St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-23
The Great Variety Of Plants
Which Grow in the Great
Mountain State.
Forest Vegetation Confined
Chiefly to Mountains and
Large Valleys.
Many Beautiful Shrubs and
Plenty Of Berries in Suit
able Localities.
Gay Flowers Give a Rare
Beauty to Rolling Plains
and Hills.

GREAT FALLS, Mont, July 22.-Mon-
tana, extending east and west dis
tance of more than 500 miles, and lying
on both sides of the Rocky mountains,
has. as might be expected, varied ell
mate and a CORRESPONDENCE varied
plant life. On the eastern slope many
familiar plants of the Mississippi valley
and adjacent plains greet the eye. On
the numerous mountain ranges Alpine
aid northern species occur, some local.
others extending almost or quite across
the continent to the northward. while
west of the main range are many plants
peculiar to the Pacific slope. Some OF
these latter are occasionally found that
have by some chance crossed over to
the eastern slope and become esta0-
lished in favorable localities. The re-
gion to which the present article mostly
refers is that lying in the north
central part of the state, along
the Missouri and the Milk rivers,
and just east of the great divide.
The forest vegetation, upon which de-
ponds so much of the beauty and use
fulness of land, is chiefly confined to
the mountains and larger valleys. Many
familiar Eastern trees are entirely want
ing. as oaks, elms, and, with one excep-
ton, naples, while on the other hand
Variety of Evergreens
occur that are wholly unknown in the
East. Some are very large, handsome
trees, as the Douglas spruce and yellow
pine, this last an entirely different tree
from one of the same in the Eastern
forests. Two other pines, spruce, red
cedar, trembling aspenS, small species
of maple and willows are abundant IN
the mountains, also many beautiful
shrubs, including a syringa OF mock
orange, while raspberries and blueber-
ries are frequent in suitable localIties:
In the lower valleys cottOnwoodS OF
three or four species are the prevalent
trees, box elder is abundant, also wild
cherry, service berry and the buffalo
berry, which grows in spiny thickets.
Late in the fall the berries of the last
mentioned, though not large, are excel
lent eating. aud are often gathered In
considerable quantities. Quite vari-
ETY. of gooesberries andscurrantS should
also be mentioned; the Golden currant,
cultivated East as an ornamental plant,
is one of the common kinds. Having
thus mentioned some of the principal
trees and shrubs, we will pass on to the
grasses, which, individually, so inslg-
nifieant when compared with some
great forest tree, yet, taken collectively,
are of more Importance to man than all
other plants combined, for not only is
grass the natural food of our most USE
full domestic ANIMALS, but wheat, oats.
rice, corn, all come from plants of the
grass family. In the region under con-
sideration probably 100 distinct species
of grass occur native. Some grow only
on the higher mountains. others are con-
fined to the prairieS. Various species
are
Highly Ornamental Plants,
still others furnish the finest quality of
hay. There is doubtless no grass grown,
either cultivated or wild. that excelS
what is commonly called in Montana
"blue joint" 1t is not a p0a, however,
like the Kentucky blue joint" but be-
longs to the genus Agropyrum, and is
closely related to what is one OF the
most troublesome species in cultivated
ground throughout the Eastern states.
1t is toward the close of June that the
many prairie grasses of various species
growing side by side are looking their
best. The majority Of them are then
- headed out. and the purple particles,
swaying in the breeze above the green
sod, look like filmy clouds rolling in a
succession of shadowy waves over the
landscape. Often gay flowers peep up
singly or stand massed in great banks
OF color, giving rare beauty to
the rolling plains and hills.
Both the mountains and plains
have great variety of bright
colored Towering plants. This is often
remarked by passengers on the Great
Northern railway. On the lower eleva
tions it is rarely that one cannot find
various species in bloom by the first of
April, while week or so later various
Montana plants can be found side by
side with great drifts of snow, or buried
out of sight under the newly fallen
flakes. Many of the Alpine plants are
low. with mosS-like leaves and small
flowers. but they grow in such dense
mats over the rocks and loose earth, and
are so brightly colored that they pro-
duce the most beautiful effects. Butter
cups, roses, saxifrages, heaths, fgworts
and many others are bountifully repre-
Sented.
Two Beautiful Orchids
occur, the little Calypso &C. borealis)
and white Cypripedium, or moccasin,
flower; also numerous composites, but
to particulariZe would be impossible in
the multitude Of species. On the plains
some of the earliest plants to appear are
various members of the pulse and par
snip family, the latter being injuri-
. GUS often. and of far too COM
mon occurrence in some localities.
OF the pulse order there are many spe-
cies that are highly characteristics of
the great central plains. Daring an
unusually wet fall some of these will
bloom out second time, and l have
collected fine Towering specimens as
late as the middle of October. Among
other noticeable plants are several spe-
cies of cactus, with beautiful blossoms
that open and look their best in the hot
test sunshine; also a"Spanish bayo-
net" or yucca, with wonderfully hard
ened and sharpened tips TO the leaves,
that brlstle out in all directions from
the central stem. The composites are
another family that flourish on the
plains and include a great variety OF
species. Among these is the original of
the cultivated sunfoWer; mosttrouble-
some weed it is, too; an arnica, possess
ing qualities very like the medical
plant; many daisies, asters. golden rods
and various dandelion-like plants. A
true dandelion is native of the mount
now adapted to its growth.
The Ferns
that requ ire so much moisture and
warmth are nowhere abundant, either
In species or individuals, yet few very
pretty kinds occur. The bladderfern
ICytopterias) is the commonest. This,
together with two woodsies, cliff
brake, rockbrake, a large woodfern,
and two or three others, complete the
list. Many other plants deserve men
ton, some of which belong to the lower
orders of vegetable life. Among these
are the moses and algas of springs and
damp localities, and the lichens that
cover the rocks and trees with their
many shades of color and odd forms.
A remarkable fern-like moss is abundant
in the great spring near this city. An
other common and very curious plant,
and one of the lowest of plant forms,
sometimes lies over the ground as
thIckly in places as to give it black
ish hue. 1t is nostor that lives and
flou1ishes with neither root nor branch.
In dru WOO har tho thin irraOtlla M ccac