Caprifoliaceae2

Idaho Mountain Wildflowers

Honeysuckle family (Caprifoliaceae) page 2 of 2

Honeysuckles

The Twinberry, Lonicera involucrata, is a shrub found along water courses at all elevations. In the spring it bears inconspicuous twinned yellow flowers. By mid-summer paired blue-black berries have formed above two showy red leaves, or "bracts. Together these are known as an "involucre" from which the species derives its scientific name. The berries are not edible. The bracts are commonly a subdued deep red, but under favorable conditions turn a bright waxy scarlet. The genus Lonicera—which takes its name from Adam Lonitzer, a 16th century German botanist—consists of about 180 species. Meriwether Lewis collected this plant near today's misnamed Lewis and Clark Pass* on the continental divide in Montana during the expedition's return journey (July 7, 1806). Although he did not know it at the time, the plant had previously been described.. Today it is often used as an ornamental garden plant.
* "misnamed" because only Lewis crossed the pass. On the same day William Clark was far to the south, heading for the three forks of the Missouri River and thence to the Yellowstone River.

Utah honeysuckle, Lonicera utahensis grows in the mountains of Idaho at mid-elevations and higher. Its small flowers are neatly paired and mature into red berries that often fuse into an hourglass shaped fruit. It is an attractive shrub sometimes used in landscaping . Lewis and Clark collected a specimen of the Utah honeysuckle, most likely while ascending the North Fork of the Salmon River on September 2, 1805 (while there is some confusion as to the actual date, this one is probably correct).

Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera ciliosa. The attractive, orange flowered trumpet honeysuckle is often seen growing as a vine along roadsides and trails at mid-elevations in Idaho and elsewhere in the Northwest. It is easily identified by its clustered, bright orange, trumpet-shaped, flowers and by the joined opposing leaves through which the flower stem emerges. The plant was unknown to science until Lewis and Clark returned to the United States with a dried specimen collected on June 5, 1806, while camped on the Clearwater River.

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	The Twinberry, Lonicera involucrata, is a shrub found along water courses at all elevations. In the spring it bears inconspicuous twinned yellow flowers. By mid-summer paired blue-black berries have formed above two showy red leaves, or "bracts. Together these are known as an "involucre" from which the species derives its scientific name. The berries are not edible. The bracts are commonly a subdued deep red, but under favorable conditions turn a bright waxy scarlet. The genus Lonicera—which takes its name from Adam Lonitzer, a 16th century German botanist—consists of about 180 species. Meriwether Lewis collected this plant near today's misnamed Lewis and Clark Pass* on the continental divide in Montana during the expedition's return journey (July 7, 1806). Although he did not know it at the time, the plant had previously been described.. Today it is often used as an ornamental garden plant. * "misnamed" because only Lewis crossed the pass. On the same day William Clark was far to the south, heading for the three forks of the Missouri River and thence to the Yellowstone River.
	Utah honeysuckle, Lonicera utahensis grows in the mountains of Idaho at mid-elevations and higher. Its small flowers are neatly paired and mature into red berries that often fuse into an hourglass shaped fruit. It is an attractive shrub sometimes used in landscaping . Lewis and Clark collected a specimen of the Utah honeysuckle, most likely while ascending the North Fork of the Salmon River on September 2, 1805 (while there is some confusion as to the actual date, this one is probably correct).
Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera ciliosa. The attractive, orange flowered trumpet honeysuckle is often seen growing as a vine along roadsides and trails at mid-elevations in Idaho and elsewhere in the Northwest. It is easily identified by its clustered, bright orange, trumpet-shaped, flowers and by the joined opposing leaves through which the flower stem emerges. The plant was unknown to science until Lewis and Clark returned to the United States with a dried specimen collected on June 5, 1806, while camped on the Clearwater River.