Mount Rainier Part 33

=Festuca ovina supina= (Schur) Hackel.

In the pumice fields at 8,000 feet alt.i.tude.

=Festuca subulata= Trinius.

Longmire Springs, in moist places.

=Bromus marginatus= Nees.

A species doubtfully referred here was collected on the mountains in 1890 by Rev. E. C. Smith. No specimens of it are now in our possession.

=Sitanion rigidum= J. G. Smith.

Pumice fields at 8,000 feet.

=Sitanion glabrum= J. G. Smith.

Common on the rocky ridges north of Cowlitz Glacier.

=Sitanion rubescens= Piper.

Dry slopes on the south side of the mountain.

=SPARGANIACEAE.= (Bur-reed Family.)

=Sparganium minimum= Fries.

Collected in 1890 by Rev. E. C. Smith, in one of the small lakes near the base of Pinnacle Peak.

=TAXACEAE.= (Yew Family.)

=Taxus brevifolia= Nuttall. Western Yew.

The yew is not uncommon along the trail from Longmire Springs to Paradise Park. It does not ascend much above 3,000 feet elevation.

=PINACEAE.= (Pine Family.)

=Juniperus sibirica= Burgsdorff. Mountain Juniper.

The alpine juniper occurs on the banks of the Nisqually, near Longmire Springs, and is common on the rocks up to 7,500 feet elevation.

=Chamaecyparis nootkatensis= (Lambert) s.p.a.ch. Alaska Cedar.

The Alaska cedar ranges on the mountain slopes from 3,500 feet up to 6,000 feet alt.i.tude. It is far more abundant on the north side of the peak than on the south. Few, if any, specimens exceed four feet in diameter, and where the trees are most abundant the trunks are only one or two feet through.

=Abies grandis= Lindley. White Fir.

Some trees, without cones, which were observed on the trail above Longmire Springs, are doubtfully referred here. They are more likely to belong to the following species.

=Abies amabilis= (Douglas) Forbes. Lovely Fir.

The Lovely fir is abundant at from 2,500 to 3,500 feet elevation. It is usually but a small tree, with beautifully symmetrical form. Except when fruiting, it is difficult to distinguish from the lowland white fir.

=Abies n.o.bilis= Lindley. n.o.ble Fir.

The finest of all the firs, frequently four to six feet in diameter, without a single branch for a hundred feet or more. Easily known by the deep red color of the bark when chopped into, and by the large cones, covered with reflexed bracts. Abundant at 4,000 to 5,000 feet.

=Abies lasiocarpa= (Hooker) Nuttall. Subalpine Fir.

This is the primly conical little fir so common in Paradise Park. It rarely occurs below 4,500 feet elevation. Its dark purple p.u.b.escent cones, only two or three inches long, readily distinguish it from the preceding species.

=Pseudotsuga mucronata= (Rafinesque) Sudworth. Douglas Spruce.

The Douglas spruce is common up to 3,500 feet elevation. There is a marked tendency of the cones to be relatively shorter and thicker at this alt.i.tude, but otherwise the tree shows little variation from its lowland typical form.

=Tsuga heterophylla= Rafinesque. Western Hemlock.

The Western hemlock is abundant at 3,000 feet alt.i.tude, but usually much smaller than when growing near the sea level.

=Tsuga mertensiana= (Bongard) Carriere. Black Hemlock.

The Black hemlock is frequent from 4,000 to 6,000 feet elevation. On the higher slopes it commonly forms clumps with the Subalpine fir.

When this is the case, the irregular form and dark foliage of the hemlock, usually festooned with lichens, form a pleasing contrast to the conical form and lighter foliage of the fir.

=Pinus albicaulis= Engelmann. White-bark Pine.

This white-barked nut pine is abundant on the high ridge north of the Cowlitz Glacier. It also occurs above Camp of the Clouds. It rarely fruits, and when it does the cones, with their sweet edible seeds, are quickly torn to pieces by Clark's crow. The trunk and branches are frequently adorned with the bright yellow lichen, _Evernia vulpina_.

=Pinus monticola= Douglas. Western White Pine.

Not uncommon at low elevations. The narrow cones, six to twelve inches long, are characteristic.

=Pinus contorta= Douglas. Lodgepole Pine.

Reported by Mr. Gorman "on the moraines of the Nisqually."

=Picea engelmanni= Parry. Engelmann Spruce.

Rather a rare tree about Mount Rainier, at 3,500 feet elevation. In the Sitka or Tideland spruce the leaves are decidedly flattened; in the Engelmann spruce they are nearly square in cross section.

=ISOETACEAE.= (Quillwort Family.)

=Isoetes echinospora braunii= Engelmann.