collect their summer tribute of melted snow, and cleave their way 
senting smooth tabled summits, bedded with rich grasses inter- 
the close similarity of their flowers being curiously contrasted 
are irregularly gashed to resemble forms of the other. Besides 
wa of this renege Gronia Fremontii Torr., Arenaria 
12 BOTANICAL OBSERVATIONS IN WESTERN WYOMING. 
becomes much more abundant farther north in the Wind River 
valley, and we were thus afforded an opportunity to observe this 
plant through its flowering and fruiting stages, extending from 
the latter part of June to the middle of July. After this latter 
period its matured capsules are detached and blown away, leaving 
no trace of the plant exposed to view, till the following spring 
develops the rosette of radical leaves, by which the Indians are 
guided in procuring their supplies of this palatable and nutritious 
root. Recent attempts have been made to introduce this showy 
plant into our gardens, where it would prove quite an acquisition. 
rubbery is here represented mainly by Rosacece, including 
Amelanchier Canadensis Torr. & Gray, Potentilla fruticosa L., 
Purshii tridentata DC., Ribes cereum Dougl., but we look in vain, 
in apparently favorable localities, for the forms so well known in 
the mountain range farther south in Colorado of Ribes deliciosus 
Torr., Cercocarpus parvifolius Nutt., or Jamesia Americana Torr. 
& Gray. 
The scanty pine growth includes chiefly Pinus flexilis James, 
with an occasional Song of Abies Douglasii Lindl., and Juniperus 
Virginiana L. 
The southeastern spurs of the Wind River range present a sut- 
cession of steep, grassy slopes agreeably interspersed with pine- 
clad ridges. Through numberless channels the mountain streams 
to the lower valleys through deep gorges, disclosing in steep mural 
faces the structure and succession of the underlying, highly in- 
clined, rocky strata. The lower undulating slopes, forming the 
natural divides between the numerous watercourses tributary to 
the main valley of Wind River, form irregular ridges often pre- 
spersed with gaily colored flowers. Conspicuous among the latter 
are the bright golden-yellow heads of Balsamorhiza Hookeri 
Nutt., and Balsamorhiza sagittata Nutt., growing promiscuousl, 
with their diverse foliage ; even in the latter case, however, a ten- 
dency to assimilate (perhaps due to hybridization) is occasionally 
observed, in which the sharply hastate leaves of the latter species 
> everywhere obtrusive forms, we may also note as chara 
