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Dogtooth Violet
In March or April throughout the Rocky Mountains, certain lilies may be
found in all their beauty. One of them bears the strange name of Dogtooth
Violet. It is also called Fawn Lily, Glacier Lily, Snow Lily, and Adder's
Tongue. This is a true lily, and not a violet. It is the only yellow lily
in our area with two large, shiny, oblong basal leaves. One to several
nodding flowers occur on a long, usually naked stem. Narrow sepals and
petals are strongly recurved, reflexed, and curl backward. Each forms
a little bower with its long, tapering, coiled "tooth" or "adder's tongue".
It is truly a beautiful lily.
Each flower stem comes from an individual deep-seated bulb. The flowers
rise above a carpet of browns made of the oak leaves, which make the
fertile black mold. Only in this rich soil can these delicate plants thrive.
They climb mountains with the season, so to speak, blooming later at higher
elevations.
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