SO 8 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM,
1. B3STULA
Conelike pistillate catkins not falling apart, their bracts not lobed ... 2. ALNtTS.
1. BETUXA L. Birch.
Ttees or shrubs; leaves stalked, small or large; fruit narrowly or broadly winged.
Leaves I to 2.5 cm. long, rounded at the tip, the teeth rounded . . 1. B. glandulosa.
Leaves mostly 3 to 10 cm. long, usually sharp-pointed, the teeth sharp.
Bark not separating into layers; twigs densely covered with glands, not hairy;
leaves mostly less than 5 cm. long 2. B. fontinalis.
Bark separating into thin layers; twigs hairy and often glandular; leaves mostly 5 to 10 cm. long.
Bark white or yellowish white; twigs usually not glandular . . 3. B. papyrifeia.
Bark reddish brown; twigs glandular 4. A. occidentals.
1 Betula glandulosa Michx. Scrub birch. Frequent on the east slope at nearly all altitudes, in bogs, along streams, or on alpine slopes. Alaska to Colo,, Minn., Me., and Greenl.—Shrub, usually 1 to 2 meters high, with reddish brown, very glandular branchlets; leaves rounded, short-stalked, glabrous; cones 1 to 2 cm. long, the fruit with a narrow wing.
STANDLEY—rFLORA OF GLACIER PARK 325
The shrub is abundant in some places, but the stations are scattered and often isolated. Above timber line the plants are sometimes spreading and only 30 to 60-
cm. high.
2. Betula lontinalis Sarg. Water birch. Along creek near St. Mary, and probably elsewhere. Yukon to Utah, N. Mex., and Nebr.—Shrub or small tree with very sticky twigs, the bark reddish brown; leaves broadly ovate, rounded or some- what cordate at the base, nearly glabrous, coarsely toothed; cones 2 to 3 cm. long,
the fruit broadly winged.
Most of the plants of St. Mary are only 1 to 1.5 meters high.
S. Betula papyrifera Marsh. Canoe birch. Common on the west slope at low and middle altitudes, along streams or lake shores, or often on rocky hillsides. Alaska to Colo., N. J., and Lab.—Small or large tree with chalky white or, on young trees, yellowish white bark; leaves broadly ovate, 4 to 10 cm. long, slender-stalked, obtuse to subcordate at base, long or short-pointed, finely hairy beneath or nearly glabrous;
cones 2 to 4 cm. long; fruit very broadly winged.
Many of the trees about Lake McDonald are very large; they are often densely covered with lichens. The bark of this species was formerly much used by the Indians for making canoes. The wood is often employed in the manufacture of paper. The canoe birch is a very handsome tree, its white bark contrasting strongly with that of other trees with which it is associated. It is said to grow in a few places on the east slope of the park, but this is doubtful.
4. Betula occidentalis Hook. Western birch. Occasional on the east slope at low altitudes. B. C. and Wash, to Mont.—Small or medium-sized tree with finely hairy twigs; leaves thin, broadly ovate, 4 to 10 cm. long, somewhat hairy beneath, long-pointed; cones 3 to 4 cm. long.
Shrubs or small trees with smooth, close, reddish brown bark; leaves slender- stalked ; fruit with or without a wing.
1. Alans sinuata (Regel) Rydb. Green alder. Common at high and middle altitudes, and occasionally, especially on the west slope, at low altitudes; along streams or lake shores, in moist woods, or on open slopes. Alaska to Oreg., Wyo., and Alta.—Shrub, 1 to 2 meters high, or sometimes a small tree; leaves broadly ovate, 4 to 10 cm. long, bright green, acute or obtuse, thin, closely and sharply toothcd, scarcely at all lobed, nearly glabrous, but with tufts of hairs beneath in
the axils of the veins; cones 1 to 1.5 cm. long.
This species often forms extensive, dense, nearly impenetrable thickets on slopes at middle or high elevations. The stems are usually bent down, probably as a result of the weight of overlying snow. It is only at low altitudes that this alder gets to be a small tree.
S. Alnus tenuifolia Nutt. Mountain alder. Common at low altitudes, along streams or in wet places. Alaska to Calif., N. Mex., and Mont.—Shrub, 1 to 4 meters high; leaves oval or broadly ovate, 4 to 10 cm. long, thick, rather dull green,, shallowly lobed and with broad teeth, somewhat hairy beneath; cones 1 to 2 cm. long.
This species nearly always grows at lower altitudes than A. sinuata, but sometimes the two are found together. The Blackfoot Indians employed the tough bark for making stirrups, which were covered with rawhide. They also used a hot decoction of the bark as drink for the treatment of scrofula. Their name for the plant is "red mouth buah," in allusion to the fact that when the bark is chewed the saliva is colored red.
2. ALNUS Hill. Alder.
Fruit winged; twigs with resin dots, not hairy . . Fruit not winged; twigs not resinous, finely hairy
. . 1. A. sinuata.
2. A. tenuifolia.
326 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HEBBABIUM.
