A HANDBOOK
of
WETLAND PLANTS
of the
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
David J. Cooper
niustrated by Kris Meiring
EPA Region VIH
1989
-------
A HANDBOOK
OF
WETLAND PLANTS
OF THE
ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
by:
David J. Cooper
illustrated by:
Kris Meiring
EPA Region VIII
1989
FHWA
1996
-------
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION 1
WHAT ARE WETLANDS 1
WETLAND IDENTIFICATION 2
TYPES OF WETLANDS 5
HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED 7
GRASSES AND GRASSLIKE PLANTS 9
Beckmannia syzigachne slough grass 10
Calamagrostis canadensis Canadian reed-grass ... 12
Carex spp. sedges 14
Cyperusspp. galingale 16
Deschampsia cespitosa tufted hairgrass 18
Distichlis spicata ssp. stricta salt-grass 20
Eleocharis spp. spikerush 22
Equisetum spp. horsetail 24
Eriophorum angustifolium cottongrass 26
G/ycenaspp. manna grass 28
Hordeum jubatum foxtail barley 30
Juncus spp. rush 32
Phragmites australis common reed 34
Pucdnellia airoides nuttall alkali-grass .... 36
Scirpus americanus american three square . 38
Scirpusspp. bulrush 40
Sparganium spp. bur-reed 42
Spartinapectinata prairie cord-grass .... 44
Typha spp. cattail 46
WETLAND SHRUBS AND TREES 49
Acernegundo box-elder 50
Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia alder 52
Betulafontinalis river birch 54
Betula glandulosa bog birch 56
Comus stolonifera dogwood, red-osier ... 58
Kalmia microphylla swamp laurel 60
Lonicera involucrata honeysuckle; twinberry . 62
-------
Pentaphylloides floribunda
Populus spp.
Salix spp.
Sarcobatus vermiculatus
shrubby cinquefoil ... 64
cottonwood; poplars . . 66
willows 70
greasewood 74
HERBACEOUS PLANTS WITH SHOWY FLOWERS 77
Asclepias incarnata marsh milkweed .... 78
Bacopa rotundifolia water hyssop 80
Bidenscernua nodding bur-marigold . 82
Bistorta bistortoides bistort 84
Cahhaleptosepala marsh marigold 86
Epilobium dliatum willow-herb 88
Heradeum sphondylium cow parsnip 90
Iris missouriensis wild iris 92
Limnorchis dilatata white bog-orchid .... 94
Lycopus americanus water horehound .... 96
Mentha arvensis field mint 98
Menyanthes trifoliata buckbean 100
Mertensia ciliata bluebells; chiming bells .102
Nasturtium officinale water-cress 104
Pedicularis groenlandica elephantella 106
Persicariaspp. smartweed 108
Ranunculus spp. buttercup 110
Senecio triangularis triangle-leaf senecio . .112
Suaeda calceoliformis sea blight 114
Swertia perennis star gentian 116
Triglochin maritima arrowgrass 118
Verbena hastata blue vervain 120
Veronica anagallis-aquatica water speedwell 122
REFERENCES I24
INTRODUCTION
Lands that have saturated soils, shallow standing water or flooding
during at least a portion of the growing season are called wetlands.
In the Rocky Mountain region, wetlands occupy a wide variety of
habitats such as stream sides and river floodplains, lake and reser-
voir shores, basins and potholes, springs and areas with high water
tables. The consistent thing about these sites is that their soils are
saturated for at least a few consecutive weeks during the growing
season.
According to the most accepted definition wetlands are:
"those areas which are saturated or inundated by sur-
face or ground water at a frequency and duration suf-
ficient to support and that under normal
circumstances do support a prevalence of vegetation
typically adapted for life in saturated soil conditions".
This definition stresses the importance of water but also stresses
that wetlands typically are populated by certain plant species (called
hydrophytes) that are adapted for life in saturated soils. The abun-
dant water may allow luxurious growth of plants as can be seen in
willow thickets, bulrush and cattail marshes and cottonwood
riparian forests. Wetland soils (called hydric soils) develop due to
the saturated conditions.
Because wetlands occur where water is abundant they are very im-
portant ecosystems, and this is particularly true in the semi-arid
western U.S. Most species of wildlife utilize wetlands at some time
in their life-cycles. Waterfowl, fish, and amphibians are dependent
upon wetlands. Wetlands may remove sediment from flowing
water, providing an important water cleansing function because
sediment may carry pollutants such as metals and excessive
nutrients. Wetlands also function inreducing flood peaks by detain-
1
-------
ing water and slowly releasing it. The values of wetlands for recrea-
tional activities such as fishing, bird watching, and waterfowl hunt-
ing are well-known, but not appreciated until the resource is
depleted.
WETLAND IDENTIFICATION
To help identify which plants are hydrophytes, the National Wet-
lands Inventory of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has developed
a "List of Plant Species that Occur in Wetlands" (Reed 1988). Lists
are available for every state in the U.S. and regional and national
lists also exist. These are available from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service (Regional Coordinator, P.O. Box 25486, Denver Federal
Center, Denver, CO 80225). The lists rank each species oh a five
category scale. For example, species such as broad-leaf cattail
(Typha latifolia) that occur only in wetlands are called obligate wet-
land plant species. Species that almost never occur in wetlands, such
as big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentatd), are upland species and do
not occur on the list. All species in each region were given an in-
dicator status based upon the percentage of individual plants of
each species that occur in wetlands, a 'plus' (e.g., 'facultative +' in
the text) indicates that the plant is ranked in the upper part of the
category. A 'minus' is used to indicate the lower part of the category.
The following table illustrates how this works.
RANKING
OBLIGATE
FACULTATIVE
WETLAND
FACULTATIVE
FACULTATIVE
UPLAND
DESCRIPTION
= 99 % or greater of the individuals
of a species occur in wetlands
= 66-99 % of the individuals
of a species occur in wetlands
= 33-66 % of the individuals of
a species occur in wetlands
= 1-33 % of the individuals
of a species occur in wetlands
UPLAND
= less than 1% of the individuals
of a species occur in wetlands
If the vegetation at a site is dominated by species that are ranked as
obligate or facultative wetland this is a good indication that the site
may be a wetland. However, if the vegetation of a site is dominated
by species ranked facultative upland or upland, the vegetation does
not provide a strong indication that the site is a wetland. It should
be remembered that approximately 1-33 % of the total population
of facultative upland plant species do occur in wetlands.
The species rankings for each region are developed by panels of ex-
perts in wetland ecology. Because a species may occupy different
ecological habitats in different parts of the country, the lists are
regionalized. A species may have different rankings in different,
though adjacent, regions. Because there is limited data for each
species, the rankings should be considered hypotheses.
Because our knowledge on the wetness indicator for each plant
species is incomplete, it is best to use the entire plant community
and as many ecosystem attributes as possible to characterize a site.
An ecosystem is an ecological unit, a subdivision of the landscape,
a geographic area that is relatively homogenous and reasonably dis-
tinct from adjacent areas. It is made up of three groups of com-
ponents — organisms, environmental factors and ecological
processes. The organism category includes plants and animals. The
environmental factor includes almost any physical substance, force
or condition, including time, latitude, altitude, fire, soil moisture
and so on. The ecological processes are interactions among or-
ganisms, among environmental factors, and between organisms and
environmental factors. Different ecosystems have at least one dif-
ferent environmental factor which allows different plants and
animals to live there. This environmental factor could be soil mois-
ture, soil type or many other factors.
To utilize the ecosystem approach in wetland identification, begin
by making a list of all plant species in the ecosystem of interest and
then determining which species are dominants and which are less
-------
abundant. If all the dominant species are obligate wetland, faculta-
tive wetland or facultative plant species then there is good evidence
that the vegetation is dominated by hydrophytes and that the site
may be a wetland. If all the dominants are upland plant species then
there is good evidence that the site may be non-wetland. If half of
the dominant species have an indicator status suggesting wetland
and half suggest non-wetland you should also look at the uncom-
mon species in the community.
To further explore the ecosystem you should evaluate the soils and
hydrology of the site. The Soil Conservation Service (SCS) has
developed a list of hydric soil series for each state. These lists are
available from state SCS offices. Hydric soils are those which are
inundated or saturated by surface or ground water during at least a
portion of the growing season. This waterlogging creates anaerobic
and reducing soil conditions and leads to the formation of gleyed
(grey soil colors due to the reduction of iron and manganese created
by waterlogged conditions), mottled (spotted and streaked soils
caused by alternate wetting and drying) and peat soils.
Our concepts of hydric soils in the West are, at present, evolving
very rapidly. This is particularly true for soils along floodplains be-
cause they are typically youthful due to erosion and deposition
caused by flooding. Many times floodplain soils do not exhibit the
characteristics of typical hydric soils, such as gleying or mottling.
Hydrology data can be acquired from river and stream gauging sta-
tions to show when and if a stream floods, ground water wells to
determine how high the water table is, evidence of surface flooding
and/or ponding, high water tables, and other factors.
