Family • 6766 • berberidaceae barberry Family • 67

perennial • 8"–10' (20–60 cm)open woods, rocky slopesearly: May to June

This striking plant well deserves the honor of being Oregon’s state flower. Its beautiful, bright yellow flowers waft the scent of honey into the spring air. Poke the center of the flower and you can see its unusual ability to pull its stamens together, presumably to make sure a visiting insect receives a dose of pollen. The flowers are succeeded by grape-like clusters of glaucous blue berries, edible but sour. The evergreen leaves have 5 to 9, opposite, wavy leaflets, edged with sharp spines, reminiscent of holly. They are shiny above but dull below. Older leaves often turn brilliant red. In the lowlands, this shrub can reach well over 7' tall, giving rise to another common name, tall Oregon grape. The form mostly likely to be seen in the Cascades, however, rarely reaches over 1' tall and is usually in open rocky areas. The smaller number of leaflets and the single central vein on each leaflet distinguish it from Cascade Oregon grape.

Shining Oregon grape is common throughout western Oregon and can be found in many of the western states. It is more common at lower elevations but still can be found in many places in the Cascades, including Wild Rose Point and Iron, Patterson, Bearbones, and Heckletooth mountains.

Berberidaceae ~ Barberry FamilyIt can be hard for the lay person to see how botanists recognize a link between the various outwardly dissimilar members of this family. Some common attributes are regular flowers with superior ova-ries and sepals and petals (if present) in whorls of 3’s, unusual for dicots.

perennial • 8–20" (20–60 cm)moist forests early: June to early July

Vanilla leaf gets its name from the fragrance of its dried leaves. The single leaf is divided into 3 coarsely lobed leaflets. The flow-ers have no petals, only stamens, giving a bottlebrush-like appearance to the plant’s single flower spike. The plant is widely rhi-zomatous and frequently dominates the herbaceous layer on the forest floor.

It is common west of the Cascades from British Columbia to California and can be seen on every trail in this book. You can’t miss it at Bull of the Woods, Hemlock Lake, and Bearbones Mountain.

The unusual white “inside-out” flowers are formed from 6 (2 sets of 3) reflexed petals hid-ing beneath 6 larger sepals and 6 glandular stamens enclos-ing the pistil to form a central cone. This reflexed shape is an adaptation for “buzz pollination” whereby a bee’s buzzing shakes the pollen out. The reddish bracts seen on the buds drop off as the flower opens. The flowers are gathered in delicate sprays on separate stalks from the duckfoot-like compound leaves. These leaves are generally twice-divided into 3’s, keeping with the plant’s overall theme. Its folli-cles split open to expose still-green seeds which have white appen dages (elaiosomes) that ants find desir-able. Like vanilla leaf, it is widely rhizomatous. The two species often grow together.

Inside-out flower is found only in the Pacific states. It is common at low to mid elevations throughout western Oregon and the Cascades. Look for it at McCord Creek Falls, Buck Canyon, and Whetstone, Tire, and Heckletooth mountains.

shining oregon grapeBérberis (Mahonia) aquifòlium

perennial • 1–2' (20–60 cm)coniferous forestearly: May to June

Cascade or low Oregon grape is a rhizomatous, low-growing shrub, which often covers large areas of the forest floor. Its spiny edged, ever-green leaves spread radially from the stem. They have 11–21 leaflets, which are lighter green underneath, fairly flat, and all more or less on the same plane. They often turn a deep shade of plum in the fall. They also differ from the previ-ous species because they have 3 or more veins originating at the leaflet base. The yellow flow-ers are similar, with 2 whorls each of 3 sepals and 3 petals, but they possess a more delicate fra-grance. The berries are also blue.

Cascade Oregon grape is common on the west side of the Cascades from central California up into B.C. It is abundant in the Cascades and can be seen on most every trail in this book.

cascaDe oregon grape Bérberis (Mahonia) nervòsa

vanilla leaF Áchlys triphýlla

insiDe-out Flower Vancouvèria hexándra

perennial • 6–20" (20–60 cm)coniferous forestmiddle: late June to July

88 • Campanulaceae Harebell Family • 89

Campanulaceae ~ Bellflower FamilyCampanula means “little bell” and refers to the more or less bell-shaped corolla common to this family. Flowers are blue or white with 5-parted corollas and calyces and 5 stamens. The ovary is inferior and develops into a capsule. Leaves are usually alternate and mainly cauline. Broken stems yield a milky juice. This wide-ranging family has members growing from the subtropics to alpine zones worldwide. Downingia grows in much of Oregon outside of the Cascades. In addition to Campanula, popular garden plants include Platycodon, Phyteuma, Edraianthus, and many others.

SCouler’S Harebell Campánula scoùleri

perennial • 4–12" (10–30 cm)dry woodslate: mid-July to mid-August

This little perennial is by no means as showy as many of its relatives, but it has its own charms. Its ice-blue, bell-shaped flowers are a mere ½" and have 5 reflexed lobes and a promi-nent exserted style. Its 1–3" ovate leaves have sharp teeth and are attached with long petioles. Slender rhizomes help it creep around the for-est floor.

