Wasatch Wildflowers: Abies lasiocarpa, Sub-Alpine Fir

Perhaps among the most distinguishing features of this fir tree is the upright presentation of dark purplish cones early in the season.  The cones exude sticky sap that drips down.

The bark of mature trunks of the tree is smooth gray, punctuated with elongated lenticels and minor branch scars, which give it a stippled appearance.

The crown of mature firs present as a sharply pointed and gradually tapering pyramidal shape, typically with major branches reaching to the ground, or nearly so

.

Firneedles adopt a very dark green color overall, with the new growth appearing much lighter in color.

On close examination, in can be seen the needle is pyramidal in cross section, and that the needle surface is densely packed with white lenticels on either side of the needle midrib, with the upper surface less dense and the lower white stripe being wider.

Interesting to note that the Sub Alpine Fir at the highest elevations adapts a "Krumholtz" growth habit, the trees presenting stunted and twisted shapes with little height, sometimes even reduced to mat-like prostrate and ground hugging growths that bear scant resemblance to trees at lower elevation.

Leaving the Thundering Herd

Several times during my life, enticed by a hint of color high on the mountain, I ventured into interesting space other nearby people overlooked or ignored. When I was a student at UCR, the solitude of the Box Springs Mountains loomed only a couple of miles away from the bustling campus. I hardly ever even saw the mountains, because the Riverside smog was always so heavy. One exceptional clear day, I noticed a patch of color high on the side of the near peak. Local people told me it was just summer weeds. But I had to look for myself. Because that's the way I roll. So I hiked up the mountainside. And as I approached the highest highs, I found myself wading through a riotous blaze of golden California Poppies blooming across the high meadows. Acres and acres of them, and I felt like I had them all to myself.

Then I realized I was not quite alone. As I wandered among the boulder-strewn slopes, I was challenged by some of the local residents. Big ugly black lizards objected to my encroachment. Later I found out their common name is Chuckwalla (Sauromalus ater), related to Iguanas. There were dozens of them sunning themselves in the rocks, like dinosaurs taking a nap, and as I approached they made hissing noises and acted like they would love to bite me for disturbing the peace.

(To be continued...)

Wastch Wildflowers

Wasatch Wildflowers.

I have been identifying the profusion of mountain wildflowers from A to Z, from photographs submitted by the Hike the Wasatch club over a number of years.  The mountains of Utah become a summer showplace of superlative splendor.   This YouTube slide show is another form of home movies, though the accompaniment is courtesy of the Vienna Philharmonic and first movement of Beethoven's 9th.  The sequence follows more-or-less alphabet sorting of the taxonomic genus names.