Data on the composition of the plant community and the soils and
hydrology of an ecosystem will provide you with a good under-
standing of that ecosystem and allow you to determine whether it is
a wetland or not. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environ-
mental Protection Agency, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
U.S.D.A. Soil Conservation Service have produced a cooperative
technical publication a "Federal Manual for Identifying and
Delineating Jurisdictional Wetlands" which discusses in great detail
the currently accepted methods for identifying wetlands. Consult
this manual for a more thorough review of these methods than is
possible here.
This booklet is provided as a guide to the botanical component of
wetland identification in the Rocky Mountain region. It is not in-
tended to be a comprehensive treatment of the wetland flora of this
region. It is intended to introduce those interested in wetland iden-
tification to many of the dominant and characteristic species and
genera in the flora of this region. With each species is a brief
description of the features most useful for identifing each plant,
notes on the ecology of the species, synonomy, geographic range,
and rank on the National Wetlands Inventory lists. For a com-
prehensive treatment of the flora of your region, consult the publi-
cations listed in the section REFERENCES.
TYPES OF WETLANDS IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
Four major types of wetlands occur in the Rocky Mountain region.
Each of these types occupies large portions of the Rocky Mountain
landscape and each is described below.
(1) Riparian wetlands occur along moving water
courses such as rivers and creeks. These wetlands
receive a large seasonal pulse of water from the melt-
ing of mountain snowpacks. Flooding, sediment
erosion and deposition are characteristic. Riparian
wetlands can be forested, such as the well-known cot-
tonwood gallery forests in the lowlands; shrub-
dominated, such as the willow thickets found along
many streams; or dominated by herbaceous flower-
ing plants, as commonly occur along cascades in the
mountains. Many riparian wetlands have saturated
soils and/or high water tables only early in the grow-
ing season.
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(2) High mountain wetlands occur in regions that
were glaciated during the Pleistocene. The glaciers
have carved the mountains and deposited till (rocky
material pushed ahead or to the side of glaciers, or
left when a glacier melts out) creating landforms that
slow the runoff of water. Wetlands are abundant and
may occur behind glacial terminal moraines, where
the valley is flat and streams meander, in kettle ponds
within moraine deposits, and where glaciers have im-
pounded streams. Many high mountain wetlands
have peaty soils and they are saturated for most of the
growing season.
(3) Basin wetlands occur in the level intermountain
regions. These may be closed basins such as Great
Salt Lake in Utah where surface runoff from the
mountains collects and no drainage occurs. They may
also be smaller wetlands such as those in the inter-
mountain parks and basins of Colorado, Montana
and Wyoming. Many basin wetlands are saline or
alkaline because solutes are transported into the
basin by surface water, and when water evaporates,
the solutes remain in the wetland.
(4) Urban wetlands occur in urban, commercial, and
industrial areas. They are either wetlands created by
runoff from hard surfaces, or they are fragments of
naturally occurring wetlands that have been in-
fluenced by the heavy loads of nutrients, pesticides,
herbicides, metals, petroleum products, and other
pollutants that urban waters carry.
All of these wetland types provide functions that make them valu-
able to people and to wildlife. All the functions of wetlands must be
considered to fully appreciate their value.
HOW THIS BOOK IS ORGANIZED
Facing pages in this handbook describe and illustrate the plant
species. The descriptions include synonomy for the scientific names
of plants. This is required because many different treatments of the
flora of this Rocky Mountain region and states in this region exist.
Each state has one or more published books on the flora and many
books have somewhat different species nomenclature. This results
from the fact that each author has a somewhat different concept of
the species and genera in each plant family. In addition, some floras
are old while others are very new and more recent books usually in-
corporate up to date research on the relationships between species.
Descriptions are provided to help identify each species. These are
in "non-technical" language wherever possible. For example, in-
stead of using the term terete for describing Scirpus validus (soft-
stem bulrush) stems, the stems are described as being round in cross
section. However, it should be noted that in some large and techni-
cally difficult families, such as grasses, it is impossible to describe
all the distinguishing characteristics in non-technical language.
Consult a book on grasses to assist you with words that you may not
know. Similar looking and taxonomically similar species are both
described.
Ecological descriptions include the most common habitats that
each species is known to occupy, although it may also be occasional-
ly found in other habitats. Elevation ranges for species are not
defined because considerable latitudinal and even local variation
occurs. However, the general habitat of each species on plains,
basins, high or low mountains is described.
The indicator status for each species is taken from the NWI lists
prepared for each Fish and Wildlife Service region as described ear-
lier in this booklet. Different rankings for a species between regions
indicate differences in the habitats the species occupies in the dif-
ferent regions.
-------
All measurements given in this handbook are in the metric system.
The following is a conversion guide that may be useful to those not
familiar with this system:
METRIC ENGLISH
1 meter 39.3 inches
2.54 centimeters 1 inch
25.4 millimeters 1 inch
GRASSES
AND GRASSLIKE
PLANTS
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tid Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslikl
Bechnannia syzigachne (Steudel) Fernald
(slough grass)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Poaceae (the grasses)
B. erucaeformis
This large erect, herbaceous, annual grass is
often stoloniferous. Stems are usually 40 to
100 cm tall. The leaf blades are flat. The in-
florescence is a narrow panicle with the
florets arranged "like a stack of poker chips"
in the spikes. A very distinctive plant.
Occurring at low elevations in marshes, along
slow-moving streams and ditches and on
pond edges.
None
Obligate
Bechnannia syzigachne
10
11
-------
Grasses and Grasslikc Plants
Family:
Svnonomy:
Identification:
Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) P. Beauv.
(Canadian reed-grass, bluejoint)
Poaceae (the grasses)
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Perennial, herbaceous grass with creeping
rhizomes and stems usually 50-100 cm tall.
The leaf blades are numerous, flat and droop-
ing. The inflorescence is a panicle that may
be nodding, narrow or open. Diagnostic of
this genus is the tuft of straight hairs at the
base of the lemma.
This is one of the most common and distinc-
tive species of mid- to high-elevation wet-
lands in the Rocky Mountains although it
may also occur at lower elevations. It occurs
in marshes, peatlands and shrub- and tree-
dominated wetlands and is especially com-
mon on old beaver dams.
Other grass species may superficially look
like Canadian reed grass, however, the usually
pendulous heads and long hairs at the base of
the lemma are diagnostic. Calamagrostis
stricta (Timm) Koeler (C. inexpansa and C.
neglecta) has a narrow panicle and stiff
leaves. It occurs in wet habitats similar to
those of C. canadensis.
Obligate in regions 5 and 8; facultative wet-
land + in regions 4 and 9.
12
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Calamagrostis canadensis
-------
Gramrand Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslikl
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Carex L. spp. (sedges)
Cyperaceae (the sedges)
None
Sedges are perennial, herbaceous, grasslike
plants that usually have three-ranked leaves.
Plants may be monoecious or dioecious.
Flowers are either male or female, never
both. Inflorescences are spikes and one or
many spikes occur. The arrangement of
spikes on the culm is varied. They may be ter-
minal, or may hang on slender peduncles.
Culms are not jointed or hollow, as in gras-
ses. Because Carex species are among the
most abundant wetland plants in the region,
their identification is important to anyone
working in the field. More than one hundred
species of Carex occur in the Rocky Moun-
tain region.
Carex species dominate many marshes, fens
and wet meadows in the region, at all eleva-
tions. They are most common where there is
a high water table for most of the growing
season, but occur in a wide variety of habitats
from extremely dry to extremely wet. All tall,
coarse species of Carex are wetland plants.
Sedges can be confused with rushes, bul-
rushes and other groups of plants, but should
never be confused with grasses. Bulrushes
and rushes have perfect flowers (both male
and female parts in the same flower); sedges
never do. Many bulrushes and all rushes have
rounded stems; sedges rarely do. Most bul-
rushes are taller than sedges, but many
rushes are similar to sedges in size.
Species range from obligate wetland to
obligate upland.
Carex aquatilis
Carex canescens
14
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Family:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Cyperus L. spp.
(gaiingale)
Cyperaceae (the sedges)
rvurie
These annual or perennial grasslike plants
usually have solid triangular stems. Flowering
spikelets are usually abundant and arranged
in one or several spike-like clusters. Scales of
the spikelets are distinctly two-ranked (ar-
ranged in two vertical rows).
Most Cyperus species occur in wet areas,
while the closely related Mariscus species
occur in drier sites.
Some authors include the genus Mariscus in
Cyperus while others separate the two
genera. Cyperus are annual plants. Mariscus
are perennial plants with the stems having
thickened bulb-like bases. These two genera
have many different species.
Most species are obligate wetland plants, but
many Mariscus spp. occur on drier sites.
16
Brasses ana urassiike Plants
Cyperus erythrorhizos
TT
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ftd Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslik
Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauvois
(tufted hairgrass)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Poaceae (the grasses)
The species name is often spelled caespitosa.