Scouler’s harebell ranges from Alaska down through western Oregon into northern California. It is very com-mon throughout the Cascades and, while easily overlooked, can be seen on most every hike in this book.

CaliFornia Harebell Asyneuma (Campánula) prenanthoìdes

perennial • 8–36" (20–90 cm)dry open woodslate: mid-July to mid-August

California harebell can be a fairly tall plant but is still not very conspicuous because of its small flow-ers and late blooming period. Its flower is similar to Scouler’s harebell, but the corolla is bluer, the style even longer, and the lobes longer and narrower. It favors the same dry wooded habitat, and often grows with Scouler’s harebell. Both have toothed leaves, but California harebell is easily recognized by the lack of noticeable petioles.

As its name implies, this is a southerly species. In the Cascades, it reaches only as far north as Lane County. It is more common to the south and is most easily seen in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide but is also abundant at Youngs Rock and Lookout Mountain.

Common blueCup Githópsis specularioìdes

annual • 1–6" (2–15 cm)dry open areasmiddle: June

This tiny wildflower is easy to miss in spite of its bright blue-violet, upright, bell-shaped flowers. Each solitary terminal flower is a mere ¾" long with a white throat and 5 flaring, pointed lobes. The calyx is deeply divided with linear lobes that may extend past the flowers. These remain conspic-uous after the seeds mature. The small alternate leaves are slightly toothed. The size of the plants and extent of branching depend on the amount of moisture they receive in the spring.

Common bluecup is not really very common in our area but may seem rarer than it is on account of its diminutive size. It is found mainly west of the Cascade-Sierra crest at lower elevations from California north just into southern British Columbia. You may get lucky and see it at Bearbones, Tire, or Heckletooth mountains, Youngs Rock, or Castle Rock.

SCotCH Harebell Campánula rotundifòlia

perennial • 4–12" (10–30 cm)cliffs, rock outcropslate: late July to September

Over its large range, Scotch harebell is very variable, both in size and habi-tat and has also acquired numerous common names including bluebells-of-Scotland and bluebell bellflower. In the Western Cascades, it is found only as a compact plant in very rocky areas. Its large, lavender-blue bells make it much showier than our other 2 hare-bells. The species name comes from the small round basal leaves; the sessile stem leaves are linear.

Scotch harebell is a common cir-cumboreal species—it does grow in Scotland. Unfortunately, it grows in only a few places in the Oregon Cascades, mainly in the north. A real treat in our area, it brightens up late summer cliffs at Tidbits Mountain, Watson Falls, Bull of the Woods, Whetstone Mountain, and Table Rock.

90 • Caprifoliaceae Honeysuckle Family • 91

Caprifoliaceae ~ Honeysuckle FamilyThis family is composed of shrubs, vines, and small trees with opposite leaves, and tubular flowers with a 5- or occasionally 4-lobed calyx and corolla and an inferior ovary. Many species, and all of ours, produce berries that are valuable to wildlife. Other genera may have dry capsules. Quite a few are showy or fragrant and are used as ornamentals. Some genera that used to be considered part of this family, including Viburnum and Sambucus, are now placed in Adoxaceae, the moschatel family.

trailing Snowberry Symphoricárpos hesperius(S. mollis)

shrub • 1–2' (30–60 cm)moist to dry forests, thicketsmiddle: June to July

The spongy white fruits that give this genus its name are actu-ally drupes, like a plum, and have 2 seeds each. They remain on the shrubs through much of the winter and are eaten by wildlife but are mildly poi-sonous to humans. The pink flowers have 5-lobed corollas that are nearly as wide as long. Inside there are only a few hairs, a good way to distin-guish it from common snowberry. Most leaves are oval but those of vigorous young shoots may be deeply and variably lobed. They may root at the nodes. Young stems are pubescent.

Trailing snowberry is found from southern British Columbia to California and east into Idaho. In Oregon it occurs mainly in the moun-tains and foothills on the west side of the Cascades. It can be seen at almost every site in this book. Large patches of it can be found at Hemlock Lake, Coffin Mountain, and […]

This species is very much like a larger and more upright ver-sion of trailing snowberry. Shorter plants can be very difficult to distinguish. In general, common snowberry has slightly larger blooms in larger clusters of up to 18 flowers, and the fruits that follow are larger as well. The inside of the corolla is densely covered with long white hairs. Young twigs are glabrous. It is rhizomatous but branches do not root at nodes.

Common snowberry ranges from Alaska to California and east across Canada and most of the US except across the southern states. It is common throughout western Oregon and found in the Blue Mountains as well. In the Western Cascades it is not as common as the ubiquitous trailing snowberry. Look for it at McCord Creek Falls, Tire Mountain, and Lowder Mountain.

