All notes and guides evolve as I learn more.
Identification Notes
These are quick memory aids and ready made comments to explain IDs.
- Berberis repens: Berberis repens is a low lying plant with 3-7 dull leaflets that have toothed margins. It has yellow flowers and blue fruit. It is commonly confused with Berberis aquifolium due to similar appearance. B. aquifolium is a shrub (so usually taller than B. repens), has 5-9 shiny leaflets with more pointed tips. https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PDBER060E0; https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/116791883
- Frasera speciosa: Greenish flowers have 4 lobes and may have purple spots or streaks. They grow on a single stalk that can reach 5-6 feet high. When no stalk is present, the plant has rosette of large, narrow, smooth, keeled leaves with deep central vein. When flowers aren’t blooming can be confused with 2 species: Veratrum californicum leaves have deep parallel veins; Verbascum thapsus has hairy leaves. https://www.swcoloradowildflowers.com/Brown%20Green%20Enlarged%20Photo%20Pages/frasera%20speciosa.htm
-
Veronica wyomingensis lacks petals and has conspicuous purple stamens. V. wyomingensis: https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PDSCR09070. Phacelia sericea has dense spikes of purple flowers and larger, pinnately-divided leaves. The stamens of the P. sericea extend past it’s petals (corolla). P. sericea: https://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PDHYD0C4A0
-
Artemisia tridentata (big sagebrush) - the most common sagebrush of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem has shallow lobed (with 3 tips), fan-shaped grey-green leaves. It has a distinctive central trunk and generally grows 2-5 feet high. Flower spikes rise above the crown of branches. Montana FWP. In the GYE, the species most likely to be confused with A. tridentata is A. arbuscula. A. arbuscula or low sagebrush also has leaves with 3 lobes; lobes may be shallow or deep (with deep lobes suggesting arbuscula). It lacks an apparent trunk and is generally less than 2 feet tall. USFS. Observing for ID purposes: photograph the entire shrub to show growth habit and scale. Leaf shape can vary on a given plant (flowering stems vs vegetative branches), so look and capture leaf definition from these different locations. The Sagebrush pocket guide provides additional information on sagebrush, including additional methods of ID and how to distinguish subspecies.
Identification Guides
For guides, I have attempted to review the species that are within range for the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem for the genera listed. I have created comments for the most common species, but more are described within the guide.
- Geranium richardsonii: White (sometimes pale pink) petals that have purple veins. Awn tipped sepals, shorter than the petals, may be seen between the petals. Stems are covered with glandular hairs. G. richardsonii only has hairs on the veins on the lower side of its leaves, unlike G. viscosissimum, which has leaves that are hairy all over. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/144298/journal/72776
- Geranium viscosissimum: Pink to purple petals and red to purple veins. Sepals are only visible from below and end in short bristle (awn). Stems and leaves are covered with sticky hairs all over. G. richardsonii can also have pale pink flowers, but only has hairs on the veins on the lower side of its leaves. In G. richardsonii, you can also see the awns from the top of the flower. https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/144298/journal/72776
-
Picea - Spruces - sharp needles attached with woody pegs. Engelmanni has shorter cones and more rounded needles when compared with pungens. The needles of pungens are frequently at a 90 degree angle to the twig, where engelmanni needles are at 45 degrees to the twig. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/74981
-
Abies lasiocarpa - Conical growth habit. Dark purple, cylindrical cones grow up from branches. Flat needles are glaucous green above with a broad stripe of stomata, and two blue-white stomatal bands below. The needles curve toward the opposite side of the twig. Bark often has many irregular horizontal lines https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/74981
-
Pseudotsuga menziesii - Flat needles, attached by petiole. Seed cones contain distinctive bracts with 3 points. Yellow-red pollen cones. Sharp pointed buds. Bark of mature trees has longitudinal fissures. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/74981
- Pinus contorta: Lodgepole is the dominant tree of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. They have 2 needles per fascicle. Seed cones start green and mature to brown, then become very dark (almost black). When closed, they have a conical shape. Then they open to a short asymmetrical egg and tend to hang onto the branches for a while. Bark is grey and scaly on mature trees. They can be tall and narrow and grow in dense stands. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/73712
- Pinus albicaulis: Whitebark pine is found at high elevations. It has 5 needles per fascicle and bright scarlet pollen cones. It’s dark purple seed cones lighten as they mature, and are usually eaten by Clark’s Nutcrackers. You may see no cones, but may find parts of cones at the base of the tree. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/73712
- Pinus flexilis: Limber pine is found at mid-to-high elevations. It has 5 needles per fascicle and yellow to amber pollen cones. Cones are larger than white pine, starting as green and maturing to light brown. They can frequently be found at the base of the tree. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/73712
- Section Quinquefoliae: White Pines have 5 needles and includes whitebark and limber. These are most easily distinguished by noting pollen and seed cones when possible. https://www.inaturalist.org/posts/73712
- I am uncomfortable making IDs based on my research to date, but the information I gathered is still available.