This herbaceous, perennial grass grows in
dense tufts (bunches) and has erect leafy
stems that occasionally reach up to 50-100 cm
tall, but usually are smaller. The leaves are
stiff and sharp pointed. The flowering heads
are open and diffuse panicles with few-
flowered spiklets, usually tinged with purple.
The glumes are usually as long as the entire
spikelet.
This is a very widespread, abundant and
characteristic species in our region. It occurs
on the edge of ponds, fens and other wet-
lands in the subalpine and montane zones in
the mountains. It also occurs in non-wetland
snowbeds in the alpine tundra.
Many grasses with inflorescences in open
panicles superficially look like this species,
but few combine the robust bunch grass form
and stiff leaves.
Facultative wetland
Deschampsia cespitosa
18
19
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Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Distichlis spicata L. Greene ssp.stricta (Torr.) Beetle.
(salt-grass)
Family:
Svnonomv:
— *
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Poaceae (the grasses)
D. stncta (Torrey) Rydb., D. spicata L.
An herbaceous, perennial and rhizomatous
grass with usually short (10-30 cm tall) stems.
The leaves are conspicuously perpendicular
to the stems and distinctly two-ranked (dis-
tichos in Greek). Plants are dioecious (dif-
ferent male and female plants exist).
Pistillate (female) spikelets are distinctly
flattened, 7-9 flowered, large and con-
spicuous.
This species forms spreading mats on salt
flats. Many of these sites have a seasonally or
permanently high water table.
No other species has the distinctive two-
ranked leaves and large, flattened spikelets.
Facultative wetland in region 4,5 and 9; facul-
tative + in region 8.
Distichlis spicata
ssp. stricta
20
-------
Gi
id Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslikc FTSHIs
Family:
Identification:
Ecology:
Eleocharis spp. R. Br. (spikerushes)
Cyperaceae (the sedges)
Spikerushes are very distinctive herbaceous,
perennial or annual plants with angular,
rounded or flattened stems. Almost all leaves
are at the base of the stem and many plants,
particularly the perennial plants, will look
leafless. A single spikelet (inflorescence) oc-
curs at the top of the stem. All flowers are
perfect (they contain both male and female
parts).
Spikerushes can commonly be found on the
margin of ponds, lakes, closed basins, im-
poundments, marshes and fens. Only E. quin-
queflora occurs at high elevation. All other
species occur at low to moderate elevation.
On the edges of temporary ponds the annual
species (eg. E. obtusa (Willd.) Schultes var.
dentosa (Gray) Drap. & Mohl., and E.
coloradoensis (Britt.) Gilly var. anachaeta
(Torr.) Svenson) of spikerush are most com-
mon. Where the elevation of the water sur-
face is more stable, the most common species
are the perennials, particularly E. palustris
(L.) R. & S. and E. acicularis (L.) R. & S.
Many times stands of spikerush are found
with the closely spaced stems reminding one
of stiff hair.
Similar Species: The genus Eleocharis is very distinctive once
recognized.
NWI Ranking:
All species are ranked obligate wetland.
Eleocharis palustris
22
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Grasses and urassuke Plants
Family:
c-._-^.-
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Equisetum spp.
(horsetails and scouring rushes)
Equisetaceae (the horsetails)
The horsetails and scouring rushes include
two genera, Equisetum which has regularly
whorled branched, annual stems and rounded
strobili (the fruiting structures), and
Hippochaete which has unbranched,
evergreen stems and sharp-pointed strobili.
Many different species occur.
Horsetails are unmistakable because of their
jointed and hollow stems. The species of
Hippochaete are grasslike, while the species
of Equisetum many times form a dense under-
story to shrubs and trees where the whorled
branches cover large areas.
Most species occur at springs, along stream-
sides and in moist and shaded locations with
an overstory of shrubs or trees.
None
Species differ in their ranking from faculta-
tive to facultative wetland.
Equisetum laevigatum
(Hippochaete laevigata)
24
25
-------
Gra:
Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike Plafl
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Eriophorum angustifolium Honck.
(cottongrass, bogwool)
Cyperaceae (the sedges)
E. polystachion L.
This cottongrass is an herbaceous, perennial
plant, with stems arising from creeping
rhizomes. The inflorescences are very distinc-
tive, composed of spikelets dangling on
slender peduncles (stalk of a flower cluster).
Cottongrass plants are especially distinctive
late in the summer as plumes of cottony
white bristles develop in (he spikelets.
Occasional to common and occurring almost
entirely in mountain peatlands with cold soils.
Two other species of cottongrass (E. gracile
Koch and E. viridicarinatum (Engelm.) Fern.)
have several flower heads. Several species of
cottongrass occurring in the Rocky Moun-
tains have a single cottony terminal head (E.
callitrix Cham, ex Meyer is a densely tufted
species; E. scheuchzeri Hoppe is rhizomatous
and has white bristles; E. chamissonis Meyer
is rhizomatous and has reddish colored
bristles).
NWI Ranking: All species are obligate.
Eriophorum angustifolium
26
27
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Glyceria spp. R.Br.
(manna grasses)
Poaceae (the grasses)
Manna grasses are herbaceous, perennial
grasses that usually are tall (to 4-5 feet), al-
though some species are shorter. Stems in
some species rest on the ground and root.
Many species spread from creeping
rhizomes. The stems are simple and the leaf
blades are flat. The inflorescence is usually
an open or contracted panicle. The spikelets
have short glumes and many florets. The lem-
mas are awnless and are broadly rounded or
truncate, not pointed.
All manna grass species occur in wet habitats
in the mountains and on the plains and
basins. Many species grow in shallow stand-
ing or slowly moving water. They are a
characteristic element of the wetland flora,
but do not regularly occur in abundance. G.
maxima (Hartm.) Holmb. ssp.grandis and G.
striata (Lam.) Hitchc. occur on the Great
Plains along rivers and in sloughs; G. borealis
(Nash) Batch, G. striata and G. elata (Nash)
Hitchc. occur on the margins of ponds in the
mountains. Some species are common in ir-
rigated hay meadows in mountain parks and
basins.
Several other grass species can superficially
look like manna grasses, but none of the
larger grasses possesses the floral characteris-
tics described above.
NWI Ranking: All species are ranked obligate.
Glyceria borealis
28
29
-------
bnd Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Hordeum jubatum L.
(foxtail barley)
Poaceae (the grasses)
Critesion jubatum (L.) Nevski, H. caespitosum
Scribn.
This perennial, herbaceous grass grows in
small tufts. Stems are usually erect, or some-
what decumbent at the base and 30-60 cm
tall. The heads are nodding, 5-10 cm long,
and are about as long as wide. The long (2-5
cm long) awns are very distinctive. The
flower heads appear very soft, reddish or yel-
lowish in early summer, but the heads dry
and shatter in late summer.
This species grows on wet and disturbed
ground, frequently on somewhat alkaline soil.
Foxtail barley may form extensive zones
around ponds in basins. It is common only at
low elevation.
Hordeum (Critesion) brachyantherum Nevski
has shorter awns (less than 1 cm) and the
spike is longer than wide.
Facultative wetland in regions 4 and 5; facul-
tative + in region 9; facultative * (need more
information) in region 8.
Hordeum jubatum
30
31
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Family:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Juncus spp. L.
(rushes)
Juncaceae (the rushes)
This is a large and complex genus of her-
baceous, grasslike plants which may be peren-
nial or annual. The stems are rounded or
flattened and stem leaves may or may not
occur. The leaves take many shapes and may
be flat, rolled, or folded as in Iris. The flowers
arc perfect (with both male and female parts)
and a wide variety of inflorescence shapes
occur ranging from open and diffuse, to com-
pact, terminal on the stem, or appearing
lateral. Each flower is subtended by six
perianth parts (scale-like bracts) and the fruit
is a dry capsule. See the excellent book on
Juncus by Hermann (listed in References).
Rushes occupy a very wide variety of
habitats, from the lowlands up to the alpine
tundra. They rarely occur in standing water.
Many species are abundant and conspicuous
aspects of the wetland flora in our region.
Juncus arcticus Willd. ssp. ater (Rydb.) Hul-
ten (J. balticus Willd.) is the most abundant
and characteristic rush, occurring in wetlands
at low elevations.
Rushes may look superficially like sedges
(Carex) or spikerush (Eleocharis). See the dis-
cussions of these critical genera elsewhere in
this manual.
Most species are obligate, facultative wet-
land, or facultative.
32
urasses and Grasslike Plants
Juncus arcticus
] Juncus torreyi
-------
and Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike Pfl
Phragmites australis (Cavanilles) Trinius
(common reed)
Family: Poaceae (the grasses)
Synonomy: Phragmites communis Trin.
Identification: This is the tallest (stems to 2-4 meters) peren-
nial grass in the Rocky Mountain region. It
has stout creeping rhizomes and occasionally
stolons are present. The leaf blades are flat
and usually very wide (1-5 cm). The inflores-
cence is a plume-like panicle, usually colored
purple or brown, whose branches are erect or
drooping. The spikelets are several-flowered.
