California Corn Lily

Flora and Fauna Friday-California Corn Lily

Common names- California Corn Lily, False Hellebore

Latin name- Veratrum californicum

Family- Lily

Blooms-June through August

Ecology- Mountain meadows and stream sides

General info-5' tall with many 1" flowers with 6 petals, each is white with a green V at the base; in a dense 12" cluster with erect branches. Leaves are 12". elliptical, strongly pleated. Stock resembles corn.

CAUTION THIS PLANT IS POISONOUS

Source-National Audubon Society, Field Guide to the Rocky Mountain States

Griz

Bridger and Bridget, 9 year old grizzy bears.18mm f/5.6 1/400 ISO 250
18mm f/5.6 1/400 ISO 250
18mm f/5.6 1/400 ISO 250

18mm f/5.6 1/320 ISO 250

18mm f/5.6 1/320 ISO 250

Flora and Fauna Friday

I decided to do a Flora and Fauna Friday, slightly cheesy but I needed something to help me remember plant names. Along with the picture of the plant or animal I'll put the Latin name and some other info about the subject.

Common names- Indian Paintbrush, Red Indian Paintbrush, Harsh Paintbrush, Cliff Paintbrush, Small Flowered Paintbrush.

Latin name- Castilleja Miniata

Family name- Figwort

Ecology- Mountain meadows, stream banks, open woods and roadsides.

Blooming season- April to September

Colors- They are known for their bright red color although it can vary from orange to scarlet to purple, even to white and yellow. Their color comes from dense, bright bracts that surround the actual flower.

Tidbits- Indian Paintbrush is the State flower of Wyoming and it's also the flower that according to Indian legend came to be, because a young Indian boy wanted to paint the sunset but could never find or make the right colors. The young boy asked the Great Spirit to help him paint the sunset so one evening as the young boy goes up the his usual spot to try to paint the sunset he finds all these paintbrushes fill with the right colors. After he finishes his painting he leaves the brushes on the hilltop and in the morning, bright and beautiful flowers cover the hills.

info found at, www.intangibility.com/inw/Wildflowers/Indian-Paintbrush.html

Bear Cubs!

The early morning cub feeding, if you were wondering they are fed a lambs milk and Stacy is trying to get Potter to show me his paw.
Success! I love their paws! Can you believe that these guys where 7 oz. when they were born! About the size of a stick of butter.

This is Favre showing off for me. All six cubs are show offs, if there's a camera they will be cute.
All the cubs are male, which is why Wrangler is holding hands/paws with Morgan.
Stacy and her boys Barrett and Potter. She has raised these guys since they were 8 weeks old, she is their mother. If you mess with one of her cubs she does turn into a mother bear.
All three of these cuties are black bears. L-R Barrett, Radar and Potter.

Potter was curious about me being there with my shiny camera. Did you know black bears come in 17 different shades. They range from pitch black to cinnamon, red and all the shades of browns.

Slightly out of order but Barrett, Radar and Potter again.

Potter again. These cubs where born at the end of January and they already weight 70 lbs! Even though they are cubs I still get the instinct to run when they come at me.

Nikki showing me Potter's paw pad. They have the cutest paws ever!

Ever the adult black bears lay like this. It's SO cute!!!