SO 8 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM,
7. ERYTHRONIUM L
1. Erythronium. grandiflorum Pursh. Glacier lily. Common nearly everywhere on the east slope in open places or on brushy hillsides; on the west slope found chiefly at middle and high altitudes. B. C. and Wash, to Wyo. and Mont.—Plants glabrous, with bulbs; stems 20 to 40 cm. high, 1 to 5-flowered; leaves lanceolate to oval, sharp- pointed, 10 to 20 cm. long; petals yellow, 3 to 5 cm. long; fruit a 3-angled capsule, 3
to 4 cm. long.
Sometimes known as adder's-tongue or dog-tooth violet. Few flowers of the park attract as much attention as this, and few are as showy. Tourists get the impression that the plant grows only above timber line, for this is the only place where it is in flower during the tourist season, but in early spring the plant is common on the foothills of the east slope. It may be found in blossom all summer at high altitudes, the plants coming into flower very promptly as the snow melts; indeed, they are in bloom right up to the edges of the snow banks. The finest and most persistent display of the flowers in summer is at Iceberg Lake, but they are found in most similar situations.
The petals usually hang on the flower for some time after they have withered. The bulbs are dug and eaten by bears. Specimens of Erythronium from Glacier Park have been determined as E. obtu&atum Goodding, but they do not appear essentially differ- ent from typical E. grandiflorum.
312 ' CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM.
8. QUAMASIA Raf.
1. Quamasia quamash (Pursh) Coville, Camas, Frequent at low altitudes, in woods, swamps, bogs, or meadows. 13. (\ to Calif., Utah, and Mont.—Plants glabrous, 30 to 60 cm. high, from bulbs; leaves basal, linear, 20 to 40 cm. long; flowers deep purplish blue, in loose racemes; petals about 2 cm. long, narrow; capsule 3-angled,
1 to 1.5 cm. long.
The word '' camas " is much used in the geographic names of the region. The bulbs were formerly employed for food by the Indians of the Northwest. The Blackfoot Indians usually dug them in early or late summer after the flowers had fallen. The bulbs were baked by placing them in a deep hole in the ground with leaves and grass and heated stones, and above them a fire was kept burning. It is said that two days and nights were necessary for cooking them thoroughly.
9. CLINTONIA Raf.
1. Clintonia uniflora (Schult.) Kunth. Queencup. Plate 46, B. Common and often abundant at low and middle altitudes; usually in deep moist woods, but some- times in open places. Alaska to Calif, and Mont.—Plants from slender creeping root- stocks; stem naked, 1 or rarely 2-flowered; leaves 2 to 5, usually 3, oblanceolate, 10 to 20 cm. long, with long scattered hairs; flowers pure white, about 2 cm. broad; fruit subglobose, nearly 1 cm. long, deep Prussian blue.
One of the handsomest flowers of the region. The plants often form great mats of dark green leaves, which are thickly studded with the starlike flowers. The fruit, too, is handsome, and particularly striking because of its unusual color; it is nearly flavor- less, and falls from the stalk easily. The flowers, unfortunately, last only a short time,
and most of them have disappeared by midsummer.
10. VAGNERA Adans. False Solomon's-seal.
Plants with rootstocks and with simple leafy stems; leaves broad, conspicuously parallel-veined; flowers small, white or yellowish white; fruit a globose berry.
Flowers in simple racemes. \ Leaves usually folded, pale, ascending; flowers short-stalked .... 1. V. stellata.
Leaves flat, green, spreading; flowers long-stalked 2. V. sessilifolia.
Flowers in panicles.
Leaves clasping, acute 3. V. amplexicaulis.
Leaves contracted at the base into a short narrow petiole, long-pointed.
4. V. raceinosa.
1. Vagnera stellata (L.) Morong. Star Solomon's-seal. Frequent, especially on the east slope, at low and middle altitudes, in swamps or moist woods. Alaska to Colo., Va., and Newf. (Smiladna stellata Desf.)—Plants 15 to 50 cm. high; leaves lance-oblong, 2 to 8 cm. long, sessile, minutely hairy beneath; petals 3 to 5 mm. long;
fruit green, with 3 dark stripes, turning black.
2. Vagnera sessilifolia (Nutt.) Greene. Common at low and middle altitudes, in moist woods or thickets. Yukon to Calif., Wyo., and Mont. (Smiladna sessilifolia Nutt.)—Stems 20 to 50 cm. high; leaves narrowly or broadly lanceolate, 5 to 12 cm.
long, minutely hairy beneath; petals 6 mm. long; fruit 5 to 8 mm. in diameter, red when ripe.
