Pink Elephants

Day 280: Backcountry wisdom says that it's perfectly normal to talk to yourself when you're out in the woods. You should only be worried when you find yourself answering back. As far as I know, there's been no mention in the history of hiking covering the occasional visions of pink elephants after prolonged exposure to alpine meadows, but I can personally vouch for the phenomenon. In fact, after 174 visitor contacts at Reflection Lake, I deliberately sought them out in an effort to regain some semblance of sanity.

Pedicularis groenlandica (Elephant-head Pedicularis/Lousewort) doesn't seem to be as common as it once was in the subalpine meadows of Mount Rainier National Park. I used to find it at trailside quite frequently. Now I must actively seek it out where it occurs in pockets off-trail. Even when it's not in bloom, its lacy purplish foliage commands notice, highlights of colour in green meadow. The flower structure demands a very specialized method of pollinization, and is performed by an unexpected agent. As bumblebees progress from flower to flower, the vibration of their wings causes pollen to fall from the hidden anthers and thence to receptive stigmae. It is thought that this specialization helps prevent P. groenlandica's hybridization with other Louseworts.

Elephant-Head Pedicularis

Day 280: One of the highlights of my short hike to Snow Lake two days ago was finally getting a decent picture of Elephant-Head Pedicularis (Lousewort). The problem has not been that the plant is scarce; it's that my camera doesn't like pink/purple shades, and especially not when the subject is in full sunlight. Invariably, my photos either had blown-out highlights or were too "flat" to be attractive.

It's easy to see where Pedicularis groenlandica got its common name, and if you were of a botanical mind, you might wonder what type of insect is responsible for the pollination of the species since access to the reproductive structures is very constricted. The answer is surprising: bumblebees! The bees do not have to contact the anthers in order to gather pollen. Instead, as their wings vibrate, pollen is shaken loose in a puff and transferred to the stigmae. It has been suggested that this unique adaptation is responsible for reproductively isolating the species from the possibility of hybridization with other Louseworts.

Pink Elephants

Day 310: I thought I was going to have to buy a gallon of cheap wine in order to see pink elephants this year, but thanks to my botany partners Joe and Sharon, I found where they were hiding. Yes, this is the Elephant-head Pedicularis I mentioned a few days ago. It tends to bloom earlier than most of the other Pedicularis species. Take a close look at the individual flowers on the spike. The elephants' trunks are obvious, but do you see the floppy ears as well?

Interestingly enough, these plants are uniquely adapted to pollination by bumblebees, but not in the manner you might expect. The reproductive structures of this Pedicularis are hidden too deeply for a fat bumblebee to reach. In lieu of picking up pollen grains by contact, the bees hover near the flower and the vibrations of their wings causes the pollen to dislodge. Presumably, it is deposited by a similar mechanism as the bees progress from flower to flower.