b 



PLORA OF M"INI RAINIER NATI0NA1 PARK. I ."• 



readily distinguish it. One of the mosl characteristic plant-- at tim- 

 ber line is the golden aster, Erigeron </'//» us. This dainty little plant, 

 about 3 or I inches high, has bright golden-colored ray Bowers and a 

 solitary head. The three heathers air common at timber line, a1 

 which elevation another rather rare heather is added. UarrimaneUa 

 8teUtriana. This plant spreads out Bat on the ground with the leaves 

 extending out from the two sides «>f the stem, with a terminal single 

 flower. Some of the heathers are called Scotch heather, l>nt there is 

 very little similarity between our plants and the European. 



A small goldenrod, Sciidago scopularum, i> indies to a fool high, 

 grows among the rocks and gnarled tree-. This dwarfed plant, with 

 it- small yellow flowers, look- puny when compared with the large 

 plant- of the fields in lower altitude-. Several asters, erigerons, pent- 

 stemons, and painted cups from the lower -lope- reach timber line, 

 while two oi three of these extend beyond into the pumice fields. 

 This i- al-o true of the two little woolly cudweed- before mentioned. 



THE FIFTH ZONE. 



In the pumice tields and rocky ledges ahove timber line one of the 

 most beautiful plant- i- Lyall's lupine. Lupinus lyaUii (figs. '17 and 

 :;s . It extends upward to about 8,000 or 9,000 feet. It issmall 

 and form- a rosette with it- silvery palmate leave- and numerous 

 stem-, each bearing a short raceme of brilliant blue-purple flower-. 

 It blooms soon after the snow disappears, and keeps on blooming 

 until about the middle of August. The season for all plants in 

 alpine and subalpine regions i- governed by the depth of the 

 snow. The position and depth of snowdrifts depend largely on the 

 winter condition-, which vary from year to year. The flower beds 

 on these pumice field- have many extreme changes. One locality 

 may have little -Mow. while near by may he a drift 20 feel deep. In 

 the former the plant- spring forth early, while in the latter they are 

 buried in -now. which may not thaw for weeks. Iii the former locality 

 the plant- may ripen their seeds, while in the latter the autumn -now 

 may bury them in full bloom. For this reason the dale of blooming 

 can in»t he given a- we -peak of it in regard t<> our common plant-, 

 which vary comparatively little. 



,- i- i>ne of the most highly-colored plant- on 

 the mountain. It i- often seen mi cliffs. It ha- short, prostrate, 

 shrubby stems with thick leave- and rose-crimson flower-. Very 

 >imilar to the above i- Pentstenum n with duller purple 



flowers. Thi ad to an altitude of nearly 8,000 feet. Spraguea 



_ >ws in the volcanic ash from a thick rootstalk bearing 

 several short stems with entire spatulate leaves and pinkish-brown 

 heads. G g with the ahove i- a member of the dock family, 



Thi- ha- one to four 



