STANDLEY FLORA OF GLACIER PARK. 391 



The daintiness and beautiful color of the flowers make this one of the finest plants 

 of the park. Great patches are a conspicuous feature of alpine meadows, and the 

 flowers last for some time. In some meadows the red heather is more abundant, 

 and in others the white heather. The seed capsules are deep red, and they are 

 covered with beautiful golden resin dots. The European heathers (species of Erica) 

 are similar in appearance to this plant, and they belong to the same family, but none 

 of the true heathers are natives of North America. 



2. Phyllodoce glanduliflora (Hook.) Coville. White heather. Common in 

 meadows above timber line. Alaska to Wash., Wyo., and Alta. (Bryanthus 

 glanduliflorus A. Gray.) — Leaves 4 to 8 mm. long; corolla about 8 mm. long; flower 

 stalks sticky with fine gland-tipped hairs. 



This is a far less handsome plant than the red heather, and the flowers are much 

 less conspicuous. It is abundant at Sexton Glacier and elsewhere, but at Iceberg 

 Lake and in some other similar localities it is rare or absent. 



3. LEDUM L. 



1. Ledum glandulosum Nutt. Labrador tea. Common in woods about Belton. 

 B. C. to Calif., Utah, and Alta. — Shrub, 0.3 to 1 meter high, nearly glabrous; leaves 

 elliptic or oval, 1.5 to 3 cm. long, green on the upper side, paler and resinous beneath; 

 flowers white, in clusters at the ends of the stems, slender-stalked; petals 5, 5 to 7 

 mm. long; fruit a 5-celled capsule, 4 to 5 mm. long. 



4. MENZIESIA Smith. 



1. Menziesia glabella A. Gray. Menziesia. Common in all the wooded portions 

 of the park; usually in woods; a characteristic shrub of timber line, among stunted 

 pines and firs. B. C. to Oreg., Wyo., and Alta. — Slender shrub, 0.6 to 2 meters high, 

 often forming thickets; leaves thin, pale green, elliptic or obovate, 3 to 6 cm. long, 

 entire, nearly glabrous; flowers in clusters at the ends of the old branches; corolla 

 about 8 mm. long, urn-shaped, greenish yellow, tinged with bronze; capsule 4-celled. 



The flowers are inconspicuous. 



5. GAULTHERIA L. 



1. Gaultheria humifusa (Graham) Rydb. Creeping wintergreen. Occasional 

 in meadows above timber line; Iceberg Lake; Granite Park; Sexton Glacier. B.C. 

 to Calif., Colo., and Alta.— Plants small, the slender stems creeping over the ground 

 and forming small mats; leaves 1 to 2 cm. long, finely toothed or entire, dark green; 

 corolla bell-shaped, white, 3 mm. long; fruit small, red. 



The wintergreen or checkerberry {Gaultheria ■procumhens L.), from which winter- 

 green oil is obtained, is a closely related but larger plant of the Eastern States. 



6. ARCTOSTAPHYLOS Adans. 



1. Arctostaphylos uva-ursi (L.) Spreng. Bearberry. Abundant at low and 

 middle altitudes, in woods or on open slopes. Alaska to Calif., N. Mex., N. J., and 

 Lab. — Prostrate glabrous shrub; leaves obovate, very thick, 1 to 3 cm. long, nearly 

 sessile, evergreen, entire; flowers white or pink, in small clusters; fruit bright red, 

 6 to 10 mm. in diameter. 



Known also as kinnikinnick. On steep open slopes the plants form great slippery 

 carpets over which it is difficult to climb. The fruit is very handsome; it ripens in 

 late summer. The plants of the west slope seem to bear more abundant and larger fruit 

 than those found on the east side of the park. The branches are used in the W^est for 

 Christmas greens, and they make excellent camp beds. The fruit is mealy and 

 flavorless. It was gathered for food by the Blackfoot Indians, and was eaten raw, or 

 mashed in fat and fried. The dried leaves were smoked like tobacco. 



