54 



TREES AND FTjOWERS OF 

 (yellow or red) 



(red) 



LOUSEWORT 



LITTLB ELEPHANT 



Lousewort (Pedicularis) . This plant occurs on 

 dry, gravelly soils in grassy, open places, especially at 

 the higher elevations. There is a stiff, rather stout up- 

 right stem, from eight to twelve inches tall, that ris- 

 es from a rosette of leaves. Both the basal leaves and 

 those on the stem are compound, with the leaflets deep- 

 ly toothed. The yellow flowers in the spike are irregu- 

 lar; the upper lip long and arching, with the edges 

 rolled inward, the lower lip shorter and curved down- 

 ward. Another form, at high elevations, has a shorter 

 stem and more finely divided leaves; its flowers are 

 deep red, almost brown. 



Little Elephant (Elephantella) . This singular 

 and very interesting plant is found all over the park 

 plateau, in wet, open places. Its average height is 

 about a foot, the unbranched stem ending in a spike of 

 purple flowers. These are the striking feature of the 

 plant: their resemblance to tiny elephant's heads is 

 unmistakable. The upper petal is curved over like the 

 beast's forehead, the two upper side ones suggest the 

 flapping ears, and a long protuberance from the cen- 

 ter of the flower supplies the trunk. 



