Lisa Matthews (bottom inset)

Chokecherry, Western Chokecherry Padus virginiana Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: Leaves appear before flowers. No spines or thorns. Forms Erect, woody shrub or tree, General: flowers and fruits in bottlebrush-like can grow over 15' tall clusters (racemes). Most other cherries Flowers/Fruit: White flowers with form flowers and fruits in rounded extended stamens form long racemes; clusters. may turn pink with age; fruits dark red The fruits provide to black Did You Know? important food for wildlife. However, Leaves: Alternate, egg-shaped, toothed acid in the fruits can cause respiratory margins; reddish glands at base of leaf problems if animals eat too many. Also known as Prunus virginiana. Habitat: Riparian, woodlands, open rocky areas, canyons, cottonwood forests, forest openings, cliffs 201201

202202

Lisa Matthews, Jenna McAleer (top inset), Janet Sitas (bottom inset)

Shrubby Cinquefoil Pentaphylloides floribunda Bloom: Summer Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: Flowers are similar to the cinquefoil perennial wildflowers, but this Highly branched, small General: species is a woody shrub. Finely divided rounded shrub up to 3' tall leaves are distinctive. 5 showy yellow petals; Flowers/Fruit: Widespread at high small clusters can cover whole shrub Did You Know? elevations and high latitudes around the Leaves: Alternate, pinnately world. This species is valued because it compound, with 3-7 linear leaflets; has showy flowers all summer long and small, tough, hairy leaflets is commonly planted as an ornamental. Also known as Dasiphora fruticosa and Open rocky areas, riparian, Habitat: Potentilla fruticosa. wet meadows; common in montane zone

203203

204204 Fruit

Jane Thomson, Paul Alabac (inset)

Wild Plum Prunus americana Bloom: Early Spring Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: Flowers appear before leaves, making the whole shrub look Rounded, bushy, woody General: white and smell sweet. Branches end shrub, up to 15' tall with a distinctive thorn-like spur (unlike Flowers/Fruit: 5 white petals; similar looking cherries). rounded flower clusters with extended Wild plum spreads stamens; small green to yellow fruit Did You Know? by root sprouts, which helps control Leaves: Alternate, egg-shaped, finely erosion. Thickets in rocky canyons form tapering to a point, finely toothed an important habitat for wildlife. These shrubs provide bright white patches in

Habitat: Open rocky areas, an otherwise brown, early spring riparian, canyons landscape.

205205

206

Rose Hips Janet Sitas

Woods Rose Rosa woodsii Bloom: Summer Family: Rose (Rosaceae) ID Hints: All roses have pinnately compound leaves and prickles on the Small, creeping to erect, General: stem, and unique hips for fruit. Woods spiny shrub up to 3' tall rose has longer, broad-based thorns at Flowers/Fruit: 5 pink petals, fragrant; nodes of stems and scattered or missing narrow green sepals; hips smaller (½") bristles along the stem. Say’s rose (R. than other species sayi) in the foothills and R. arkansana in the plains have dense fine bristles along : Alternate, pinnately Leaves the stem, generally without a broad- compound, 7-11 toothed leaflets based thorn. Riparian, woodlands, open Habitat: Woods rose is not rocky areas, disturbed areas, fences, Did You Know? necessarily a rose of the woods, but is pastures, roadsides under trees, named after the botanist Woods. forest openings 207207

208 Female Catkins

Male Catkins Jane Thomson, Lisa Matthews (insets)

Plains Cottonwood Populus deltoides Bloom: Spring Family: Willow (Salicaceae) ID Hints: Small trees can be confused with narrow-leaf cottonwood (P. Large erect tree (up to 90' General: angustifolia), which has long, linear leaves tall and 6' in diameter); gray, deeply with a short stem (1/3 of blade). furrowed bark; broad rounded canopy Plains cottonwood Female catkins (up to Did You Know? Flowers/Fruit: trees are either male or female. Fruit 4" long) have green oval capsules; male capsules split open and release seeds catkins (up to 3" long) have many tiny attached to glossy, cotton filaments, purple-red anthers hence the name cottonwood. These Leaves: Alternate, triangular, dark ecologically-important trees provide green above, light green underneath shady, insect-rich habitat for birds and other wildlife in riparian areas. Also

Habitat: Riparian, canyons known as P. sargentii.

