Next to the last day of our side trip. It's been a whirlwind, but it's been fun. We made a pit stop in Snake River Canyon not long after we passed from Idaho into Wyoming. It was very dry here, and rocky, but the waters of the river are not far underground, and two drought adapted plants were blooming nicely.
Scarlet gilia, Ipomopsis aggregata, was in full bloom. The downy stuff on the plants is the fluff from willow seeds that were dispersed recently from shrubby willows growing on the stream bank.
The flowers are checker-spotted, a detail that is lost on most. They must be hummingbird pollinated, but we never saw any hummingbirds, and I had a tough time getting a few good shots since it was very breezy. They were probably not out, since I can't imagine how they could fight the constant wind.
Sulfur buckwheat, Eriogonum umbellatum, was here in force as well. The flowers were done, and the fruits had turned the most appealing shade of coral pink. This is a very widespread and variable species. Some botanists list more than forty subspecies. I admire this one, but didn't take the time to figure out which subspecies it might be.
