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Mount Evans - Alpine Flowers

Tundra . . . it elicits images of barren landscapes, inhospitable to life . . . not so much.
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Bistorta bistortoides (Bistort), of the Buckwheat family.
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Bistorta bistortoides (Bistort), of the Buckwheat family.

Mount EvansColorado SceneryMountain ScenerysubAlpine flowersAlpine flowersBistorta bistortoidesBistort

  • "Alpine" is not specifically referring to the Alps, but rather to the area above the tree line (around 12,000 feet here in Colorado. . . until the climate changes). It's the elevation at which trees have too short a growing season. This may be due to low moisture, too low a temperature, or persistent snowpacks. <br /> <br /> The alpine terrain is known as the tundra. These photos will show some of the typical growth found in this environment. <br /> <br /> I think this is a Alpine Springbeauty Plant, Claytonia megarhiza, but they vary in description.
  • Based on my "Devil is in the Details" gallery, this is Fungous Umbrellicus . . . <br /> <br /> . . . but some people call it Xanthoria elegans. That sounds so vulgar! I much prefer my name for it.<br /> <br /> By the way, for those interested, there are a lot of details in these photos when viewed at full resolution (check out the nice rock in the previous photo).
  • Lots of stuff happening here . . . some Alpine Springbeauty, some Fungous Umbrellicus, what looks to be Dwarf Clover (Trifolium nanum), and what was finally identified as Paronychia pulvinata (Rocky Mountain Nailwort).<br /> <br /> The rocks have interesting colors, shapes, and textures as well.
  • These are rocks growing among some dwarf clover and moss champion flowers.
  • A bit of everything . . . rocks, dwarf clover, more Rocky Mountain nailwort, and Alpine Sandworth, and more rocks.
  • More Moss Campion with unidentified close fronds.
  • Alpine Springbeauty Plant spending some face-time with The Grass. The surrounding rocks have a lot of character as well.
  • Yet some more Moss Campion, but also check out the original size to see the details of the lichen and rocks.
  • A close-up showing the detail of both the flowers (Moss Campion) and the rocks.
  • More Alpine Springbeauty Plant . . . . a more intimate view.
  • Bistorta bistortoides (Bistort), of the Buckwheat family.
  • The pink flower is Trifolium parryi (Parry Clover), and the red bloom is either King’s Crown Flowers (Sedum integrifolium), or Red Stonecrop (Tolmachevia integrifolia).<br /> <br /> I'm leaning more toward the King's Crown.
  • A closeup of the Parry Clover.
  • A close-up of what I think is King’s Crown Flowers (Sedum integrifolium)
  • This looks like some sort of grain plant or grass . . . The thing is I remember coming across this in my search for other flower names, but I can't seem to find it again. <br /> <br /> . . . I'm calling it . . . Copper Stembrow, also commonly referred to as Bro.
  • I think this is an Alpine Avens flower (Acomastylis rossii ssp turbinatum)
  • What the ground looks like . . .
  • Dwarf Clover (Trifolium nanum), and some Alpine Avens
  • That is a Stealthy Ground Spider, Cesonia Bilineate, on a Marsh Marigold Flower, Caltha leptosepala.<br /> <br /> I'm pretty sure about the spider, but the flower is not a 100% thing . . . the pictures for that particular flower are all over the place. Still, pretty sure.
  • Same flower, but this time with a fly . . . perhaps I should have gotten those two together . . . they make a good pair.
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