WILD FLOWI'RS OF COLORADO. ^^ 



to sec the hot springs that — "Well, sir, they will hile 'n egg in 

 five minutes." And sure enough, there they were, steaming hot 

 and constantly boiling. One wondered how long they had been 

 so, what made them so, and how long they would continue to boil. 

 The ground around us seemed actually hot, and the men of our 

 party, the pockets of whose hunting jackets were filled with 

 every thing thai would ''go off," decided that they were safer 

 a little further down the mountain. Part of the party wanted 

 to try the hot baths, and left us for the bath house. The rest, 

 prospecting among the rocks, reported having seen thirty-eight 

 hot springs. 



Growing close by one of the smaller springs I found this 

 knight's-plumc. I do not think it yet possesses a l)()tanical name. 

 I have not been able to find one. It is not a common flower in 

 this State, and I ha\'c only seen this one color — ku'cnder. It 

 grows from two to three feet high, and from one root will spring 

 either five, seven, or nine stalks, covered with a fine feathery 

 blossom which so resembles a j)lume. It blossoms from the 

 latter part of August until October. 



One of the attendants at the springs told me of a \'ery rare 

 flower he had found two or three da)s before, and had m a vase 

 in his room. Expressing a \vish to see it he brought it to me, 

 and I discovered it to be a wild orchid. The blossom was about 

 the size of a silver dollar, and it had the rich brown markings so 

 peculiar to ihe orchid. I regretted exceedingly that it had been 

 broken from the j)lant so long that a correct [)ainting could not be 



