Mount Rainier Part 20

A smooth cordate leaved plant with one to five heads, resembling small sunflowers. Not uncommon up to 6,000 feet alt.i.tude, especially in the shelter of timber.

=Arnica mollis= Hooker.

Similar to the preceding, but the leaves oblong, nearly entire, and viscid glandular. Abundant along the rivulets, 4,000 to 6,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Arnica aspera= Greene.

Described from specimens collected in Spray Park. It is very similar to _A. mollis_ Hooker, but the p.u.b.escence is coa.r.s.er.

=Arnica eradiata= (Gray) h.e.l.ler.

Closely related to the preceding but easily recognized by its rayless heads. It occurs on the steep slopes above Sluiskin Falls.

=Luina hypoleuca= Bentham.

A beautiful suffruticose plant, six to twelve inches high, with entire oval leaves s.h.i.+ning green above and white tomentose beneath. It was originally discovered by Dr. Lyall, of the International Boundary Survey, in the Cascade Mountains at the 49th parallel. It is not uncommon about Mount Rainier, occurring on perpendicular cliffs along the Cowlitz Glacier; in similar places on the banks of the Nisqually at Longmire Springs; and on the gravel bars of the same river. The flowers are cream-colored.

=Rainiera stricta= Greene.

(_Prenanthes stricta_ Greene.) (_Luina piperi_ Robinson.) (_Luina stricta_ Robinson.)

A tall plant with large oblong entire leaves and a long raceme of yellowish, rayless heads. Professor Greene makes it the type of a new genus _Rainiera_, while Dr. Robinson refers it to _Luina_. The plant has been collected in Spray Park by Professor Greene; on the Goat Mountains, Allen; near Mount Adams, Henderson; head of Naches River, Vasey; and on the high ridge northeast of the foot of Cowlitz Glacier by the writer. The statement that the plant has milky juice is an error.

=Petasites speciosa= (Nuttall) Piper.

(_Nardosmia speciosa_ Nuttall.)

Abundant along streams up to 3,000 feet alt.i.tude. Easily recognized by its large palmate leaves, which frequently measure a foot or more in diameter. The flowers appear very early in spring with the leaves and have an odor suggesting violets. This species is clearly distinct from the Eastern _P. palmata_ (Aiton) Gray and was long ago well characterized by Nuttall.

=Petasites frigida= (Linnaeus) Fries.

(_Petasites nivalis_ Greene).

Common along rivulets 4,000 to 5,000 feet alt.i.tude. Resembling the preceding species, but much smaller and with quite different leaves.

=Achillea lanulosa= Nuttall.

An Alpine form of the common Western yarrow. Not rare in the decayed lava at 6,000 to 7,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Hulsea nana= Gray.

A sticky plant with pinnatifid leaves and large yellow heads.

Plentiful on the east side of the mountain near the base of Little Tahoma in the pumice fields. This seems to be the northernmost limit of the plant.

=Anaphalis margaritacea occidentalis= Greene.

The well-known "Everlasting Flower," which occurs in dry or burnt woods up to 4,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Antennaria media= Greene.

A small depressed cudweed, only an inch or two high. Common at 6,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Antennaria lanata= (Hooker) Greene.

Like the preceding but larger and more hairy. Gra.s.sy slopes at 6,000 feet. Common.

=Antennaria racemosa= Hooker.

Collected by Allen in the "upper valley of the Nisqually." A much larger and greener plant than the preceding species.

=Erigeron salsuginosus= (Richardson) Gray.

The common pink aster or "daisy" of the gra.s.sy slopes. One of the most conspicuous plants at 4,000 to 6,000 feet alt.i.tude, but even ascending to 7,000 feet in a much dwarfed form.

=Erigeron acris debilis= Gray.

An insignificant white-flowered species, rare at about 7,500 feet alt.i.tude.

=Erigeron compositus trifidus= (Hooker) Gray.

A small pinkish aster, with the leaves cut into linear lobes. Growing in decayed lava at 7,500 feet alt.i.tude.

=Erigeron speciosus= De Candolle.

A handsome species with entire ciliate leaves and rather numerous heads, with deep violet rays. Collected by Allen in the Goat Mountains, No. 222.

=Erigeron aureus= Greene.

(_Aplopappus brandegei_ Gray.)

A beautiful little aster with bright golden rays, the solitary heads on scapes two or three inches tall. Abundant in the pumice, 7,500-8,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Aster ledophyllus= Gray.

A tall species with leafy stems, and numerous middle-sized heads with pink-purple rays. The leaves are entire, p.u.b.escent on the under side.

Not uncommon on the gra.s.sy slopes at 5,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Aster foliaceus frondeus= Gray.

(_Aster amplifolius_ Greene.)

A species with broad half-clasping leaves and deep-violet-colored rays. Professor Greene's type came from Mount Rainier, but his species seems not to differ from the plant earlier described by Dr. Gray.

=Oreostemma alpigena= (Torrey & Gray) Greene.

(_Aster pulch.e.l.lus_ D. C. Eaton.)

A low plant with narrow tufted leaves, the scapes bearing one or rarely two large heads. The rays are deep violet. The plant is common in the pumice fields at 7,000-8,000 feet alt.i.tude, but, strange to say, also occurs on the borders of small lakes at the foot of Pinnacle Peak at 4,500 feet elevation. In exposed places at high alt.i.tudes the leaves are often curiously twisted. It was originally described from the specimen collected on Mount Rainier by Tolmie.

=Solidago algida= Piper.

A small goldenrod, two to twelve inches tall, occurring ordinarily on the faces of perpendicular cliffs at 5,000 to 6,000 feet elevation.

=Artemisia borealis wormskioldii= Besser.