The photo at right shows a close-up view of the underside of the sepals of Columbia wind flower as seen several miles south of the trailhead to Grassy Knoll, southern Gifford Pinchot National Forest........May 24, 2007.
Columbia wind flower is a very attractive perennial wildflower which is appropriately named when viewed nodding to and fro in the strong winds of the Columbia River Gorge. The solitary stems arise from 10-30 cm high from a slender, widespread, horizontal rhizome. The herbage varies from smooth to covered with stiff hairs. The leaves usually consist of a compound ternate basal leaf and and a trio of leaves at midstem. The basal leaflets are short-petiolate and ovate in shape with coarsely crenate-serrate margins. The blades may sometimes be lobed halfway to the midvein and usually measure from 2-6 cm long. The stem leaves measure up to 8 cm long with ovate shape and toothed margins.
The single white flower is showy and sits atop the stem. It consits of 5 white sepals of ovate to oblanceolate shape, each measuring from 1.5-2.5 cm long. Petals are absent and there are numerous whitish stamens surrounding the numerous green pistils .
Columbia wind flower may be found in dark coniferous forests to forest openings and growing with shrubs in moist areas.
Columbia wind flower may be found west of the Cascades from King County in Washington south to northern California.
In the Columbia River Gorge it may be found between the elevations of 100'-4800' from the Sandy River east to the White Salmon River.
