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BIRCH FAMILY (BETULACEAE).

This family is represented by two genera in Mt. Rainier National Park - the Alders (Alnus) and the Hazelnut (Corylus). The species represented are either shrubs or trees with alternate leaves which have serrate or "saw toothed" leaf margins. Both staminate and pistillate flowers are borne on the same plant but in separate flower clusters; the staminate being pendent and the pistillate erect. The two genera may be readily distinguished by the character of their fruit. In the alders the fruit is cone-like while in the Hazelnut it is, as the common name implies, a nut.

Red or Oregon Alder (Alnus oregona). This is the most common deciduous tree in the park. It is particularly abundant in moist to wet situations, especially along streams, where it often forms dense groves. It reaches a height of from 30-60 feet and a diameter of 6-18 inches. The leaves are ovate, acutely pointed at the tip, and coarsely toothed and rather rusty-pubescent on the underside. The upper side of the leaves are a dull green in color. The long, pendant staminate catkins are a conspicuous feature in the spring and the cone-like pistillate catkins are from 1/2"-3/4" long or longer than the stalk upon which, they are borne. As this species is a tree, more complete description will be given in a later issue of "Nature Notes" which will deal specifically with the forests of Mount Rainier National Park.

Stream or Sitka Alder (Alnus sinuata). This tall shrub is very common along park streams, particularly at the upper portion of the Canadian zone, where it often forms dense thickets. It grows from 6 to 12 feet tall and is characterized by dark colored bark and chestnut colored twigs. The leaves are bright shiny green and coarsely toothed and not rusty pubescent of the underside; ovate in outline. Like the Oregon Alder the long staminate catkins are very conspicuous in the spring but the cone-like pistillate catkins are about half the size of those on the above species, being not over 1/2 inch long.

Hazelnut (Corylus californica). This shrub while native to the park is not common. It grows to be 6-15 feet tall, has ovate coarsely toothed leaves with the nut enclosed in a leafy covering.

OAK FAMILY (FAGACEAE).

Garry Oak (Quercus garryana). During the summer of 1937 one small tree of this species was found just outside the park boundaries in the southwest corner of the park, near where the Ohanapecosh River crosses the south boundary. While we have not, as yet, actually collected this plant with in the park it is very likely that further search will reveal one or two of these trees in that same area but within park boundaries. We have therefore listed it as a very rare plant in Mt. Rainier National Park. It will be described more fully in a future issue of "Nature Notes" which will deal exclusively with the trees of this region.

NETTLE FAMILY (URTICACEAE).

Nettle (Urtica lyallii). This plant, the only species of the Nettle Family native to the park, is characterized by the presence of numerous bristles or stinging hairs which cause severe irritation that may persist for several days. It grows in moist situations and occasionally forms large patches. It is a perennial with erect simple stems about 3 or 4 feet tall, opposite leaves 3 to 6 inches long which are broadly ovate and with the margins coarsely toothed. The small greenish flowers are borne in a loose panicle.

MISTLETOE FAMILY (LORANTEACEAE).

Hemlock Mistletoe (Arceuthobium douglasii var. tsugensis). This species, and others of this genus, is not the mistletoe that is associated with the romantic tales of the Christmas season. Plants of the family Loranthaceae are all parasitic on the branches of woody plants. In the case of the species found in Mt. Rainier National Park only the Western Hemlock, which is a tree of the heavily forested Canadian zone, is parasitized by this plant which causes the malformations on these trees known as "witches brooms". It is a small plant, 1-5 inches high, olive-yellow in color throughout and characterized by opposite, scale-like leaves and 4-angled branches. The fruit is a berry.

Wild Ginger (Asarum caudatum). The large, heart-shaped or kidney-shaped dark green leaves readily identify this plant which is fairly common in the deep woods of the Canadian zone. The plant is low growing, slightly hairy throughout and has a faint ginger-like odor which accounts for the common name. The flowers are large, bell-like brownish-purple in color, solitary, and borne near the ground in leaf axils. There are no petals but the calyx lobes, which are united at the base, are three in number and oblong-lanceolate in outline.

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Descriptions continued...