Ecology: This species occurs at lower elevations on the
plains, intermountain basins and in the moun-
tains along floodplains, ditches and reser-
voirs. It often occurs in shallow standing
water.
Similar
Species: Calamagrostis canadensis (see elsewhere in
this handbook) has flowering heads of similar
shape and character, but the spikelets are
one-flowered, have a ring of hairs at the base
of the lemma and the plants usually grow at
higher elevation and are smaller.
NWI Ranking: Facultative wetland
Phragmites australis
34
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Grasses anrf fJraiclilrc
Family:
Puccinellia airoides (Nuttall) Watson and Coulter
(Nuttall alkali-grass)
Poaceae (the grasses)
Idcntification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
» — \
An herbaceous, perennial grass with erect
stems 30-60 cm tall (occasionally taller) and
usually occurring in tufts. The leaf blades are
flat or inrolled. The inflorescence is a panicle
which is pyramid-shaped, open and has the
panicle branches more or less in whorls.
Spikelets have 3-6 florets. Glumes and lem-
mas are broadly rounded.
This species occurs on alkali flats and on the
edges of ponds and marshes. This species and
P. distorts are very indicative of alkaline wet-
lands in much of their range.
Puccinellia distans is similar but has the lower
branches of the inflorescence reflexed and
pointing down toward the ground. P. cusickii
Weatherby occurs in Wyoming and differs in
having longer glumes and anthers.
Obligate in regions 5, 8 and 9; facultative wet-
land in region 4.
Puccinellia airoides
36
-------
nd Grassliice Plants
Grasses and Grassliky
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Scirpus americanus Pers.
(american three square)
Cyperaceae (the sedges)
S. olneyi, S. polyphyllus, S. longispicatus,
Schoenoplectus pungens.
Slender, herbaceous perennial plants up to 2
meters tall from creeping rootstocks. The
stems are distinctly and sharply triangular
with conspicuously concave sides. The in-
florescence is a cluster of 2-7 small, brownish
spikes attached near the top of the stem and
appearing to be attached to the side of the
stem a few centimeters below the stem's top.
Many plants appear leafless, but 3-ranked
leaves do occur at the base.
This species commonly occurs on the edges
of ponds and basins, often but not always in
saline soils and water. It may occur associated
with moving or standing water, or seeps and
springs.
Several other sedges have distinctly trian-
gular stems, but few appear to be thick, leaf-
less, wire-like strands. (See the description of
bulrushes in this booklet for a comparison)
Obligate
Scirpus americanus
38
39
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Grasses anH f!ra<:<:l;tf. PI.,.,...
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar
Species:
Scirpus spp. L.
(bulrushes)
Cyperaceae (the sedges)
Bobloschoenus. Schoennplcr.tUM;
pus, Baeothryon
Bulrushes are herbaceous perennial plants.
They comprise a fairly small group of plants,
but they have many diverse forms and some
botanists divide this group into several dif-
ferent genera (Bobloschoenus,
Schoenoplectus, Scirpus, Amphiscirpus,
Baeothryon). Most species are tall (1 to 3
meters tall) and have rounded or triangular
stems.
A very diverse group of species many of
which occupy a broad band in the shallow
water around pond margins, sloughs, and
other areas with high water table. Some
species are well-adapted for saline environ-
ments while others appear to be intolerant of
saline environments. Only two species
(Scirpus ( Trichophorum) pumilum and S.
(Trichophorum) caespitosum) occur at high
elevation. The other species generally occur
on the plains and intermountain basins.
The two high elevation species may look like
spikerush (see spikerush elsewhere in this
book). The larger species are distinctive, but
may look like american three-square, or com-
mon reed (Phragmites australis).
NWI Ranking: All species are obligate.
Scirpus validus
40
-------
lid Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike!
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Sparganium spp. L.
(bur-reeds)
Sparganiaceae (the bur-reeds)
None
Bur-reeds form a very distinctive genus of
aquatic and semi-aquatic plants. The leaves
are simple, linear and alternately arranged on
the stem. Staminate (male) and pistillate
(female) flowers occur in separate, globose
heads. Several species are common and they
may be large cattail-like plants of pond mar-
gins at low elevation (e.g. Sparganium
eurycarpum) or smaller trailing-leaved plants
of shallow ponds at middle and higher eleva-
tions (e.g. S. angustifolium).
Bur-reeds occur in and on the margins of
ponds and sloughs. Sparganium eurycarpum
Engelm. ex Gray occurs at low elevations on
the plains and is by far the largest species and
where inflorescences are not present they
may easily be confused with cattails (Typha
spp.). It often grows with bulrushes and cat-
tails. Sparganium minimum Fries and S.
angustifolium Michx. occur in the mountains,
usually at middle to high elevations, usually
growing in shallow water.
None
All species are ranked as obligate.
Sparganium angustifolium
42
43
-------
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Spartinapectinata Link
(prairie cord-grass)
Poaceae (the grasses)
S. michauxiana Hitchc.
This grass has tall stems, 1-3 meters in height,
that are very strong and wiry. The long, dis-
tinctly curved leaves are diagnostic. Leaf
blades are flat when young and rolled when
dry. The leaf margins are very scabrous
(scratchy). The flowering spikes are distinct-
ly one-sided and many flowered. The glumes
are awned (with short hairs).
Prairie cord-grass is common in marshes and
sloughs along rivers and on ditch banks on
the Great Plains and in some intermountain
basins. It usually occurs on the edges of wet
marshes, and does not grow in deep water,
SpartinagracilisTrin. is a smaller plant that
occurs in alkaline basins. It has smaller
glumes, is awnJess and rarely is taller than 3/4
meter.
Obligate in regions 4 and 5; facultative wet-
land in regions 8 and 9.
44
Grasses and Grasslike Plants
Spartina pectinata
-------
Gra!
I Grasslike Plants
Grasses and Grasslike
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
46
Typha spp. L.
(cattails)
Typhaceae (the cattails)
None
Cattails are unmistakable, stout herbaceous
and rhizomatous, perennial plants. They
range in height from 1-8 feet. They usually
grow tallest when rooted in standing water
and are shortest in drier and saline sites.
Male and female flowers are borne on the
same stalk, with male flowers on the upper
and female flowers on the lower portion of
the stalk. Seeds are small, wind dispersed,
and germinate rapidly in mud. Leaves are flat
and stand erect.
Cattails grow in still or slowly moving water
up to 3 feet in depth and in wet mud. In many
areas they dominate wetlands that have
ponded water, are frequently disturbed and
have heavy nutrient loadings (for example in
agricultural or urban watersheds). Cattails
prefer fresh water and rarely occur in very
saline or alkaline sites. They are prodigous
seed producers and can spread very rapidly to
disturbed wetland areas. Cattails typically
form monotypic stands, but can also occur
with bulrushes, common reeds, willow herb
and other species.
Many species of bulrushes (see Scirpus) su-
perficially look similar, but do not have the
distinctive cattail heads, or the flattened
leaves. Bur-reeds (Sparganium euiycarpum)
look similar in leaf and stem morphology to
cattails, but the flowering heads are very dis-
tinct and the leaves are channeled.
Obligate
Typha latifolia
47
-------
WETLAND
SHRUBS AND TREES
48
-------
tirubs and Trees
Wetland Shrubs an|
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Acer negunda L.
(box-elder)
Aceraceae (the maples)
Negundo aceroides (L.) Moench ssp. interius
(Britton & Shafer) Love & Love
Box-elders are small trees up to 15 or more
meters in height. They many times are ir-
regularly shaped and have multi-stemmed
trunks. The bark is smooth when young but
becomes furrowed with age. Leaves are pin-
nate with 3-5 leaflets, and are coarsely
toothed. The flowers are dioecious (male and
female flowers are on separate inflorescen-
ces) with the pistillate (female) inflorescen-
ces in drooping racemes. Fruits are pendant,
of two united samaras (winged fruits unique
to maples), and the wings large.
Box-elders are commonly found along
floodplains at lower elevations in canyons
and in the mountains. They may be locally
abundant along intermittent, perennial
streams, woody draws and canyons.
Cottonwoods and willows are trees that also
occur along floodplains, frequently with box-
elder, but they never have pinnate leaves or
samaras. Acerglabrum Torrey (mountain
maple) and Acer grandidentatum Nutt. (big-
tooth maple) are the only other maples na-
tive to the area of interest and both have
simple (not pinnate) leaves.
Facultative in regions 4,5 and 9; and faculta-
tive wetlands * (needs further study) in
region 8.
Acer negundo
50
51
-------
Wetland Shriihs anH Trccc
Alnus incana (L.) Moench ssp. tenuifolia (Nuttall) Breitung
(alder)
Family:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Betulaceae (the birches)
Alnus tenuifolia Null., Alnus incana (L.)
Moench, Alnus incana var. ocddentalis (Dip-
pel) Hitchc. (the nomenclature of Alnus
species is treated differently in most floristic
manuals and several varieties and subspecies
are described, including those listed here).