23. UBTICACEAE. Nettle Family.
1. TTBTICA L. Nettlb.
Perennials, with stinging hairs; leaves opposite, stalked, toothed, with stipules;
flowers very small, green, in panicles in the axils of the leaves; sepals 4; petals none;
fruit a small green achene.
Stems densely bristly; petioles usually shorter than the breadth of the leaves.
1. V, dioica.
Stems with few scattered bristles; petioles usually longer than the breadth of the leaves 8. XT, lyalUi.
1. Urtica dioica L. Open slopes at east entrance and Belton. Native of Eur.;
naturalized in N. Amer.—Stems 30 to 80 cm. high, stout; leaves ovate or heart- shaped, 3 to 10 cm. long, coarsely toothed.
8. Urtica lyallil S. Wats. Common at low and middle altitudes, in moist woods or thickets; sometimes found above timber line. Alaska to Wash., Wyo.^ Conn., and Newf. (U. cardiophylla Rydb.; XI. vmdis Rydb.)—Stems slender, 0.5 to 1.6 meters high, nearly glabrous except for the bristles; leaves lance-oblong to ovate or heart-shaped, 5 to 15 cm. long, thin, coarsely toothed.
The hairs sting the skin very painfully, and their effects sometimes last for several d&yg*
24. SANTALAGEAE. Sandalwood Family.
1. COMANDBA Nutt.
1. Comandra pallida A. DC. Bastard toadflax. Common on open rocky slopes or on prairie at low and middle altitudes. B. C. to Man., Ariz., and Tex.—Glabrous perennial, 10 to 30 cm. high; leaves small, alternate, sessile, glaucous, entire; flowers small, white, in cymes; calyx 5-lobed; corolla none; fruit drupelike.
25. POLYGONACEAE, Buckwheat Family.
Annual or perennial herbs with alternate leaves (leaves mostly at the base of the stem id some groups); flowers small, with 3 to 6 sepals and no petals; stamens 4 to 8;
fruit small, dry, 1-seeded, 3-angled or flattened.
Leaves without stipules; flowers in small clusters, each cluster surrounded by a calyx- like involucre of united bracts; stamens 9 1. EBIOOONUM, Leaves with sheathing stipules; flowers not in clusters surrounded by involucres;
stamens 4 to 8.
Sepals 5; stigmas not brushlike 8. POLYOONT7M, Sepals 4 or 6; stigmas brushlike.
Sepals 6; fruit 3-angled; leaves not kidney-shaped 3, BTTMEX.
Sepals 4; fruit flattened; leaves mostly kidney-shaped 1. OXYBIA.
1. ERIOQONTTM Michx.
Perennials; leaves entire, basal, the stem sometimes bearing a whorl of leaves below the flowers; flowers small, surrounded by an involucre of united bracts, the involucres in heads or umbels.
Sepals hairy, at least at the base.
Flowers bright yellow; stems 10 to 30 cm. high; sepals hairy almost all over.
1. X. piperi.
Flowers yellowish white; stems 2 to 10 cm. high; sepals hairy only at the base.
8. S. androsaceum.
Sepals not hairy. '
Involucres in umbels; leaves green on the upper side 8. E. subalpinum.
Involucres in one head; leaves densely and closely white-woolly on both aides.
4. E. depression.
STANDLEY—FLORA OF GLACIER PARK. 327
1. Eriogonum piperi Greene. Sulphub-plant. Common at nearly all altitudes on the east slope, on open rocky hillsides; abundant on rock elides above timber line.
Wash, to Wyo. and Mont.—Plants usually forming dense clumps; leaves oblanceolate, stalked, obtuse, 3 to 10 cm. long, densely woolly beneath, green and thinly silky on the upper surface; involucres in a large umbel; sepals about 5 mm. long, often becoming deep red in age.
It is doubtful whether this is more than a mere form of E. Jlavum Nutt.
8. Eriogonum androsaceum Benth. On rock slides and exposed summits above timber line, rare in most places; occasionally found in exposed places at low altitudes.
B. C., Alta., and Mont.—Often forming dense mats; leaves oblanceolate or spatulate, 1 to 2 cm. long, densely woolly or becoming green on the upper surface; involucres in a small umbel; flowers 4 to 5 mm. long, sometimes tinged with pink.
3. Eriogonum subalpinum Greene. Umbrella-plant. Common on the east slope at nearly all altitudes, on open hillsides or in meadows. B, C. to Nev., Colo., and Alta.—Plants 15 to 40 cm. high, usually forming loose patches; leaves elliptic, ovate*
or obovate, 1.5 to 5 cm. long, green on the upper side and glabrous or nearly so, densely white-woolly beneath; flowers greenish white or tinged with pink, 4 to 5 mm. long.
4. Eriogonum depressum (Blankinship) Rydb. Silver-plant. Common on the east slope at high and middle altitudes, on rock slides or open rocky hillsides. Oreg. to Mont.—Plants 5 to 15 cm. high, usually forming small dense mats; leaves rounded or broadly ovate, 5 to 15 cm. long, white, long-stalked; flowers3 to 4 mm. long, yellowish white, often tinged with pink.
The name "silver-plant" was applied to this and related species by prospectors because the plant was believed to indicate the presence of silver deposits.