This is just a photo-heavy post about some of the flowers that I have seen blooming between mid-February and now. These are our earliest bloomers, as they are putting out flowers in a season where it is still possible to get heavy snows.
Claytonia rosea and Claytonia lanceolata, the Spring Beauties
These highly similar flowers are from the same family as the common edible garden weed purslane, Portulacaceae. They grow rank on moist, east-facing shady slopes under Gambel oak woods, carpeting the forest floor with pink to white star-like flowers. Both flowers grow from an underground spherical corm and are among our earliest bloomers(1): I have found both species flowering as early as February in mild winters, but they seem to hit their stride in April. They are distinguished from each other by the leaves: C. rosea features lance-linear leaves, while C. lanceolata has larger lanceolate (go figure) leaves. Several local Native American tribes including the Blackfoot Indians used the corms of C. lanceolata as a food source. The corms were mostly eaten roasted or boiled and kept well when dug and used later on for a winter food(2).
C. rosea blooming in the foothills in May at around 8,000 ft. Note the more linear leaves.
C. lanceolata growing in Gambel oak woods in early March at around 6,000 ft elevation. The
leaves are much larger that those of C. rosea and have a characteristically lanceolate shape.
A Claytonia flower. I couldn't tell you which species this actually belongs to, as the flowers are virtually
identical and they inhabit similar habitats. Flowers of either species may be delicately veined pink as here or more strongly pink or white the whole way through (click to enlarge).
Another pic of Claytonia flowers. I think it's interesting that they have two fleshy sepals (green) to
subtend the five petals. The blur of pink in the background is a forest floor completely carpeted with Claytonias.
Physaria ssp., Bladderpods.
The genus Physaria presents a good challenge for the botanically-inclined obsessive examiner of small things as the individual species are difficult to separate without looking at the most minute characteristics of the seeds. One dichotomous key for one section of the genus begins with differentiating the characteristics of the plant's individual trichomes*, a task that requires at minimum a hand lens and a great deal of patience (more than I have!). You don't need to be able to identify the Physarias to appreciate their beauty, however. They provide a welcome burst of color in the early spring browns that dominate the foothills. All of them that I have encountered put forth rosettes of densely pubescent (hairy) silvery leaves and bright yellow flowers with four sepals, four petals, and six stamens. Some bloom later in the season, but I have seen them flowering as early as March and April. The common name "bladderpod" derives from their bladder-like seed pods, visible in the third photo below.*Trichomes refer to plant hairs which may have a variety of functions. Amusingly, you can use it as something of a shibboleth to determine if someone is a marijuana enthusiast. People who passionately grow and consume marijuana know to look to the density of the trichomes on the flowers as an indicator of the quality of the marijuana, as these hairs are where the psychoactive drug THC (trans-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol) is concentrated. However, trichome is likely one of the only botany terms that they know, and many people who know what a trichome is but not a sepal or a petiole are likely enjoying the "devil's lettuce."
P. somethingorotherii blooming on a sandstone ridge in late March in the
Deer Creek Canyon area southwest of Littleton. The flower structure seen here is
characteristic of most members of Brassicaceae (the mustard family), but the rosette of
silvery leaves pegs this specimen as a Physaria.
P. bellii, a rare species growing exclusively on shale hogbacks north of Denver. I was able to positively identify this species only because there was a sign directly over it which noted that P. bellii
grew in the area, and provided a detailed illustration. I took this picture during a bike ride to the foothills near Fort Collins, and loudly remarked "ooooh that's beautiful" to no-one in particular as I took the picture. Unbeknownst to me another biker was standing about 5 feet away watching me, and when I started talking to the plants he asked if I was OK.
The "bladders" of this genus' namesake found in June on North Table Mountain west of Denver.
The dichotomous division of the seeds (siliques) is characteristic of Brassicaceae, and the sac-like seed units are
characteristic of Physaria. The botanical term for sac-like is "scrotiform."
