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• Parry's Primrose (Primula parryi), family Primulaceae (Primrose). Plant location: This beauty was seen in the Goliath Nature Area on Mt Evans Colorado on June 15, 2011. GPS coordinates: N39°38.549 W105°35.576 - Elevation: 11,533'. Found in only a handful of states: AZ, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, UT, WY. Bloom season: June through August.
• Whiproot Clover -or- Alpine Clover (Trifolium dasyphyllum), family Fabaceae (Pea/Bean). We have seen this pretty little clover in alpine locations for years and never recorded it. A lovely species that spreads in a mat formation. Also found in subalpine locations. Plant location: Goliath Natural Area, Mt. Evans, Colorado. Photographed on June 3, 2011. GPS coordinates: N39°38.550 W105°35.576 - Elevation: 11,535'. Bloom season: June through August.
• Wiry Milkvetch -or- Limber Vetch (Astragalus flexuosus), family Fabaceae (Pea/Bean). Plant location: Mark found this pea in the Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, on June 19, 2011 - GPS coordinates: N40°24.260 W105°35.557 - Elevation: 8267'. Bloom season:
• Stink Currant (Ribes bracteosum), family Grossulariaceae (Currant).
  
  Another edible, if not appealing in fragrance, member of the Ribes genus. Plant location: Photographed on a day hike on Mt Rainier, Bench Lake trail, Washington state. The date was July 4, 2007. This species is found only in Washington, Oregon, California, and Alaska. Also British Columbia. Bloom season: April through June.
• Salmonberry -or- Salmon Raspberry (Rubus spectabilis), family Rosaceae (Rose). Plant location: Photographed during a Mt. Rainier hike, Bench Lake area, Washington, on July 4, 2007. Bloom season: March through June.
• Tapertip Onion (Allium acuminatum), family Alliaceae (Onion).
  
  Plant location: Photographed on July 6, 2011, northbound on Wyoming 789 to Baggs Wyoming - GPS coordinates: N41°00.192 W107°38.323 – Elevation: 6523'. Found in the following United States: AZ, CA, CO, ID, MT, NM, NV, OR, UT, WA, WY. Bloom season: May through July.
• Snow Dwarf-Primrose -or- Snow Douglasia (Douglasia nivalis), family Primulaceae (Primrose). Publication of this species was a long time in coming, pending a sure identification. Little information was 'out there' at the time we sighted these lovely plants back in 2007, less sursprising in 2011, upon learning that the plants are found ONLY IN Washington state.
  
  For many additional photos and technical information on Snow-Dwarf, visit the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture. Plant location: Photographed hiking the Esmerelda Basin Trail, Washington state, on June 17, 2007. This species is found only in Washington state so it was quite a thrill to find it. Bloom season: April through August.
• Lesser Rushy Milkvetch -or- Timber Milkvetch (Astragalus convallarius), family Fabaceae (Pea/Bean).
  
  Many thanks AGAIN to Dr. Matt Lavin, for his assistance in the identification of this species. There are four variants of convallarius: convallarius, finitimus, margaretiae, and scopulorum. Var convallarius is found in Colorado, per the USDA Plant Database. Var scopulorum is mentioned as uncommonly present in Colorado in Weber's keys of the Eastern Slope. So it is possible that this plant could be one of those two.

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  USES: Per the wonderful website Native American Ethnobotany, Astragalus convallarius var convallarius was used by the Gosiute tribe as a horse medicine. This is interesting in view of the known toxicity to livestock of this species. From a 1975 citation by M. C. Williams and L. F. James in the FDA Poisonous Plant Database is this: Methemoglobin analyses in sheep indicated that nitro compounds in A. diversifolius, A. convallarius, and A. pterocarpus resembled 3-nitro-1-propanol in toxicity and rate of absorption from the digestive tract. Possibly the horse medicine was applied by members of the Gosiute tribe topically?

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  An important diagnostic feature of Astragalus convallarius is that it has both grass-like leaves and pendent, linear, bean-shaped fruits. Most commonly the flowers are off-white to yellow in color. Note in the plant slide that the plant did show numerous flowers in pale yellow. Plant location: Photographed on Heeney Road 30 near Silverthorne Colorado, on July 5, 2011. GPS coordinates: N39°53.748 W106°18.671 – Elevation: 8039'. This species is found only in the following United States: CO, ID, MT, NV, UT, WY. It is classed as imperiled in the state of Montana. Bloom season: June through August
• Rock Penstemon -or- Cliff Beardtongue (Penstemon rupicola), family Plantaginaceae (Plantain) - was Scrophulariaceae (Figwort) and is still often found there. Plant location: Photographed hiking the Bench Lake Trail on Mt Rainier, Washington, on July 4, 2007. This species is found only in California, Oregon, and Washington states. Bloom season: May through August.
• Plant location: Bloom season:
• Alpine Primrose -or- Fairy Primrose (Primula angustifolia), family Primulaceae (Primrose). This demure little beauty was a lovely breath of alpine summer on the Summit Lake Trail on Mt. Evans. Plant location: Photographed on June 29, 2011, Mt Evans Rd, Colorado - GPS coordinates: N39°36.085 W105°38.520 - Elevation: 12,853'. Found only in Colorado and New Mexico. Bloom season: June through August.
• Plant location: Bloom season: