Unusual Trillium
Odd-looking double trillium. Note that it has 6 sepals as well as multiple petals.
I was up on Horsepasture yesterday afternoon. It was lovely. The lower part of the trail is lined with Mertensia bella. I found this bizarre but not particularly garden worthy Trillium ovatum right along the trail. There was plenty of Castilleja rupicola in bloom below both cliffs. Lots of Glacier lilies on the slopes below the cliffs (no I didn’t go down to get a closer look!). Never found any Saxifraga cespitosa though. Also could not find evidence of any Claytonia lanceolata though I saw all the other snow melt species and have a good search image in my head from all the Claytonia I’ve seen elsewhere. Does anyone know where it’s been seen up there? At the bottom, southern facing end of the upper rocky meadow the phlox is amazing. There were 3′ wide plants in full bloom. The air was perfumed with their fragrance. The Penstemon procerus was particularly nice as well. And the rocks right around the corner from the trailhead on the O’Leary trail are covered with Collinsia grandiflora. Very nice with the accompanying Erigonum umbellatum.