The Lewis and Clark Herbarium

Plants Collected by Lewis and Clark

Dalea to Fritillaria

1. Dalea candida Michx. ex Willd., Sp. Pl. 3: 1337. 1802. (Fabaceae) - white prairie-clover. No extant material. Pursh (1813: 461) cited Lewis material from "on the banks of the Missouri" where the plant is common. This appears to be Lewis 16, one of the first 30 Lewis collections gathered in 1804 that are now lost. Lewis collected this along the Missouri River near the Cass-Otoe cos. line in Nebraska on 20 Jul 1804. It is not known if Lewis found var. candida or the more common var. oligophylla (Torr.) Shinners. Synonymy: Petalostemon candidus Michx.

   

      Dalea purpurea Vent.
   

2. Dalea purpurea Vent., Descr. Pl. Nouv.: ad t. 40. 1801. (Fabaceae) - purple prairie-clover. PH-LC 73 (Moulton 55). Two collections apparently are present on the sheet. One was collected along the Missouri River near Springfield in Bon Homme Co., South Dakota, on 2 Sep 1804. The second was gathered on 22 Jul 1806. It was either found by Lewis near "Camp Disappointment" near the Marias River, Glacier Co., Montana, or by Clark on the north side of the Yellowstone River just south of present-day Park City in Stillwater Co., Montana. Synonymy: Petalostemon purpureum (Vent.) Rydb., Petalostemon violaceus Michx.

   

   

      Dasiphora fruticosa L.
   

3. Dasiphora fruticosa (L.) Rydb. (Rosaceae) - golden-hardtack. PH-LC 161 (Moulton 126). Collected in Nevada Valley, Powell Co., Montana, on 6 Jul 1806. Synonymy: Dasiphora floribunda (Pursh) Raf., Petaphylloides floribunda (Pursh) A. Löve, Potentilla floribunda Pursh; Dasiphora fruticosa subsp. floribunda (Pursh) Kartesz.

   

      Delphinium menziesii DC.
   

4. Delphinium menziesii DC., Syst. Nat. 1: 355. 1817. (Ranunculaceae) - Puget Sound larkspur. PH-LC 74 (Moulton 56). Collected along the Columbia River in Hood River Co. or Wasco Co., Oregon, or in Skamania Co. or Klickitat Co., Washington, on 14 Apr 1806. Synonymy: Delphinium menziesii DC. var. pyramidale (Ewan) C. L. Hitchc.

   

   

      Dodecatheon poeticum L.
   

5. Dodecatheon poeticum L. F. Hend. in Rhodora 32: 27. 1930. (Primulaceae) - poet's shootingstar PH-LC 75 (Moulton 57). Collected at The Dalles, Wasco Co., Oregon, on 16 Apr 1806.

   

      Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H. P. Fuchs
   

6. Dryopteris carthusiana (Vill.) H. P. Fuchs in Bull. Soc. Bot. France 105: 339. 1959. (Dryopteridaceae) - spinulose wood fern, toothed wood fern. PH-LC 76 (Moulton 58). Collected at Fort Clatsop, Clatsop Co., Oregon, on 20 Jan 1806. Synonymy: Dryopteris spinulosa (O. F. Mueller) Fiori

7. Elaeagnus commutata Bernh. ex Rydb., Fl. Rocky Mts.: 582. 1917. (Elaeagnaceae) - silver-berry, American silver-berry. PH-LC 78 (Moulton 60a). Collected in Nevada Valley, Powell Co., Montana, on 6 Jul 1806. The specimen at K attributed to Lewis and Clark by Moulton (1999: 60b) is a Thomas Nuttall collection from the vicinity of the site of Fort Mandan near what is now Bismarck, North Dakota; it was collected in 1811.

   

      Equisetum arvense L.
   

8. Equisetum arvense L., Sp. Pl.: 1061. 1753. (Equistaceae) - field horsetail. PH-LC 79 (Moulton 61a) and PH-LC 80 (Moulton 61b). Collected near Decatur, Burt Co., Nebraska, on 10 Aug 1804.