Common SnowberrySymphoricárpos álbus

orange HoneySuCkleLonícera ciliòsa

blueFly HoneySuCkleLonícera caerùlea

vine • 5–20' (150–600 cm)forest openingsmiddle: late June to early July

shrub • 12–40" (30–100 cm)wet meadowsearly: June

The almost robin's egg blue, glaucous, hairy leaves of bluefly honeysuckle would seem to make it stand out from other plants. Yet its affinity for growing among the similar colored but smaller-leaved Western bog blueberry causes it to virtually disappear. In the fall, it magically reappears when its leaves turn bright yellow among the reddening huckleberries. Pairs of hairy, cream-colored tubular flowers are attached at the base of new shoots. Also known as sweetberry hon-eysuckle, it has purple berry-like fruits that are formed by a bract wrapping around the twin ovaries of the flowers. Unlike most hon-eysuckles, these are edible and tasty.

Bluefly honeysuckle is found from British Columbia to California, east to Alberta, Wyoming and Nevada, and also in Eurasia. In Oregon, Its limited range is fairly close to the crest of the Cascades. It can be seen at some of the more easterly, low- to mid-eleva-

tion wetlands including Anvil Lake, Quaking Aspen Swamp, Park Creek, and Bruno Meadows.

This eye-catching vine shows the classic traits of a hummingbird-pollinated plant. Numerous orange to red, tubular flow-ers are clustered at the tip of the stem. Each flower is up to 1 1/2" long and very narrow—posing a challenge to most insects but not to the hummingbird. The stamens and pistil reach out just to the opening of the flower. Unlike many honeysuckles, these flowers have no fragrance, as it is of no use in attract-ing hummingbirds. Red berries succeed the flowers. The other distinctive trait is the way the final 1 or 2 terminal leaf pairs are each fused into a single perfoliate leaf. It is seen winding its way high up in trees, through shrubs or trailing on the ground.

Orange honeysuckle is found from California north to British Columbia and east to Arizona and Montana. It is most often seen at low to moderate elevations in western Oregon. Look for it at Tire Mountain, Watson Falls, McCord Creek Falls, and Illahee Rock.

shrub • 2–6.5' (60–200 cm)moist to dry forests, thicketsmiddle: June to July

Honeysuckle Family • 9392 • Caprifoliaceae

blaCk twinberry Lonícera involucràta

shrub • 2–10' (60–300 cm)moist sitesmiddle: July

This wetland shrub gets its specific name, invo-lucrata, from its most conspicuous feature, the deep red involucre, composed of 2 large, shiny bracts. Within these bracts are a pair of pale yellow, narrowly tubular flowers, 1/2–3/4" long and covered with fine hairs. These develop into the twin, shiny black berries that give twinberry its common name. Its opposite leaves are also shiny, ovate to elliptical, and pointed at the tip. The shreddy bark may be hidden by the leafiness of this upright plant. Twinberry often grows in thickets among other wetland shrubs like spiraeas and willows.

Black twinberry occurs from Alaska through California, east through the Rockies and across Canada. It is found all along the Cascades, gen-erally at higher elevations, and is scattered elsewhere in Oregon, while a different variety grows along the coast. Large thickets of it grow at Blair Lake and Cache Meadows and it can also be seen at Bruno Meadows, Anvil Lake, and Park Creek.

purple-Flowered HoneySuCkleLonícera conjugiàlis

shrub • 2–6' (60–180 cm)moist places, rocky slopesmiddle: late June to July

The name conjugialis refers to the unusual way the ovaries of the paired flowers are “married together” and become a single translucent red berry. The small, dark red, tubular flowers are worth a closer look. The lower lip and 4-lobed upper lip curl back to expose the 5 exserted stamens and pistil, their bases covered with long white hairs. The buds have an unusual shape as well. Compared to the flowers, the leaves are ordinary: simple, entire, opposite, and with a bluish cast often seen in honeysuckles.

Purple-flowered honeysuckle is found from the Pacific states east to Nevada and Idaho, and in Oregon mainly along the Cas-cades. It is more common to the south and is abundant at Illahee Rock, Abbott Butte, and Fish Creek Meadow. It can also be found at Moon Point, Hemlock Lake, and Bohemia Mountain.

Caryophyllaceae ~ Pink FamilyThe pink family is fairly easy to recognize. While the flowers are usually white or pink, the family name comes from the notched petals (sewers use pinking shears to make decorative edges) that are a char-acteristic of many species. Most flowers have 5 free petals, 5 sepals, and 10 stamens. A capsule develops from a superior ovary. Leaves are normally simple, opposite and have no petiole. The stem nodes are often swollen. Cultivated members of this family include the deliciously fragrant pinks and carnations (Dianthus), soapwort (Saponaria), and baby’s breath (Gypsophila).

StiCky CHiCkweedCerástium glomeràtum (C. viscosum)

Field CHiCkweedCerástium arvénse

annual • 4–12" (10–30 cm)roadsides and other disturbed areasearly: May to June

This fairly inconspicuous annual has tight, terminal clusters of small white flowers with narrow, notched petals. The oval leaves, erect stems, and pointed sepals are all cov-ered with long sticky hairs.

Originally from Eurasia, sticky chick-weed has naturalized across much of North America. In Oregon, it is found mostly at low elevations west of the Cascades. It occurs in a number of lower elevation sites such as Heckletooth and Tire mountains, McCord Creek Falls, and Monument Peak.

perennial • 4–12" (10–30 cm)dry meadows and rocky areasearly: June

This is the showiest member of the pink fam-ily in the Western Cascades. The deep notches in its relatively large (½"), snow white pet-als make it easy to identify. There are a number of starworts in our area that are similar, but although they usually have notched petals, they are much smaller and less conspicuous plants. The paired opposite leaves are more or less lanceolate and pubescent.

