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ROSE FAMILY (ROSACEAE).

This is a very large family, the individual members of which vary greatly in appearance. However all have alternate leaves (which may be either simple or compound) and regular perfect flowers. A field key to the various genera follows:

FIVE COMMON PLANTS OF THE ROSE FAMILY. (ROSACEAE).
(1) Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). (2) Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus). (3) Potentilla (Potentilla flabellifolia). (4) Service berry (Amelanchier florida). (5) Strawberry (Fragaria bracteata).

Dryas (Dryas octopetala). A dwarfed, tufted, shrubby plant of high altitudes with showy, cream-colored or white flowers. This plant often forms mats upon the barren soils. The leaves, which are oblong-ovate in outline, have numerous small rounded teeth along the margins and are densely covered with fine grey hairs upon their underside.

Alaska Spiraea (Lutkea pectinata). A very common plant in moist soils of the Hudsonian meadows, often forming dense mats. It is 2-4 inches tall with small leaves that are finely dissected into 2 or 3 narrow lobes and dense terminal racemes of creamy-white flowers.

Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis). A very common plant in open locations in the woods of the Canadian zone, usually where there is ample moisture. It is a shrubby plant, 3-6 feet tall, and with stems having numerous weak prickles. It often forms dense thickets. Leaves compound, mostly with three leaflets which are ovate in outline, acute at the tip and with the margins coarsely toothed. The flowers are red and the fruit is yellow to deep salmon in color and raspberry-like. The fruit is edible but is not very tasty.

Thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus). Fairly common in open situations in the woods of the Canadian zone. It is a shrubby plant from 2-4 feet tall. The stems are entirely lacking in prickles or thorns. The leaves are very large (4-8 inches broad) and with five triangular shaped lobes, the edges of which are coarsely and irregularly toothed. The large white flowers are very attractive, the fruit is red, raspberry-like and juicy.

Dewberry (Rubus macropetalus). This plant has prickly, trailing stems 3-15 feet long that are somewhat woody and which bear numerous short flowering branches. The leaves are compound into 3 leaflets (sometimes 5) which are ovate in outline and acute at the tip and have the margins coarsely and often doubly toothed. The flowers are white. The fruit, black when ripe, is very palatable.

Blackcap (Rubus leucodermis). An erect shrubby plant, 3-6 feet tall, with somewhat woody stems that have numerous stout prickles. Leaves compound, with 3 (sometimes 5) leaflets whose margins are doubly toothed and which are covered with white hairs upon the underside. The flowers are white, small and borne in few-flowered corymbs. The fruit is round about 1/2 inch in diameter and nearly black when mature.

Bramble (Rubus nivalis). This plant has woody trailing, slender stems with numerous, small weak prickles. The leaves are simple, lobed or compound with the margins doubly toothed.

Trailing Rubus (Rubus pedatus). Quite common. It has herbaceous trailing stems with prickles. Leaves compound with 3-5 leaflets, their margins toothed. The flowers are white and the fruit red.

Bird's Foot Bramble (Rubus lasiococcus). Common in the Canadian zone. It has trailing, herbaceous stems with broadly ovate 3-5 lobed (occasionally with 3 leaflets) leaves with toothed margins. The white flowers are borne solitary and the fruit is red.

Indian Plum (Osmoronia cerasiformis). A shrub, 6-12 ft. tall found in moist to wet locations at the lower elevations of the park. It has simple, broadly oblanceolate, acute leaves 2-4 inches long. The leaf margins are not toothed. White flowers are borne in loose nodding racemes. The fruit is bitter and consists of from 1 to 4 oblong 1-seeded drupes with a thin pulp surrounding the stone.

Serviceberry (Amelanchier florida). A shrub 6-12 feet tall. The leaves are broadly oblong in outline, 3/4 - 1-1/2 inches long, obtuse at the tip with margins toothed above the middle. The showy white flowers are borne in racemes 1-1/2 - 3 inches long.

Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor). A tall shrub, 6-15 feet high, with leaves triangular ovate in outline and 1/2 - 1-1/2 inches long; leaf margins coarsely toothed; underside of leaves grey-green and with numerous grey hairs, upper portion green and hairless. The flowers are numerous, small and white and borne in broad panicles. This is a common shrub in open situations at the lower elevations of the park.

Wild Crabapple (Pyrus diversifolia). This small tree, 15-30 feet tall, is occasionally found in moist to wet locations at the lower elevations of the park. The leaves are ovate-lanceolate in outline, acute, with toothed margins, usually simple but occassionally lobed and from 1-3 inches long. The flowers are white and borne in loose cymes; the fruit is oblong and depressed at both ends and greenish.

Wild Cherry (Prunus emarginata var. mollis). A tree, 20-50 feet tall occasionally noted at low elevations in the park. As in the ease of cultivated cherry trees the bark of this species is brown with prominent lenticels. The leaves are narrow, ovate-oblong to obovate, 1-3 inches long, short stemmed and with the margins finely toothed. The white flowers are in corymbs and appear with the leaves. The fruit is red and quite bitter.

Rosy Spiraea (Spiraea densiflora). A very common low shrub of the Hudsonian zone, inches tall, with dense flat-topped corymbs of small rosy-red flowers. The plant is very leafy; the leaves ovate in outline 1 - 1-1/2 inches long and toothed above the middle.

