🍂MtBotany
@mtbotany.bsky.social
Botanizer. I'm not mad, just irresponsible. Also not a person made of plants or a killer robot pretending to be human, honest.
Wikipedia editor that writes about plants. Posting about plants 92.8% of the time. But I comment about other things.
Wikipedia editor that writes about plants. Posting about plants 92.8% of the time. But I comment about other things.
A morning picture from back in June in northern Colorado. Looking towards the Mount Zirkel Wilderness over Steamboat Lake.
December 6, 2025 at 3:37 AM
A morning picture from back in June in northern Colorado. Looking towards the Mount Zirkel Wilderness over Steamboat Lake.
A close up of the same species atop Cottonwood Pass.
December 1, 2025 at 9:12 PM
A close up of the same species atop Cottonwood Pass.
Even though they bloom in the "heat" of an alpine July, the flowers above the tree line make me think of winter.
A disputed narcissus-flowered anemone that is a species named Anemonastrum zephyrum according to POWO, but a variety of Anemone narcissiflora in Flora of North America.
#Bloomscrolling
A disputed narcissus-flowered anemone that is a species named Anemonastrum zephyrum according to POWO, but a variety of Anemone narcissiflora in Flora of North America.
#Bloomscrolling
December 1, 2025 at 5:16 PM
Even though they bloom in the "heat" of an alpine July, the flowers above the tree line make me think of winter.
A disputed narcissus-flowered anemone that is a species named Anemonastrum zephyrum according to POWO, but a variety of Anemone narcissiflora in Flora of North America.
#Bloomscrolling
A disputed narcissus-flowered anemone that is a species named Anemonastrum zephyrum according to POWO, but a variety of Anemone narcissiflora in Flora of North America.
#Bloomscrolling
Escobaria vivipara oder Pelecyphora vivipara, ein Kaktus aus dem Westen Nordamerikas. Fotografiert im Juni in Colorado.
November 30, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Escobaria vivipara oder Pelecyphora vivipara, ein Kaktus aus dem Westen Nordamerikas. Fotografiert im Juni in Colorado.
I do also have a nice little group in my front garden next to a downspout together with some checker mallows. I don't take their picture every year, but I always enjoy them. Photo from 2021
November 27, 2025 at 8:07 PM
I do also have a nice little group in my front garden next to a downspout together with some checker mallows. I don't take their picture every year, but I always enjoy them. Photo from 2021
A mountainside garden containing many species. To the west of Crested Butte in July. There are little pink elephants, paintbrush flowers, and even some of the not-terribly spectacular green orchids. #Bloomscrolling
November 25, 2025 at 2:34 AM
A mountainside garden containing many species. To the west of Crested Butte in July. There are little pink elephants, paintbrush flowers, and even some of the not-terribly spectacular green orchids. #Bloomscrolling
And this is far from the only picture.... I think I took about 50 photographs of various lupines at lots of different angles and features and times. Though I need to start doing some close ups of individual blooms.
November 23, 2025 at 5:07 AM
And this is far from the only picture.... I think I took about 50 photographs of various lupines at lots of different angles and features and times. Though I need to start doing some close ups of individual blooms.
Every year I swear I'll do a better job documenting so I'll be sure which lupine flower I'm looking at, but no. Probably Lupinus caudatus, but I'm not 100% sure. It has the little spur, but lupines are hard. Photograph from June, Steamboat Lake State Park, Colorado #Bloomscrolling
November 23, 2025 at 3:06 AM
Every year I swear I'll do a better job documenting so I'll be sure which lupine flower I'm looking at, but no. Probably Lupinus caudatus, but I'm not 100% sure. It has the little spur, but lupines are hard. Photograph from June, Steamboat Lake State Park, Colorado #Bloomscrolling
The penstemons closer to the road. I've read that it is mildly unusual for this species to have just one whorl of flowers, but not unheard of.
November 21, 2025 at 4:41 AM
The penstemons closer to the road. I've read that it is mildly unusual for this species to have just one whorl of flowers, but not unheard of.
Going through my photos from this past year. I'm quite confident this is meadow penstemon based on its growing in somewhat moist areas and seeing some other individuals closer to the road.
#Bloomscrolling
#Bloomscrolling
November 21, 2025 at 3:36 AM
Going through my photos from this past year. I'm quite confident this is meadow penstemon based on its growing in somewhat moist areas and seeing some other individuals closer to the road.
#Bloomscrolling
#Bloomscrolling
This is fun. I got a book in the mail from @naominovik.bsky.social
I'm over at the library starting it.
I'm over at the library starting it.
November 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
This is fun. I got a book in the mail from @naominovik.bsky.social
I'm over at the library starting it.
I'm over at the library starting it.
I so love black and white line drawings of plants. When I come across one in a scan of an out of copyright book I delight in adding them to Wikipedia.
Little pink elephant (Pedicularis groenlandica) from a 1909 book on the wildflowers of Colorado.
Little pink elephant (Pedicularis groenlandica) from a 1909 book on the wildflowers of Colorado.
November 16, 2025 at 4:48 PM
I so love black and white line drawings of plants. When I come across one in a scan of an out of copyright book I delight in adding them to Wikipedia.
