Subalpine Wildflowers (closeups), Mount Rainier NP

[Charles Krebs]

Three wildflowers from a quick trip to Mount Rainier NP. The first is a particular favorite of mine... I'm always amused when I look closely at the tiny, perfect, floral elephant heads .


Elephanthead
Pendicularis groenlandica
Canon EF 100mm macro, Canon 5D



Lewis Monkeyflower
Mimulus lewisii
Nikon 70-180mm macro, Nikon D200



Jeffrey Shooting Star
Dodecatheon jeffreyi
Nikon 70-180mm macro, Nikon D200

[Ken Ramos]

You know Charlie, I looked at these for quite awhile. The elephant head I noticed right off and I can see the shooting star resemblence, along with an aphid I think, on the stem to the near bottom right. But! "Where's the Monkey?" Beautiful florals Charlie, really like those elephant heads.

[erico]

Very nice shots Charles. I like the compositions and colors!

[Charles Krebs]

The monkey part is puzzling... but not the Lewis part:

Its species name honors Captain Meriwether Lewis who was the first to collect the plant near Lemhi Pass on the border of today's Montana and Idaho, probably on August 12, 1805; it may be found in the same place today. It was named by Frederick Pursh (1774-1820), a German botanist working in Philadelphia.

from http://www.larkspurbooks.com/Scroph3.html

[beetleman]

Super flower shots. The Elephanthead is pretty interesting...I wonder what kind of insect pollenates it? It almost looks like it is closed by the trunk of the flower. Looks very specialized like some orchids.