The King of Funk

Cirsium funkiae, September 5, 2022

Same

Same

Common & scientific name
Funk’s thistle, Cirsium funkiae

Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location:
Crystal Lake drainage, 11,500’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Standing up to three feet tall on usually barren or rocky alpine slopes, sporting an enormous, woolly mop of yellow flowers, the funky thistle is impossible to miss. How has it just been “discovered?”

For over a century, botanists lumped the funky thistle (more on that name shortly!) with the common mountain thistle, Cirsium scopulorum. It, too, has a woolly head and dwarfs neighboring alpine plants. But anyone who has seen the funky thistle immediately senses distinctions: its flowers are yellow (as opposed to purple), it’s usually by itself, and it’s so top-heavy it looks ready to fall over.

Fortunately, there are scientists in our midst who are never satisfied with the status quo. Jennifer Ackerfield, author of the comprehensive Flora of Colorado, decided the physical characteristics of this plant were simply too dissimilar to leave unexamined. Genetic studies proved out its separate species status, confirming what many of us amateur botanists wondered, but did nothing, about.

Of the many satisfactions that come with identifying a new species of plant comes the right to name it. Ms. Ackerfield chose to honor her mentor, a curator at the Smithsonian, Vicki Funk, who apparently wore the name well.

Another awesome thistle

Cirsium scariosum, post-bloom, August 31, 2022

Common & scientific name
Elk thistle, Cirsium scariosum

Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location:
Henschel Lake, 12,600’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This wonderfully-whacky thistle is uncommon on the Pass, but is always a treat to find. It’s flowers are always stemless, whether the plant stands several feet tall or just 6” off the ground. Its leaves are light green. When it is in the form shown here, a flat, stemless rosette with whitish-purple flowers clustered in the center, it looks like a giant sunflower. Beautiful, no?

The red huckleberry

Vaccinium scoparium, in fruit, August 24, 2022

Common & scientific name
Broom huckleberry, Vaccinium scoparium

Family
Heath, Ericaceae

Location
Geissler, 11,000’

Fun/weird/little known fact
This common alpine ground cover has smaller leaves than V. myrtillus and red berries. It does not appear to be having the year that its aforementioned cousin is having berry-wise.

Not exactly bay-side

Bahia dissecta, August 17, 2022

Common & scientific name
Ragleaf bahia, Bahia/Amauriopsis dissecta

Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location
Twin Lakes, 9,200’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Found roadside all around Twin Lakes, nowhere on the west side of the Pass. The only plant of its genus in Colorado. Nifty, glandular basal leaves and desert-feeling flower heads. What this has to do with “bay” (Spanish translation of “bahia”) I have no idea.

Same, leaves

Damaged goods welcome

Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus, August 17, 2022

Common & scientific name
Viscid rabbitbrush, Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus

Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location
Twin Lakes, 9,200’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
This five-foot-high behemoth of a shrub looks and acts like an invasive, but is in fact native to and found throughout North America. It rapidly establishes in disturbed habitat (hence its weed-like feel), but is useful for revegetating lands damaged by human activities and natural disasters.

Entirely sticky

Dieteria bigelovii, August 17, 2022

Common & scientific name
Bigelow’s tansy-aster, Dieteria bigelovii

Family
Sunflower, Asteraceae

Location
Twin Lakes, 9,200’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Recently moved from the Macharaenthera genus to the Dieteria genus, this rather scraggly-looking tansy-aster has very glandular, very recurved phyllaries (to which dirt, etc. stick), purple/lavender petals, and toothed, slender, entire leaves (the last being why its genus was changed). See here and there, usually roadside, usually lower down on the Pass.

The giant of the louseworts

Pedicularis procera, August 17, 2022

Common & scientific name
Giant lousewort, Pedicularis procera

Family
Broomrape, Orobanchaceae

Location
Twin Lakes area, 9,500’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Growing over four feet tall, usually in aspen groves in our area, with fern-like leaves and gorgeous yellow and red-streaked flowers (this photo showing the giant past peak bloom and going to seed).

And yet another . . .

Lappula squarrosa, in fruit and flower, August 17, 2022

Common & scientific name
European stickseed, Lappula squarrosa
Family
Borage, Boraginaceae
Location
Twin Lakes, 9,200’
Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact
Yet another invasive from Twin Lakes, near the parking lot across from the general store, lodges and shops, and thus a prime area for all manner of invasive species coming in on tires, treads, and pets, among others. Luckily, and again, not seen commonly (or almost anywhere else) on the Pass.