Sadly, although it ranges across much of the northern hemisphere, this lovely wild-flower is only locally common in our area. You can admire it on Iron Mountain, Cone Peak, McCord Creek Falls, Heckletooth Mountain, and at the top of Tire Mountain.

pink Family • 9594 • Caryophyllaceae

nodding CatCHFlySilène campanulàta

perennial • 6–16" (15–40 cm)rocky areasmiddle: June to early July

The prominent, inflated calyx is a frequent char-acteristic of Silene species, so too is glandular stickiness, hence the name “catchfly.” Nodding catchfly has very sticky flowers and stems, but the ovate leaves are soft from fine, short hairs. The distinct nodding of the bell-shaped flowers sets this species apart. Each of the 5 white petals are divided into 4 to 6 lobes, which are divided again into 2, and have 2 scale-like appendages on top. Add to that the 3 exserted styles or 10 sta-mens and the whole effect is quite frilly. Two other very sticky catchflies, both much taller, are rare inhabitants of our area. Look for Silene bernar-dina at Moon Point and Silene oregana at Hawk Mountain.

Nodding catchfly has a limited range, occurring from northern California through southwestern Oregon and Lane County. Tidbits Mountain in southern Linn county appears to be its most northerly location. It is abundant on Tire Mountain, Mt. June, and Lookout Mountain.

mountain SandwortEremógone (Arenaria) capillaris

perennial • 4–12" (10–30 cm)rocky slopes and meadowsmiddle: late June to early July

This pretty plant is also known as beautiful or thread-leaved sandwort, all appropri-ate names. Capillaris means hair-like and is a good description of the narrow, grassy leaves. The lower leaves are in tufts up to 2" long and are usually curved. The paired upper stem leaves are much shorter and less noticeable, giving the impression that the white flowers are hovering above a green, grassy mat. The stems and short sepals are glandular pubescent and may be reddish.

Mountain sandwort is found from Oregon to Alaska, east to Idaho and Montana. It is scattered in the mountains of eastern Oregon and reaches south in the Cascades about as far as Twin Lakes. Look for it also at Three Pyramids, Bull of the Woods, High Rock, and Hawk, Coffin, and Bachelor mountains.

pumiCe SandwortEremógone (Arenaria) pumícola

perennial • 4–12" (10–30 cm)barren gravelly areas, rocky ridgesmiddle: late June to early July

At first glance this plant is easy to confuse with mountain sandwort. The 5-petaled white flow-ers are quite similar, though the clusters are not so open, and the slightly longer, pale-edged green sepals and blunter petals of pumice sandwort might be hard to differentiate with-out seeing both species side by side. The most noticeable differences appear in the leaves, which in this species are stiffer and somewhat glaucous. The lower leaves are tufted but not in a continuous mat. The stem leaves are of equal size, giving the plant a more scraggly look than mountain sandwort.

Pumice sandwort is endemic to Oregon and is found almost ex clusively in the Cas-cades. It is also known as Crater Lake sandwort as that is the center of its limited distribution. Acres of it cover the gravelly top of Low der Mountain, while smaller populations can be seen at Blair Lake, Whitehorse Meadows, Abbott Butte, and Hersh berger Mountain.

douglaS’ CampionSilène douglàsii

perennial • 8–18" (20–45 cm)rocky areasmiddle: late June to July

As this species is not sticky, it cannot catch flies, making campion—another common name for many Silene species—a more appropriate name than catchfly. The outward-facing white flowers have large petals with 2 lobes and 2 appendages. Ten purplish veins are evident on the ½" cylindrical calyx. The petals look their best on cloudy days as they tend to curl up in the sun. The paired lan-ceolate leaves get gradually smaller up the stem. Fine hairs cover both the leaves and stem.

Douglas’ campion ranges from central California to British Columbia, east to Montana. It is found at mid to high elevations in most Oregon mountains but curiously crosses paths with nodding catchfly only in Lane County, as it is absent from southwest-ern Oregon. It is common at Bull of the Woods, Table Rock, Coffin Mountain, Mt. June, and High Rock.

96 • Caryophyllaceae

boreal StarwortStellària boreàlis

perennial • 6–20" (15–50 cm)moist meadows, thickets, woods, banksmiddle: June to July

nortHern StarwortStellària calycántha

Formerly considered to be a variety of northern starwort, boreal starwort has much longer, lan-ceolate leaves, that in our variety (var. sitchana) are widest at the base. The deeply notched petals are also longer and narrower and the capsules are at least 1.5 times longer than wide. The plant is usually well-branched and tends to be taller and more erect than northern starwort. Other tall, narrow-leaved species may appear in our area. Longstalk starwort (S. longipes) has long, narrow leaves that are widest in the middle and larger flower petals that are longer than the sepals. It occurs mainly in eastern Oregon but can be seen at Fish Creek and elsewhere in the Rogue-Umpqua Divide.