209209

210210 Female Catkins

Lisa Matthews

Sandbar Willow, Coyote Willow Salix exigua Bloom: Spring, Summer Family: Willow (Salicaceae) ID Hints: Willows are extremely diverse and well adapted to wet places Dense thicket of narrow General: and disturbance. Larimer County open flexible stems up to 15' tall spaces have 4 tree species and over 20 Flowers/Fruit: Long catkins of shrub species of willow. This species is yellow flowers; male and female distinguished by linear leaves, usually 10 flowers on separate plants or more times longer than wide.

Leaves: Alternate, linear, yellow-green Did You Know? Willows have strong above, white below, up to 5" long hormones for sending out new shoots after they are damaged, which makes Riparian, wet meadows, Habitat: them important in stabilizing stream ditches, wetlands, cottonwood forests, banks. areas that are seasonally flooded

211211 212 Further Reading and References

Books Ackerfield, J. (2015). Flora of Colorado. B. Lipscomb (Ed.). Fort Worth, TX: Brit Press.

Gadd, A. (2007). Northern Colorado plants: Field guide to the flora of the northern Front Range urban corridor. Fort Collins, CO: Travertine Press.

Guennel, G. K. (1995). Guide to Colorado wildflowers: Vol. 1. plains & foothills. Englewood, CO: Westcliffe Publishers, Inc.

Harrington, H. D. (1977). How to identify grasses and grasslike plants. Athens, GA: Swallow Press.

Harris, J. G., & Harris, M. W. (2001). Plant identification terminology: An illustrated glossary. Spring Lake, UT: Spring Lake Publishing.

Kershaw, L., MacKinnon, A., & Pojar, J. (1998). Plants of the Rocky Mountains. Auburn, WA: Lone Pine Publishing.

Books, continued Pesman, M. W. (2012). Meet the natives: A field guide to Rocky Mountain wildflowers, trees, and shrubs: Bridging the gap between trail and garden. D. Johnson (Ed.). Boulder, CO: Johnson Books.

Shaw, R. T. (2008). Grasses of Colorado. Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado.

Weber, W. A., & Wittmann, R. C. (2001). Colorado flora: Eastern slope (3rd ed.). Boulder, CO: University Press of Colorado.

Websites Colorado Native Plant Society: www.easterncoloradowildflowers.com Southern Colorado Wildflowers: www.swcoloradowildflowers.com Montana Natural History Guide: nhguide.dbs.umt.edu Dr. Mary L. Dubler, DVM: www.wildflowersofcolorado.com

Mobile Apps Colorado Rocky Mountain Wildflowers: www.highcountryapps.com 213 214 Glossary Pistil Stigma Achene Small, dry, one-seeded Petals fruit. Common in the sunflower Style family (Fig. 2). Fig. 2 Anther Ovary Alternate Leaves, leaflets, or branches that attach to a stem in an alternating pattern, one Stamen per node, not in pairs (Fig. 3). Annual Plant that completes at least Sepals 1 life cycle (produces leaves, flowers, Fig. 4 sets seed, dies) per year. Basal rosette Dense cluster of leaves arranged in a circular pattern at or near ground level Anther Top portion of a Fig. 3 (Fig. 7). stamen where pollen is stored (Fig. 4). Awn Stiff, bristle-like extension. Fig. 5 Common in grasses (Fig. 5).

Basal Situated at the base of a plant (Fig. 6). Fig. 6 Fig. 7 Berry Fleshy fruit with multiple split open when mature (Fig. 10). seeds (Fig. 8). Catkin Dense spike or Biennial Plant with a 2-year life cone-like structure of cycle; produces leaves in 1st year; Fig. 8 unisexual flowers, flowers, sets seed and dies in 2nd year. usually without petals or Fig. 10 sepals. Common in the willow and Bract Leaf-like part directly below a flower or birch families (Fig. 11). group of flowers. Can be brightly colored (Fig. 9). Fig. 11 Clasping Wholly or partly surrounding a Disk Bristle Stiff hair-like plant structure, e.g., a leaf clasping a structure. stem (Fig. 12). Bunchgrass Grass Composite Multiple small flowers that grows in distinct in dense heads that resemble single clumps; does not flowers. Found only in the sunflower Fig. 12 Bract Ray spread by rhizomes. family. Composites can have only ray flowers Capsule Dry, multi- (e.g., dandelions), only disk flowers (e.g., Fig. 9 seeded fruit with 2 or thistles), or both ray and disk flowers (e.g., more sections that daisies) (Fig. 9).