Alders are large shrubs or small trees, up to
10 meters tall, with thin grayish or reddish
bark. Leaves are ovate, oblong or oval and
coarsely toothed. Staminate (male) catkins
are elongate. Pistillate (female) catkins are
short and are on short peduncles. The catkin
scales are persistent on the fruiting catkin
and develop into woody "cones". Catkins ap-
pear before the leaves, on twigs of the pre-
vious season.
Alders are very characteristic of stream-side
habitats in the Rocky Mountains. They are
also found along some lake shores and oc-
casionally in moist woods especially in the
northern Rocky Mountains where the
climate is more maritime.
Alnus viridis (Vill.) Lam. & DC. occurs in the
northern portion of our region and occupies
similar habitats. It has catkins appearing with
the leaves on twigs of the current season, in-
stead of on last season's twigs as A. incana
does.
NWI Ranking:
Facultative wetland
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Alnus incana ssp. tenuifolia
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Wetland Shrubs and
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Betula fontinalis Sargent
(river birch; water birch)
Betulaceae (the birches)
Betula occidentalis Hook.
River birches are tall shrubs or small trees,
up to 12 meters tall, with thin brownish or
reddish bark. Twigs are resinous and glan-
.dular. Leaves are 2-4 cm long, broadly ovate
and sharply toothed on edges. Separate
stamjnate (male) and pistillate (female) cat-
kins occur with the pistillate catkins becom-
ing conelike.
This species is characteristic of streamsides,
frequently occurring with alder.
Betula glandulosa, described elsewhere in
this booklet, is a smaller shrub of higher
elevation wetlands, not water courses. Alnus
spp. are similar but the female catkins be-
come woody in the fruiting condition.
Facultative wetland
Betula fontinalis
55
-------
Family:
Syncnomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Betula glandulosa Michaux
(bog birch; shrub birch)
Betulaceae (the birches)
None
Bog birches are shrubs up to 2 meters in
height. The bark is brown and the young
twigs are dotted with white resinous glands.
Leaves are almost round with wavy margins,
and they are thick.
Bog birch is common on wet peaty and
mineral soils at higher elevations in the
mountains.
Betula ocddentalis Hook. (B.fontinalis Sar-
gent, river birch, see elsewhere in this book)
occurs along streams and rivers at middle to
low elevations in the mountains. It is a tall
shrub or small tree, has fewer resin glands on
twigs and the leaves are oval with sharply
pointed teeth on the edges.
NWI Ranking: Obligate
Wetland Shrubs and Tree.*
Betula glandulosa
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Cornus stolonifera L.
(dogwood, red-osier)
Comaceae (the dogwoods)
Cornus sericea L., Swida sericea (L.) Holub.
Red-osier are woody shrubs, usually 1-2
meters tall, but occasionally reaching to 4
meters tall. The branches are reddish and
often lying on the ground and rooting at the
nodes. Young twigs are often hairy. The
leaves are elliptic, 5-9 cm long, and have
prominent veins. Flowers have white petals
and occur in flat- topped clusters. Fruits are
7-9 mm long and whitish.
Red-osiers occur along water courses, stream
banks and under forests of conifers or cotton-
woods at low to middle elevations in the
mountains.
None
Facultative wetland
58
Wetland Shrubs an
Comus stolonifera
59
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Kalmia microphylla (Hooker) Heller
(swamp laurel; pale laurel)
Ericaceae (the heaths)
Kalmia puiifoiia Hooker; Kaimia polifolia ssp.
microphylla
Swamp laurel is a small evergreen shrub, 5-
50 cm tall, forming spreading mats at times.
Its leaves are dark green with the leaf mar-
gins rolled under. Flowers are bright pink or
rose colored, flowering early in the summer.
Fruits are oblong on long stalks.
Swamp laurel is common, but often over-
looked in high elevation wetlands. It is the
only species of heath occurring in many
Rocky Mountain wetlands. It typically occurs
on peaty soils, on rocks or hummocks on the
edges of ponds, lakes and peatlands.
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Several other species in the heath family
found in the northern and central Rocky
Mountains have evergreen leaves that are
rolled under along the edges including
Cassiope spp. (mountain heather),
Phyllodoce spp. (mountain heath) and Ledum
glanduloswn Nutt. (Labrador tea). Only
Kalmia has the floral petals united to form a
tube, leaves oppositely arranged on the stems
and leaves not ranked (not in linear rows on
the stem).
Obligate
Kalmia microphylla
60
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Wetland Shrubs all
Lonicera involucrata (Richards.) Cockerell
Lonicera involucrata Banks ex Spreng.
(honeysuckle; twinberry)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Caprifoliaceae (the honeysuckles)
Distegia involucrata (Banks) Cockerell
Twinberry is a shrub up to 3 meters tall. Its
leaves are 5-15 cm long, obovate or oval.
Flowers are yellowish and occur in pairs on
elongated peduncles that grow from leaf
axils. Bracts surrounding flowers enlarge and
become reddish closely embracing the fruits.
Fruits are black berries, occurring in pairs,
each 8 mm or more in diameter.
Twinberry is commonly found along stream-
banks in the mountains where it may be the
only plant species to indicate that a high
water table occurs. It also occurs in more
well-drained habitats.
Lonicera utahensis Wats, has leaves with
broadly rounded tips and the bracts surround-
ing flowers and fruits are small and incon-
spicuous. Several species of Lonicera have
been introduced to the Rocky Mountain
region from Europe and have become
naturalized in canyons and along streams (eg.
L. tatarica L.), especially near urban areas.
Facultative in regions 8 and 9; facultative
upland regions 4 and 5.
Lonicera involucrata
62
63
-------
Wetland Shrnhc unit Trees
Family:
Synonomy:
Pentaphylloides floribunda (Pursh) Love
(shrubby cinquefoil)
Rosaceae (the roses)
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Potentillafruticosa (L.); Dasiophorafruticosa
(L.) Rydberg
Shrubby cinquefoil is a small shrub, 30-100
cm tall, with distinctive brown shredding
bark. Its leaves are compound usually with 5
leaflets (penta = 5, phylloides = leaves).
Leaves are green above and whitish below.
Its flowers have beautiful yellow-gold petals
5-15 mm long. The flowers are solitary or in
loose clusters.
Shrubby cinquefoil occurs on the edges of
ponds and marshes, and on moist hillsides in
the mountains. Many times it forms a distinct
zone around wetland communities
dominated by rushes and sedges.
None
Facultative wetland in regions 4, 5 and 8;
facultative in region 9.
Pentaphylloides floribunda
64
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Wetland Shruos^^prrees
Populus spp. L. (cottonwood; poplar; aspen)
Family:
Synonotny:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Salicaceae (the willows)
A number of names have been proposed for
the several species of cottonwoods occurring
in this region. Consult the botanical manuals
in "References" to determine the names used
in your area.
Cottonwoods, poplars and aspen are small or
large trees, with a main trunk, or root-sprout-
ing and supporting multiple trunks. The bark
is smooth, whitish or grayish on younger
stems, becoming thickened, browned and fur-
rowed with age. Buds have more than one
bud scale and are usually resinous. Leaves of
different species have different shapes, broad
or narrow. Leaf petioles are flattened in
several species and the leaves appear to
tremble and flutter in the wind. Petioles of
other species are rounded. Inflorescences are
pendulous leafless catkins. Seeds are cottony
and wind dispersed.
Cottonwoods are the most important trees
along floodplains in the Rocky Mountain
region. Their seeds are viable, and germinate
and become established most successfully on
bare, moist alluvium. The life history and
ecology of cottonwoods are intimately tied to
flooding, erosion and deposition on
floodplains.
Salix spp. (willows) may at times be confused
with poplars and cottonwoods, particularly
when young. But willows have single bud
scales, while cottonwoods have more than
one.
Species are ranked facultative wetland or
facultative.
Populus deltoides
66
67
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Populus angustifolia
68
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Wetland Shrubs an
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Salix spp. L. (willows)
Salicaceae (the willows)
None
Willows are shrubs or small trees of a wide
variety of sizes and shapes. This is a critical
genus whose identification many times re-
quires young leaves, mature leaves, flowering
catkins, fruiting catkins and stipules and
many times requires looking at more than
one plant, or revisiting the same plant several
different times during the growing season.
Leaves are all simple and may be entire,
toothed or lobed, hairy or smooth. Stems and
twigs are of a variety of colors, and may be
covered with a waxy resin (pruinose), hairs,
or be naked. Buds have only one scale and
this is an important characteristic separating
them from poplars (Populus spp., cotton-
woods) which have buds with several overlap-
ping scales. The inflorescences are catkins
which usually are erect.
Almost all willows occur near water and are
among the most characteristic element of the
wetland flora in the Rocky Mountains. Most
species occur in the mountains, however
several species occur on the plains. Willows
occupy a wide variety of habitats including
peatlands (Salixplanifolia and S. Candida),
stream and river sides and floodplains (Salix
monticola, S. drummondiana, S.
amygdaloides, S. lasiandrd), intermittent
stream bottoms (S. exigua).
Populus spp. (poplars and cottonwoods).