Boreal starwort is a circumboreal species, while var. sitchana is found in much of the western US and Canada. Gordon Meadows, Reynolds Ridge, Park Creek, Grasshopper Meadows, and Patterson and Lowder Mountains are good places to see it.

perennial • 2–10" (5–25 cm)moist meadows, thickets, woods, banksmiddle: July

The tiny, white flowers of starworts don't com-mand much attention. Many have no petals; those that do are deeply cleft but often smaller than the sepals. Starworts often grow beneath other plants or are lost among the foliage of larger plants. The many ill-defined, variable species are a confusing lot to sort out taxo-nomically. As with many starworts, northern starwort has well-branched, lax foliage with pairs of sessile, teardrop-shaped leaves. Its stems may be glabrous or hairy. Its flowers generally have 5 wide, deeply notched pet-als, slightly shorter than the sepals, but some or all may be missing. They occur at the ends of the stems or in the leaf axils. While most starworts have 3 styles, this species may have 4 or 5.

Northern starwort is found throughout the West, and north, well into Alaska and Canada. It is not very common in the Cascades but can be seen [in the Calapooyas, more].

CriSped or Curled StarwortStellària críspa

perennial • 1–8" (3–20 cm)moist, shady areas, streambanksmiddle: June to July

Crisped starwort gets its names from the crisped or wavy edges of its small ovate leaves. These are sessile or attached by short pedicels in pairs along trailing stems that may be more or less upright or lie in tangled mats on the ground. They spread by delicate white rhizomes. The very small, inconspicuous flowers are solitary in the leaf axils. They generally have 5 sharply point-ed sepals. They may be petalless or have a few tiny white petals. The capsule is ovoid. Common chickweed (S. media), a weedy, non-native annu-al found mainly at lower elevations, has similar leaves but flowers with petals in terminal clusters.

Crisped starwort ranges from southern Alaska to California, east into Alberta and Montana. It is fairly common at all eleva-tions in western Oregon and the Cascades. It can be found at Echo Basin, Fish Creek, Blair Lake, Whetstone Mountain, Hemlock Lake, and Gordon Meadows.

blunt-Sepaled StarwortStellària obtùsa

perennial • 1–3" (3–8 cm)moist woods, alder thickets, streambanksmiddle: late June to July

Blunt-sepaled starwort is easily mistaken for crisped starwort. Its slender rhizomes allow it to form large mats in similar moist habitat, but these mats are generally denser and more prostrate than those of crisped starwort. It is best distinguished by the presence of hairs along the edges of its unwavy, ovate leaves. Easier to recognize in bloom, it has only 4 blunt sepals (occasional flowers may have 5) and no petals. The mature capsule is spherical.

Also known as Rocky Mountain chickweed, this montane species occurs from southern British Columbia to northern California, east to the Rockies as far south as Colorado. Owing to confusion with the far more common crisped starwort, there may be more in the Cascades and Wallowas of Oregon than has been record-ed so far. Look for it at Buck Canyon, Echo Basin,

Horsepasture Mountain, Wild Rose Point, and Grizzly Peak.

pink Family • 97

98 • Caryophyllaceae

oregon boxwood Paxístima myrsinìtes(Pachystima myrsinìtes)

Celastraceae ~ Staff-tree FamilySpecies in this mainly tropical family are shrubs, vines, or trees with simple leaves and radially sym-metrical flowers in 4’s or 5’s. Burning bush (Euonymus) is a well-known member.

shrub • 8–36" (20–90 cm)woods, rocky ridges, talus slopesearly: May to June

With its shiny, opposite, evergreen leaves and tiny, deep red flowers, this attractive shrub is easy to iden-tify. Its 1"-long, ovate leaves are edged with little teeth. The diminutive flow-ers have 4 petals and 4 alternating stamens and grow in small clusters in the leaf axils. Animals take advan-tage of the evergreen leaves for winter browse.

Oregon boxwood is found in most western states. Also known as moun-tain lover, it occurs most frequently at middle elevations and is very com-mon throughout the Western

Cascades. It can be seen at most every site in this book.

bigleaF Sandwort Moehríngia (Arenaria) macrophýlla

perennial • 2–6" (5–15 cm)moist forests, rocky slopesearly: May to June

With far more leaves than flowers, this low groundcover is easy to overlook but is a frequent part of the Cascade forest community. Its small white flowers have 5 rounded petals surrounded by 5 lance-olate sepals, sometimes reaching past the petals. The greenish white ovary, topped by 3 styles, is prominent in the center and surrounded by 10 long stamens. The paired leaves are up to 2" long and lan-ceolate to elliptic. Moehringia species are the only North American members of this family that have nutrient-rich elaiosomes on the seeds to attract ants.

Bigleaf sandwort is found from south-ern British Columbia across Canada south to California, Idaho, parts of the Rockies, and just into the northeastern states. It is common in western Oregon and the Cascades and can be seen on most any hike. It also occurs in northeastern Oregon.

