Day 268: For as often as I have seen this plant in the subalpine backcountry, I'd never bothered trying to identify it until it was brought to the forefront of my attention by Joe during a Team Biota hike. When not in flower, the leaves had suggested to him that it might be an Allium (onion) of some sort, but after the inflorescence opened out into a loosely organized panicle rather than an umbel, it became obvious that it belonged to a different family. We then settled in with the field guides and after some to-ing and fro-ing, settled on Luzula hitchcockii, Hitchcock's Woodrush. It occurred in some places immediately east of the Cascade Crest in such abundance that it appeared to be the dominant vegetation. However, the snow had just melted back and other plants may not yet have begun their emergence. Since this trail was new to me, I am anxious to take another trip later in the season to observe the succession.
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