Leigh Robertson - Southern Rocky Mountain Wildflowers: A Field Guide to Wildflowers in the Southern Rocky Mountains, including Rocky Mountain National Park

Chris Kassar is a conservation biologist, guide, and writer with a reverence for nature, a thirst for adventure, and a desire to leave the world a little bit better. She gained extensive knowledge about wildflowers and plants through various field courses, formal studies in pursuit of her masters degree in wildlife biology at Utah State, and her work as a biologist, guide, environmental educator, and interpreter in various national forests and parks across the West, including Rocky Mountain, Denali, Arches, and Canyonlands.

Over the past few years, Chris has also turned her attention to using words and imagery to document various adventures, bring attention to important issues, and advocate for environmental change. She runs Rios Libres, an environmental nonprofit dedicated to protecting rivers in Chile from dams, and she also works as senior editor of Elevation Outdoors Magazine. Chris is also a freelance writer and photographer with published works in numerous publications, including Climbing, Mother Jones, the Boston Globe Magazine, National Geographic Adventure, and Womens Adventure Magazine. Chris, who is most at peace in the outdoors and considers a successful year one in which she spends more nights sleeping under the stars than under a ceiling, lives in Salida, Colorado. Learn more at www.chriskassar.com.

The Rocky Mountain Conservancy promotes stewardship of Rocky Mountain National Park and similar lands through education and philanthropy.

FALCON GUIDES

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Copyright 2015 by Rowman & Littlefield

Front matter photos: pp. iii and iv by Chris Kassar; p. vii by Christina MacLeod

Illustrations: DD Dowden

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British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Information available

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Robertson, Leigh, author.

Southern Rocky Mountain wildflowers : a field guide to wildflowers in the Southern Rocky Mountains, including Rocky Mountain National Park / Leigh Robertson. 2nd edition / updated by Chris Kassar.

pages cm

Summary: Field guide to more than 200 wildflowers conveniently arranged for easy identification. Includes vibrant color photos and descriptions Provided by publisher.

ISBN 978-0-7627-8478-3 (paperback)

1. Wild flowersRocky Mountains RegionIdentification. 2. Wild flowersRocky Mountains RegionPictorial works. I. Kassar, Chris, author. II. Title.

QK139.R63 2015

582.130978dc23

2014027460

ISBN 978-1-4930-1497-2 (ebook)

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information SciencesPermanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

TO MY AMAZING PARENTS

FOR ALWAYS BELIEVING IN ME

MOMEVEN BEFORE I COULD WALK, YOU TOOK ME OUTSIDE EACH SPRING TO SEE THE FIRST TINY VIOLETS AND CROCUS POPPING UP IN OUR BACKYARD. THANK YOU FOR TEACHING ME TO PAUSE AND NOTICE SMALL WONDERS.

DADI AM ETERNALLY GRATEFUL TO YOU FOR INSTILLING IN ME A LOVE OF NATURE AND FOR YOUR UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT OF MY ADVENTUROUS SPIRIT.

WRITTEN IN LOVING MEMORY OF AUNT VICKIYOU ADDED SPLASHES OF LIGHT, BURSTS OF COLOR, AND ENDLESS BRIGHTNESS TO THE WORLD I N THE SAME WAY THAT FLOWERS DO. WE MISS YOU AND KNOW YOU ARE ALWAYS NEARBY.

Many thanks to all who helped me in the process of revising this book. I am especially grateful to Al Schneider, the brains behind the acclaimed website Southwest Colorado Wildflowers (www.swcoloradowildflowers.com). Few people are as knowledgeable and passionate about wildflowers and plants, and Al was extremely generous with his energy, suggestions, and photos. I so appreciate the fact that he chose to invest his precious time and share his wisdom to help make this guide better.

I would also like to express my gratitude to Dr. John Kartesz, director of the Biota of North America Program (BONAP), and Misako Nishino, data manager at BONAP, for their suggestions and help with making sure the scientific names accurately reflect the many recent changes in genetic evidence. I know they are both extremely busy, yet they managed to take the time to answer my questions and assist me whenever I asked.

For their suggestions, I would like to thank Dina Clark and Tim Hogan and the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History Herbarium, Andrew Kratz, Steve J. Popovich, Larry Friederick, Dr. William Weber, Jan and Charlie Turner, the Colorado Native Plant Society, and Larry Stritch.

I am also grateful to Katy Sykes and Rich Fedorchak of Rocky Mountain National Park, and Amy Stevens of the Rocky Mountain Conservancy for their technical review of the manuscript, recommendations, and expert advice. I appreciate the Rocky Mountain Conservancy (formerly the Rocky Mountain Nature Association) for the great work it does and its continued support of my efforts in creating and distributing this guide. Extreme gratitude to FalconGuides staff Jessica Haberman, David Legere, Lori Enik, Joe Novosad, Julie Marsh, Joanna Beyer, Kathy Brock, and Roberta Monaco.

Thanks to the National Park Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, and specifically Katy Sykes at Rocky Mountain National Park for the additional contacts, ideas, and for helping to make photographs from the park collection available. I also want to acknowledge and thank Melissa Islam, Sarada Krishnan, and Cindy Newlander at the Denver Botanic Gardens for providing photos from their collection. Thanks to Barbara Fahey of the Native Plant Master Program (via Colorado State University and Jefferson County Parks) for connecting me with such skilled Native Plant Masters and for providing me access to your informational database. Lastly, I am grateful to all of the other photographers who contributed such stunning and detailed images. Featured photographers include Al Schneider, Scott F. Smith, Russell Smith, Ann Schonlau, Steve Olson, Loraine Yeatts, Mary Dubler, Ernie Marx, Barry Breckling, Christina MacLeod, Jan and Charlie Turner, and John B. Nelson.