Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 30 July 2010.

Sources for identification: The Butterflies of Cascadia (Pyle, 2002, pp. 232-5), Butterflies of America ( butterfliesofamerica.com/euphilotes_a_ancilla.htm ) and The Butterflies and Moths of North America ( www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1609 ).

Taxonomic verification is available through the Integrated Taxonomic Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... .

Common name: Ancilla Blue, Rocky Mountain Dotted Blue.

*Euphilotes a. ancilla is perched on a late-season Lupinus spp.

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 28 July 2010.

*Hieracium aurantiacum is classified as a Class B Noxious Weed www.nwcb.wa.gov/weed_info/Hieracium_%20aurantiacum.html .

Sources for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p. 530) and the University of Washington Burke Herbarium at biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php .

North American distribution and additional species description is viewed at plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Hieracium%20... . Taxonomic account is via the Integrated Taxonomic Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... .

Common names: Orange hawkweed, Orange paintbrush, Red daisy flameweed, Devil's weed, Grim-the-collier.

Bakke Ski Hill (Chelan County, Washington State, USA) 25 March 2010. Sources for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p.105), Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Pojar and Mackinnon, 1994, p.134). Uses: corms used raw or cooked by Native Americans (Mabberly's Plant-Book, 3rd Edition,2008, p.193) Common name: Western Spring Beauty.

Bakke Ski Hill (Chelan County, Washington State, USA) 25 March 2010. Source for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p. 127) and Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast (Pojar and Mackinnon, 1994, p.172). Common name: Oregon Anemone.

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 22 March 2010. Sources for identification: Plants of the Pacific Northwest (Pojar and McKinnon, 1994, page 234) and Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, page 372).

Vantage (Kittitas County, Washington State, USA) 20 March 2010. A native pollinator (Miner Bee sp., male) works the fields of Phlox bordering the Columbia River on the first day of Spring. Sources for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987,p.374) and The University of Maine Cooperative Extension ( www.umext.maine.edu/onlinepubs/htmpubs/7153.htm )

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA). 16 March 2010. Common name: Whitlow-grass. Uses: alleged to cure Whitlow = inflammation around the nails. Sources for identification and uses: Plants of the Pacific Northwest Pojar and Mackinnon, First Edition, 1994, page 151) and Mabberley's Plant-book (Mabberley, Third Edition, 2008, page 287).

Chelan County (Washington State, USA) 4 July 2010.

Sources for identification: The Butterflies of Cascadia (Pyle, 2002, pp.112-3), Butterflies of America at butterfliesofamerica.com/parnassius_smintheus_magnus.htm and The Butterflies and Moths of North America at www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1346 .

This taxonomy is verified at the Inetgrated Taxonomy Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... .

Common name: Rocky Mountain Parnassian, Mountain Parnassian.

Bob Pyle writes: "Parnassians are frequent companions of hikers in the mountains and forests. Clodius earlier and lower, Smintheus higher and later...Smintheus flies in colder places and temperatures than most butterflies, sometimes in falling snow."

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 4 July 2010.

Conservation status: Watch List

Sources for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p. 701) and The University of Washington Burke Herbarium at biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.ph... .

This taxonomy is accepted by the Integrated Taxonomy Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... . Species distribution for C. montanum can be seen at plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Cypripedium montanum&mode=sciname .

An interesting use of C. montanum is maintained by the University of Michigan which can be seen at herb.umd.umich.edu/herb/search.pl?searchstring=Cypripediu... .

Common name: Mountain Lady's Slipper, Mountain Ladyslipper

Chelan County (Washington State, USA) 11 June 2010.

Sources for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p. 684), The University of Washington Burke Herbarium at biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.ph... and Flora of North America at www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=2... .

This taxonomy is accepted at the Integrated Taxonomy Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... and species distribution for the United States can be seen at plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Allium%20cre... .

Common name: Olympic Onion, Scalloped Onion.

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 28 July 2010.

Source for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p. 339).

Species distribution for North America and addition description is available at plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=COCA13 . C. canadensis taxonomy is verified at the Integrated Taxonomy Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... .

Common names: Bunchberry Dogwood, Canadian Bunchberry.

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 28 July 2010.

Sources for identification: Flora of the Pacific Northwest * P.stricta is treated as Habenaria saccata (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987, p. 703) and the University of Washington Burke Herbarium ( biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php )

North American distribution and additional species description can be seen at plants.usda.gov/java/nameSearch?keywordquery=Platanthera%... . P. stricta taxonomy is verified from the Integrated Taxonomy Information Service ( www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... )

Common names: Modoc bog orchid, Slender bog orchid, Slender bogorchid.

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA)
28 July 2010.

Sources for identification: The University of Washington Burke Herbarium at biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/imagecollection.php . Flora of the Pacific Northwest (Hitchcock and Cronquist, 6th Edition, 1987) does not treat S. p. ssp. purpurea. It is listed as "Introduced from Eastern North America" .

Species distribution and further description for North America can be seen at plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=SAPUP3 . This taxonomic description is verified with the Integrated Taxonomic Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... .

Common names: Purple pitcher plant, Northern pitcher plant.

*This is the flower for S.p. ssp. purpurea.

Chelan County (Washington State, USA) 14 July 2010.

Sources for identification: The Butterflies of Cascadia (Pyle, 2002, pp. 310-1), Butterflies of America at butterfliesofamerica.com/euphydryas_editha_colonia.htm and The Butterflies and Moths of North America at www.butterfliesandmoths.org/species?l=1752 .

This taxonomic description is verified by the Integrated Taxonomic Information Service at www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN... .

Common name: Edith's Checkerspot.

Bob Pyle writes "While checkerspots can be vexingly similar and variable, we are lucky in the Northwest to have a reliable clue at least to this species in the "editha line". Edith's Checkerspot is arguably the most studied, best known non-economic insect in North America, thanks to investigations performed by Dr. Paul R. Ehrlich of Stanford University and his students and colleagues over the past thirty years. The journals of population biology, ecology, and evolution contain scores of papers based on these seminal studies. Among the findings: some populations, especially those on serpentine soils, require an alteration of hostplants through the season, one replacing another as the first dessicates; colonies naturally flick on and off in an extinction-recolonization cycle--even the classic Stanford research site on Jasper Ridge--but are now dropping out of many former habitats for good, a trend significantly correlated with warming trends".

Kittitas County (Washington State, USA) 3 July 2010.

Source foe identification: Washington Department of Natural Resources at www1.dnr.wa.gov/nhp/refdesk/herp/html/4crvi.html .

Species distribution for the State of Washington (GAP Analysis) can be viewed at depts.washington.edu/natmap/maps/wa/reptiles/WA_w_rattles... .

Complete species description and IUCN listing is viewed at www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/64339/0 .

Common name: Western Rattlesnake.

*My first experiences with venomous snakes was while growing up in Texas. There were (all common names) Copperheads, Cottonmouths, Coral Snakes and several species of Rattlesnake. Coming to Central Washington and experiencing time in the field, I've found that this particular species does not always "alert" before it strikes. In riparian areas, it is phenomenally-well camouflaged and extra attention must be made during "Snake Season".