   

   

      Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. L. Nesom & Baird
   

9. Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. L. Nesom & Baird in Phytologia 75: 84. 1993. (Asteraceae) - rubber rabbitbrush. PH-LC 55 (Moulton 40a) and PH-LC 56 (Moulton 40b), right-hand specimen. Supposedly collected somewhere along the Missouri River in North or South Dakota sometime in Oct 1804 but clearly an error as only Ericameria nauseosa var. graveolens occurs in this area. The specimen named Chrysocoma nauseosa by Pursh was gathered along the lower Snake River in Franklin or Walla Walla cos., Washington, on 15 Oct 1805 and for technical nomenclatural reasons the Pursh name requires a conserved type collection to maintain its current use. Synonymy: Chrysocoma nauseosa Pall. ex Pursh, Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Pall. ex Pursh) Britton

   

      Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. L. Nesom & Baird var. graveolens (Nutt.) Reveal & Schuyler
   

10. Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. L. Nesom & Baird var. graveolens (Nutt.) Reveal & Schuyler, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia 149: 20. 1999. (Asteraceae) - smooth rubber rabbitbrush. PH-LC 51 (Moulton 39a), PH-LC 52 (Moulton 39b), PH-LC 53 (Moulton 39c), PH-LC 54 (Moulton 39d) and PH-LC 56 (Moulton 40b), left-hand specimen. The species was gathered several times. PH-LC 51 and 52: collected on the upper part of the Big Bend of the Missouri in Hughes Co., South Dakota, on 21 Sep 1804. PH-LC 53 and 54: above the mouth of the Cheyenne River in Dewey or Sully cos., South Dakota, on 2 Oct 1804. PH-LC 56 (Moulton 40b), left-hand specimen: somewhere along the Missouri River in North or South Dakota, Oct 1804. A label on PH-LC 56 implies that a specimen of Ericameria was collected along the lower Snake River in Franklin or Walla Walla cos., Washington, on 15 Oct 1805. If so, this was probably Ericameria nauseosa var. speciosus (Nutt.) G. L. Nesom & Baird (in Phytologia 75: 87. 1993). However, no such plant is now on the sheet but is elsewhere in the Lewis and Clark collection. Synonymy: Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Pall. ex Pursh) Britton subsp. graveolens (Nutt.) Piper, Chrysothamnus nauseosus (Pall. ex Pursh) Britton var. graveolens (Nutt.) Cronquist, Ericameria nauseosa (Pall. ex Pursh) G. L. Nesom & Baird var. glabrata (A. Gray) G. L. Nesom & Baird

    

       Erigeron compositus Pursh
    

11. Erigeron compositus Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept.: 535. Dec (sero) 1813. (Asteraceae) dwarf mountain fleabane. PH-LC 81 (Moulton 62). Collected apparently along the Clearwater River in Idaho, probably 26 Sep-10 Oct 1805. A close examination of the sheet suggests that this is a mixed collection of wild and garden specimens (Pursh stated he saw garden specimens). It is possible the two, centrally positioned fragments in the upper row of four fragments represents authentic Lewis and Clark items. The remaining six fragments on the sheet are possibly garden-grown specimens from seeds. This suggestion is made with considerable caution because in May of 1806 when Lewis and Clark returned to the Clearwater, they may well have found the plant in early leaf with the remains of the previous years flowering heads still attached. If so, they could have obtained both seeds and a series of small specimens.

    

    

    

       Eriophyllum lanatum Pursh
    

12. Eriophyllum lanatum (Pursh) Forbes, Hort. Woburn.: 183. 1833. (Asteraceae) - common wooly-sunflower. PH-LC 82 (Moulton 63a) and PH-LC 83 (Moulton 63b). Collected near Kamiah in Idaho Co., Idaho, on 6 Jun 1806. Synonymy: Actinella lanata Pursh

    

       Erysimum capitatum Douglas ex Hook. var. purshii (Durand) Rollins
    

13. Erysimum capitatum Douglas ex Hook. var. purshii (Durand) Rollins, Crucif. N. Amer.: 482. 1995. (Brassicaceae) - Pursh's wallflower. PH-LC 84 (Moulton 64). Collected apparently northeast of Kamiah in Idaho Co., Idaho, 1 Jun 1806. The name Erysimum asperum (Nutt.) DC. has been misapplied to this plant.

    

    

       Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh
    

14. Erythronium grandiflorum Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept.: 231. Dec (sero) 1813. (Liliaceae) - yellow avalanche lily. PH-LC 85 (Moulton 65a) and PH-LC 86 (Moulton 65b). Two different collections were made of this distinctive spring-flowering plant: PH-LC 85 was obtained on 8 May 1806 somewhere along the Clearwater River between Big Canyon Creek in Nez Perce Co. and Little Canyon Creek in Clearwater Co., Idaho. PH-LC 86 was made on 15 Jun 1806 when the party was along the Lolo Trail in Idaho Co., Idaho. Here Lewis and Clark were north of Lolo Creek and camped that evening along Eldorado Creek near the mouth of Lunch Creek.

