2010-05-15 Rare Plant Research

First, I thought I'd share the book I graded on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So much red. *sigh* Overall, they did very well, though.


My Sarracenia are coming into bloom. Sarracenia flava cuprea is first.


Next, Rare Plant Research Nursery: This Nursery is open exactly 3 days per year. Great stuff. Apparently, he used to grow a bunch of Caudiciformes... Adenia fruiticosa in flower.


In fruit...


And other tropicalesque business like this Cristate Euphorbia


And this vine: Dalechampia dioscoreifolia.


Hawarthia


Aloe


Only complaint: NOTHING HAD TAGS! So, I was like, "Ooo. Neat it's a... another NOID for the stack to look up when I get home, somehow. hooray."

Bromeliad garden


Echevaria


But, they specialized in Lewisia! So I finally got my L. tweedyi! Two of them. For a good price! Out of bloom... So I had to wade through the half acre of Lewisia looking for a plant that is out of bloom but with slightly different leaves than all the rest: Of course I found some ;-) Here's their field of Lewisia in bloom.


Some close-ups.


















They had quite a few South African bulbs... again, no names...




Some Mesemb?


A Tillandsia.


Overall, a very nice place :-)

05-09-2010 Mother's Day

Lovely Mother's Day Hike. We visited a few places and even got my parents to come along to enjoy the sights.

One of the trails.


Calypso bulbosa occidentalis at the end of its season.


Even the Balsamorhiza looked a little bedraggled. Does anyone know an easy way to tell B sagittata from B deltoides?


The Cypripedium fasciculatum that I've been following for 4 years is looking very good this year!




First Castilleja of the season. I think it's C. chromosa.


Finally correctly ID'ed this as Dichelostemma congestum. I still have trouble with the whole Brodiaea, Dichelostemma, Trietellia, Allium look-alike group...


Some Lupine.


A wall of Sedum spathulifolium.


Closeup.


Astragalus reventiformis, I think. Although it could be A hoodianus. What a funny name. Almost as funny as Penstemon whippleanus. But I digress.


Last, a Silene hookeri blooming in the greenhouse. Another one is about to open too!

2010-04-25 Hood River Area

I try to go hiking around Hood River as often as possible from now to late May because it's probably NW OR's most spectacular botanical display.

We went to about 4300'. We even found snow.

Trillium grandiflorum.


Figured this one out: Synthyris missurica ssp. stellata.


Goal #1 for the trip: Find Fritillaria pudica in bloom. Check. I think this is a brand new one for me.




Lower elevation. Goal #2, field of flowers. Check. Some sort of Ranunculus.




Some Saxifrage.


Lithophragma parviflora, Prairie Star Flower.


The Balsamroot was just starting.


Dodecatheon poeticum, Poet's Shooting Star.


Delphinium nuttallianum. The goofy little black and yellow thing underneath the flower isn't a bee or the like but a part of the flower itself. Mimicry? Dunno.


Some Lupine were starting to open.


Triteleia grandiflora howellii, I think. The backs of the petals have a very blue streak to them.


Goal #3: Find Fritillaria affinis in the Oak Forests. Check.


Not Quite open.


Double.


Green.


Tall and Green.


Lisa admiring the Frit's in a very scary looking miniature sized forest.


Goal #4: Find Lewisia rediviva in bloom near Mosier. Fail. We were tired and we'll have to try again next time.

Last, the stately Erythronium grandiflorum.