Red-osier dogwood (Cornus stolonifera sp.) is a deciduous shrub found in areas with wet soil in our region. The shrub has many stems in opposite pairs. The lower one of the pair is often prostate and forms stolons. The stems rise up 1 m to 5 m and are reddish. Older stems start to turn grey. The shrub’s … Continue reading →
The last post of nature hikes from this year is a collection of outings in the latter half of October, including flora from the Lac le Jeune area, the Adams River area, and the Lac du Bois area. Hiking will continue throughout late fall and through the winter, but will more focused on keeping up the pace to stay … Continue reading →
Western Rattlesnake Plantain (Goodyera oblongifolia) is an evergreen perennial in the orchid family which can be spotted in our mid-elevation forests of the Southern Interior. From thick roots and spreading rhizomes Goodyera often spreads, forming small colonies. A basal cluster of dark green leaves are oval – lanceolate and have a whitish streak down the middle. Stiff stems rise … Continue reading →
On a mid-October day I drove up the Lac du Bois Road to the upper grasslands and did a nature hike in the Lac du Bois Conservation Area. I started at the south end of the old Stony Lake Track, a double track first used by homesteaders for ranching, starting in 1890. It has been leased for grazing ever … Continue reading →
Fringed Grass of Parnassus (Parnassia fimbriata) is a perennial found in damp sub-alpine areas in the BC Interior. It grows from short, fibrous roots. Several stems rise to as much as 30 cm. Broad kidney-shaped basal glossy green leaves extend at low angles. Single terminal flowers have 5 white petals, fringed with white hairs below. In the middle … Continue reading →
