Mouse click a thumbnail to see a larger image and informational details below the photos. Most thumbnails have three clickable views; flower, plant, and foliage. The selected image will stay visible until another slide is clicked.
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Pale Madwort -or- Yellow Alyssum (Alyssum alyssoides), family Brassicaceae (Mustard).
Thanks to Dr. Matt Lavin, who recently corrected our identification of Alyssum desertorum, we were able to recognize this species. See the foliage slide for key characteristics. Quote: 'Alyssum alyssoides is a species of flowering plant in the mustard family known by several common names, including pale madwort and yellow alyssum. It is native to Eurasia, but it can be found throughout much of the temperate world as an introduced species and sometimes a common weed. WIKI names the species in the genus at 100-170. They are annual/biennial herbs.
TECHNICAL: This is a hairy annual or biennial herb producing stems which grow upright or lie along the ground to a maximum length of 30 to 40 centimeters. It produces white or cream-colored flowers with small petals a few millimeters long. The fruit is a hairy capsule up to half a centimeter long containing seeds which are winged and have an embryonic root already present.' End quote.
Plant location: Photographed on May 12, 2009 while hiking the Bitterbrush Trail in Colorado. Though they are introduced plants, this species is now found throughout most of the U.S.
Bloom season: May through July, commonly. Note the heavy coat of hairs on the inset of the plant's fruits. This is diagnostic of the species. Each fruit contains two seeds. -
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Caespitose Four-Nerve Daisy -or- Actinea (Tetraneuris acaulis var. caespitosa), family Asteraceae (Aster/Sunflower).
This identification comes from the information board placed by the Denver Botanical Gardens at the Goliath Natural Area. See the plant slide for an inset of this species outer phyllaries. The densely hairy characteristic is diagnostic of the species. Other latin names for this species are: Tetraneuris brevifolia, Hymenoxys acaulis var. caespitosa, Hymenoxys acaulis var. lanata.
Plant location: Photographed on Mt Evans at the Goliath Natural Area on June 28, 2011. GPS coordinates: N39°38.558 W105°35.566 - Elevation: 11,527'. Found in Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming.
Bloom season: May through September. -
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Tapertip Hawksbeard (Crepis acuminata), family Asteraceae (Aster/Sumflower).
Plant location: Photographed off Heeney Road 30, White River National Forest, Silverthorne, Colorado - GPS coordinates: N39°53.773 W106°18.684 – Elevation: 8012'.
Bloom season: May through August. -
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Curly Dock -or- Curly Leaved Dock -or- Sour Dock (Rumex crispus), family Polygonaceae (Buckwheat).
This widespread plant can be found everywhere in the United States where it is commonly classified as an invasive weed.
Plant location: Photographed on July 6, 2011 in Steamboat Springs Colorado, at Casy's Pond. GPS coordinates: N40°27.159 W106°48.902 – Elevation: 6768'.
Bloom season: June through August in Colorado. -
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Moth Mullein (Varbascum blattaria), family Scrophulariaceae (Figwort).
FUN FACT: Per the website Plants For a Future, this species is a great insect repellent especially of moths and cockroaches when used indoors.
See Common Mullein at WildflowersWest.
Plant location: Photographed in a Jackson County Open Space, Colorado, on October 4, 2008. Found in every state of the U.S., except oddly enough, Wyoming. It is found in the greatest abundance on the east coast.
Bloom season: June throught October. -
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