90 



THE AMERICAN BOTANIST 



polemoniums have hearts of gold and the evening primroses < n 

 that ruddy gravel slide blush as they wither in the sun's too 

 ardent gaze. Don't overlook that hunch of scarlet, cylindrical 

 flowers that leans out at you from the cliff. It is the scarlet 

 beard-tongue and you are looking at one of the rarest of 

 flower colors. Out of 2700 species of Rocky Mountain flowers 

 less than 30 show a true scarlet color. See those smooth beard- 

 tongues on the railroad grade, like fallen scraps of "Heaven's 



Evening Primroses. 



own blue," and look at that patch of blue a mile or so ahead 

 of you. What is it? Acres of tall, straight one-sided beard- 

 tongues growing so close together that there's no n om for the 

 green of their leaves or of the grass to show through. 



Here the road passes through a bit of wood land and you 

 will catch glimpses of sprite-like columbines, the fraseras' 

 stately cream-colored spikes, fairy Mariposa lilies, golden orbs 

 of the sun-flower tribe and perhaps some belated "anemones." 



