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PRIMROSE FAMILY (PRIMULACEAE).

Shooting Star (Dodecatheon jeffreyi). This is a very common plant in wet to marshy soil in the Hudsonian zone. It has broad basal leaves, 6-8 inches long, that are spatulate in outline and which have shallow rounded teeth upon the margin. The succulent leafless flower stems are 8-16 inches tall and bear several nodding purple flowers at the apex. These flowers are characterized by recurved petals and pointed anthers which account for the common name.

Mountain Pink (Douglasia laevigata). A low, tufted and rare plant in the park. It has very small oblong-lanceolate basal leaves and red flowers borne in small clusters.

Star Flower (Trientalis latifolia). A very common plant in moist soils in the deep woods at the lower elevations of the park. It has a slender simple stem, 4-12 inches tall, which bears a whorl of thin leaves 1-3 inches long. The small star-like, pinkish flowers are borne singly upon very slender stalks which arise from the leaf axils.

Upland Star-flower (Trientalis arctica). Found in boggy soils in the Canadian zone. The stem is 2-4 inches tall having a few small alternate ovate leaves below the whorl of obovate leaves at the apex. The leaves in the whorl are 1/2-3/4 of an inch long. The flowers are white and star-like, about 1/2 inch in diameter, and borne singly upon slender stems arising from the whorl of leaves at the stem apex.

GENTIAN FAMILY (GENTIANACEAE).

Blue Gentian (Gentiana calycosa). A very common and handsome plant of the Hudsonian meadows - particularly in moist soils. The stems are erect and tufted, 4-8 inches tall, with several pairs of leaves which are ovate in outline. The flower is deep blue, upright, bell shaped and 1-1 1/2 inches long.

BUCKBEAN FAMILY (MENYANTHACEAE).

Buckbean (Menyanthes trifoliata) A plant of boggy places in the Canadian zone. This plant is characterized by thick creeping rootstalks and 3-foliate leaves having long succulent stems. Leaflets are 1-2 inches long and obovate in outline. The numerous white to pinkish flowers are borne in a raceme at the top of a succulent, naked stem.

DOGBANE FAMILY (APOCYNACEAE).

Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsa emifolium). This plant is 12-36 inches tall, with opposite, ovate leaves that are 1/2 - 1-1/2 inches long, dark green above and paler below. The flowers are rose colored and borne in cymes.

PHLOX FAMILY (POLEMONIACEAE).

Mountain Phlox (Phlox diffusa). A very common and attractive plant on dry soils or rocks in the Hudsonian and lower Arctic-alpine zones. It is a spreading, prostrate plant that often forms extensive mats. The leaves are linear, needle like, sharp pointed and clustered along the stem. The attractive flowers, which vary from white to violet in color, are borne singly at the ends of the branchlets, are generally quite numerous and are from 1/2-3/4 of an inch in diameter.

Gilia (Gilia nuttallii). This plant is common in the Hudsonian meadows on dry soils. It consists of numerous tufted erect stems from 4-12 inches tall. The leaves appear to be linear about 1/2 inch long and whorled upon the stem (actually the leaves are divided almost to the base into 3-7 linear segments). The flowers are white in a cluster at the apex of the stem.

Weed Gilia (Gilia gracilis). Often found in dry soils such as along roads. It is 4-12 inches tall with a central stem having wide spreading numerous branches that give it a tufted appearance. The leaves are numerous, sessile, lanceolate in outline and from 1/2-1 inch long - the lower ones opposite and the upper leaves alternate. The small flowers are borne upon slender stems arising from the leaf axils. A third species - Gilia capitata - also grows in poor soils as a weed. It has loosely branched stems with pinnate leaves divided into several segments and clusters of pale blue flowers upon long stems.

Collomia (Collomia larseni). This plant is occasionally found in rock slides in the Hudsonian zone. It is a loosely tufted perennial with leaves palmately divided into 3-7 lobes and purple flowers. Another species - Collomia heterophilla - is an annual and is found at the lower elevations. It is about 6 inches tall with alternate pinnately parted leaves and purple flowers in leafy cymes at the apex of the stem.

Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum). Common in the Hudsonian meadows. It is a loosely tufted plant 8-16 inches tall with compound leaves having 15-21 leaflets about 172 inch long and oblong-lanceolate in outline. The flowers are a deep blue, funnel-shaped and borne in open cymes.

Alpine Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium pilosum). A tufted plant 2-4 inches tall with compound leaves having numerous small leaflets (1/8 inch or less long), the flowers white to pale blue with a yellow center and funnel-shaped. A plant of the Hudsonian and Arctic-alpine zones in rocky locations.

