Coyote Gilia - Aliciella triodon

 This branching plant a few inches high (up to 13 cm) is coyote gilia (Aliciella triodon), and formerly with the genus name Gilia. It's in the Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae) and grows in gravelly substrates in pinyon-juniper areas in the southwestern U.S. Flowers are white and each petal is three-lobed.

For a description of coyote gilia, click on the Jepson manual treatment.

Musk Phlox - Phlox hoodii ssp. muscoides

This phlox caught my eye, and even though I thought I had already photographed it, I hadn't. So I guess it's good for me to take a lot of photos now and then! The key had it listed as a separate species, but the USDA Plants Database has it as a subspecies. So we'll call it musk phlox (Phlox hoodii ssp. muscoides), previously Phlox muscoides. It grows in the western U.S. and makes these mounds of flowers. I found it about 6,500 feet elevation.

And here's the ant eye's view
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For more info on musk phlox, click here.

Eyed Gilia - Gilia ophthalmoides

 This inconspicuous flower growing on gravelly areas is part of the Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae). It's eyed gilia (Gilia ophthalmoides), and grows in the western U.S.  The corolla (yellow and lavender parts) extends far from the calyx (red-striped part that covers the bottom of the corolla).

 Like most gilia species, eyed gilia has a rosette of basal leaves. For this species, the leaves and stem are very hairy, with some hairs appearing almost like cobwebs.

For more info about eyed gilia, click here.

Spiny Phlox - Phlox hoodii

This little phlox, growing in mounds out in the sagebrush, was really common at about 6500 feet, yet I've never noticed it until this year! I guess it just goes to show that observing wildflowers can be a long-time passion!

This is spiny phlox (Phlox hoodii), also called carpet phlox by some. It's found throughout most of western North America and can be white or pink. It often blooms right after the snow melts (which is perhaps the reason I haven't seen it before--I was afraid of getting stuck on muddy roads!).


In the photo above, you can see the long corolla tube extending from the pointy, cobwebby leaves. For lots more info about spiny phlox, click here.

p.s. What do you think of this larger photo size on the blog? I've been experimenting and am not sure what I like best yet.

Cushion Phlox-Phlox pulvinata

This is an easy alpine plant to identify, cushion phlox (Phlox pulvinata), part of the phlox family (Polemoniaceae). It's sometimes called alpine phlox, and both common names are apt, as it grows in alpine areas in cushions. It flowers early, and in the photo below you can see what the flowers look like after their peak. Then the plant isn't nearly as easy to identify, but it's still not one of the harder ones.
For more information about cushion phlox, click here.

Ballhead Ipomopsis-Ipomopsis congesta

I've seen quite a few flowers blooming that I blogged about last year, so it's taken a little searching to find some new ones for the second season of A Plant a Day. And a little time to do a post!

This is Ipomopsis congesta, also called manyflowered gilia and ball headed gilia. It is rather inconspicuous, lying close to the ground, with flowers in clusters at the end of long, spreading stems.

For more info, click here.

Sticky Polemonium-Polemonium viscosum

This beautiful high elevation flower is often smelled before it is seen--it smells like a skunk! It's called Sticky Polemonium (Polemonium viscosum). It's in the Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae).

The flowers are purplish in color, and the grayish-green leaves are compact. 

For more information about sticky polemonium, click here.

Scarlet Gilia-Ipomopsis aggregata

In honor of Fourth of July, here's a bright, patriot-colored flower that looks like trumpets exploding into fireworks. This is scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata), in the Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae).
The stalk grows 2 to 3 feet high and is decorated with a multitude of flowers. Leaves are small and highly dissected. Crushed flowers reportedly have a strong odor.

For more information about scarlet gilia, click here.

Jacob's Ladder-Polemonium pulcherrimum

This showy little plant with the pinnate leaves and small light-blue flowers growing near a creek under some conifers is Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum). It's a member of the Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae).

The plant can be found up to about 11,000 feet in this area. As the season progresses, it smells more skunk-like, but I didn't notice any odor this early in the season.

For more information about Jacob's Ladder, click here.

Granite Prickly Phlox-Linanthus pungens

I was climbing around some boulders at dusk when I ran into this prickly plant covered with small white flowers. The next morning I returned to photograph it and could hardly find any flowers. It turns out that the Granite Prickly Phlox (Linanthus pungens) opens its flowers at night and closes them during the day! Other common names for this plant are graite gilia, prickly phlox, and mountain prickly phlox. It is also known by the scientific name Leptodactylon pungens.

It is fairly common up to 11,000 feet in sandy and rocky places, including sagebrush openings.

For more information about granite prickly phlox, click here. 

Slender Phlox-Microsteris gracilis

This delicate flower is easily overlooked due to its diminutive size. With its trumpet-shaped flowers adapted for pollination by lepidopterans, it can be identified as a member of the Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae). The other distinguishing feature to look for in Phlox Family flowers is the presence of three (rather than two) stigma lobes or style branches. 

This is slender phlox (Microsteris gracilis), commonly seen with its diminutive counterpart, blue-eyed Mary. "Microsteris" means small stem and "gracilis" means slender.

As the plants age, their basal leaves turn red.

Flowers can be white or pink. For more information on slender phlox, click here.

Long-leaf Phlox-Phlox longifolia

Hidden down among the filaree I saw a larger flower, a phlox. This is a flower common to gardens, but this particular one appears to be a native version, long-leaf flox (Phlox longifolia), in the aptly named Phlox Family (Polemoniaceae). (There is a slight possibility this is Phlox stansburyi. If you know, please leave a comment.)

Many moss species grow close to the ground with short leaves, but this one is taller and longer-leaved. It falls over, though, so it does seem to be close to the ground. Although I just saw it flowering 4/17/09, I also found one specimen where the flower petals are already curling up and past their prime. 

I found it growing in gravel/cobble about 5300 ft.

For more information about this phlox, click here.