View source for Flora of the Sierra Nevada alpine zone

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{{Further|List of plants of the Sierra Nevada (U.S.)#Alpine Zone|Ecology of the Sierra Nevada#Alpine Zone}}
[[Image:Sky Pilot (Polemonium eximium) 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.2|The brightly colored sky pilot (''[[Polemonium eximium]]''), considered to be among the most beautiful of the Sierra Nevada wildflowers, grows in very harsh conditions to elevations of {{convert|13000|ft|m}}, which is near the upper limit of plant growth in California.]]
The '''flora of the U.S. Sierra Nevada alpine zone''' is characterized by small, low growing, cushion and mat forming plants that can survive the harsh conditions in the [[high altitude|high-altitude]] [[alpine zone]] above the [[tree line|timber line]].<ref name=DBAFSN>{{cite journal|title=The Diversity and Biogeography of the Alpine Flora of the Sierra Nevada, California|first=Philip W.|last=Rundel|journal=Madroño |volume=58|issue=3|pages=153–184|year=2011|doi=10.3120/0024-9637-58.3.153|s2cid=86541487|url=https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/part/169145}}</ref><ref name=OESAFV>{{cite journal|title=Origins and Ecology of the Sierran Alpine Flora and Vegetation|first1=Brian F.|last1=Chabot|first2=W.D.|last2=Billings|journal=Ecological Monographs|volume=42|number=2|year=1972|pages=163–199|jstor=1942262|doi=10.2307/1942262}}</ref><ref name=SNWEH>{{cite book|last1=Horn|first1=Elizabeth L.|title=Sierra Nevada Wildflowers|date=1998|publisher=Mountain Press Publishing Company|isbn=0878423885|url-access=registration|url=https://archive.org/details/sierranevadawild00horn_0}}</ref>{{rp|8}}<ref name=WES>Wildflowers of the Eastern Sierra and adjoining Mojave Desert Great Basin, Alpine (section), Laird R. Blackwell, 2002, Lone Pine Printing, {{ISBN|978-1-55105-281-6}}</ref>{{rp|214}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|5}}<ref name=SNW/> These flora often occur in [[alpine fell-field]]s. The [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]] alpine zone lacks a dominant plant species that characterizes it, so may or may not be called a [[vegetation type]].<ref>{{cite journal|title=Plant Functional Groups in Alpine Fellfield Habitats of the White Mountains, California|first1=Philip W.|last1=Rundel|first2=Arthur C.|last2=Gibson|first3=M. Rasoul|last3=Sharifi|journal= Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research|volume=37|issue=3|pages=358–365|year=2005|doi=10.1657/1523-0430(2005)037[0358:pfgiaf]2.0.co;2}}</ref> But it is found above the [[subalpine forest]], which is the highest in a succession of recognized vegetation types at increasing elevations.<ref name=DBAFSN/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}}
Botanists have ranked the Sierra Nevada alpine zone floral bloom as one of California's foremost wildflower displays, with flowers of fantastic color and abundance.<ref name=SAW>{{cite book|title=Sierra Alpine Wildflowers|first=David|last=Lukas|publisher=University of California Press|url=http://www.ucpress.edu/blog/1620/sierra-alpine-wildflowers/}}</ref> Many of the alpine species are notable for large and showy flowers, which must compete for the pollinators during brief growing seasons.<ref name=ICMW/> Botanist [[Philip A. Munz]] wrote, "These natural rock gardens are spectacular sights when in full flower."<ref name=ICMW/> Botanist Laird R. Blackwell wrote, "Up here... the flowers seem to glow... perhaps only the flowers of the harsh desert can rival the alpine flowers for intensity."<ref name=WES/>{{rp|214}}
Over 90% of California's alpine flora are [[perennial herbs]].<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|18}} Annuals are not common.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|18}} Depending on the elevation used to define its lower boundary, the Sierra Nevada alpine zone may have almost 600 species, about 200 of which are only found here ([[endemic]]).<ref name=ICMW>{{cite book|title=Introduction to California Mountain Wildflowers|author=Philip A. Munz|editor=Dianne Lake|editor-link=Dianne Lake|editor2=Phyllis M. Faber|editor2-link=Phyllis M. Faber|publisher=University of California Press|year=2003|isbn=0520236351|author-link=Philip A. Munz}}</ref>{{rp|17–18}}<ref name=SEARMC>{{cite book|title=Sierra East|chapter=Alpine Rock and Meadow Communities|editor-first=Genny|editor-last=Smith|editor-link=Genny Smith|publisher=University of California Press|pages=107–116|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=83XsbhipJdsC&q=Alpine+%22plant+communities%22+sierra+nevadas&pg=PA94|isbn=9780520239142|year=2003}}</ref> The flora includes plants that are descended from the plants that survived the glaciation of the last [[ice age]] ([[Relict (Biology)|relict plants]]), because they were growing on mountain peaks that stood above the ice sheets like islands.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}}
