Hooded Ladies Tresses (Spiranthes romanzoffiana)
Eden Park Trail, Mt. Hood Wilderness, OR, 8/2016.
We stumbled across this fen of Ladies Tress orchids in the moist alpine meadows of Mt. Hood’s north side in late August. (more…)
Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
Hebo Lake State Park, OR, 6/2015.
There are two species of water lily commonly found in northwest lakes and ponds: the previously posted, and native yellow variety, Nuphar polysepalum, and this showier non-native. (more…)
Cliff Paintbrush (Castilleja rupicola)
McCord Creek Falls, Columbia Gorge, OR, 4/2014.
This is one of the easier paintbrush varieties to identify (more…)
Coneflower (Rudbeckia occidentalis)
Iron Mountain, OR, 7/2014.
Also called “Western Cone Flower” and “Western Chocolate Cone”. A yellow variety occurs in southern Oregon and northern California. The purple/brown cones turn black and grow larger as they age.
Mountain Owl’s Clover (Orthocarpus imbicatus)
Iron Mountain, OR, 7/2014.
None of the three different groups of flowers called “owl’s clover” are actually clovers. (more…)
Rainiera aka Tounge-Leaf Luina (Rainiera Stricta)
Union Creek Trail, William O. Douglas Wilderness, WA, 7/2014.
Stricta, once thought to be a member of the closely related luina (pronounced ‘lew-eye-na’) genus, is now the sole member of the Rainiera genus. (more…)
Silvery Raillardella (Raillardella argentea)
Collier Cone, Three Sisters Wilderness, OR, 8/2013.
According to Turner & Gustafson (Wildflowers of the Pacific Northwest), this groundsel relative is found mostly in California, and is rare in central and southern Oregon. (more…)
Pinesap (Hypopitys monotropa)
Timberline trail near McNeil point, Mount Hood, OR, 8/2014.
Along with Mertens’ Coral Root, one of the more common, and less attractive of the chlorophyll lacking plants in northwest forests. (more…)
Wapato aka Arum-leaf Arrowhead (Sagittaria cuneata)
Young Creek, Rooster Rock State Park, Columbia Gorge, OR, 8/2013.
Different varieties of this shallow-water plant can be found throughout the U. S. The flowers seen here are male, with a cluster of yellow stamens at the center. (more…)
Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora)
Hamilton Mountain Trail, Columbia Gorge, WA, 7/2014.
Yesterday, we saw over thirty specimens of this supposedly uncommon saprophyte along the first two miles of the Hamilton Mountain trail (along with four phantom orchids)! (more…)