Species range from obligate to facultative
upland.
Salix exigua
70
•71
-------
wetland Shrubs and Trees
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
-------
Wetland Shrubs and Trees
Sarcobatus vermiculatus (Hooker) Torrey
(greasewood)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Chenopodiaceae (the goosefoots)
Sarcobatus baileyi Cov.
Greasewood is a shrub up to 3 meters tall. It
is erect, much branched and has spines. The
leaves are 1-4 cm long, linear and fleshy. The
flowers are not showy and may be monoe-
cious or dioecious. Staminate (male) flowers
occur in catkin-like spikes. Pistillate (female)
flowers occur solitary or two together in the
axils of leaves. The fruits are winged.
Greasewood occupies moist alkali flats with a
seasonally high water table. It occurs in low
elevation valleys in the mountains and inter-
mountain parks, basins and plains.
None
Facultative upland
74
Wetland Shrub
fees
Sarcobatus vermiculatus
75
-------
HERBACEOUS PLANTS
WITH
SHOWY FLOWERS
if*
-------
Heroaeeous Plants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Asclepias incamata L.
(marsh milkweed)
Asclepiadaceae (the milkweeds)
Swamp milkweed
Marsh milkweed is a perennial, herbaceous
plant up to 2 meters tall. Its stems are usually
simple with few branches. The leaves are
oblong to linear in shape, up to 15 cm long
and oppositely arranged on the stems. Stems
and leaves have milky juice. The flowers are
small but showy in umbels on the ends of
branches. The corolla is usually pink or rose-
colored.
Marsh milkweed occurs in wet marshes at
low elevation. It usually occurs with sedges,
rushes and grasses.
Verbena hastata and Asclepias incamata are
both tall forbs commonly found in low eleva-
tion wetlands and can be confused. (See
description of Verbena hastata elsewhere in
this book.)
NWI Ranking: Obligate wetland in regions 4,5 and 8.
Ecology:
Similar Species:
78
Herbaceous 1
Asclepias incamata
79
-------
Herbaceous Plants
nernaceous rianis
Bacopa rotundifolia (Michx.) Wettst.
(water-hyssop)
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
None
Water-hyssop are perennial, herbaceous
plant with erect stems up to 40 cm tall. The
leaves are 1-3 cm long, entire and ovate. The
flowers are white or yellow and solitary in
the axils of leaves.
It occurs in seasonally or permanently stand-
ing shallow water and muddy bottomed
ponds. It also occurs in slowly moving water.
At low elevations.
Nasturtium officinale looks superficially
similar.
Obligate wetland
Bacopa rotundifolia
80
-------
HerEaceous Plants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Bidens cemua L.
(nodding bur-marigold; beggars tick)
Asteraceae (the asters; composites)
None
Beggars tick is an annual, herbaceous plant
that grows to 50 or more cm tall. Its stems are
erect and branch from the base. The leaves
are lanceolate, toothed on the margins and
never divided. The flowers occur in heads
that usually are large and sunflower-like, with
the ray flowers being long and yellow. The
flower heads are often nodding later in the
summer. The outer involucre bracts are long.
Fruits are four-sided and barbed, easily stick-
ing to clothing.
Beggars tick flowers in late summer. They are
abundant along sandy streamsides, sloughs
and pond and reservoir margins, especially
where the water level drops in late summer.
All species of beggars tick may be particular-
ly common where abundant nutrients occur
in the water due to soil erosion or pollution.
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
B. frondosa L. has pinnately parted leaves,
lacks ray flowers and is as common as B.
cemua. Other species also occur in the region
including B. vulgata Greene, B. beckii Torrey
ex Spreng. and B. comosa (Gray) Wieg.
Obligate wetland in regions 4,5 and 8; facul-
tative wetland + in region 9.
82
Herbaceous^
Bidens cemua
83
-------
Herbaceous Plants
Herbaceous Plants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Bistorta bistortoides (Pursh) Small
(bistort)
Potygonaceae (the buckwheats)
Polygonwn bistortoides Pursh
Bistorts are perennial, herbaceous plants
with thick rootstocks. The stems are up to 50
cm tall, thin and erect. The leaves are mostly
basal, have long petioles and are oblong and
thick. Cauline (stem) leaves are smaller and
lack petioles. The inflorescence is terminal
on the stem. It is a very distinctive dense and
stout spike of small whitish or pinkish
flowers with exserted stamens.
Bistort is a very characteristic species of
mountain wetlands, particularly peatlands at
high elevation and wet meadows with
mineral soils. When this species is in flower it
may dominate the aspect of the vegetation.
B. vivipara (L.) S. Gray appears similar, but is
generally much smaller, has linear leaves and
the inflorescence is not crowded and dense.
In addition, the lower flowers are replaced by
"viviparous" (bearing live young) bulblets.
Facultative wetland in region 9; facultative *
in region 8.
Bistorta bistortoides
84
83-
-------
H
ous Plants
Herbaceous ]
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Caltha leptosepala DC.
(marsh marigold)
Ranunculaceae (the buttercups)
Psychrophila leptosepala (DC.) Weber
Marsh marigolds are attractive herbaceous,
perennial plants with fleshy, rounded mostly
basal leaves. The leaves are usually crenate
(with lobate margins) and may be large (to 8-
10 cm wide). Flowers are usually single on an
erect naked stalk. The flowers are large and
very showy with white sepals that many times
are somewhat bluish on the back. Fruit are
follicles 10-20 mm long when ripe.
A characteristic and many times abundant
species of wetlands in the high mountains. It
occurs in snowmelt basins, rivulets, peatlands
and marshes where it may grow in running
water. It occupies both peaty and mineral
soils. It flowers early in the growing season,
many times when snow is still on the ground.
None
Obligate wetland
Caltha leptosepala
86
87
-------
Herbaceous Plants
Epilobium ciliatum Rafinesque (willow-herb)
Family: Onagraceae (the evening-primroses)
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
E. adenocaulon Hausskn.. E. brevistylum Bar-
bey in Brewer & Wats., E. glandulosum
Lehm. These species have also been treated
as varieties of E. ciliatum.
Willow-herbs are perennial, herbaceous
plants, up to 40 or more cm tall, much
branched and erect. They may or may not
have turions or rosettes at the base of stems
(these are overwintering structures). Leaves
are 2-4 cm in length, mostly oppositely ar-
ranged and ovate with distinct lateral veins.
Flowers are terminal on branches and in leaf
axils. The flowers are on long pedicels. The
petals are usually pinkish and fruiting
pedicels are up to 2 cm long. The fruit is a
capsule with rows of seeds. Each seed has a
tuft of silky hairs (called a coma).
This willow-herb occurs in marshes at low to
middle elevations in the mountains, usually
in very wet to moist habitats, often growing
with cattails, rushes and sedges.
E. leptophyllum Rafinesque has linear leaves
(not more than 3 mm in width) and the
lateral veins are not easily seen. Several other
species of Epilobium occur in the area of in-
terest, many at high elevation.
Obligate wetland in region 5; facultative wet-
land in region 4 and 9; facultative in region 8.
Epilobium ciliatum
88
-------
ceous Plants
Heradeum sphondyliumL. ssp. montanum (Schleichner) Briquet
(cow parsnip)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Apiaceae (the parsleys, umbellifers)
Heracleum lanatum Michx.
Cow parsnips are very large and coarse peren-
nial, herbaceous plants. Stems are 3-4 cm
thick and up to 2 m tall and usually somewhat
hairy. Leaves are very large, from 10-40 cm
long, have long petioles, and are generally
ovate in outline, although they are usually
lobed and coarsely serrate. The leaves have
conspicuous sheaths at their bases. The
flowers occur in a compound and loose, flat-
topped umbel and the petals are white. The
fruits are elliptical in shape, strongly flat-
tened and have conspicuous wings.
Cow parsnips are very common, conspicuous
plants of wetlands in the foothills and moun-
tains. This species usually occurs as an under-
story to willows and alders, with canada
reed-grass, triangle-leaf senecio, and chiming
bells. It occurs on both peaty and mineral
soils, at seeps and along river systems.
Several other large species in the parsley
family look similar. Species of Angelica have
pinnate leaves and the flowers occur in com-
pound umbels that are spherical in outline,
not flat- topped. Conioselinum scopulorum
(Gray) Coulter & Rose has flat-topped
flower clusters, but it is a smaller plant with
finely pinnate leaves. Cicuta spp. (the water
hemlocks) are slender plants that have pin-
nate leaves.
Obligate wetland in region 7, facultative wet-
land in region 5, and facultative in regions 4
and 8.
90
Herbaceous
Heracleum sphondylium
ssp. montanum
91
-------
Herbaceous Plants
neroaceous flants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Iris missouriensis Nuttall
(wild iris)
Iridaceae (the irises)
None
Wild irises are nearly identical to the cul-
tivated iris, and are unmistakable in flower.