This is closely related to V. stellata, and it is rather doubtful whether it is a distinct species.
3. Vagnera amplexicaulls (Nutt.) Morong. Common on the east slope at low and middle altitud es, in moist woods or sometimes on open slopes. B. C. to Calif., N. Mex., and Alta. (Smiladna amplexicaulis Nutt.)—Plants 25 to 60 cm. high, finely hairy;
leaves mostly ovate, 6 to 15 cm. long,, green and often shining; petals 2 mm. lone:
fruit 5 to 6 mm. in diameter, at first green with dark red or purple dots, becoming red.
The plants often form dense patches.
STANDLEY—FLORA OF GLACIER PARK. 313
4. Vagnera racemosa (L.) Morong. Occasional at low and middle altitudes, in moist woods or thickets. B. C. to Colo., Ga., and N. S. (Smilacina racemosa Deal.)—
Plants 30 to 60 cm. high, finely hairy; leaves ovate or lanceolate, 6 to 12 cm. long, green; petals 2 mm. long; fruit similar to that of V. amplexicaulis.
11. STBEPTOPTJS Michx.
1. Streptopus amplezifolius (L.) DC. Twisted-stalk. Common everywhere in moist or wet woods or thickets; frequent about bushes above timber line. Alaska to Oreg., N. Mex., N. C.( and Greenl.; also in Eur.—Plants glabrous, 30 to 100 cm. high, from rootstoctfs; stems branched; leaves ovate, 5 to 12 cm. long, clasping, con- spicuously parallel-veined; petals 8 to 12 mm. long, greenish white, with spreading
tips; fruit bright red, oval, 1 to 1.5 cm. long.
When in flower the plant is not conspicuous, but when loaded with the handsome fruit it is very striking. The fruits are pendent below the leaves on slender stalks, and they are most conspicuous on slopes above the trails, where they are not hidden by the leaves. The slender flower stalks are abruptly bent, hence the name " twisted- stalk." The stems are commonly branched, but plants above timber line frequently have simple stems. The fruit is insipid and inedible. The leaves turn pale yellow in autumn.
12. DISPORTJM: Salisb. Fairybells.
Plants branched, with rootstocks, finely* hairy; leaves ovate-lanceolate to oval, sharp-pointed, 3 to 10 cm. long, conspicuously parallel-veined, sessile or clasping;
flowers yellowish white, 1 to 1.5 cm. long; fruit juicy.
Fruit usually broader than long, somewhat lobed, roughened with fine wartlike projections; stigma 3-parted 1. D. trachycarpum.
Fruit longer than broad, not lobed, narrowed to each end, smooth; stigma not parted.
2. D. oreganum.
1, Disponun trachycarpum S. Wats. Rough fairybells. Common in moist or wet woods and thickets at low and middle altitudes. B. C. to Man., N. Mex., and
Ariz.—Plants 30 to 60 cm. high, with few branches; fruit about 1 cm. thick.
The fruit is short-stalked and hidden beneath the leaves; at first it is yellow but it aoon turns orange and then deep red. When ripe it is very handsome, with a velvety appearance, and suggests a strawberry.
2. Disponun oreganum (S. Wats.) W. Mill. Smooth fairybells. Frequent in the same situations as the last species. B. C. to Calif, and Mont.—Much like the last
•species except in form of fruit, the two usually growing together and equally common;
fruit about 1 cm. long, usually somewhat shining, turning lemon-yellow and finally orange-red.
The fruit is scarcely as handsome as that of D. trachycarpum. In both species it is nearly flavorless.
13. CALOCHOBTFS Pursh.
1. Calochoitns elegans Lindl. Mariposa lily. Frequent on open slopes, in meadows, or sometimes in woods, at nearly all elevations. Wash, to Calif., Utah, and Mont.—Plants glabrous, 10 to 20 cm. high, from bulbs; leaf one, 10 to 20 cm.
long, 2 to 10 mm. wide; petals 12 to 20 mm. long and nearly as broad, much larger than the sepals, with a gland inside near the base; fruit a 3-angled capsule about
2 cm. long.
The flowers open early in the season and do not last long. The plants are usually scattered among grasses, and the delicate flowers suggest butterflies hovering over the meadows, a fact which doubtless suggested to the Spanish settlers of California the pfl-TTia "mariposa" (the Spanish word for butterfly). The species of Ccdochortus Are most abundant on the Pacific coast; many of them are in cultivation.
314 CONTRIBUTIONS FROM THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM