[Willowherbs: The Genus Epilobium in Mt. Adams Country]
Yellow Willowherb, Yellow Willow-herb
Epilobium luteum
The photo above shows yellow willow-herb as seen along Shorthorn
Creek at about 5600' along the Shorthorn Trail #16 on the southern slopes of
Mt. Adams........July 30, 2005. Note the glands on the outer surface
of the seed capsules seen immediately below the flowers.
The photo at right shows
yellow willow-herb as seen from Trail #9, the Shorthorn Cr Trail, Mt. Adams Wilderness........August 31, 1996.
Characteristics:
Yellow willow-herb is an upright to spreading, bushy wildflower.
It may grow from 15 to 70 cm tall. The stems are slender with opposite, almost
sessile leaves. The numerous leaves are finely toothed, to 7.5 cm long, and
lanceolate to ovate in shape.
The flowers appear singley from the upper leaf axils, and are
4-petaled. The flowers are a creamy light yellow color, and may be as much as
2 cm long. The petals are obcordate in shape, 14 to 18 mm long. The petals overlap
so the flower looks partly closed. In addition, the flowers have 4 sepals and
8 stamens.
Habitat:
Yellow willow-herb is a wildflower of open, moist meadows and
streamsides from moderate to high elevation in the Cascades and Olympic Mts.
Range:
Yellow willow-herb is found from Alaska southward to Vancouver
Island, the Olympic Mts, and the Cascades of Oregon and Washington.
The photo above shows the flower of yellow willow-herb as seen
along Shorthorn Creek at about 5600' along the Shorthorn Trail #16 on the southern
slopes of Mt. Adams........July 30, 2005. The elongated style and
short-lobed stigma are evident in this photo.
The photo above shows the lightly toothed leaf blade of yellow
willow-herb as seen along Shorthorn Creek at about 5600' along the Shorthorn
Trail #16 on the southern slopes of Mt. Adams........July 30, 2005.
The photo above shows yellow willow-herb as seen along Shorthorn
Creek at about 5600' along the Shorthorn Trail #16 on the southern slopes of
Mt. Adams........July 30, 2005.
The photo above shows a large mass of yellow willow-herb as seen along the Round the Mt. Trail #9 in the Mt. Adams Wilderness.........September 5, 2008.
The photo above shows yellow willow-herb from the Round the Mt
Trail, southern section, Mt. Adams Wilderness...........8/7/90.
Paul Slichter