How low can you go

Cymopterus alpina, June 16, 2023

June 16

Common & scientific name

Alpine parsley, Cymopterus alpina

Family

Parsley, Apiaceae

Location

Above Linkins Lake, 12,400’

Fun, weird, helpful, or little known fact

William Weber, the foremost authority on the flora of Colorado, describes Cymopterus 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.