Richard J. Shaw and Marion A. Shaw
160 pages/5X8 inches
ISBN 9780970206732
$12.95
This compact volume includes 213 species of trees, shrubs and wildflowers found in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Perfect for the backpack or glove compartment, beautiful full-color photographs make plant identification easy for even the novice naturalist, and recently updated botanical information will be appreciated by the more experienced. Historical uses, plant dimensions and relationships to other plants and animals are also part of the informative text accompanying each photograph. The book’s index lists both common and scientific names for easy reference.
Dr. Richard J. Shaw was a professor of botany at Utah State University for thirty-nine years. Marion Abplanalp Shaw, also a botanist, worked at the herbariums at both the University of Utah and Utah State University. Together with their three children, they spent thirty-one summers studying the plants of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
LIMBER PINE
Pinaceae Family
Pinus flexilis
This five-needled pine is seldom found in pure stands, but is more often found as a lone individual on the dry, rocky moraines of the valley of Jackson Hole. It is common near Mammoth Hot Springs. The young branches of this tree are very flexible and can be tied in knots without breaking. This peculiar characteristic is of advantage in withstanding the severe winds and is also responsible for both the common and scientific names. In June this species is conspicuous because of its numerous reddish clusters of pollen-bearing cones. The seed-bearing cones produce large seed crops at irregular intervals and these are sought by birds and rodents who serve as important agents of dispersal. Each needle is 1½ to 3 inches long and closely pressed into clusters of five. Such needle clusters often remain on the branches for five or six years.