They are herbaceous, perennial plants that
grow from creeping rootstocks. The leaves
are linear, flattened, light green in color and
shorter than the flowering stem. The flowers
are complex, with large sepals with purple or
lilac colored veins on a whitish background,
with yellow-white claws. The petals are
shorter than the sepals. The fruit is a dry cap-
sule.
Wild irises are common in wet meadows in
the mountains and on the plains, frequently
producing spectacular flower displays in early
summer. This species does not appear to
occur on peat soils and many sites are quite
dry late in the summer. It is not palatable to
grazing animals and many times increases in
heavily overgrazed pastures to become one
of the most prevalent and visible plant
species.
No other species with large flowers looks like
Iris. Species of Sisyrinchium L. (blue-eyed
grass) are small members of the iris family
but the flowers are never more than 2 cm
across.
Obligate wetland in regions 5 and 8, and
facultative wetland in regions 4 and 9.
Iris missouriensis
92
-------
ous Plants
Herbaceous PIJ
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Limnorchis dilatata (Pursh) Rydb.
(white bog-orchid)
Orchidaceae (the orchids)
Habenaria dilatata (Pursh) Hook. Also
several subspecies and varieties of L. dilatata
have been proposed.
White bog-orchids are herbaceous, perennial
plants that may reach to 40 cm or more tall.
The stems are usually thick and the leaves
linear. The flowers are small, usually white
and occur in spike-like racemes. The sepals
are spreading, the upper petals are erect and
the lower petals have a spreading lip with a
tubular spur at the base.
White bog-orchids are frequently seen grow-
ing on wet peat, and along rivulets in the
mountains at low to high elevation.
Several other species of Limnorchis occur in
the area of interest. L. saccata (Greene)
Love & Simons has a thick stem, with
greenish flowers often overlapping each
other. The closely related Piperia
unalascensis (Spreng.) Rydb. has leaves
grouped near the base and a tall, thin flower-
ing stem. Lysellia (Habenaria) obtusa (Banks)
Britton & Rydberg occupies moist forests
and has only one leaf, at the stem base.
NWI Ranking: Facultative wetland
'':/ Limnorchis dilitata
94
95
-------
ncroaceous flatus
Herbaceous Plants
Family:
Svnonomy:
Identification:
Lycopus americanus Muhlenberg
(american water horehound)
Lamiaceae (the mints)
Ecology:
Similar Species:
American water horehounds are perennial,
herbaceous plants up to 50 cm or more tall,
with stems square in cross-section. The •
plants do not have a strong mint-like odor.
The leaves are 3-10 cm in length and distinct-
ly incised into long teeth. The flowers are less
than 0.5 cm in length and occur in small
clusters in the axils of leaves. Flowers are
white and the stamens are hidden within the
corolla tube.
American water horehound occurs in mar-
shes along streamsides and in sloughs at low
elevations.
Lycopus asper Greene is very similar, but the
leaf blades on the lower and middle stem are
sessile, not petioled. Also, the roots are
tuberous and the nutlets are without corky
ridges. Mentha arvensis (see elsewhere in this
book) has larger flowers, 1.0 cm in length,
which are pink in color and have exserted
stamens. This latter species also has entire,
not dissected, leaves.
NWI Ranking: Obligate wetland
Lycopus americanus
96
-------
ccous Plants
Herbaceous Plafl
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Mentha arvensis L.
(Held mint)
Lamiaceae (the mints)
Many subspecies of this species have been
proposed.
Field mints are herbaceous, perennial plants,
10-40 cm tall with square (in cross section)
stems. The leaves are opposite on the stems
and branches, oblong and sharply toothed on
the margins. The flowers are pink and occur
in dense clusters along the stem in the axils
of leaves. The stamens extend beyond the
corolla tube. When crushed the leaves have a
distinctive minty odor.
Field mint is common in wetlands at lower
elevations, particularly on the plains. Found
along ditches, streams, sloughs and in mar-
shes.
M. spicata L. has flowers in terminal instead
of axillary clusters; Lycopus spp. have leaves
dissected into long teeth, and flowers with
the stamens hidden within the corolla tube
(see elsewhere in this booklet).
Facultative wetland in regions 4,5 and 8;
facultative in region 9.
Mentha arvensis
98
99
-------
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Menyanthes trifoliata L.
(buckbean)
Menyanthaceae (the buckbeans)
None
Buckbean is a very distinctive perennial, her-
baceous plant with creeping rootstocks. The
leaves are always in threes and are thick and
fleshy. They occur on long hollow petioles.
The very beautiful flowers are terminal on
leafless stalks. They are large and showy,
usually white, and bearded inside.
Buckbean occurs in shallow water of high to
middle elevation ponds and on pond edges
and peatlands. It roots in mud or peat.
None. This species looks like a clover
(Tnfolium) but no clovers are this large, nor
do they have thick, fleshy leaves with hollow
petioles.
NWl Ranking: Obligate wetland
T
Menyanthies trifoliata
-------
us Plants
Herbaceous Pla
Mertensia ciliata (James) G. Don
(bluebells; chiming bells; tall mertensia)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Boraginaceae (the borages)
None
Chiming bells are herbaceous, perennial
plants, up to 1 meter tall. They grow into
much branched clumps. The leaves are lan-
ceolate and oval, to 12 cm long and glabrous
(without hairs) on long petioles, although
stem leaves have ciliate (long hairs) margins.
Inflorescences are from the leaf axils. Flower
peduncles are elongated and drooping. The
flowers are very distinctive, tubular, pink or
reddish in bud and blue upon opening.
Chiming bells are abundant and characteris-
tic of the edges of rushing streams and
springs in the mountains, particularly in the
subalpine zone.
No other species of bluebells occupies the
habitat that this species does. Others occupy
alpine tundra, forests and plains.
Obligate wetland in region 8, facultative wet-
land in regions 4 and 9. Not present on the
Great Plains (region 5).
Mertensia ciliata
102
103
-------
Herbaceous Plants
Family:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Nasturtium offidnale R. Br.
(water-cress)
Brassicaceae (the mustards)
Rorippa nasturtium-aquatica (L.) Schinz &
Thell.
Water-cresses are perennial plants, with
creeping stems that root at the nodes. The
stems and leaves are glabrous (without
hairs). The leaves are pinnately divided into
oval segments. The flowers are white, often
abundant, with narrowly elongate fruits.
Water-cresses are semi-aquatic plants com-
monly found in moving water, irrigation
ditches or at springs. They may also grow in
seasonally flooded sites. It is common at low
elevations.
Bacopa rotundifolia (Michx.) Wettst. is super-
ficially similar. See description of Bacopa
elsewhere in this book.
Obligate wetland
101
Herbaceous Plants
Nasturtium offidnale
-------
HerBSceous Plants
Herbaceous Pl|
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Pedicularis groenlandica Retzius
(elephantella)
Scrophulariaceae (the figworts)
None
Elephantella is an unmistakable herbaceous,
perennial plant with stems 15-50 cm tall. It
has both basal and stem leaves and these are
pinnately parted nearly to the midrib of the
leaf (these are often mistaken for the leaves
of a fern). The inflorescence is a spike of
dense flowers that may occupy 1/3 or more of
the entire stem. Flowers are reddish-
purplish (occasionally white), with the galea
(a hood formed by the upper lip of the corol-
la) extended into an elongated beak that
curls and causes the galea to resemble the
head and trunk of an elephant.
Common and distinctive in peatlands, mar-
shes and other wetlands in the high to middle
elevation mountains.
Other species of Pedicularis may have similar
features, but none has the distinctive
elephant-like flowers.
NWI Ranking: Obligate wetland
Pedicularis groenlandica
106
107
-------
Herbaceous Plants
Herbaceous Plants
Persicaria spp. Miller (smartweeds)
Family: Polygonaceae (the buckwheats)
Synonomy: Polygonum spp. L.
Identification: Smartweeds are perennial (P. amphibia and
P. coccinea) or annual (the other species) her-
baceous plants with erect branching stems
and swollen joints. The leaves are alternately
arranged and lack a joint at the point of at-
tachment of the leaf blade and the stem (true
Polygonum spp. have joints). The leaves are
lanceolate, usually with acute (narrowed to a
point) tips. Inflorescences occur at the ends
of branches and in leaf axils. The flowers are
bright red, pink or whitish. Many different
species of Persicaria occur in the area of inter-
est, including P. amphibia, P. coccinea, P.
hydropiper, P. lapathifolia, P. maculata, P.
pensylvanica, and P. punctata.
Ecology: Smartweeds occupy aquatic, amphibious (P.
amphibia and P. coccinea), or terrestrial
habitats in ponds and reservoirs, on pond
margins, streamsides and ditches. They are
particularly abundant where reservoirs and
ponds are drawn down in summer exposing
large mud flats where they thrive. Most
species are common at low elevations on the
plains and in intermountain basins. All the
species, except the two amphibious species,
appear to be adventive (weedy) annuals intro-
duced from Eurasia.
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
The true Polygonum spp. have a hinge-like
joint at the point of attachment of the leaf
blade and the leaf sheath.
The different species range from obligate
wetland to facultative wetland.
