GLACIER PARK WILD FLOWERS 85 



about the wild flowers of the North American mountains 

 because for miles out in the prairie, as we drew near 

 the sky-blue range, I had been seeing wonderful gar- 

 dens in the grass. In fact, the prairie grass is mostly 

 wild flowers. Since that purchase, I have been seeking 

 everywhere to find the names of many flowers this book 

 didn't list. It was a provokingly unsatisfactory book, 

 especially because it failed to state the size and height of 

 flowers, or to tell which are indigenous to the moun- 

 tains. But that is neither here nor there. Some day, as 

 travel into our western wonderland increases, the right 

 book will be supplied at the hotels. The first, and most 

 astonishing, omission I discovered was that of the so- 

 called Indian basket grass, or squaw grass (Xerophyllum 

 tenax). As any one who has seen it knows, the blossom 

 of this * 'grass" is hardly inconspicuous . During late June 

 and July, indeed, the tall, yucca-like stalk rising from two 

 to six feet out of the clump of coarse, wiry leaves which the 

 horses will not eat, and bearing its great bloom-head of 

 creamy white flowers like a torch, is the most striking 

 plant in the woods and meadows. It grows in among 

 the timber; it breaks out into little glades and meadows 

 to run riot, an army with white battle plumes; it climbs 

 to the high "parks " just below the passes and flourishes 

 close to the snowfields. It is delicately fragrant, ex- 

 tremely decorative when picked, and altogether a re- 

 markably lovely and splendid wild flower. Naturally, 

 it is hardy, nor does it seem to have any decided soil 