Staff-tree Family • 99

SHining StarwortStellària nìtens

annual • 2–10" (5–25 cm)dry open or disturbed areas, outcropsearly: May to June

It takes a practiced eye to spot this delicate annual, even where it grows in abundance. The plant is more or less glabrous, is very slender and erect, and may be branched or single-stemmed. It springs from a thread-like taproot. Near the base of the stem are a few pairs of small, shiny, sessile leaves. These are widest at the base and taper to a point. The 5 long, sharply pointed sepals are the most prominent part of the tiny flowers. They reach well beyond the 5 deeply cleft, white petals.

Shining starwort occurs from British Columbia to California and east to Montana, Utah, and Arizona. In the Western Cascades, it is found at low to moderate elevations mainly in the south. Search for it at Mt. June, Grasshopper Meadows, Wild Rose Point, Castle Rock, and Heckletooth, Lookout, Tire, and Bearbones mountains.

dogwood Family • 101100 • Convolvulaceae

Cornaceae ~ Dogwood FamilyThe dogwood family consists mainly of trees and shrubs. Most species—and all of ours—have oppo-site leaves, which have a distinctive pattern of prominent, curved veins. Leaves exposed to the sun develop beautiful reddish hues in the fall. Many species have large, showy, petal-like bracts surround-ing the tight clusters of very small flowers. The flowers themselves usually have 4 sepals, petals, and stamens. Cornus is the only genus in our area. Its fruits are a 2-seeded, berry-like drupe.

weStern bunCHberryCórnus unalaschkénsis(C. canadensis)

subshrub • 2–8" (5–20 cm)moist forestmiddle: June to July

No matter what the season, this is one of our most beautiful woodland wildflow-ers. A deciduous subshrub (although the woody base is hardly noticeable), bunch-berry spreads by rhizomes, carpeting the forest floor with whorls of ovate leaves. Non-flowering stems have 4 leaves to a whorl, each with characteristic arcing veins. Flowering stems have an extra pair. Keep your eyes open for “variegated” plants—occasionally the leaves of this extra pair have white blotches at the tips. Perhaps this is a virus, but it adds a decorative touch. Above the whorls sit 4 petal-like bracts (modified leaves), small and greenish at first, enlarging to bright white. At the center of the bracts, grouped in a tight cluster, are the real flow-ers: tiny, 4-petaled, and purple-tipped. They have an unusual explosive me thod of throwing pollen at visiting insects. By early fall, shiny, scarlet, berry-like drupes have developed. As if that isn’t enough color, leaves exposed to the sun turn red as well.

Our western bunchberry, seen mainly in the Pacific states and Idaho, is no longer con-sidered to be the same as the widespread species of bunchberry (C. canadensis) but rather a tetraploid hybrid (twice the num-ber of genes) of that species and C. suecica of farther north, looking similar to the for-mer except for the latter’s purple flowers. In Oregon, it is found at mid to high elevations, most commonly in the Cascades. Impressive displays of western bunchberry can be seen along the trails at Three Pyramids, Gordon Meadows, Parrish and Daly Lakes, and Horsepasture and Lowder mountains.

weStern dodder Cuscùta suksdòrfii (C. occidentàlis)

Although formerly considered to be in its own fam-ily, Cuscutaceae, dodder is closely related to morning glory and properly placed within the same family, as recent studies have concluded. These strange parasit-ic twiners attack a number of species including many valuable crop plants and members of the pea fam-ily. A dodder plant forms a tangled mess of slender orange stems around its victim and attaches itself to its host by haustoria. Once it is attached to its host, its own roots die. With no need for chlorophyll, its leaves are reduced to scales. Western dodder has clusters of tiny white tubular flowers with 5 pointed lobes. Unlike other dodders, the inside of the corolla has no appendages. Its capsule is spherical.

Western dodder is found across the West. It is unusual in the Western Cascades, but you may run across it at Hershberger Mountain, Park Creek, Abbott Butte, or Fuller Lake.

annual • 1–20' widemeadows, roadsidesmiddle to late: July to early August

nigHt-blooming morning glory Calystègia atriplicifòlia (Convolvulus nyctagineus)

Convolvulaceae ~ Morning Glory FamilyThe familiar funnel-shaped flower of the garden variety morning glory is typical of most species of this family. Many of them are twiners. The leaves are usually somewhat triangular. Well known mem-bers include sweet-potato (Ipomaea batatas) and the noxious bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis).

perennial • 6–12" (15–30 cm)meadows and forest edgesmiddle: June to July

There is only one morning glory to be found in the Western Cascades. In spite of its common name, it does open its 2"-wide, white to pale pink flowers during the day. Two large rounded bracts cover the calyx. The leaves are more or less triangular with rounded lobes. It doesn’t twine but trails along the ground.

Not a particularly common species, it is found along the west side of the Pacific states from southwestern Washington to Northern California. In our area, look for it at Coffin, Patterson, Hawk, and Heckletooth moun-tains, Castle Rock, and along the Alpine Trail.