215 216 Leaflets Compound Divided into 2

or more similar segments,

e.g., leaves divided into leaflets (Fig. 13). Cone Mass of scales Diamond- bearing seeds or pollen. Egg- Elliptical Lance- Fig. 13 Cones are “cone-shaped” in shaped shaped shaped the pine family and “berry-shaped” in the juniper family.

Diamond-shaped (rhomboid) Leaf shape that is widest in the middle and tapering at both ends. Much wider and more sharply angled than elliptical (Fig. 14). Linear Oblong Paddle- Upside shaped Down Disk flower Small tubular flower of the Egg-shaped sunflower family, e.g., multiple disk flowers Fig. 14. Leaf Shapes make up the dark center of the black-eyed Susan. Each disk flower has its own Dissected Leaf that is separated into multiple reproductive organs (Fig. 9). narrow segments (Fig. 15). Elliptical Leaf shape that is narrow to oval, broadest in the middle and symmetrically narrowed at the ends (Fig. 14).

Entire Leaf margin without lobes or teeth

Dissected Divided Pinnately- (Fig. 15). lobed Fruit Ripened ovary containing the seeds of

Entire the plant. Gland Small structure that secretes a sticky or Toothed oily substance. Palmately- Head Dense cluster of flowers at the end of a lobed branch or stem. Common in the sunflower and Fig. 15. Leaf Margins mint families (Fig. 9). Divided Leaf that is separated into lobes or Hip Multi-seeded, berry-like segments to the base or mid-rib (Fig. 15). fruit of the rose family (Fig. 16). Egg-shaped (ovate) Leaf shape that is widest Inflorescence The entire at the base and tapering gently toward the tip flowering portion of one plant; Fig. 16 (Fig. 14). flower cluster.

217 218 Keel Rib or ridge; 2 fused Keel Leaflet One segment of a lower petals of the pea family compound leaf (Fig. 13). (Fig. 17). Legume Dry fruit that splits Lance-shaped (lanceolate) Fig. 17 along 2 sides; typical fruit of the Leaf shape that is widest near base, pea family (Fig. 19). Fig. 19 length clearly longer than width, tapering to a Linear Leaf shape that is long and narrow; narrow point. Leaf narrower and more sharply grass-like (Fig. 14). pointed than egg-shaped (Fig. 14). Lobe Rounded segment of a leaf or flower part Leaf axil Located in the upper angle between a (Fig. 15). leaf and stem (Fig. 18). Margin The edge, e.g., of a leaf.

Midrib Node Midrib Central vein or rib of a leaf (Fig. 18). Axil Node Point on a stem where

leaves, buds or branches are attached (Fig. 18). Stipule Nutlet Small, single-seeded fruit Fig. 20 Fig. 18. Leaf Parts with a hard, dry outer shell (Fig. 20).

Oblong Leaf shape that is Panicle Inflorescence that is rectangular with rounded corners branched 2 or more times, maturing (Fig. 14). from the bottom upwards (Fig. 23). Opposite Leaves, leaflets or Perennial Plant that lives 3 or branches that attach to a stem in pairs more years; some do not flower in st at the same node (Fig. 21). Fig. 21 1 year. Fig. 23 Ovary Basal portion of a pistil; contains the Petal Modified leaf surrounding the pistil(s) seeds (Fig. 4). and/or stamens; can be any color (Fig. 4). Paddle-shaped (spatulate) Leaf shape that is Pinnate Leaf shape that has leaflets or lobes wide and rounded toward the outer end, arranged in 2 rows on opposite sides of a central distinctly narrowing near base (Fig. 14). axis; feather-like (Fig. 21). Palmate Compound leaf shape Pistil Innermost flower part made up of a that is separated into leaflets stigma, style and ovary; the female part of the radiating from a single point, flower (Fig. 4). similar to fingers from the palm Pod Dry fruit that splits at maturity. Common of a hand (Fig. 22). in the legume, mustard and evening primrose Fig. 22 families.

