RAM 382 lab 9

mountain meadows and grasslands

Hymenoxys hoopesii
orange sneezeweed

Asteraceae
native, perennial

-long stems with lots of orange, large flowers per plant

-3 toothed ray flowers

-leaves have long, parallel veins

Wyethia amplexicaulis

mule ears

Asteraceae

native, perennial

-woody taproot

-leaves and stems branch out at soil surface and leaves are thick

-flowers are usually one per stem and yellow in color, flowers are rounded (no teethed margins)

Lupinus spp.

lupine

Fabaceae

native, perennial

-small erect forb

-each flower is on its own stem but all clustered onto one culm

-deep purple/blue colored flowers

-leaves all emerge from a single point and all branch out in a star pattern

-poisonous (concentrate alkalines)

Juncus spp.

rush

Juncaceae

native, perennial

-stems are solid and can be wavy

-flowers emerge mid-stem typically

Veratrum californicum

corn lily

Liliaceae

native, perennial

-indicator species-

-flowers stick up much further than the rest of the foliage

-flowers are white with 6 petals

-leaves are thin and large

-very poisonous

Chamarion angustifolium

fireweed

Onagraceae

native, perennial

-very early post fire colonizer

-flowers are pink/red/purple and located on top of plant

-leaves are long and pointed with a border

Abies concolor

white fir

Pinaceae

native, perennial

-mid-sized tree

-single needle per fascicle with a lightly rounded tip

-needles often twist at the base

-cones are erect (up out of branches)

Abies lasiocarpa

subalpine fir

Pinaceae

native, perennial

-small, more compact tree

-one needle per fascicle that curves upwards

-tips of needles are very rounded

-pine cones are erect and purple

Picea engelmannii

Engelmann spruce

Pinaceae

native, perennial

-found in very high elevations

-one needles per fascicle

-needles are 4 sided (boxy) and leave prominent scars on the branch

-pine cones look papery and hang down below the branches

Pinus contorta

lodgepole pine

Pinaceae

native, perennial

-tall conifer with straight trunks

-2 needles per fascicle

-mid length needle size

Pseudotsuga menziesii

Douglas fir

Pinaceae

native, perennial

-huge trees

-one needle per fascicle that is flatter and ends in a sharp point

-ends of branches have a golden bract

Deschampsia cespitosa

tufted hairgrass (salt and pepper grass)

Poaceae

native, perennial

-indicator species-

-different colored spikelet’s

-short awn on each floret

-panicle, wider inflorescences

Phleum alpinum

alpine timothy

Poaceae

native, perennial

-indicator species-

-densely compacted purple inflorescence at top of branch

-2 awns per gloom

-longer leaves that are clustered at base of plant

Bromus carinatus

mountain brome

Poaceae

native, perennial

-each floret has a short, stiff awn

-densely compacted panicle inflorescence

Dactylis glomerata

orchard grass

Poaceae

introduced, perennial

-large grass with longer branches located at the base of the plant

-each floret has a super short awn

-can be rhizomatous

Festuca arizonica

Arizona fescue

Poaceae

native, perennial

-very short awns (shorter than Idahoensis)

-needle-like leaves that are clustered at base of the plant

Poa pratensis

Kentucky bluegrass

Poaceae

introduced, perennial

-open panicle triangle-shaped inflorescence

-no awns present

Delphinium bicolor

low larkspur

Ranunculaceae

native, perennial

-single, central stem with branches coming off it that have flowers on it

-occasionally blue veins on petals, upper petals are white, and lower petals are purple/blue

-leaves alternate and are deeply dissected, kind of look like a pom-pom

Populus tremuloides

quaking aspen

Salicaceae

native, perennial

-indicator species-

-longest living organism on earth (all trees are connected via roots)

-serrated margins on leaves

-catkin flowers

-leaves are more rounded and have a smaller “tail” compared to Fremont cottonwood