Persicaria pensylvanica
-------
bus Plants
Herbaceous Pl
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
110
Ranunculus spp. L.
(buttercups)
Ranunculaceae (the buttercups).
Ranunculus has been split into a number of
different genera by some authors, but
retained as a large and unnaturally diverse
"genus" by other authors. Batrachium S. Gray
includes the water crowfoots of slow moving
streams and water courses; Halerpestes
Green includes alkali crowfoot (//.
cymbalarid)\ Hecatonia includes blister but-
tercup (H. scelerata (L.) Fourreau); and
Ranunculus L. includes the true buttercups.
Buttercups are perennial or annual her-
baceous plants with a wide variety of vegeta-
tive characteristics. Many are aquatics
rooting in mud and producing creeping
stolons which root at the nodes while others
are upright. The leaves vary from being dis-
sected into linear segments to being broad
and entire. All have flowers with 5 sepals, yel-
low (or sometimes white) shining petals, with
many pistils. The fruits are achenes which
are beaked.
Buttercups occupy a wide variety of habitats
both aquatic and terrestrial. They are rarely a
dominant component of the wetland vegeta-
tion except on muddy shores of ponds and
reservoirs with fluctuating water levels and in
some slow moving streams on the plains and
in the mountains.
The flowers with shining yellow petals and
many pistils and the beaked achenes are very
distinctive.
Many species are ranked as obligate wetland.
Ranunculus adoneus
111
-------
Herbaceous Plants
Family:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Senecio triangularis Hooker
(triangle-leaf senecio)
Asteraceae (the asters, composites)
Triangle-leaf senecio is an herbaceous, peren-
nial plant that usually occurs in clumps. It has
stout stems to 150 cm tall. The leaves are
glabrous, abundant along the stems, up to 15
cm or more long and distinctly triangular.
The leaves are toothed along the margins.
The inflorescence is terminal on the stem
with numerous heads each approximately 1
cm high. The ray flowers are yellow.
This species is characteristic, along with
Mertensia ciliata, of rushing mountain stream-
sides. It also occurs in wet forests and
shrublands.
Several other species of Senecio occur in the
mountains, but only S. serra Hooker is tall in
stature and occupies moist streamsides. This
latter species does not have triangular leaves;
its leaves are lance-shaped and the leaf mar-
gins are finely instead of coarsely toothed.
Obligate wetland in regions 4 and 8. Faculta-
tive wetland in region 9.
Herbaceous Plants
Senecio triangularis
-------
bus Plants
Herbaceous
Suaeda calceoliformis (Hooker) Moquina
(sea blight)
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Chenopodiaceae (the goosefoots)
Suaeda depressa (Pursh) Wats.
Sea blight is an herbaceous, usually annual
plant, to 20 cm tall. The stems are branched
from the base. The leaves are unmistakably
linear and fleshy. Flowers are solitary or
clustered in the leaf axils. Perianth lobes are
unequal and horned when mature.
Sea blight occurs in seasonally wet, saline or
alkaline flats at low elevation on the plains
and in intermountain basins.
Several species of Suaeda occur in the area of
interest and these are distinguished by dif-
ferences in the floral parts. 5. nigra (Raf.)
Macbr. has perianth lobes equal, while S.
calceoliformis and S. occidentalis (Wats.)
Wats, have lobes unequal. The latter species
is distinguished by having perianth lobes
broadly thin-winged when mature.
NWI Ranking: Facultative wetland
Suaeda calceoliformis
114
115
-------
Herbaceous Plants
neroaceous Plants
Family:
Synoncmy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
Swertia perennis L.
(star gentian)
Gentianaceae (the gentians)
Star gentian is a perennial, herbaceous plant
to 30 cm tall. Its stems are usually single from
rootstock. The leaves are mostly basal,
glabrous (smooth), petioled, elongate and
obovate. The stem leaves are sessile (without
petioles). The inflorescence is terminal on
the stem and contains many flowers. The very
distinctive flowers usually have 5-partcd
sepals and petals. The petals are deep blue
or purple (occasionally white) in color and
distinctly "star-shaped".
Star gentians occur in the mountains at mid
to high elevations around ponds and lakes, in
peatlands on hummocks and in shrub wet-
lands.
Several other species of gentians occur in
mountain wetlands, but none of these has the
distinctly 5-parted (star-shaped) flowers.
Gentianopsis thermalis (O. Kuntze) Iltis
(Rocky Mountain fringed gentian) is another
large common gentian of wetlands.
NWI Ranking: Facultative wetland in regions 8 and 9.
Swertia perennis
-------
ous Plants
Herbaceou:
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Triglochin maritima L.
(arrowgrass)
Juncaginaceae (the arrowgrasses)
None
Arrowgrass is an herbaceous, perennial grass-
like plant. The stems are slender and upright.
The leaves are all basal, 2 mm or more wide,
grasslike, but rounded and somewhat fleshy.
The flowering stalks are up to 50 cm or more
tall, with stems usually close together.
Flowers are very small, unshowy and perfect
in a spike-like inflorescence with six flower
segments (including carpels).
Arrowgrasses usually occur in saline and
alkaline marshes, peatlands and flats at low
to middle elevations on the plains and inter-
mountain basins. Many times it grows with
sedges and grasses and is overlooked.
T. palustris L. has slender stolons, with leaves
less than 2 mm wide, carpels 3, and fruits
long and thin. T. concinna Davy has 6 carpels,
with leaves less than 1.5 mm wide. The latter
two species occur mostly at higher elevations
in the mountains, not usually on alkaline soils.
Obligate wetland
Triglochin maritima
118
110
-------
Herbaceous Plants
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Verbena hastata L.
(blue vervain)
Verbenaceae (the vervains)
None
Blue vervain is an herbaceous, perennial
plant with erect stems 30-100 cm tall and
usually branching above. The leaves are lan-
ceolate, 5-15 cm long, with distinct petioles
and coarsely toothed margins. The inflores-
cences are numerous and thin at the tops of
stems. The flowers are blue or purple and
small, but showy. Rows of flowers opening
together, beginning at the bottom of the
spike and proceeding upward as the spike
grows upward.
Blue vervain occurs in marshes on the edges
of stands dominated by Typha, Scirpus,
Juncus and other wetland plants at low eleva-
tion. It usually occurs as scattered plants, but
sometimes large stands occur.
Compare wilhAsclepias incamata (marsh
milkweed).
Facultative wetland in regions 4,5 and 8;
facultative + in region 9.
Verbena hastata,
-------
bus Plants
Herbaceous
Family:
Synonomy:
Identification:
Ecology:
Similar Species:
NWI Ranking:
Veronica anagallis-aquatica L.
(water speedwell)
Scrophulariaceae (the figworts)
Veronica salina Schur.
Water speedwell is an herbaceous, perennial
plant with stems up to 20-90 cm tall. It
branches abundantly and some branches
creep on the ground. Its leaves are mostly
glabrous (without hairs) and serrate
(toothed). Inflorescences are many-flowered,
axillary racemes. Each raceme may have 30-
60 flowers. The corolla is blue in color.
Water speedwell occurs on the muddy shores
of ponds, reservoirs and on sandbars of
creeks at low elevations. This species has easi-
ly dispersed seeds and germinates and grows
very readily on disturbed wetland soils.
V. catenata Pennell is very similar, differing
on a technical decision of whether the
pedicels are widely spreading or ascending.
V. americana Schwein. ex Benth. in DC. is
also similar but differs in that the leaves are
on petioles. Several other species of Veronica
also occur in wetlands. V. peregrina L. has the
inflorescence terminal on the stem, with nar-
row, elliptic leaves. V. nutans Bongard (V.
wormskjoldii) also has a terminal inflores-
cence with blue flowers and oval leaves and is
the most common species at high elevation in
the mountains.
Obligate wetland
Veronica anagallis-aquatica
122
123
-------
REFERENCES
Chase, A. 1977. First Rook of Grasses. 3rd Human. Smithsonian
Institution Press, Washington, D.C. 127 p.
Cronquist, A., Holmgren, A.H., Holmgren, N.H., Reveal, J.L., and
Holmgren, P.K. 1977. Intel-mountain Flora. Vascular Plants of the
Intel-mountain West, U.SA. Volume Six, The Monocotyledons.
Columbia University Press, N.Y. 584p. (several other volumes in
this series are published and others are planned).
Dorn, R.D. 1988. Vascular Plants of Wyoming. Mountain West
Publishing, Box 1471, Cheyenne, WY 82003. 340p.
Dorn, R.D. 1984. Vascular Plants of Montana. Mountain West
Publishing, Box 1471, Cheyenne, WY 82003. 276p.
Goodrich, S., and Neese, E. 1986. Uinta Basin Flora. U.S.D.A.
Forest Service-Intermountain Region, Ogden, UT 320p.
Hansen, P.L, Chadde, S.W., and Pfister, R.D. 1988. Riparian
dominance types of Montana. Misc. Publ. No. 49. Montana
Riparian Association, School of Forestry, University of Montana,
Missoula 59812. 411p.
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