112 



YOSEMITE NATURE NOTES 



Wildflowers along park roads vary ac- 

 cording to season and altitude. Common 

 throughout most of the season are 

 blue lupines, varying from meadow 

 lupine in dense, short-stemmed stands to 

 large widely separated shrubs. In the val- 

 ley the four-to-six feet tall cow parsnip, 

 with its huge leaves and umbrella-like 

 heads of small white flowers 6 to 10 

 inches across, are conspicuous in the 

 spring, followed shortly by the reddish- 

 purple flower cluster of the showy milk- 

 weed, the favorite plant of the migrat- 

 ing monarch butterflies. The well- 

 known blackeyed susan is becoming an 

 increasing summer attraction in the val- 

 ley meadows, giving way in autumn to 

 the delicate, haze-like lilac coloring 

 over the meadow from innumerable Les- 

 singia, with their slender stems about 12 

 inches high. Along dry roadsides above 

 the valley clusters of orange western 

 wall flowers will be seen along with 

 groups of the cup-shaped purple or 

 pinkish farewell-to-spring and its close 

 relatives. In early summer the wet 

 woodland meadows above the valley are 

 attractive with mass displays of the rose 

 pink Sierra shooting star intermingled 

 with the yellow of the daisy-like senecio, 

 the brodiaea, buttercup, common mon- 

 key flower, the blue of the western blue 

 flag, mountain bluebell, Sierra forget- 

 me-not, blue camas, and the red of the 

 gilia and the scarlet mimulus. "Moun- 

 tain Misery," more properly known as 

 its Indian name Kit-kit-dizze, is a low 

 fernlike plant with finely divided fol- 

 iage forming fragrant carpets in the 

 open pine forests of the middle and 

 lower elevations. The odor is noticeable 

 on warm days especially along the road 

 between Wawona and the South En- 

 trance Station. 



Conspicuous in upland meadows is 

 the corn lily growing in patches with 

 leaves 6 to 12 inches long. When young 

 it looks like a form of skunk cabbage 

 but later develops a 3 to 6-foot high 

 stem supporting an attractive mass of 

 small white flowers. With the approach 

 of autumn the leaves die and form 

 patches of straw-colored dried-up vege- 

 tation. 



One of the most amazing and at- 

 tractive plants in the park is the rare 

 blood-red snow plant found growing 

 out of the litter on the floor of pine 

 forests until near the end of June, de- 

 pending on the altitude. It is protected 

 by both park regulations and State law. 

 (The pamphlet "Common Wildf lowers 

 of Yosemite" will give you further in- 

 formation about flowers.) 



LODGEPOLE PINE — Can be identified by 

 the relatively smooth bark. 



Illustrations in this pamphlet ore credited as follows: To Ralph Anderson: Three Brothers, p. 69, 

 Yosemite Falls, p. 70, Half Dome, /p. 71, Sentinel Rock, p. 76, El Capitan and Bridalveil Fall, p. 77, 

 Exlofiating Granite, p. 80, Covered Bridge, p. 81, Grizzly Giant, p. 83, Mariposa Grove 

 Museum, p. 84, Exhibit and Overlook at Glaqier Point, p. 92, Carl Inn, p. 95. Ancient Folded Rocks, 

 p. 106, California Wildcat, p. 110; Volney J. Westley: Features from Valley View, p. 68; Ralph 

 dePfyffer: Mirror Lake in Spring, p. 72; Unas Ward: Royal Arches, North Dome and Washington 

 Column, p. 73, and Yosemite Volley from Tunnel Overlook, p. 78; Garibaldi-courtesy of Laurence 

 Degnan: Scene in Old Yosemite Village, p. 74; Henry G. Peabody: General View of Wawona and Wawona 

 Hotel, p. 82; Donald E. McHenry: Merced Canyon View, p. 88; Wayne W. Bryant: Profile of Clark Range, 

 p. 89, Profile of High Sierra from Glacier Point, p. 90, Profile of Skyline from Dano Meadow, p. 103; 

 Dorothy Mayer: Features of Yosemite Valley from Glacier Point, p. 91; Celia Crocker Thompson- 

 courtesy of Margaret Schlichtmann: Hodgdon's Historic Ranch, p. 94, Celia Crocker Thompson: Former 

 Gobin's Hotel, p. 96; Robert N. Mclntyre: Siesta Loke Old Tioga Road, p. 97, Mr. Hoffman, p. 99; 

 courtesy of Mrs. Emma Footman: Madera Flume, p. 109; Ansel Adams: Ponderosa Pine and Black 

 Oak, p. Ill, Lodgepole Pine, p. 112. All other illustrations are either from the National Park Service 

 collection or are of unknown origin. 