Hardhack (Spiraea menziesii). Found in the Canadian zone in moist to swampy locations. It grows 3-4 feet tall, has oblong, rounded leaves which are coarsely toothed above the middle and green on both sides and from 1-3 inches long. The small rosy-red flowers are borne in dense terminal panicles. Spiraea douglasii, also known as Hardhack, grows in somewhat similar situations and resembles S. menziesii in many ways except that its leaves are hairy on the underside.

White Spiraea (Spiraea lucida). A rare plant, 12-24 inches tall with leaves coarsely toothed above the middle and with dense flat-topped corymbs of white flowers.

Sweetbriar (Rosa gymnocarpa). A small shrub not over 3 feet tall with slender stems armed with numerous slender prickles. The leaves are compound with leaflets up to 1 inch long, 5-9 in number, oblong, and with margins toothed. The flowers are borne singly, are pink to light red in color and are about 3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Wild Rose (Rosa nutkana). This is a larger plant than the above, with stout stems having very few stout prickles. Leaves are compound; leaflets 5-7 in number, ovate, coarsely toothed and up to 1-1/2 inches long. The flower is generally borne singly and is larger than the flower of R. gymnocarpa.

Cinquefoil (Potentilla flabellifolia). One of the most common plants of the Hudsonian zone. The flowers are a bright yellow, 1/2-3/4 inch in diameter and borne in loose cymes. The leaves are compound with the 3 leaflets wedge-shaped and widest at the top end toothed above the middle. The plant is from 6-12 inches tall.

Silky Cinquefoil (Potentilla gracilis). Found at lower elevations but not very common. It grows to be 12-24 inches tall and is covered with silky white hairs. The leaves are compound with 5-7 digitate leaflets. The tall stem and silky character readily distinguishes this species from the others.

Shrubby Cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa). A plant of rocky locations in the Hudsonian and lower Arctic-alpine zones. It is a small shrubby plant 6-16 inches tall with a stout woody stem. The leaves are compound with 5-7 linear leaflets, acute at the tip, 1/4-3/4 inch long. Leaves also somewhat silky. The bright yellow flowers are borne singly in the leaf axils. There are six other species included in this genus but these are not apt to be encountered by the average visitor. See check list on page 26.

Mountain Ash (Sorbus dumosa). A tall shrub, 6-15 feet tall that is common in the park from about 3000-6000 feet. The leaves are compound with 4-6 pairs of oblong leaflets (1 - 2-1/2 inches long), dense compound cymes of white flowers and berries that are bright red when ripe. The leaflets are also toothed along the entire margin. Sorbus occidentalis, also known as Mountain Ash, resembles the previously described species in many respects but is somewhat smaller, the cymes of white flowers are smaller, the leaflets are toothed only along the upper portion and the berries, when ripe, are rather purple.

Strawberry (Fragaria bracteata). This is the most common of three species of this genus which are found in this park. It has stout rootstalks and long conspicuous slender "runners". The leaves are basal, tufted, thin, and compound with 3 broadly ovate leaflets having toothed margins. The entire plant is densely covered with silky hairs. Flowers are white and upon long slender stalks. The fruit is fleshy and strawberry like. The two other native species (Fragaria cuneifolia and Fragaria chiloensis differ from the most common one just described in that their leaves are somewhat thicker.

Sibbaldia (Sibbaldia procumbens). A dwarfed slightly woody perennial with thick compound leaves; leaflets 3 in number, wedge-shaped and slightly hairy. Leaves are largely borne toward the ends of the densely clustered stems. The flowers are yellow and borne upon leafless stalks.

Goat's Beard (Aruncus sylvester). A common herbaceous plant found in the park up 4000 feet. It grows to a height of 3-6 feet and has spreading, erect, stalks, bearing the numerous small white flowers in large terminal panicles. These flower clusters probably account for the common name. Leaves are compound with ovate to lanceolate leaflets, 2-4 inches long, with the margins doubly toothed.

Yellow Avens (Geum macrophyllum). A tall plant with a stout erect, hairy stalk from 1-3 feet tall with large "lyre-shaped" divided leaves - the terminal lobe being the largest. The flowers are a bright yellow, borne in a loose cyme, which later develop into round burrs with hooked prickles. This is fairly common in moist open places in the Canadian zone.

Sanguisorba (Sanguisorba latifolia). A tall erect perennial 1-3 feet high with compound leaves arising from the base of the flower-bearing stalk that may be either simple or branched near the top. Leaves are also present on the flower-bearing stalk. Leaflets are in 5-10 pairs, oval in outline, 1 - 1-1/2 inches long and coarsely toothed. The white flowers are borne in a dense terminal spike. Generally in wet places from 4000-6000 feet.

Comarum (Comarum palustre). A plant of swampy or exceedingly wet places at low elevations such as in the Longmire swamp where it is fairly common. The stems, 1-3 feet long recline upon the ground with the ends erect. Leaves compound with 5-7 leaflets which are oblong, 1-3 inches long and coarsely toothed. The flowers are large, dark purple and borne in a loose few-flowered cyme.

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Descriptions continued...