artofexplora's Journal

Yesterday, I drove the Guanella Pass Scenic Byway from Grant, CO north to Georgetown, CO to see the fall colors and go for a few short hikes. I came across some familiar species (Rosa woodsii and Rubus idaeus) and a few new ones. My favorite of the day was Corydalis aurea, perhaps because I like its common name so much: Scrambled Eggs. I was also pleased to get a possible ID (awaiting confirmation) of a lichen I see a lot of on my hikes, Xanthoparmelia cumberlandia. Also observed what at the time I thought was Grindelia squarrosa but turns out might be Grindelia subalpine instead.

INDIAN PEAKS WILDERNESS - Arrived in the early morning yesterday at Brainard Lake. Hiked along Boulder Creek Trail and then the Mount Audubon Trail for a quarter of a mile or so, on the west-facing slopes of Mount Audubon. At 11,400 feet elevation, was turned back by dark skies and the rumble of thunder echoing through the valleys to the south. Logged some of the species that I came across in the forest, krummholz, and tundra habitats I hiked through.

I photographed this Western Blue Flag specimen while hiking in the foothills near NCAR in Boulder in June, 2019.

There are two Iris species in Colorado, Iris missouriensis and Iris pseudacorus. The two species can be distinguished by their flower color, with Iris missouriensis having purple, blue-purple or (occasionally) white flowers and Iris pseudacorus having yellow flowers.

Iris missouriensis is common in moist meadows, along creeks and streams, and in aspen groves. In Colorado, the species can be found in the western two-thirds of the state and occurs at elevations in the range of 5,200 and 11,000 feet. Flowers from May to August.

Another common name for Iris missouriensis, one which I've seen used more often locally, is the Rocky Mountain Iris.

Source: Ackerfield, Jennifer. Flora of Colorado. BRIT Press, 2015. pp. 505.