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FIGWORT FAMILY (SCROPHULARIACEAE).

This is also known as the Snapdragon Family. It is well represented in the park and includes some very common and beautiful flowers. Both calyx and corolla are united and the corolla, in most species, is irregular in shape. A field key to native genera follows:

SOME COMMON PLANTS OF THE FIGWORT FAMILY (SCROPHULARIACEAE).
(1) Red Mimulus (Mimulus lewisii). (2) Red Pentstemon (Pentstemon rupicola). (3) Orange Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata). (4) Cusick's Speedwell (Veronica cusickii). (5) Diagrammatic outline of the Butterfly-tongue Lousewort (Pedicularis groenlandica). (6) Diagrammatic outline of the Bird's Beak Lousewort (Pedicularis ornithorhynca). (7) Diagrammatic outline of the Elephant's Head Lousewort (Pedicularis contorta).

Orange Paintbrush (Castilleja miniata). An erect plant usually with simple stems 12-24 inches tall having narrowly lanceolate or lanceolate entire leaves. Bracts surrounding the flowers are 3-5 cleft and flaming crimson in color. This plant is common in the Hudsonian meadows and generally inhabits the drier soils on south and west exposures. (See illustration on page 104.)

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja oreopola). An erect plant, usually with tufted stems, 6-12 inches tall. Leaves cleft to about the middle into 3-5 narrow segments. The bracts surrounding the flower clusters are a deep reddish-purple or magenta in color (occ. yellowish to white) and are, like the leaves, 3 cleft. This is the most abundant and common of the paintbrushes and is found in the Hudsonian meadows, generally on moist soils.

Alpine Rock Paintbrush (Castilleja rupicola). A densely tufted somewhat hairy plant 4-8 inches tall. The leaves and bracts are deeply cut into 3-7 linear lobes - the bracts being a bright scarlet. It is found on rocky cliffs and dry pumice soils in the Hudsonian and Arctic-alpine zones. This plant is particularly abundant in the vicinity of Frozen Lake near Yakima Park.

Rock Paintbrush (Castilleja angustifolia var. hispida). Erect and usually clustered, 6-14 inches tall, and generally hairy throughout on stems and leaves. Leaves cut into 3-5 narrow lobes to about the middle. Bracts broader than the leaves and also 3-5 cleft with scarlet tips. In dry rocky soils at varying altitudes.

Yellow Paintbrush (Castilleja laevisecta). Six to twelve inches tall with the leaves cut into 2-6 narrow lobes. Bracts broad, yellow and lobed at the top. Not common. Another yellow paintbrush - Castilleja indecora - is also found in the park but is not common.

Blue-eyed Mary (Collinsia parviflora). This is a small plant 4-8 inches tall, often branched at the base and spreading. The lower leaves are oblong to nearly round with short stems and the margins occasionally toothed while the upper leaves are almost stemless, oblong to linear in outline, 1/2-3/4 inch long and sometimes in whorls. The flowers are small, tubular 2-lipped, blue to violet and solitary upon slender stems arising from the leaf axils. It is occasionally found in rather dry open places.

Foxglove (Digitalis purpurea). A very showy plant that has been introduced into this section and migrated into the park. It has a stout erect stem, 2-5 feet tall with ovate to ovate-lanceolate leaves with toothed margins. The flowers are tubular or bell-like, white to purple in color, 1-2 inches long and in a long drooping raceme.

Lewis' Mimulus (Mimulus lewisii). This plant can be readily recognized by its large (1 - 1-1/2 inches long) tubular, irregularly two-lipped rose-red flowers. It is particularly common along streams and similar moist places in the Hudsonian zone where it often forms dense clumps of succulent vegetation from 12-20 inches tall. The leaves are oblong-ovate and have numerous teeth along the margin. (See illustration on page 104.)

Brewer's Mimulus (Mimulus breweri). This is a small plant, 1-6 inches tall, with pale red flowers, and lanceolate, entire leaves, that is found in dry soils.

Alpine Yellow Mimulus (Mimulus tilingi). The common yellow mimulus along streams and in very moist situations in the Hudsonian zone. It is 2-4 inches tall with slender weak stems, small ovate leaves and showy tubular 2-lipped flowers which are 3/4-1 inch long and are usually borne singly upon each stem. It often forms mats over rocks bordering, or even in, small streams.

Husk Plower (Mimulus moschatus). This yellow mimulus owes its common name to its peculiar odor. It has hairy slender generally erect stems 4-16 inches tall with oblong-lanceolate finely toothed leaves from 1-2 inches long. The tubular 2-lipped flowers are about 3/4 of an inch long and the throat is often spotted with brown. It is fairly common in moist places in the Canadian zone.

Yellow Mimulus (Mimulus guttatus). A rather tall slender stemmed plant, 6-24 inches high with yellow flowers, on slender petioles, in terminal racemes. The leaves are ovate; those upon the lower portion of the stem with short petioles and those near the top sessile. It is common in moist places and is often found along river bars in the Canadian zone.

Yellow Mimulus (Mimulus alsipoides). This is a plant of the low elevations with small yellow flowers less than 1/2 inch long, and ovate leaves.

Bird's Beak Lousewort (Pedicularis ornithorhynca). This plant owes its common name to the very irregular shape of its purple flowers - the upper lip of the flower being hood-like and arched so that it has a resemblance to the head and beak of a bird. It is 4-8 inches tall, the leaves largely basal and pinnately divided into narrow segments which are themselves slightly lobed or toothed. The flowers are borne in a dense terminal spike about an inch long. It is a common plant in the Hudsonian meadows. (See illustration on page 104.)

