How low can you go?

Oreoxis alpina, June 14, 2021

Oreoxis alpina, June 14, 2021

Common & scientific name
Alpine parsley, Oreoxis alpina

Family
Parsley, Apiaceae

Location
Summit, 12,100’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

William Weber, the foremost authority on the flora of Colorado, describes Oreoxis alpina as “a common dwarf alpine on granitic mountains of the Continental Divide.”  Bingo!  This minute yellow flower is a common early summer companion on the high mountains  and ridges of Independence Pass, where it stays low to the ground and protected from wind by surrounding rocks and vegetation.

O. alpina, June 16, 2021

O. alpina, June 16, 2021