219 220 Pore A small opening allowing the movement Root parasite Plant that attaches to roots of of gasses in a plant. other plants or fungi to gather nutrients. May have green or colored leaves, e.g., Indian Prickle Small, sharp outgrowth with a broad paintbrush. base growing from the epidermis or bark, e.g., prickles on ponderosa pine cones and Scale Overlapping flat, flakey or woody rose stems. structures, e.g., juniper leaves and cones. Prow A pointed, projecting front part, Sepal Small leaf-like parts under the petals, similar to the bow of a ship. usually green; the outermost whorl of a flower (Fig. 4). Raceme Inflorescence with each flower on a single stalk; the stalks are Sheath Portion of a leaf that attached to a central, unbranched axis surrounds the stem. Common in Sheath (Fig. 24). Fig. 24 grasses (Fig. 25). FFig. 25 Ray flower Strap-shaped flower of the Shrub Woody perennial with multiple stems sunflower family, e.g., multiple ray flowers make growing from ground level. up the outer circle of petals on a daisy. Each ray Simple Leaf that is not divided into distinct flower has its own reproductive organs (Fig. 9). leaflets, but can have lobes that almost reach to Reflexed Plant part this is bent backward the midrib, e.g., pinnately-lobed (Fig. 15). or downward. Smooth Not rough; hairless. Stipule Small leaf-like or papery structure at the Spike Long, unbranched inflorescence base of the leaf stalk; usually in pairs (Fig. 18). with flowers attached directly (without a Style Narrow part of the pistil that connects stalk) to the axis (Fig. 26). stigma to ovary (Fig. 4). Spikelet Smallest unbranched flower Taproot Large, central root stem from which cluster in grasses and sedges. multiple smaller roots grow. Spine Sharp, slender, stiff modified Fig. 26 Tendril Slender clasping or twining growth used leaf, e.g., cactus spine. for support or climbing. Spur Spur Hollow extension of a Tepals Petals and sepals that are the same color petal or sepal. Common in the and nearly equal in size. pea and buttercup families (Fig. 27). Terminal At the tip; farthest from point of attachment. Stamen Male, pollen-producing part of a flower, made up of a Thorn Sharp, woody, stiff modified stem, e.g.,

Fig. 27 filament and anther (Fig. 4). thorns on a wild plum. Stigma Top of the pistil where pollen collects Toothed Having small lobes or points along the (Fig. 4). margin; can be rounded or pointed (Fig. 15).

221 222 Tree Long-lived, woody perennial with a single Whorl Circle or ring of like parts, dominant stem. such as leaves or flower parts, with three or more per node (Fig. 30). Two-lipped Type of irregular flower; petals fused at the base form a tube and split into 2 Fig. 30 “lips” at the end, e.g., penstemon flowers (Fig. 28). Fig. 28 Umbel Flat-topped or convex inflorescence with all flower stalks attaching to the same point, similar to an umbrella (Fig. 29). Upside down egg-shaped Fig. 29 (obovate, oblanceolate) Leaf shape that is narrowest at base, broadening toward the tip (Fig. 14). Vine Plant that trails or climbs by attaching to plants or other objects, e.g., clematis.