==Environmental conditions influencing flora==
The alpine zone, or alpine fell-field, is above the [[tree line]], generally at {{Convert|11000|to|11500|ft|m}} in the south,<ref name=WES/><ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|8}} and {{convert|9900|ft|m}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}} to {{convert|10500|ft|m}}<ref name=WES/> in the north. The plants are influenced by having to endure long and very cold winters, poor to no soils, constant high winds, intense sunlight, and a short cool and dry growing season in the summer, that lasts only about 6–8 weeks.<ref name=LZ>{{cite web|title=Life in the Zone - Habitat Zones of the Sierra Nevada, Alpine Zone|work=National Park Service Ranger class|url=http://www.nps.gov/seki/forteachers/upload/life-zones-of-the-sierra-nevada-3rd-and-4th-grade-presentation.pdf}}</ref>
Winds are strong and constant.<ref name=LZ/> The constant wind makes unsheltered areas colder than sheltered spots, depositing snow in some places, while scouring the snow out of other locations.<ref name=LZ/> The constant wind increases loss of water from the plants to the atmosphere ([[transpiration]]).<ref name=LZ/> Sunlight is intense.<ref name=LZ/> Soils are thin and rocky, or absent.<ref name=LZ/> Soils are low in moisture.<ref name=LZ/> Rainfall is rare.<ref name=LZ/> Almost all of the {{convert|35|to|40|in|m}} of annual precipitation falls as snow, and growing season can be as short as just days.<ref name=SNW>{{cite book|last1=Wiese|first1=Karen|title=Sierra Nevada Wildflowers: a Field Guide to Common Wildflowers and Shrubs of the Sierra Nevada, including Yosemite, Sequoia, and Kings Canyon National Parks|date=2013|publisher=Globe Pequot Press|isbn=978-0762780341|edition=2nd}}</ref>{{rp|17}} Annual plants must quickly grow to maturity, and all plants must quickly flower and develop mature seed.<ref name=LZ/>
==Characteristic growth patterns and physiology==
Above the tree line, extreme winds preclude tree-like growth.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}} Constant winds hitting the plants limits their size and flattens their shape.<ref name=LZ/> Small size or [[dwarfism]] is therefore an adaptive feature to the extremes, and most alpine plants are just a few inches tall.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|223}}<ref name=SEARMC/> One botanist wrote, "Plants adapt by scrunching down close to the ground where botanists have to crawl around on their bellies with hand lenses to fully appreciate the diversity of life... Plants are mere centimeters tall, forming a mat so dense that it's hard to pick out separate species".,<ref name=SAW/> Another noted, "a world of miniature plants only a few inches high... leaves huddle near the ground or contour it with mats or cushions. Typically, the leaves of these plants are waxy or densely hairy - anything to protect them from the wind and intense solar radiation".<ref name=WES/>{{rp|228}}
Alpine plants have many adaptations to aridity and intense sunlight in common with desert plants.<ref name=ICMW/> Alpine plants often have gray appearance from hairs covering the leaves, which reflect the intense sunlight, and protect from winds that cause high rates of water loss through [[transpiration]].<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}} Many Sierra Nevada alpine plants have reddish or whitish leaves to protect them from damage from intense ultraviolet radiation in the alpine zone.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|17}}<ref>{{cite journal|title=Nature's Swiss Army Knife: The Diverse Protective Roles of Anthocyanins in Leaves|first1=Kevin S.|last1=Gould|journal=J Biomed Biotechnol|date=Dec 1, 2004 |volume=2004|issue=5|pages=314–320|doi=10.1155/S1110724304406147|pmid=15577195|pmc=1082902|doi-access=free}}</ref> Fleshy roots and underground organs store food in the form of starches and sugars, allowing the plant to quickly grow when snow melts.<ref name=ICMW/> Many plants form flower buds during the summer before the summer that they open, allowing a quick bloom for the short growing season.<ref name=ICMW/>
Optimal temperatures for physiological processes may be lower than for lower elevation plants, and optimal light intensity for photosynthesis may be higher.<ref name=ICMW/> Laboratory experiments showed the sierra Nevada alpine flora exhibited characteristic physiological responses.<ref name=OESAFV/> Germination best occurred at temperatures from {{convert|20|to|30|C|F}}.<ref name=OESAFV/> In the laboratory, there was strong [[dormancy]] control by short [[photoperiod]], compared to lower elevation populations which had dormancy induced by either short ''or'' long photoperiods.<ref name=OESAFV/>