Lomatium orientale, North Idaho Biscuitroot
A minute member of the carrot family (Apiaceae) which favors habitats similar to the Physarias: sunny, stony, dry areas in the lower foothills. The pinnate leaves are densely pubescent, and the white flowers are borne in an umbel atop a stout stalk. The whole plant seldom reaches greater than 5 inches in height, and its muted colors mean that it is more easily trodden upon than noted as a wildflower. Its beauty becomes more apparent in magnification (see second photo), as its anthers are actually an intense pomegranate hue of purple. The Cheyenne Indians used this plant as an anti-diarrheal, while the Lakota and Navajo peoples simply ate the apparently strong-tasting roots as a root vegetable(2). I have seen it blooming as early as late February, but like other early-blooming flowers it seems to be more prolific in April.
L. orientale growing alongside a trail near the Deer Creek Canyon. I would not have even seen this tiny flower, but I had stopped to remove a rock from my hiking boot.
A close-up shot of the umbel (click to enlarge). note the dense hairs on the leaves, as well as the
intensely purple coloration of the anthers.
Mahonia repens, Oregon Grape Holly
An unmistakable early-bloomer which is extremely common in the foothills and low ridges of the front range. This is the only plant in our area with woody stems, evergreen spiny leaves, and yellow flowers. "Holly" is something of a misnomer, as this plant belongs in the barberry family (Berberidaceae) while the holly of Holiday wreaths is in wholly another family (Aquifoliaceae). This is worth noting as the holiday holly is widely regarded to be poisonous, while the grapes of the Oregon grape holly apparently make a very edible and quite good jam(1).
M. repens blooming in late February at around 6,000 feet on a sandstone hogback. Nothing else looks like
this, especially in the brown environs of mid-winter to early spring.
Same plant, different location. Note the difference in how exaggerated the spines are in the
first picture versus being less prominent in this one. I don't know what accounts for this discrepancy,
but I suspect that younger leaves have shorter spines. I have noticed that the red coloration in the leaves
also seems to be more exaggerated during cold weather, although I do not have a source to back this up.
Leucocrinum montanum, Sand Lily
The common sand lily exists in an odd space taxonomically. Historically it was placed in Liliaceae (the lily family) per the common sense notion that it's called a lily and looks like one too. However most botanists agree that it does not actually belong in Liliaceae, and some papers have attempted to place it in Amarylladaceae (the amaryllis family), while even more recent evidence places it in Asparagaceae (the asparagus family!!)(1).
I would be hard-pressed to make any connection between asparagus and the flower you see below, but there you have it. Confusing taxonomy aside, the common sand lily is always a delightful find among the sandy, stony foothills and hogbacks of the front range. It is the only plant in its genus, and is virtually impossible to misidentify. It has a rosette of ensiform (sword-shaped) leaves with showy, fleshy, six-petaled white flowers with prominent stamens. Curiously, the sand lily's ovaries remain permanently underground, with the seeds of the previous year being dispersed when the new year's ovary pushes them to the surface as it grows towards flowering(1). The Paiute and Shoshoni Indians used this plant's roots as an analgesic, while the Crow Indians simply ate them as a vegetable(2). I have seen them flowering between late March and late May.
L. montanum in its favored habitat of hot, dry, near-Martian soil in the front range.
A close-up of a large, clustered plant in the Poudre Canyon near Fort Collins. Presumably the clumped habit results from its unusual seed dispersal mechanism, and not from forming clonal colonies.
A closer-close up of a single flower showing the curious curlicue shape of the anthers.
Thank you for reading about our early spring flowers. I know I played a little loose with the definition of a "light" post, but I hope that the text portions were informative. The written portions became beefier than I initially planned due to including more ethnobotanical information. This in turn is due to my recent acquisition of Native American Ethnobotany (reference #2 below), a 10-pound weapon of a book that has exhaustive information on the many and varied uses of plants by different native peoples. Wherever you may be reading from, make sure to get out and enjoy the new spring flowers!
References
- Weber, W. A., & Wittman, R. C. (2012). Colorado Flora: Eastern Slope Boulder, Colorado: University Press of Colorado.
- Moerman, D. E. (1998). Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press, Inc.