Little pink elephant (Pedicularis groenlandica) from a 1909 book on the wildflowers of Colorado.
Little pink elephant (Pedicularis groenlandica) from a 1909 book on the wildflowers of Colorado.
Christmas Day is coming. Will you be ready to celebrate with MtBotany?
November 15, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Christmas Day is coming. Will you be ready to celebrate with MtBotany?
It has been a strange and unaccountable year. Earlier today I was looking at gentians and wolfsbane.
November 12, 2025 at 4:20 AM
It has been a strange and unaccountable year. Earlier today I was looking at gentians and wolfsbane.
Though also unlucky. My tripod was at home so I did not do a long exposure.
November 12, 2025 at 4:09 AM
Though also unlucky. My tripod was at home so I did not do a long exposure.
I did not get any good photos. I was away from home and did not have my tripod. But I did get this snapshot.
With my eyes it was twice as bright. I'm sure I could have gotten one of the bright photos with a second or two of exposure.
With my eyes it was twice as bright. I'm sure I could have gotten one of the bright photos with a second or two of exposure.
November 12, 2025 at 3:51 AM
I did not get any good photos. I was away from home and did not have my tripod. But I did get this snapshot.
With my eyes it was twice as bright. I'm sure I could have gotten one of the bright photos with a second or two of exposure.
With my eyes it was twice as bright. I'm sure I could have gotten one of the bright photos with a second or two of exposure.
Although, a note of caution. Beware some of our kindred, even some that you hairless apes have taken into your lands. They— have other good qualities, but are powerfully hostile to the joys of being eaten.
Beware the autumn crocus!
;)
Beware the autumn crocus!
;)
November 8, 2025 at 2:16 PM
Although, a note of caution. Beware some of our kindred, even some that you hairless apes have taken into your lands. They— have other good qualities, but are powerfully hostile to the joys of being eaten.
Beware the autumn crocus!
;)
Beware the autumn crocus!
;)
It is cold and dark in November.
But it was stupidly beautiful on a closed forest service road above Gothic in July.
But it was stupidly beautiful on a closed forest service road above Gothic in July.
November 1, 2025 at 1:33 PM
It is cold and dark in November.
But it was stupidly beautiful on a closed forest service road above Gothic in July.
But it was stupidly beautiful on a closed forest service road above Gothic in July.
Back in September I happened to encounter an arborist injecting the ash trees with insecticide. It was an interesting process. Denver trying to slow down the loss of street trees.
October 28, 2025 at 1:16 PM
Back in September I happened to encounter an arborist injecting the ash trees with insecticide. It was an interesting process. Denver trying to slow down the loss of street trees.
New tea mug at work. I like it.
October 22, 2025 at 11:27 PM
New tea mug at work. I like it.
Well. This book was way less fun than I thought it would be. The opening anecdote had me thinking it would be part fun facts as well as sadness of animals. But it was about 85% misery by weight. Some good news and fixes, but just very grim. It was a good book but it made me very sad.
October 22, 2025 at 2:04 AM
Well. This book was way less fun than I thought it would be. The opening anecdote had me thinking it would be part fun facts as well as sadness of animals. But it was about 85% misery by weight. Some good news and fixes, but just very grim. It was a good book but it made me very sad.
Alpine sandwort (Cherleria obtusiloba) blooming in July atop Cottonwood Pass. Nice little plant.
Unfortunately the Wikipedia article is what we call a stub. Very short giving almost no information.
Unfortunately the Wikipedia article is what we call a stub. Very short giving almost no information.
October 19, 2025 at 1:05 AM
Alpine sandwort (Cherleria obtusiloba) blooming in July atop Cottonwood Pass. Nice little plant.
Unfortunately the Wikipedia article is what we call a stub. Very short giving almost no information.
Unfortunately the Wikipedia article is what we call a stub. Very short giving almost no information.
Yes, but two cones is a very different version of color vision. It means reds blend into the background giving no evolutionary advantage to red fruits for most mammals.
Here is an example picture from the Wikipedia article on color blindness which is similar to dichromacy.
Here is an example picture from the Wikipedia article on color blindness which is similar to dichromacy.
October 14, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Yes, but two cones is a very different version of color vision. It means reds blend into the background giving no evolutionary advantage to red fruits for most mammals.
Here is an example picture from the Wikipedia article on color blindness which is similar to dichromacy.
Here is an example picture from the Wikipedia article on color blindness which is similar to dichromacy.
I like the seeds of Rocky Mountain ponderosa pines. Funny enough right now Plants of the World Online regards this as a separate species as Pinus scopulorum. I grew up with this as one species from the Rockies to the Pacific.
October 14, 2025 at 2:17 AM
I like the seeds of Rocky Mountain ponderosa pines. Funny enough right now Plants of the World Online regards this as a separate species as Pinus scopulorum. I grew up with this as one species from the Rockies to the Pacific.
Also, I feel like everyone is sleeping on the hatnote. What an intriguing name for a scientific paper.
October 12, 2025 at 1:12 AM
Also, I feel like everyone is sleeping on the hatnote. What an intriguing name for a scientific paper.