FLORA OF MOT M i:\l\Ui; NATIONA) PARK. 11 



The orchid family also has several members, Perhaps Done are 

 more common among the moss than the twayblades. These plants 

 can be recognized by their odd-shaped small green flowers and their 

 slender stalks bearing two opposite cordate parallel-veined Leaves. 



The coral root has a brownish Leafless stalk rising from a coral-like 

 mass for a root. These plants grow in clusters. One species, Cordlr 

 lorhiza striata, has striped petals and no Bpur, and the other, CoraUo- 

 rhiza multi flora, has spots on the petals and conspicuous spurs. The 

 most popular plant of this family is the lady slipper, Cythered bvJbosa 

 or Calypso borealis. This plant blooms a Little too early to be in its 

 prime at the rush of tourisl travel to the park, li is, however, often 

 found and admired in the early pari of July or Later. Tins is con- 

 sidered rare in the Eastern State-, hnt grows abundantly here in the 

 mossy wood-. BxkuhuJla formosa, :\ western form of the dutchman's 

 breeches, i- not at all rare. It- near relative, the wild bleeding heart, 

 - s '</•''. i- very abundant and vies with the bracken iii 

 size. It is well known to the children of the neighborhood, who 

 amuse themselves by touching the mature seed pods, winch "pop" 

 and scatter the seeds in all directions. It has pink flowers and Large 

 triangular leave-. 



Neatly interwoven through the green mossy carpet is the long 

 trailing Lycopodium davatum. This often has a length of 20 feet 

 with many side branches. It has received a number of popular 

 names such as Christmas wreath, ground pine, and staghorn mo--. 

 It is often collected in the foothills of the mountain- before Christmas 

 and shipped to the cities for decorative purposes. Sometimes it is 

 stained or dyed after the manner of the so-called "air plants" of the 

 anese and woven around pillars or strung from one place to 

 another. The artificial color will lasl longer than the natural. 

 There i- also a shorter and more erect species often growing witli 

 the above called L. lucididum. The slope of the Tatoosh Range 

 near the trad leading down into Stevens Canyon is thickly inter- 

 woven with the former species. There i- a marked difference between 

 that grown in the dense woods and that on an exposed slope. 



No plants contribute more to the beauty of tin- shady part of 

 the park than the fern-. Everyone in tin- vicinity is familiar with 

 the sword fern, which readies its highest development in the rich 

 -oil of these shady retreat-. The deer fern, Struihiopteris spicant, 

 which i- more -lender than the sword fern, i- also abundant. It 



- two kinds of frond-: one grows erect from the center and bears 

 the spores for reproductive purposes, while the other, which spreads 

 out in radiate form, is much broader and greener and i- well adapted 

 t<> perform the vegetative functions. The latter fronds are ever- 

 g en, while the contracted spore-bearing frond- die down at the 



