hystadgrasslandsassignment#3

8/9/2019 HystadGrasslandsAssignment#3

1/12

Casey Meadow Trail

Plant IdentificationGuide

Casey Meadow Trail

Plant IdentificationGuide

Wildflowers and Trees ofthe Elkhorn Mountains

Wildflowers and Trees ofthe Elkhorn Mountains


2/12

Wild Flowers of theElkhorn Mountains

As you walk along the Casey

Meadow trail see if you canfind the following plants.

Wild Flowers of theElkhorn Mountains

As you walk along the Casey

Meadow trail see if you canfind the following plants.


3/12

Alberta Beardtongue -

Penstemon albertinus

Alberta Beardtongue -

Penstemon albertinus Division - Angiosperm

Class - Dicots

Order - Scrophulariales

Family -Scrophulariaceae

These small plants (20-40 cm tall) areherbaceous perennialswith upright, blueflowers

Look for these plantsalong the rocky base ofthe rocky slopes of thehillsides to the south ofthe trail

Division - Angiosperm

Class - Dicots


Family -Scrophulariaceae

These small plants (20-40 cm tall) areherbaceous perennialswith upright, blueflowers

Look for these plantsalong the rocky base ofthe rocky slopes of thehillsides to the south ofthe trail


4/12

Veratrum californicum -

California False Hellebore

Veratrum californicum -

California False Hellebore Division - Angiosperm

Class - Monocots

Order - Liliales

Family - Lilaceae These larger plants are

herbaceous perrenialsthat can be 1-2 m tall.

The larger leaves are 20-30 cm long and growdirectly on the stems.

Look for this plant inopen clearings closer tothe creek


Class - Monocots

Order - Liliales

Family - Lilaceae These larger plants are

herbaceous perrenialsthat can be 1-2 m tall.

The larger leaves are 20-30 cm long and growdirectly on the stems.

Look for this plant inopen clearings closer tothe creek


5/12

American Red Raspberry -

Rubus idaeus ssp. idaeus

American Red Raspberry -

Rubus idaeus ssp. idaeus Division - Angiosperm

Class - Dicots

Order - Rosales

Family - Rosaceae

These small plants arenative shrubs that cangrow 1.5 m tall andproduce small red

berries.

Look for these plantsamong the grassesalong the trail


Class - Dicots

Order - Rosales

Family - Rosaceae

These small plants arenative shrubs that cangrow 1.5 m tall andproduce small red

berries.

Look for these plantsamong the grassesalong the trail


6/12

Common Hound's-tongue

- Cynoglossum officinale

Common Hound's-tongue

- Cynoglossum officinale Division - Angiosperms

Class - Dicots -

Order - Lamiales

Family Boraginaceae

These herbaceous plantsare 0.5 - 1 m tall withmany leaves growingdirectly from the stem.At the top of the plant,there is small white or

burgundy flowers about1-2 cm across

Look for these plants ingroups along the trail inopen meadows

Division - Angiosperms

Class - Dicots -

Order - Lamiales

Family Boraginaceae

These herbaceous plantsare 0.5 - 1 m tall withmany leaves growingdirectly from the stem.At the top of the plant,there is small white or

burgundy flowers about1-2 cm across

Look for these plants ingroups along the trail inopen meadows


7/12

Pursh's Silky Lupine -

Lupinus sericeus

Pursh's Silky Lupine -

Lupinus sericeus Division - Angiosperms

Class - Dicots -

Order - Fabales

Family - Fabaceae

These small plants canget to be 20-70 cm tallwith palmately dividedleaves with 7-9 leafletseach. Flowers form onstalks that rises above

the leaves. Look for the characterisic

hand shaped leavesalong the trail in theshade of trees


Class - Dicots -

Order - Fabales

Family - Fabaceae

These small plants canget to be 20-70 cm tallwith palmately dividedleaves with 7-9 leafletseach. Flowers form onstalks that rises above

the leaves. Look for the characterisic

hand shaped leavesalong the trail in theshade of trees


8/12

Common Mullein -

Verbascum thapsus

Common Mullein -

Verbascum thapsus Division - Angiosperms

Class - Dicots -


Family - Scrophulariaceae

These biennial plants havesoft, velvety leaves thatradiate out from the centerof the plant in the first year.In the second year, the planthas a stalk that can reach 8m high and produces flowers

