Chamaenerion Latifolium, Broad-Leaf Fireweed

Day 294: The tall flowering stems of Fireweed will be recognizable to almost any resident of western Washington, but most people will be unaware that there is more than one species of Chamaenerion (formerly Epilobium) in the state. Chamaenerion latifolium (Broad-Leaf Fireweed, above) is a significantly shorter plant, more compact in nature, and its flowers are frequently larger and more robust than those of its cousin. Like Chamaenerion angustifolium, its seed pods (siliques) are long and slender, bursting to release seeds when they become dry. The seeds are borne aloft on fluffy white parachutes and may travel for miles before separating and dropping to the earth. In order for the tiny seeds to germinate, they must be scarified by fire to weaken the outer layer, hence the common name. Fireweed is often found in clear-cuts which have been deliberately burned over, a pioneer species whose eventual deterioration will contribute to a soil base in which other vascular plants can take root.

Little Dipper

Day 292: Botanists and birders have some very special nomenclature they apply to species which are problematic to identify. In the world of plants, it's DYDs and DPDs, i.e., "damn yellow daisies" and "damn purple daisies" respectively. The birder's lexicon includes LBJs and LGBs, "little brown jobs" and "little grey birds." I was flanked by representatives of both disciplines during a recent field trip as I engaged in documenting the occurrence of the DYD while enjoying the presence of a familiar and much-loved LGB in the nearby river. This particular LGB is an American Dipper (Cinclus mexicanus), also known as a Water Ouzel. Dipper takes his common name from his habit of diving into streams and rivers where, beneath the surface of the water, he swims or walks along picking up aquatic insects and larvae for his dinner. It's not uncommon to observe a Dipper enter the water at one point and see it pop back out again fifty feet upstream half a minute later. When the bird perches on a rock or stick, it may be seen to perform a series of deep knee bends, bobbing up and down repeatedly before making another dive. Birding is not always about spotting distinctive physical field markings; sometimes the behaviour is enough to separate one LGB from another.