he alpine meadows begin to appear at an altitude of about 5,000 feet.
The real alpine trees, with their trim, straight trunks and drooping
branches, are in strange contrast to their relatives of the lower
altitude. The principal trees of the meadow area are the alpine fir,
the alpine hemlock, and the Alaska cedar. These constitute the greater
part of the silva of Paradise Valley. There are a few trees of the
Lovely fir in the lower part of the valley, and a few white-barked
pines overlooking the glaciers at timber line.

[Illustration: Floral Carpet in Indian Henry's Park, showing "Mountain
Heliotrope," more properly Valerian, and other flowers growing near
the snow line.]

[Illustration {p.132}: Mosses and Ferns, in the forest reserve, on way
to Longmire Springs.]

{p.133}
[Illustration: A bank of White Heather.]

The trees of the park zone differ greatly on different slopes. On the
northeast and east, the white-barked pine and the alpine spruce form
no small part of the tree groups. The white-barked pine branches out
like the scrub oak on the prairie. It is never seen at a low altitude.
The alpine spruce bears numerous cones all over the tree, and has
sharp leaves, though not so sharp as its relative, the tideland
spruce.

[Illustration: Hellebore (Veratrum Viride).]

Not only is there a difference in the trees on the different slopes of
the Mountain, but there is a marked difference in the herbaceous
plants as well. _Hesperogenia Strictlandi_ is a small, yellow plant of
the celery family. This is very abundant, both in Spray Park and also
in the country east of the Carbon Glacier, but rare on the south side.
_Gilia Nuttallii_, a large, phlox-like plant, is abundant only in the
Indian Henry region. Two anemones, one buttercup, three willows and
one senecio seem to be confined to the White River country. The moss
campion has been found only on Mowich.

The most noticeable and abundant flower on all slopes is the avalanche
lily (_erythronium montanum_). This plant comes up through several
inches of the old snow crust, and forms beautiful beds of pure white
flowers, to the exclusion of nearly all other plants. There are often
from seven to nine blossoms on a stem. This has other popular names,
such as deer-tongue and adder-tongue. There is also a yellow species,
growing with the other, but less abundant. It seldom has more than one
{p.134} or two flowers on a stem. The yellow alpine buttercup
generally grows wi