Last Saturday, 5/16/09, Ellen, Harry, Judy and Linda B. met at Riddle Lake to remove musk thistle rosettes and view a patch of Mountain Sagebrush Linda had spotted on the south slope above the lake. Jim Erdman joined us to view the sagebrush and wildflowers. Using shovels, weed tools, and a crowbar, we dug out ~500 musk thistle rosettes, which have a distinctive white outline around their leaves.
Our Ecology Work Day has morphed into a Work Weekend!
Saturday 5/16 9:00am @ Riddle Lake, (located 1/2 mile in from Gate 1). We will work on musk thistle and view mountain sagebrush (see Linda B’s email below). So far it looks like Harry, Judy, Linda B., Jim, and Ellen plan to be there.
Sunday 5/17 9:00am @ Crellin Lake We will work on Hiking Trails maintenance. So far it looks like Casey, Jeff, Odell, and Peggy plan to be there.
May flowers seen in GVM, please email us your sightings.
5/31/09 Jim emailed: “spotted another even more diminutive annual called, appropriately, Blue-eyed Mary or Hunchback Flower (Collinsia parviflora). I knew it from some work I did as the taxonomist on a multi-agency, post-fire study a few summers back at the Sheldon National Wildlife Area in the northwestern corner of NV. Only one species in the genus, parviflora means small-flowered; but a beautiful one it is. Weber & Wittmann write: “Very common but inconspicuous and delicate annual, blossoming very early at low altitudes. . . . Leaves usually strongly purplish-tinged. The hump-backed corolla is distinctive.”
5/31/09 Jim emailed: Madwort (Asperugo procumbens). I spotted this amongst other weeds as I was climbing my stairs to the house; the tiny purple flowers catching my eye. My immediate thought was a borage. From Weber & Whitman: “The name borage comes from a Middle Latin source, burra, meaning rough hair or wool, just as the modern word, bur.” One of the few exceptions to having very stiff hairs on the stems and leaves, our bluebells (Mertensia lanceolata) now in full bloom. As for this madwort, Weber & Whitman state: “Alien on disturbed ground at the base of the Front Range. The enlarged and flat-open calyx becomes conspicuous after the flowers wither, and it is provided with hooked bristles. An unmistakable plant.”
5/27/09 Ellen sent: Tufted Evening Primrose (Oenothera caespitosa). We have three plants blooming our “back yard.”
Just in from Susan Lamb (GVM Demonstration Garden Manager) “Spring is upon us and it’s time to turn our sights to gardening and the bloomin’ plants! The garden committee will meet Monday afternoon (May 11) at 1:00 in the basement of the GVM office, unless otherwise advised. Any and all who have an interest in xeriscape designs and plants are welcome to join us!”
Announcement: A new Garden page was added to our blog today for the subcommittee to add mountain gardening information.
April 24-26, 2009: Jim Erdman reported these April blooms in GVM. He welcomes comments and additions.
Click “more…” to see images and details from Jim. Continue reading April Wildflowers
Glacier View Meadows Ecology 