Butterfly-tongue Lousewort (Pedicularis groenlandica). The reddish-purple flowers are borne in a dense terminal spike, with the upper portion of the corolla narrowed, elongated and turned up at the end. The plant is from 12-24 inches tall with pinnately divided leaves, the narrow lobes themselves toothed. They are largely basal but a few leaves occur upon the stem. It is a common plant in the Hudsonian meadows. (See illustration on page 104.)

Elephant's Head Lousewort (Pedicularis contorta). The pale yellow flowers are in a dense spike 2-4 inches long and formed so that they appear something like the head of an elephant in profile - the trunk being represented by the elongated hooded upper portion of the flower. The plant is 8-20 inches tall with leaves largely basal. Basal leaves long stemmed, those arising, from the flower stalk without stems but both types divided into numerous pinnate segments which are themselves toothed. Common in the Hudsonian meadows. (See illustration on page 104.)

Indian Warrior Lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa). This plant has tall, erect a stout stems with leaves pinnately divided into numerous long, linear segments, 1/2 - 1-1/2 inches long, themselves teethed. The flowers are a cream white and numerous in a dense terminal spike. Common in the Hudsonian meadows.

Common Lousewort (Pedicularis racemosa). Erect, often tufted, 12-30 inches tall with alternate lanceolate leaves, their margins having small rounded teeth. Flowers are white to tan in color, have short stems and are borne in loose racemes.

Rainier Lousewort (Pedicularis rainierensis). Leaves long petioled, pinnately divided into numerous lanceolate divisions which are themselves toothed. Leaves largely basal. Plant 6-12 inches tall with cream colored flowers.

Purple Pentstemon (Pentstemon procerus). A handsome plant 8-24 inches tall with blue to purple tubular flowers 1/2 inch or less long in dense clusters on slender stalks arising from the leaf axils. The basal leaves ovate-oblong, upper leaves oblong-lanceolate with toothed margins. The anthers are not hairy.

Alpine Purple Pentstemon (Pentstemon tolmiei). Very similar to the above but only 2-4 inches tall. This species is often regarded as an alpine variety of Pentstemon procerus.

Lavender Pentstemon (Pentstemon fruticosus). This species is 6-18 inches tall, growing from a branched woody base with leathery ovate to lanceolate and generally slightly toothed leaves. The tubular flowers are 1 - 1-1/2 inches long, a lavender or dark purple and the anthers are very hairy.

Violet Pentstemon (Pentstemon diffusus). This plant is from 1-2 feet tall with ovate to oblong, acute leaves with toothed margins. The tubular flowers are blue to violet-purple and 3/4 of an inch long.

Purple Pentstemon (Pentstemon ovatus). For lack of a descriptive common name we have applied the color of the flowers as such. It is very similar to Pentstemon diffusus but is from 6-12 inches tall with ovate leaves having toothed margins (upper leaves sessile). The tubular flowers are purple-blue and from 1/2-3/4 of an inch long.

Turtle's Head (Pentstemon numerosus). Most common in open places in the Canadian zone, it is 6-inches tall with ovate, lanceolate, acute and toothed leaves 2-3 inches long. The flowers are tubular, about 1 inch long, a reddish-purple in color and borne in a narrow panicle.

Yellow Pentstemon (Pentstemon confertus). The cream-yellow flowers distinguish this species from the others. The plant is from 12-16 inches tall with the upper leaves sessile, oblong, entire and acute; those near the base oblanceolate, more or less obtuse and narrowed at the base to a stem. The flowers are less than 1/2 inch in length and in dense terminal clusters. It occurs from 4000-6000 feet.

Red Pentstemon (Pentstemon rupicola). A small shrubby plant, common on rocky cliffs, 3-6 inches tall with small ovate leaves 1/2 inch or less in length with toothed margins. The tubular flowers are a striking scarlet in color and from 1 - 1-1/2 inches in length. This plant was first described from Mt. Rainier. (See illustration on page 104).

Dwarf Purple Pentstemon (Pentstemon menziesii). This resembles Pentstemon rupicola in many respects but may be readily distinguished from that species by the purple-violet flowers. It is a small, shrubby plant, 2-6 inches tall, with small oblong to ovate leaves, 1/2-3/4 inch long, and purple-violet flowers. It is found on rocky cliffs in the Hudsonian and Arctic-alpine zone.

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus). A tall erect plant 3-6 feet high with stout stem. The plant is densely woolly throughout and the leaves are thick, oblong, acute, 4-12 inches long and narrowed at the base. The yellow flowers 1/2-3/4 inch broad, are borne in a long dense spike.

Cusick's Speedwell (Veronica cusickii). A common plant in the Hudsonian meadows. The stems are erect, and simple, 6-10 inches tall with oposite ovate to oblong entire leaves. The flowers are a deep blue, 1/4-3/8 inch broad and flattish, not tubular and borne in a terminal raceme. Cusick's Speedwell often grows in clusters. (See illustration on page 104).

Alpine Speedwell (Veronica alpina). Resembles the above in some respects except that the flowers are a lighter blue. It also grows in moist situations, often in soggy ground near small streams or rivulets. It is from 2-8 inches tall with the margins of the leaves sometimes having small rounded teeth.

Allen's Speedwell (Veronica allenii). Much like Cusick's Speedwell but with white or nearly white flowers. The above are the most common species in this genus. Four others native to the park are Veronica arvensis which has small pale blue flowers borne singly in the axils of the leaves, Veronica scutellata is a rare species occasionally noted in swampy or boggy places with flowers borne in axillary racemes and with linear or linear-lanceolate leaves, Veronica americana also has flowers borne in axillary racemes but the leaves are oblong-lanceolate to ovate. It is found in wet places. Veronica humifusa has the leaves at the lower part of the stem with leaf-stems.

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Descriptions continued...