==Evolutionary history and affinities==
The flora has developed relatively recently, on its own, from western American sources.<ref name=OESAFV/> During the [[glaciation]] of the last [[ice age]], some peaks stood out above the [[ice sheet]] ([[nunatak]]s), and thus have a high diversity of pre-ice age alpine plants ([[Relict (Biology)|relict]]s), an example being the [[Mount Dana|Dana Plateau]] at [[Tioga Pass]].<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}} Half of all the alpine plants found in the Sierra Nevada can be found on the Dana Plateau.<ref name=SAW/>
Many species also occur in, or have close relatives in, the [[Cascade Range]] and [[Rocky Mountains]], e.g., the Penstemons (''[[Penstemon|Penstemon spp.]]'', and Polemoniums (''[[Polemoniaceae|Polemoneaceae spp.]]'').<ref name=ICMW/>
A small group{{citation needed|date=August 2014}} of Sierra Nevada alpine plants can found around the world in northern latitudes, which is called ([[circumboreal]]).<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}} An example is bush cinquefoil (''[[Potentilla fruticosa]]''),<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}} which ranges throughout arctic regions of [[Alaska]], [[Labrador]], and the high mountains of [[Eurasia]].<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|187}}<ref name=SEARMC/>
==Diversity and taxa==
[[File:Alpine gold Hulsea algida side N of Forester.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.65|Sunflower family members have the largest number of species represented, like this alpine gold (''[[Hulsea algida]]'', which grows only in rocky [[Talus deposit|talus]] and up to elevations of {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.]]
Broad-leaved, erect perennials constitute about 50% of the species, with perennial [[graminoid]] (grasses or grass-like plants) species next at about 21%, and plants growing as mats or cushions at about 11%.<ref name=DBAFSN/> Annuals plus woody shrubs total only about 6% of the flora.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
There are over 500 floral [[species]] above {{convert|3300|m|ft}}, and almost 400 above {{convert|3500|m|ft}}.<ref name=DBAFSN/> Almost 100 species reach elevations of {{convert|4000|m|ft}}, and more than 25 reach {{convert|4200|m|ft}}.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
Six plant [[family (biology)|families]] encompass more than 50% of the alpine zone species.<ref name=DBAFSN/> The sunflower family ([[Asteraceae]]) is represented by about 55 species, there are almost 40 species from the grass family ([[Poaceae]]), the mustard family ([[Brassicaceae]]) has 34 species, and sedges ([[Cyperaceae]]) have over 30 species represented.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
The largest genus is ''[[Carex]]'', the "true sedge", with about 50 species above {{convert|3300|m|ft}}, followed by ''[[Draba]]'' in the mustard family, then ''[[Lupinus]]'' in the legume family ([[Fabaceae]]) with about 10 species.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
Almost 70 species (about 17% of the flora) can be found in both [[subalpine]] and alpine habitats.<ref name=DBAFSN/> Over 25% range from the alpine zone all the way to foothill habitats below {{convert|1200|m|ft}}.<ref name=DBAFSN/> Nine species are only found in the alpine zone ([[obligate]]) above {{convert|3500|m|ft}}.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
In a [[transect]]ional study running from the desert near [[Bishop, California]] (elevation {{convert|1400|m|ft}}), to [[Piute Pass]] (elevation {{convert|3540|m|ft}}), perennials dominated, but also present were several annual species.<ref name=OESAFV/> Annuals are also rare in other alpine floras, including [[arctic]].<ref name=OESAFV/>
Transpiration rates are of importance in determining local distribution patterns of flora of the Sierra Nevada alpine zone.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Transpiration Rates of Alpine Plants in the Sierra Nevada of California|first1=H.A.|last1=Mooney|first2=R.D.|last2=Hillier|first3=W.D.|last3=Billings|journal=American Midland Naturalist|volume=74|number=2|date=Oct 1965|pages=374–386|jstor=2423268|doi=10.2307/2423268}}</ref>
===Annuals===
[[File:Pussypaws Cistanthe umbellata alpine garden.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Alpine Pussypaws (''[[Cistanthe umbellata]]'') with alpine grasses.]]
