Mountainbells, Stenanthium Occidentale

Day 302: After work today, Kevin and I took a quick walk around the Longmire campground and probably would have gone further down the road had we not become distracted by the sudden disappearance of the stream which runs centrally down its length. It had been flowing at normal levels at the point where it passed under the road, so what had become of it in a tenth of a mile? Following it downstream from the road crossing, we found a boggy area, but no obstruction (or at least not one which would have created a dam), and it was there that the stream dwindled to nearly nothing.

In the process of marvelling at the geologic processes and soil conditions which could cause such a phenomenon, our attention fell on these dark-flowered plants, brought to sudden color by a ray of intermittent sun. Neither of us could recall the name of the flower, so did the sensible thing and photographed it for when we had access to our field guides. A member of the Lily family, Mountainbells grows from a small bulb which is said to be poisonous. The plant is classified as "uncommon," and yet at stream's end in the heart of the campground, they were plentiful. I am pleased to add it to my virtual field guide at 365 Caws.