Index of Plant Families Agave (Agavaceae) Cactus (Cactaceae) False Hellebore Brown (Woody) 179 Brown (Woody) 187 (Melanthiaceae) Bellflower Caper (Capparaceae) White 47 (Campanulaceae) Pink/Red 111 Figwort (Scrophulariaceae) Blue/Purple 139 Carrot (Apiaceae) Pink/Red 127 Borage (Boraginaceae) White 19-23 Blue/Purple 167 White 35 Orange/Yellow 57 Flax (Linaceae) Orange/Yellow 85 Chickweed (Alsinaceae) Blue/Purple 161 Blue/Purple 137 White 17 Geranium (Geraniaceae) Buckwheat (Polygonaceae) Cypress (Cupressaceae) Pink/Red 115 Gooseberry Orange/Yellow 97 Brown (Woody) 189 (Grossulariaceae) Buttercup (Ranunculaceae) Evening Primrose (Onagraceae) Brown (Woody) 191 Orange/Yellow 99 White 49 Grass (Poaceae) Blue/Purple 163-165 Orange/Yellow 95 Green 168-177 Brown (Woody) 195 Pink/Red 119 223 224 Index of Plant Families (continued) Hellebore (Helleboraceae) Mint (Lamiaceae) Phlox (Polemoniaceae) White 43 Blue/Purple 157-159 Pink/Red 121 Blue/Purple 151-153 Mustard (Brassicaceae) Pine (Pinaceae) Iris (Iridaceae) Orange/Yellow 87-89 Brown (Woody) 193 Blue/Purple 155 Nightshade (Solanaceae) Poppy (Papaveraceae) Lily (Liliaceae) Orange/Yellow 103 White 51 White 45 Onion (Alliaceae) Primrose (Primulaceae) Madder (Rubiaceae) White 15 Pink/Red 125 White 53 Pink/Red 107 Purslane (Portulacaceae) Mallow (Malvaceae) Pea (Fabaceae) Pink/Red 123 Pink/Red 117 White 39-41 Rose (Rosaceae) Mariposa (Calochortaceae) Orange/Yellow 93 Orange/Yellow 101 White 37 Pink/Red 113 Brown (Woody) 197- Milkweed (Asclepiadaceae) Blue/Purple 143-149 207 Pink/Red 109

Index of Plant Families (continued) Saxifrage (Saxifragaceae) Violet (Violaceae) White 55 Orange/Yellow 105 Spiderwort Willow (Salicaceae) (Commelinaceae) Brown (Woody) 209- Blue/Purple 141 211 Stonecrop (Crassulaceae) Orange/Yellow 91 Sumac (Anacardiaceae) Brown (Woody) 181- 183 Sunflower (Asteraceae) White 25-33 Orange/Yellow 59-83 Blue/Purple 129-135 Brown (Woody) 185

225 226 Index of Genus and Common Names Achillea 25 Aster 29, 129 Brome, Smooth 170 Adenolinum 161 Astragalus 39, 143 Bromopsis 170 Agoseris 59 Bedstraw 53 Buttercup 99 Agropyron 168 Bee Balm 157 Cactus, Prickly Pear 187 Allium 15, 107 Bee Plant 111 Calochortus 37 Amerosedum 91 Bell’s Twinpod 89 Campanula 139 Anaphalis 27 Black-eyed Susan 79 Canada Wild Rye 172 Antennaria 27 Bladderpod 89 Castilleja 127 Aquilegia 151 Blanket Flower 65 Cerastium 17 Argemone 51 Blazing Star 135 Cercocarpus 197 Arnica 61 Blue Flag 155 Chickweed 17 Arnica 61 Blue Flax 161 Chiming Bells 137 Artemisia 63 Blue Grama 171 Chokecherry 201 Asclepias 109 Boulder Raspberry 199 Chondrosum 171 Aster 29, 73, 129 Bouteloua 169 Chrysothamnus 185 Index of Genus and Common Names (continued) Cinquefoil 101, 203 Currant, Wax 191 Erysimum 87 Cirsium 131 Daisy 31, 133 Evening Primrose 49, 95 Claytonia 123 Daisy, Easter 33 False Dandelion 59 Clematis 195 Dalea 145 False Salsify 75 Clematis 195 Dandelion 59 Flax 161 Cleome 111 Dayflower 141 Fleabane 31, 133 Columbine 151 Death Camas 47 Fringed Puccoon 85 Coneflower 77 Delphinium 43, 153 Fringed Sage 63 Conium 19 Dodecatheon 125 Gaillardia 65 Copper Mallow 117 Dropseed, Sand 177 Galium 53 Coriflora 163 Drymocallis 101 Gaura 119 Cottonwood 209 Easter Daisy 33 Gaura, Scarlet 119 Cow Parsnip 21 Elymus 172 Gayfeather, Kansas 135 Coyote Willow 211 Erigeron 31, 133 Geranium, Wild 115 Crested Wheatgrass 168 Eriogonum 97 Geranium 115