near the top. Look for these plants in

rocky slopes to the north ofthe trail


Class - Dicots -


Family - Scrophulariaceae

These biennial plants havesoft, velvety leaves thatradiate out from the centerof the plant in the first year.In the second year, the planthas a stalk that can reach 8m high and produces flowers

near the top. Look for these plants in

rocky slopes to the north ofthe trail


9/12

Conifers of the ElkhornMountains

As you walk along the trail,try to distinguish between

the different types of

evergreen trees. Whatcharacteristics can help you

distinguish between the

trees?

Conifers of the ElkhornMountains

As you walk along the trail,try to distinguish between

the different types of

evergreen trees. Whatcharacteristics can help you

distinguish between the

trees?


10/12

Ponderosa Pine - Pinus

ponderosa

Ponderosa Pine - Pinus

ponderosa Division - Gmynosperms

Class - Conifers

Order - Conifers Pinales

Family - Pinaceae

This evergreen tree can reach 60

m in height and nearly 3 m indiameter. In mature trees, thebranches do not start until 2/3the way up the trunk. In youngertrees, the branches form theentire length of the trunk. Theseevergreen trees have long (10-30 cm) needles that typically

occur in bundles of 3. Many of the older ponderosa

pines were destroyed in the lastforest fire. Look for youngertrees along the trail and alongthe borders of the meadows.

Division - Gmynosperms

Class - Conifers

Order - Conifers Pinales

Family - Pinaceae

This evergreen tree can reach 60

m in height and nearly 3 m indiameter. In mature trees, thebranches do not start until 2/3the way up the trunk. In youngertrees, the branches form theentire length of the trunk. Theseevergreen trees have long (10-30 cm) needles that typically

occur in bundles of 3. Many of the older ponderosa

pines were destroyed in the lastforest fire. Look for youngertrees along the trail and alongthe borders of the meadows.


11/12

Lodgepole PineLodgepole Pine

Division - Gymnosperms

Class - Pinopsida

Order - Pinales

Family - Pinaceae

These tall straight pine treesgrow in tight clusters and canreach heights of 13-45 m. As thename suggests, the trunks oflodgepole pine trees are usuallyvery straight and narrower thanother pine trees. The needles ofthese pine trees occur in bundlesof 2 and are 2-6 cm long.

In the first part of the trail,notice how the lodgepole pinetrees grow densely along the

trail.


Class - Pinopsida

Order - Pinales

Family - Pinaceae

These tall straight pine trees

grow in tight clusters and canreach heights of 13-45 m. As thename suggests, the trunks oflodgepole pine trees are usuallyvery straight and narrower thanother pine trees. The needles ofthese pine trees occur in bundlesof 2 and are 2-6 cm long.

In the first part of the trail,notice how the lodgepole pinetrees grow densely along the

trail.Picture taken from

http://nhguide.dbs.umt.edu/index.php?c=plants&m=desc&id=238
http://nhguide.dbs.umt.edu/index.php?c=plants&m=desc&id=238http://nhguide.dbs.umt.edu/index.php?c=plants&m=desc&id=238


12/12

Douglas-fir -

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Douglas-fir -

Pseudotsuga menziesii Division - Gymnosperms

Class - Pinopsida

Order - Pinales

Family - Pinaceae

These dominant forest treescan reach heights of 25 - 40 mtall and have irregular, droopybranches that form into atriangular shape when thetree is young and and is morelike a cylinder then the treematures. The needles are

much shorter than pine treeneedles. The ends of brancheshave reddish winter buds.

Look for these trees amongthe ponderosa pines along theedges of the meadows.


Class - Pinopsida

Order - Pinales

Family - Pinaceae

These dominant forest treescan reach heights of 25 - 40 mtall and have irregular, droopybranches that form into atriangular shape when thetree is young and and is morelike a cylinder then the treematures. The needles are

much shorter than pine treeneedles. The ends of brancheshave reddish winter buds.

Look for these trees amongthe ponderosa pines along theedges of the meadows.

hystadgrasslandsassignment#3

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