Stonecrop Family • 103102 • Cornaceae

red oSier dogwoodCórnus serìcea (C. stolonifera)

paCiFiC dogwoodCórnus nuttállii

tree • 10–60' (3–18 m)woods, near creeksmiddle: May to June

Like bunchberry, the true flowers of Pacific dogwood—cream with purple tips and pleasantly fra-grant—are inconspicuous compared to its 4 to 6 showy white bracts. The 4–6" “flower” formed by the bracts helps attract insect pollinators. Tight clusters of angular red fruits are eaten by wildlife. This small tree has a graceful layered structure, its many branches each curving upward slightly, and is widely used as an ornamental. Its fall coloring is outstanding, the leaves turning many shades from orange to russet. Occasionally this autumnal splendor is accompanied by some reblooming.

Pacific dogwood brightens up the forest understory at low to less frequently mid elevations in western Oregon as well as Washington, California, and Idaho. The best place to see it is along lowland roads like the Wolf Rock loop, but occasional individuals are present along a number of trails.

shrub • 6–18' (2–6 m)wet meadows, creek and pond edgesmiddle: mid-June to July

Unlike our other 2 Cornus species, the white flower clusters of red osier (or western or creek) dogwood are not subtended by large showy bracts, but the white flowerheads are larger, more open, and attractive in their own right. They are followed by white berry-like fruit with the calyx still evident as a dark spot on each drupe. The red young stems give this shrub its common name. The species name refers to the silky pubescence under the leaves. It roots freely from low-lying branches and often forms thickets in moist areas.

Red osier dogwood grows across much of the US and Oregon. You can find it in wet areas such as Twin Lakes, Donegan Prairie, Buck Canyon, Park Creek, and Watson Falls.

Crassulaceae ~ Stonecrop FamilyPlants in this family are succulent and have radially symmetric flowers, mostly with parts in fives. Their seeds develop in dry follicles from superior ovaries. They are found around the world—particularly in southern Africa, east Asia, and Mexico—mainly in habitats characterized by hot, dry conditions to which they are particularly well adapted. Their ability to store moisture in their suc-culent, usually evergreen leaves is a great advantage in their hot, rocky or exposed habitat. It keeps branches from drying out while they break off and reroot, one way they propagate themselves. Stonecrops, or sedums as they are also known, are the most familiar members of this family in Oregon, and the only ones found in the Cascades. They make easy and attractive, mat-forming plants for the garden. Many succulent garden and house plants, including hens and chicks (Sempervivum), Echeveria, and Dudleya, as well as the popular jade plant (Crassula ovata), are also members of this large family.

broadleaF StoneCropSèdum spathulifòlium

perennial • 2–8" (5–20 cm)open or shady outcrops and cliffs, roadcutsearly: May to June

The beautiful glaucous leaves of broadleaf stonecrop can be somewhat green to almost white. Stems and older leaves often turn red in sunny sites. More than most of our other stonecrops, it also tolerates quite a bit of shade, covering rocky areas in the forest and on north-facing cliffs. The fragrant, bright yellow flowers are in tight clusters on slightly leafy stems held above the low mats of dense foliage. The seed follicles start out upright but spread after they mature. It is the host plant for the caterpillars of an uncommon butterfly called Moss' elfin that can be seen near this spe-cies in some of our lower elevation sites.

Broadleaf stonecrop is frequent in the Cascades, especially at lower elevations, where it is our most common species. It ranges from California to Vancouver Island and east to Montana and Wyoming. Large populations can be found at Tire Mountain and Mt. June and along many of the low elevation roadcut cliffs such as at Hills Creek Reservoir in Lane County. It can also be seen at McCord Creek Falls, Illahee Rock, Tidbits Mountain, and Monument Peak.

seed follicles

104 • Crassulaceae

Creamy StoneCrop Sèdum oregonénse

perennial • 2–8" (5–20 cm)open rocky areasmiddle: late June to July

In bloom, the creamy color of the flow-ers identifies this species. It has large, flat glaucous leaves that often turn beauti-ful shades of orange and red in the sun. The leaves in the rosettes are opposite, those on the flowering stem, alternate. The follicle is erect. It has an interesting habit of growing in narrow bands that resemble miniature retaining walls. This is quite evident where it grows at Cone Peak and Whitehorse Meadows.

Creamy stonecrop is found almost exclusively in the Cascades and Klamath mountains in Oregon but is the most common stonecrop in this region at mid to high elevations. It can be found on most hikes in this book. Abbott Butte and Bohemia, Lookout, and Big Squaw mountains have large populations of it.

oregon StoneCropSèdum oregànum

perennial • 3–8" (8–20 cm)cliffs and other rocky areas late: late July to early August

The most distinctive trait of Oregon stone-crop is the long, lance-shaped petals, partially fused at the base, of its yellow flowers. Its leaves are shiny and gener-ally remain much greener than our other species. They are rounder-shaped than broadleaf or creamy stonecrop, though still somewhat flattened. They are alter-nate. The follicle is erect.

This is an occasional species in the Cascades and Coast Range of Oregon and ranges into California and Washington. it is sometimes found growing in shady areas as well as in full sun. Look for it at

Grasshopper Mea dows, High Rock, and Tidbits, Whetstone, Iron, and Bachelor mountains.

