Red
Paintbrush flower. This one was growing on the roadside near West Thumb.
The actual flower is the yellow bit that sticks out of the red bit, at
least according to botanists. The plant is a partial parasite on the roots
of other plants, so this is why people can't grow them by planting seed
in their flower beds. They also come in yellow and orange
flavors.
Some
sort of blue flowers that were especially common around the cabins at Lake.
I used to know what they are called, but have both forgotten the name and
misplaced my flower book.
A
Calypso Orchid, also known as a Lady Slipper Orchid. I think the "true"
Lady Slipper is a bit different though. This one was growing by the spring
house near the Elephant Back Trail at Lake.
Blue
Camas. A sort of lilly. Some indians used to eat the bulbs of certain Camas
plants. One kind, called "Death Camas" is deadly though. I don't
think
this is it.
A
yellow Columbine. This one was off the Elephant Back Trail. There was,
maybe still is, one growing by the flagpole at the Lake Hotel. The poor
plant would always get all it's flowers picked by ignorant people who probably
didn't realize that this was illegal, or just didn't care and didn't want
to share the flowers with the rest of us.
Fireweed.
Especially likes to grow in disturbed areas, say after a fire. Sometimes
you will see large areas of Fireweed.
A
Geranium. This one was growing in some non-descript forest service campground
by the Gallitan River.
A
bunch of grass flowers. Yes, grass does have flowers, and these are the
kind this particular plant has. OK, they are small and have no petals,
but if you look close they are really sort of pretty on this one, especially
the way the pollen bearing anthers sort of wiggle in the breeze.
A
Larkspur. This is one of the bigger, showier flowers in Yellowstone. These
were growing by the Lake Hotel cabins in a rocky field.
A
Phlox. These low growing plants start blooming early in the spring at Lake,
and bloom most of the summer.
I
call this Witches Broom, even though I know that that isn't exactly what
it is. It is some sort of unusual growth on a spruce tree along the trail
that leads from the Lake Hotel to the Hamilton's Store. Yes, I know it's
not a flower, or even a flowering plant.
An
Avalanche Lily. These lilies are among the first flowers to bloom in the
lake area in the spring.
Equestium
strobuli. I think these are the srtobuli anyway. Another non-flowering
plant on the flowers page. These brown things are the closest this spore
producing plant gets to flowers. The main plant has a jointed stem with
long thin leaves that stick out making it look like a bottle brush (sort
of). They are called Horsetails or Scouring Rushes. The plants have silica
deposits in them that make them slightly abrasive. Some of the early pioneers
used them to scour their pots and pans.
A
Shooting Star. These very descriptively named flowers were blooming in
mid-summer on the hillsides by Lake Lodge.
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