Earlybirds in the Neskonlith Meadows
The early stars are avalanche lilies (link) and bluebells (to be posted soon), but the other minor stars include yellow bells, sagebrush buttercups, fern-leaved desert parsley, emerging arrow-leaved balsamroot and western spring beauties. All photos taken by the author. Click an image for a larger view.
Hi Doug, I am wondering if your second spring beauty (2nd down on right) might not actually be dwarf montia, which is also flowering now. Quite a lot smaller than spring beauty, but with similar rather succulent foliage (they are in the same family)— though the leaves are linear, unlike s.bs. I think I can see the tip of one such leaf at bottom left of the pic.
Yes, you may be right. I was taking the photos (lots of them) but not always examining the foliage closely. I was thinking that the flowers seemed small and more closed than usual so this was probably why.