BRN 9-2 (uncompressed) - Flipbook - Page 80
top of the ßower are dew from the
night before.
I
G
A few more ßowers of the same
species were found at ÒFÓ.
Note that the ßower
color and plant form
(one much more
upright) are
different between
the specimens.
The dew on the
ßowers is the
same.
H
There were several
other blooming
species in the area,
like Potentilla
thurberi (Bray),
ThurberÕs
Cinquefoil.
ThurberÕs
Cinquefoil has,
what I
characterize as
the ÒtypicalÓ
Potentilla leaf,
fan-like.
F
D
E
have come with a signiÞcant, perhaps
large, amount of hail.
C
Speaking of
Penstemon in
particular and
wildßowers in
general, the Native Plant Society of
New Mexico (NPSNM) maintains the
ÒWildßowers of New MexicoÓ
Penstemon virgatus (ÒEÓ),
Wand-bloom Penstemon,
was found in the trail where
it descends from the
outcrop and into the park
proper. The grains of sand
visible on the leaf of the
larger photograph were
probably knocked into the
air by the heavy rain. The
air was still fairly humid,
and the water droplets on
website, which is an excellent
resource. The site was developed by
George Oxford Miller and donated to
the NPSNM.
At the northern end of the park there
was a nice clump of cactus (ÒGÓ)
growing in a bit of soil between the
large sections of bedrock (ÒHÓ) which
are found at the surface here. Without
the beneÞt of a ßower, this cactus
consistently keyed to a species found
at much lower elevations - so another
time.
In this general area white moonstone
(ÒIÓ) was mined in the past, and
specimens of this mineral can be
found in the outcrops and in the
stream beds which radiate from the
area.
On the way out, as we started up the
incline at ÒBÓ on the previous page,
we found several specimens of
Potentilla crinita (A. Gray), Bearded or
LemmonÕs Cinquefoil (see ÒJÓ at the
end of this article). This plant has
small pinnately compound leaves,
with the leaßets ÒalmostÓ alternate in
placement. There may be as many as
17 leaßets per leaf. This species
might be confused with Potentilla
anserina, which has fewer leaßets,
notched along their entire length.
E
E
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