The Portland daily press., 1890-07-28
Philadelphia Tlmes.l

philadelphia Times.l
II the flowers of the Rocky mountain
region are noted for one thing more than
another it is for brilliancy of coioring.
tits always a positive red or yellow or
pink, with very little of the delicate
half tints and gradations seen in the
fora of the Atlantic slope. Then, too,
the. flowers of the west bloom in such
lavish profusion. The plains and slopes
blaze with immense patches of color for
miles and miles. Perhaps some of the
blossoms are not so sweet scented as are
many Of our eastern favorites, but what
these western flowers lack in sweetness
they make up in brilliancy.
1t is not always easy to trace out the
genus of any particular plant, for the
reason that this elevated region has not
yet been thoroughly explored by the
botanist, and we have no one book to
which we can point as authority like
Gray's Manual for the eastern states
and Chapman's for the southern. But
tits generally possible to determine the
alliances and place each plant in its
proper family.
SIMILAR POPULAR PLANTS.
Thus we recognize the beautiful white
and purple iris, even though it is not like
any iris with which we are already ac-
quainted. And we know the large,
handsome, white bloomed evening prim-
rose from its resemblance to our familiar
eastern yellow species, and feel safe in
calling this western one an oenothera.
What the people on the plains of Wyom-
ing call bluebell is described in Gray as
'lungwort." 1t is dainty little blue
lowered member Of the boraginace@ or
forget-me-not tribe; its botanical name
is pulmonaria or mertensia. This is ex-
ceedingly fragrant. 1t is found in some
places as far east as Virginia.
But west of the Wasatch range two
other flowers are called, in popular Ian
guage, the bluebell, although neither is
a true campanula any more than the
lungwort is One of these so called blue
bells is yeritable hyacinth, only the
blossoms are arranged in an umbel, like
geranium. The other bluebell is prob
ably saliva or sage-at least it is real
labiate plant It is tall and handsome,
and in general aspect resembles our
great blue lobelia."
The legummas@, or pea family, is well
represented. / counted eight distinct
species belonging to this order. All are
called, indifferently, '.wild sweet pea,'
although from the shape of the leaves of
seven one might conclude that these
were more nearly allied to the glycine
or wistaria. The yellow Powered species,
from its smooth, pale green foliage, may
be a true lathyrus. The otherscomprise
one white, two blue, two pink and two
crimson. Some of these grow but few
inches above the surface of the plain,
while the taller ones cling to the rocks
and bushes on the mountain side.
The composite, or compound lowered
plants, are also we'll represented. A
curious little daisy or chamomile has
five broad white petals. A pretty pale
blue aster or erigeron recalls our own
autumnal fora A tall, handsome yell
low lowered plant is very similar toiour
own hawkweed. There is but one spe-
cies of pixie, or pyxidanthera, men,
toned in Gray. This is pink lowered
and belongs to the "Jersey pine'barrens.
But here on the plains may be found
white pixie. This belongs to the pole
monaece or phlox family. This order
is well represented in the west. The
Wasatch mountain range is rich in
delicate pink species of phlox. The peo-
pie here call it wild sweet William, Just
as the people of Nebraska do the purple
species, although the real sweet William
is dianthus or pink.
SOME BRIGHT ONES.
A deep crimson Powered umbelliferous
plant is undoubtedly a member of the
hliace@, or lily family. The plant is
low, the blossoms are small, but the
clusters are dense. Some call it "wild
onion"-perhaps it is an album. An
other plant is said to be hly-it.may
be, although it looks more like tiger
flower or trillium. 1t is as large as
tulip and has three broad, rounded petals
and three narrow, bladelike ones. The
color is white, painted at the base Of
each petal with curious spot of red and
yellow The stems and leaves are SIM
pie, straight and whitish.
Then we may notice several low plants,
bearing dense, rounded clusters of tiny
white blossoms, tipped with pink. Some
have a sweet scent, too strong, however,
to be agreeable. These suggest the vim
cetoxicum and amianthemtin, with SIM
liar liliaceous plants of the New Jersey
barrens. We also notice two distinct
species of pink purple wild geraniums,
more abundant, perhaps, but not quite
so beautiful as our own geranium mac
ulatum.
A curious little flower of the mallow
or hibiscus order grows but afew inches
in height, but it is noteworthy by'reason
of its petals of vivid scarlet. Then
there is the handsome alyssum, or gold
basket, resembling the brilliant wall
flower, and like it member Of the cru
cifere or cabbage family. AT, this sea-
son of the year may be noticed two
kinds of cactus-a yellow Powered
"prickly pear" like the Jersey cactus,
and pink blossomed species whose solid
green lump, taking the place OF leaves,
has been called the devils pincushion."
According to our eastern. ideas 1t does
seem very strange that such lovely wild
flowers should grow SO abundantly
where there are no woods; where there
are only few trees, and these princi-
pally high ON the mountain sides or
along the banks of streams, and where
there is so little Of what we call thick
cts or underbrush. The bare, reddish
and grayish plains and slopes, dotted
sparsely with dull tinted sage brush, ap-
pear at distance like the very picture
of desolaaon. But, as limited above,
nearer view often shows surprising
wealth of bloom, To be appreciated It
must be seen