Green Ephedra
10. FOURWING SALTBUSHGoosefoot Family
Atriplex canescens
A silvery-green, profusely branched shrub growing two to five feet high with conspicuous clusters (in late summer) of four-winged seeds about the same color as the leaves. It is very common in the Sonoran Zones and abundant in the alkaline flats of the Great Basin of Utah. In the lower portion of Zion Canyon it is abundant and often taken to be Sagebrush, which it resembles to some extent.
This plant is of value as forage for livestock, and deer feed upon it to a limited extent.
Fourwing Saltbush
11. CALYPSO ORCHIDOrchid Family
Calypso bulbosa
If you travel to the mountains early in June or July, you may be lucky enough to find this beautiful flower, the dainty Calypso or Fairy Slipper Orchid, as it blooms in the dense woods of Spruce and Pine or in the deep canyons along shady streams at elevations above 6,000 feet. The flowers grow singly on stems 4 to 6 inches high and have only one large leaf. The plant takes part of its food from decaying wood or other organic matter.
Thoughtless picking of this flower has made it very rare and in danger of becoming extinct. Please do your part to help save the Fairy Slipper Orchid.