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The
Plants of Moscow Mountain:
The forested
ridge of Moscow Mountain, situated northeast of Moscow, Idaho,
is a prominent feature of Palouse topography. Moscow Mountain
lies at the west end of a ridge of low peaks known as the Palouse
Range or Thatuna Hills. Moscow Mountain, at nearly 5000 feet in
elevation, and the two peaks, East and West Twin, at nearly 4500
feet, on the ridge to the west, stand well above the town of Moscow,
which has an elevation of about 2600 feet. The forested slopes
and the ridge of Moscow Mountain can be accessed by various roads
and trails. The forests of Moscow Mountain are among the closest
to and most easily accessible from Washington State University.
This website provides information on the plants of Moscow Mountain.
A list of the vascular
plants of Moscow Mountain is available in two forms: 1. arranged
by plant family, and 2. arranged
by genus. Both lists provide scientific (binomial) and common
names for the vascular
plants known to be on the mountain as well as information
on the habitats in which they are located. The list of plants
was modified from a floristic study of Moscow Mountain by B.
Chichester (1955). Select highlighted names from either of
the plant lists to see photographs and obtain additional information
about the plants. The acquisition of photographs and information
on each kind of vascular plant on Moscow Mountain is an ongoing
project so please have patience with us while we continue to develop
this website. We provide an annotated
bibliography that lists books and other publications on the
flora of the Pacific Northwest, especially the Palouse region,
that can help you to identify plants and learn about plant communities.
Plants
by family | Plants
by genus | Weeds
of Moscow Mt. | Annotated
bibliography | Plants
of Kamiak Butte | Herbarium
homepage
One can never be sure that a plant list for a particular area is
comprehensive. Botanists do not always find every kind of plant
that is growing in a particular area. New kinds of plants can be
introduced at anytime. Weedy plants, especially those introduced
by the activity of people, are common in agricultural areas, such
as the Palouse. Many weedy
plants have the ability to spread rapidly, and we can expect
that some have moved onto Moscow Mountain since Chichester's
1955 study of its flora. Plant lists can also become out-dated
because of local extinction (implying that plants will no longer
be found where they once were present). Let us know if you find
a plant on Moscow Mountain that is not on our list.
The flora of Moscow Mountain as we know it now has 374 kinds or
species of vascular plants. They are members of 52 families and
include flowering plants (angiosperms, including monocots and dicots),
conifers (gymnosperms), horsetails (sphenophytes), and ferns (pteridophytes).
The forests of Moscow Mountain differ on the north and south slopes.
The forests
of the north slope are centered on cedar-grand fir communities.
The most common coniferous tree of the north slope is western
red cedar (Thuja plicata). The most common plants along the forest
floor include: Actaea rubra, Anemone piperi, Asarum caudatum,
Cornus canadensis, Disporum trachycarpum, Lonicera utahensis,
Pyrola bracteata, Pyrola uniflora, Ribes lacustre, Rubus parviflora,
Thalictrum occidentale, Tiarella trifoliata, Trillium ovatum,
Viola glabella, and Viola orbiculata.
The forests
of the south slope are dominated by ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa).
At the higher elevations of the south slope the ponderosa pine
is mixed with Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and tamarack
(larch; Larix occidentalis). Common understory plants of these
forests include: Calypso bulbosa, Castilleja miniata, Clematis
columbiana, Frasera fastigata, Lonicera ciliosa, Pachistima myrsinites,
Prunus emarginata, Rosa gymnocarpa, Trillium ovatum, and Vaccinium
membranaceum.
The ravines
of the south slope have cedar-grand fir communities similar to
those of the north slope. Common plants of the forest understory
in the riparian zone of these ravines can include: Alnus sinuata,
Betula occidentalis, Carex geyeri, Cerastium vulgare, Cornus stolonifera,
Crataegus douglasii, Cystopteris fragilis, Equisetum arvense,
Juncus ensifolius, Mimulus guttatus, Populus tremuloides, Ranunculus
uncinatus, and Urtica dioica.
Small areas
of grassland and steppe vegetation can be found around the base
of Moscow Mountain, but the areas where those types of plant communities
were present before the arrival of settlers are now used typically
for agriculture.
For additional
information on the plants of Moscow Mountain or the Pacific Northwest,
please inquire at the Marion
Ownbey Herbarium or examine some of the materials listed in
the bibliography.
Larry Hufford
Director,
Marion
Ownbey Herbarium
22 July 1997
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