227 228 Index of Genus and Common Names (continued) Gilia, Scarlet 121 Helianthus 71 Larkspur 43, 153 Globemallow, Scarlet 117 Heliomeris 69 Leatherflower 163 Golden Aster 73 Hemlock, Poison 19 Lesquerella 89 Golden Banner 93 Heracleum 21 Leucocrinum 45 Golden Pea 93 Hesperostipa 173 Liatris 135 Goldeneye 69 Heterotheca 73 Lily 37, 45 Goldenrod 83 Horsemint 157 Lithospermum 85 Grama 169, 171 Ipomopsis 121 Locoweed 41, 113 Gray Thistle 131 Iris 155 Lomatium 23 Grindelia 67 Iris 155 Lupine 147 Ground Cherry 103 Ivy, Poison 183 Lupinus 147 Gumweed 67 Junegrass 174 Mallow 117 Harbouria 57 Juniper 189 Mariposa Lily 37 Harebell 139 Juniperus 189 Mertensia 137 Helianthella 69 Koeleria 174 Mexican Hat 77 Index of Genus and Common Names (continued) Micranthes 55 Oreobatus 199 Pine, Ponderosa 193 Milfoil 25 Oreocarya 35 Pinus 193 Milkvetch 39, 143 Oxytropis 41, 113 Plum, Wild 205 Milkweed 109 Padus 201 Podospermum 75 Miner’s Candle 35 Paintbrush 127 Poison Hemlock 19 Monarda 157 Panicum 175 Poison Ivy 183 Mountain Mahogany 197 Parsley, Whiskbroom 57 Ponderosa Pine 193 Musineon 57 Pascopyrum 176 Poppy 51 Musineon 57 Pasqueflower 165 Populus 209 Needle-and-Thread Pearly Everlasting 27 Potentilla 101 Grass 173 Penstemon 167 Prairie Clover, Purple 145 Nothocalais 59 Penstemon 167 Prairie Crocus 165 Oenothera 49, 95 Pentaphylloides 203 Prickly Pear Cactus 187 Onion 15, 107 Physalis 103 Prickly Poppy 51 Opuntia 187 Physaria 89 Prunus 205

229 230 Index of Genus and Common Names (continued) Pucoon, Fringed 85 Salix 211 Skullcap 159 Pulsatilla 165 Salsify 75 Skunkbrush 181 Pussytoes 27 Salt & Pepper 23 Skyrocket 121 Rabbitbrush 185 Sand Dropseed 177 Smooth Brome 170 Ragwort 81 Sand Lily 45 Soapweed 179 Ranunculus 99 Sandbar Willow 211 Solidago 83 Raspberry, Boulder 199 Saxifrage 55 Spanish Bayonet 179 Ratibida 77 Scarlet Gaura 119 Sphaeralcea 117 Rhus 181 Scarlet Gilia 121 Spider Flower 111 Ribes 191 Scarlet Globemallow 117 Spiderwort 141 Rosa 207 Scutellaria 159 Sporobolus 177 Rose, Woods 207 Sego Lily 37 Spring Beauty 123 Rudbeckia 79 Senecio 81 Stonecrop 91 Sabina 189 Shooting Star 125 Stoneseed 85 Sage, Fringed & White 63 Side-oats Grama 169 Sugarbowl 163 Index of Genus and Common Names (continued) Sulphur Flower 97 Velvetweed 119 White Sage 63 Sumac 181 Vetch 149 Wild Rye, Canada 172 Sunflower 69, 71 Vicia 149 Willow 211 Switchgrass 175 Viola 105 Yarrow 25 Thermopsis 93 Violet 105 Yucca 179 Thistle, Wavy-leaved or Virgin’s Bower 195 Yucca 179 Gray 131 Wallflower 87 Thistle Poppy 51 Wavy-leaved Three-leaf Sumac 181 Dandelion 59 Townsendia 33 Wavy-leaved Thistle 131 Toxicoscordion 47 Wax Currant 191 Toxicodendron 183 Western Wheatgrass, Tradescantia 141 Native 176 Tragopogon 75 Wheatgrass 168, 176 Twinpod 89 Whiskbroom Parsley 57

231 232 Notes Natural Resources