Small Polemonium (Polemonium elegans). A tufted plant 2-4 inches tall with compound leaves having numerous small leaflets (1/8 inch or slightly longer). The flower is violet with a conspicuous yellow center. Most common in rocky locations in the Arctic-alpine zone.

WATERLEAF FAMILY (HYDROPHYLLACEAE).

Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum congestum). This plant occurs in moist places in the upper Canadian zone. It is a leafy plant 12-16 inches tall, and sparsely hairy. The leaves are long stemmed 4-8 inches long, pinnately compound into from 5-7 divisions - the leaflets coarsely toothed or deeply cleft. The flowers are small, white and in dense cymose clusters borne at the apex of a long slender stalk. A second species - Hydrophyllum tenuipes - is quite similar to the above but has violet flowers.

Nemophila (Nemophila parviflora). This is a rather inconspicuous, succulent, plant found in moist open places at the low altitudes. The stems, 2-6 inches long, are often prostrate, having opposite, 5-lobed leaves and small, white flowers, borne singly at the apex of slender, elongated stems, arising from the leaf axils.

Phacelia (Phacelia nemoralis). This is a fairly common plant in dry situations such as along roads and trails up to about 4500 feet. It has dull green divided leaves, dense clusters of greenish-yellow flowers, the stamens protruding beyond the petals giving the flower clusters a burr-like appearance.

Dwarf Phacelia (Phacelia sericea). A small plant of the high elevations - upper Hudsonian and Arctic-alpine zones. It is from 2-6 inches tall with finely divided leaves and dense cymose head-like clusters of deep violet flowers. The plant is further characterized by being grey with an abundance of soft silky hairs which cover the leaves and stem.

Romanzoffia (Romanzoffia sitchensis). A small succulent plant found in moist rocky situations in the upper Canadian and lower Hudsonian zones. It has slender stems and thin kidney-shaped leaves whose margins are shallowly cleft into from 7-11 rounded lobes. Leaves are 1/2-3/4 inch wide and have long petioles. Flowers small, white and borne in a loose raceme.

BORAGE FAMILY (BORAGINACEAE).

Mertensia (Mertensia laevigata). This is a tall succulent, leafy plant with stout stems often in a spreading tuft 15-36 inches tall. The leaves are ovate in outline, acute at the tip and from 2-3 inches long. The very attractive nodding tubular blue flowers (often pink at base) are borne in loose clusters. This plant is quite common in moist situations in the upper Canadian zone.

Crypthantha (Cryptantha muriculata). A small inconspicuous plant of the dry soils in the Canadian zone. Not very common. It is erect, 4-8 inches tall, with small white flowers in a terminal spike. It is also characterized by the presence of numerous short silky hairs.

MINT FAMILY (LABIATAE).

Wild Mint (Mentha arvensis var. glabrata). An erect leafy plant 8-16 inches tall with 4-sided stems. The leaves are opposite broadly lanceolate in outline and with numerous sharp teeth on the margin. The small pale violet flowers are in dense spikes that are sessile or very short stemmed and borne in the axils of the leaves. It occurs in moist situations at low elevations. A second species - Mentha citrata - has ovate leaves and flowers in terminal spikes.

Madronella (Madronella discolor). A small tufted plant, 6-15 inches tall with small ovate leaves, 1/2-1 inch long and small light purple flowers in a dense terminal cluster surrounded by reddish-purple bracts.

Yerba Buena (Micromeria chamissonis). This plant has slender trailing stems 12-24 inches long, ovate leaves and solitary white to light purple flowers borne in the leaf axils.

Catnip (Nepeta cataria). A weed plant, 12-36 inches tall with a stout dense spike of white to purple flowers.

Hedge Nettle (Stachys ciliata). A common plant in moist places. It has stout, erect 4-sided stems that are hairy and harsh and "sandy" to the touch. The leaves 2-6 inches long are opposite, ovate-oblong in outline, and with coarse rounded teeth upon the margin; the long, tubular, purple-red flowers are borne in a terminal spike.

Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris var. lanceolata). This is a fairly common plant in moist soils at low elevations - up to about 4000 feet. It is 6-15 inches tall with oblong-lanceolate leaves that are largely entire, 3/4 - 2-1/2 inches long and violet flowers in dense terminal spikes.

Dead Nettle (Lamium amplexicaule). A weed plant with purple flowers and roundish leaves.

NIGHTSHADE FAMILY (SOLANACEAE).

Nightshade (Solanum nigrum). A rather low, spreading plant, 6-12 inches tall, that grows in waste places. It has ovate to triangular-shaped leaves, 1/2-1 inch long, and five pointed, white flowers. The fruit is a black berry.

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Descriptions continued...