    

       Euphorbia cyathophora Murray
    

15. Euphorbia cyathophora Murray in Commentat. Soc. Regiae Sci. Gott. 7: 81. 1784. (Euphorbiaceae) - fire-on-the-mountain. PH-LC 87 (Moulton 66). Collected near Fort Yates in Sioux Co., North Dakota, on 15 Oct 1804. Synonymy: Poinsettia cyathophora (Murray) Klotzsch & Graebn.

16. Euphorbia marginata Pursh, Fl. Amer. Sept.: 607. Dec (sero) 1813. (Euphorbiaceae) - snow-on-the-mountain. PH-LC 88 (Moulton 67). Collected by Clark along the Yellowstone River in Rosebud Co., Montana, on 28 Jul 1806. According to Clark's journal, the expedition traveled 73 miles by boat that day from some seven miles downstream from Reservation Creek to the mouth of Graveyard Creek so exactly where the plant was gathered is unknown.
       Festuca idahoensis Elmer
    

17. Festuca idahoensis Elmer in Bot. Gaz. 36: 53. 1903. (Poaceae) Idaho fescue. PH-LC 89 (Moulton 68). Collected along the trail toward Weippe Prairie northeast of Kamiah in Clearwater Co., Idaho, on 10 Jun 1806.

    

       Frangula purshiana (DC.) J. G. Cooper
    

18. Frangula purshiana (DC.) J. G. Cooper, Pacif. Railr. Rep., Stevens Exped. 12: 57. 1860. (Rhamnaceae) Cascara false buckthorn. PH-LC 90 (Moulton 69a) and PH-LC 91, left-hand fragment (Moulton 69b). Collected near Kamiah in Idaho Co., Idaho, on 29 May 1806. Synonymy: Rhamnus alnifolius Pursh, Rhamnus purshiana DC.
       Frasera fastigiata (Pursh) A. Heller
    

19. Frasera fastigiata (Pursh) A. Heller in Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 24: 312. 1897. (Gentianaceae) - clustered elkweed. PH-LC 92 (Moulton 70). Collected on the Weippe Prairie in Clearwater Co., Idaho, on 14 Jun 1806. Synonymy: Swertia fastigiata Pursh, Frasera thyrsiflora Hook.

    

       Fritillaria affinis (Schultes & Schultes f.) Sealy
    

20. Fritillaria affinis (Schultes & Schultes f.) Sealy in Hooker's Icon. Pl. 39: ad t. 3847. 1980. (Liliaceae) - rice-grain checker lily, rice-grain missionbells. PH-LC 93 (Moulton 71a), PH-LC 94 (Moulton 71b). Collected below the Cascades in Skamania Co., Washington, or on Bradford (then "Bryant") Island, Multnomah Co., Oregon, on 10 Apr 1806. Synonymy: Fritillaria lanceolata Pursh.

    

       Fritillaria pudica (Pursh) Spreng.
    

21. Fritillaria pudica (Pursh) Spreng., Syst. Veg. 2: 64, pl. 8. 1825. (Liliaceae) - yellow bell, yellow missionbells. PH-LC 95 (Moulton 72a) and PH-LC 96 (Moulton 72b). Collected along the Clearwater River as the expedition traveled from Canyon Creek in Nez Perce Co. to near Little Canyon Creek in Clearwater Co., Idaho, on 8 May 1806.

      The photographs here are by James L. Reveal and by A. Scott Earle. Those taken by Reveal were for The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia as part of the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service, the National Trust for Historical Preservation, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services to protect the priceless specimens found by Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. In the spring of 2003, a book by Earle and Reveal entitled Lewis and Clark's Green World: The Expedition and its Plants was published by Farcountry Press. A CD by Earle E. Spamer and Richard M. McCourt, entitled Lewis and Clark Herbarium (CD) and also published in 2003, is available from the Academy of Natural Sciences. For a full array of the plants seen or collected by Lewis and Clark see Images of plants seen or collected by Lewis & Clark made by Reveal. For information on all aspects of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, see Discovering Lewis & Clark.

All images are copyrighted by the photographers and their use, for any purpose, requires written approval.