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Prairie Smoke, (Old Man's Whiskers), Geum triflorum var. ciliatum. “Geum” is an old Latin name for avens—the common name for this genus. The species name, triflorum, is easy; the flowers grow three to a stem. Given its nodding, vase-like shape, the reddish color of its five petals, and its spreading recurved bracteoles (accessory sepal like leaves), the plants are easily identified. Prairie smoke is a common perennial in our area, found at least as high as treeline in mid– to late spring , often in large patches. Another common name for the prairie smoke is “old man’s whiskers.” Imagine what a gathering of fruiting plants—like the ones shown on the right—would look like. It's not hard to see how the plant’s common names were derived. Lewis and Clark gathered Geum triflorum—a plant previously unknown to science--while in the vicinity of Idaho's Weippe Prairie on June 12, 1806 during their return journey. |
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| Ross's Avens, Geum rossii var. turbinatum. Ross's avens bear little resemblance to the plant shown above, yet it is also a species of Geum (the leaves are somewhat similar). It grows as a sub-alpine or alpine plant, although occasionally found lower down. While the five-petaled flowers resemble those of species of Potentilla, the pinnatifid (feather-like) leaves help to identify the plant as a Geum. Several varieties have been described, but the one shown here, var. turbinatum, is the only one that grows in Idaho. The stems and calyces in this variety often display a purple-tinge. |
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| The Sticky Cinquefoil, Potentilla glandulosa: The genus Potentilla is large and species identification can be difficult. Further, there is considerable variation within species and many are further classified into subspecies and varieties. Most cinquefoils are yellow, but this one, as it occurs in Idaho, has off-white to pale yellow petals. The petals are large, round, and typically subtended by underlying “bracteoles" that show through at the base of the narrowly attached petals. The name glandulosa means “sticky”; touch the leaves or stem and you’ll see why. Potentilla glandulosa is also characterized by five petaled flowers and strawberry-like leaves, each made up of five leaflets At lower altitudes the sticky cinquefoil is a tallish plant with many flowers that range from buds to full blown blossoms (right). Higher up—the species grows at least to treeline—the plants may be quite small. Common in the western states, this species is not found east of the Mississippi River. |
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| Slender, or Northwest, Cinquefoil, or Fivefinger: Potentilla gracilis: Of the many species of cinquefoil, this is the most variable (the species name, gracilis, means “slender”). It is found throughout the west, as far east as the Dakotas. There are several varieties characterized by minor differences; how deeply indented their leaves are, how much fuzz grows on their surface, etc.—that are mostly of interest to botanists. All are characterized by palmately compound leaves with five (usually) toothed leaflets and attractive 5-petaled yellow flowers with the central disk typical of the rose family in general. The species is common in the West, extending all across Canada and into Alaska. |  |
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| The Sheep cinquefoil, Potentilla ovina var. ovina, has—for the amateur botanist, at least—a good thing going for it; it is easily identified. It is a small creeping plant typically found in high places.. Its pinnate leaves, arise mostly from a basal cluster and have small (less than 1/2"), lightly furred, tightly ranked leaflets, as shown in the illustration (right). The yellow flowers are similar to those of other potentillas. We don't know why it was given a species name that means "of sheep." The sheep cinquefoil is a mountain plant, found through the full length of the Rocky Mountains and to the Sierras in California and Oregon. |  |
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The Wild Strawberry, Fragaria virginiana var. platypetala (left) is—as the species name, virginiana, suggests—widely distributed. It is found in every state and province of North America. It is extremely common in our mountains, sometimes carpeting the ground, in woodlands and damp open areas. It grows to, and even above treeline. The flowers hardly need description—they are often quite large, and are similar to others in the Rose family, with five separated petals, many anthers and a central receptacle. The small sweet berries, while not often seen, are unmistakably miniature strawberries, both in taste and appearance. There are several varieties of wild strawberries; two occur in Idaho. The blueleaf strawberry, var. glauca, (shown here) has smooth, almost hairless leaves and the broadpetal strawberry, var. platypetala, has larger flowers and noticeably furry leaves and stems. The generic name, Fragaria, was derived from fraga the Latin word for strawberry. |  |
| Gordon's ivesia, Ivesia gordonii. Gordon's ivesia is found at higher elevations throughout Idaho. The plants' pale yellow flowers are clustered into heads, several on the end of each of several long stems. The petals are quite glossy giving the flower heads an overall shiny appearance. The central portion of the flower—the "hypan," is raised, and often plumped up, or "turbinate." The leaves are pinnate, made up of very closely ranked small leaflets. Once one knows the plant, it is surprising how often it is seen growing on rocky alpine terrain. The ivesia was named for botanist and physician Dr. Eli Ives (1779-1861). |
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| The Kelseya, Kelseya uniflora is named for Rev. F.D. Kelsey (1849-1905) who first collected the plant. There are several Rosaceae that are found only in alpine surroundings; this is the only one that we have caught in bloom. It flowers early, and grows only in very circumscribed areas in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. The kelseya is also the only plant in its genus. Surprisingly, even though the plant is far from common, it is cultivated as an "alpine" in rock gardens throughout the world. One can understand why it is popular with rock gardeners; it is an exotic and attractive plant that spreads over rocks as a carpet of tiny blue-gray leaves dotted with pink and white flowers. The kelseya looks like what one might expect an alpine plant to look like. |  |
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