Spreading StoneCropSèdum divérgens

This species typically inhabits very hot exposed areas where it turns bright cher-ry red, stunningly setting off the starry yellow flowers. The oval leaves are in opposite pairs, making it easy to distin-guish from our other species. They are quite plump and look very much like jellybeans. The species name comes from the widely divergent follicles.

It is found scattered at mid to high elevations in the Cascades and Siskiyous of Oregon and south just into north-ern California. Also known as Pacific stonecrop, it is found in the Olympics and Cascades of Washington and as far north as southeastern Alaska, mainly west of the Cascade Crest. It is abun-dant in the open gravelly areas of Cone Peak. You can also see it at Whitehorse Meadows, Bachelor Mountain, Wild Rose Point, Monument Peak, Bull of the Woods, and Bohemia Mountain.

wormleaF StoneCropSèdum stenopétalum

annual, biennial, perennial • 3–8" (8–20 cm)open rocky areasmiddle to late: late June to late July

This annual or short-lived perennial is the least conspicuous of our stonecrops. Its common name comes from the narrow leaves, which dry up as the plant ages. Plantlets usually form in the leaf axils and then drop off to form new plants. In our area, a single white or yellow flower sits atop each upright stem, fol-lowed by an erect fruit. Elsewhere there may be a branched inflorescence. The similar yellow lanceleaf stonecrop (S. lanceolatum), of eastern Oregon, lacks plantlets and has spreading fruit.

Wormleaf stonecrop occurs throughout the West but is found mostly in the southern part of our area. It grows at Illahee Rock, Abbott Butte, Mt. June, Cone Peak, and Bearbones, Lookout, and Horsepasture mountains.

Stonecrop Family • 105

perennial • 2–6" (5–15 cm)open rocky areasmiddle to late: July

flower close up

Heath Family • 107106 • Cucurbitaceae

Cucurbitaceae ~ Cucumber FamilyPlants of the cucumber family are trailing or climbing vines that usually have tendrils. Female and male parts are often on separate flowers on the same plant. Female flowers have an inferior ovary. Petals are usually fused into a corolla with 5 lobes. The fruit is melon-like. Familiar members of the cucumber family include squash, pumpkins, melons, gourds and, of course, cucumbers.

Droseraceae ~ Sundew FamilySundews are intriguing carnivorous plants with red glandular hairs on their leaves. The sticky fluid at the tips traps and digests insects and other invertebrates. They grow in sphagnum bogs and wet areas with low nutrients in the soil. Their small 5-petaled flowers are clustered at the top of a single leafless flower stalk above the rosette of leaves. Also in this family is Venus flytrap (Dionaea mus-cipula), native only to the Carolinas but commonly grown by carnivorous-plant enthusiasts.

round-leaved Sundew Drósera rotundifòlia

great Sundew Drósera ánglica

Given the right habitat, round-leaved sun-dew can form large colonies of tiny reddish rosettes of flat round leaves, giving the ground a distinctive red haze. The leaves are up to ½"(13 mm) wide. When an insect or other small prey lands on the leaf, the sticky fluid on the hairs traps the prey and the hairs close in on it. Its tiny white flowers are in a one-sided cluster and open only in full sun. After the many-seeded capsules are formed in the fall, the plant dies back to small resting buds for the winter.

Round-leaved sundew is circumboreal and can be found in the Pacific states, most of the East Coast and across Canada and the northern states. In Oregon, it occurs only in the Cascades and along the coast. Search for it carefully at Groundhog Mountain, Bruno Meadows, Anvil Lake, Parrish Lake, Gordon Meadows, and Quaking Aspen Swamp.

perennial • 2–8" (5–20 cm)mossy bogs and seeps middle: July

Great sundew is a less common species with larger, more elongated leaves than round-leaved sun-dew. Its flat leaves are up to 1.25" (3 cm) long and stand erect, making them far more conspicu-ous. They can curl around their trapped prey. Our 2 species may hybridize forming a sterile hybrid with intermediate characteristics.

Great sundew ranges from Alaska to northern Caliifornia and east across Canada and some of the northern states as well as northern Europe and even Japan. In Oregon, it can be found in the Cascades and a small area in the Wallowas. As it frequently does, it grows alongside round-leaved sundew at Quaking Aspen Swamp and Parrish Lake.

perennial • 2–6" (5–15 cm)mossy bogs and seeps middle: July

bigroot or CoaSt manroot Márah oregànus

This wild cucumber is a distinctive vine, usually seen trail-ing through the grass, over rocks, or twining up shrubs. It has many atrractive racemes of white, male, 5-lobed flow-ers. A single female flower is attached at the same leaf axil at the base of the clusters of male flowers. Its fruit looks like a cucumber, but it isn’t edible (Marah means bitter in Hebrew). The very large palmately veined leaves are irregularly lobed. The common names refer to the extremely large root which may be as much as 5' long and 2' wide!

Bigroot ranges from California to British Columbia on the west side of the Cascades. It is most likely to be seen at lower elevations such as Tire Mountain, Castle Rock, Mt. June, and Heckletooth Mountain, where it grows in abundance.

perennial • 3–20' (90–600 cm)open grassy slopes, rocky areasmiddle: June