Annuals plus woody shrubs constitute only about 6% of the number of Sierra Nevada alpine floral species.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
Sierra gentian (''[[Gentianopsis holopetala]]''), in the '''gentian family ([[Gentianaceae]])''', is an erect or sprawling annual or perennial, growing in wet meadows from {{convert|6000|to|13000|ft|m}} elevation.<ref name=ICMW/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|39}}
Toothed owl's clover (''[[Orthocarpus cuspidatus]]'') is not a true [[clover]], but is in the '''broomrape family''' ([[Orobanche]]).<ref name=SPPAP2>{{cite web|title=Alpine Plants--part 2|work=Sierra Plants Project|url=http://www.sharnoffphotos.com/sierra%20book/alpine2.html}}</ref>
Low growing pussypaws (''[[Cistanthe umbellata]]''), in the '''purslane family ([[Portulacaceae]])''', usually grows in damp, partially shaded areas, and can be found up to as high as {{convert|14000|ft|m}} elevation.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|231}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|44}}<ref name=SEARMC/> It grows in a [[basal rosette]], radiating leaf bearing and flower-head bearing stems that hug the ground.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|231}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|44}}<ref name=SEARMC/> When the ground warms, the stems lying on the ground rise, to a steep angle, lifting the flower heads.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|231}}
===Perennials===
Characteristic [[perennials]] are low growing, small, and may be erect or form mats or cushions.<ref name=SNWEH/>{{rp|4}}<ref name=SNW/>  Broad-leaved, erect perennials constitute 50% of the diversity of Sierra Nevada alpine species, with mats and cushions 11%.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
[[File:Alliumobtusum.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Red sierra onion (''[[Allium obtusum]]'')]]
Swamp onion (''[[Allium validum]]'') is a perennial bulb in the '''onion family''' ([[Alliaceae]]) found in alpine wetlands to {{convert|11200|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|36}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|59}} The low-growing head of flowers of red sierra onion (''[[Allium obtusum]]'') appears to sit on the ground.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|144}}
In the '''carrot family ([[Apiaceae]])''', Clemen's mountain parsley (''[[Oreonana clementis]]'') forms a dense mat of tiny plants with tiny leave that might cover several square yards the area like a blanket.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|227}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|18}} Sierra podistera (''[[Podistera nevadensis]]'') is compact, stemless, and found only above the timberline to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|199}}
[[File:Antennaria rosea pussy-toes flowering.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|Rosy pussytoes (''[[Antennaria rosea]]'')]]
'''Sunflower family ([[Asteraceae]])''' perennials include western snakeroot (''[[Ageratina occidentalis]]''), an erect perennial to subshrub in the sunflower family that is found up to {{convert|12100|ft|m}}.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|61}} Flat-topped pussytoes (''[[Antennaria corymbosa]]'') is a small (to {{convert|16|in|m}}), mat-forming perennial herb, spreading via a tangled network of [[stolons]].<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|149}} In the same genus are rosy pussytoes (''[[Antennaria rosea|A. rosea]]'') and the mat forming Alpine Everlasting (''[[Antennaria media|A. media]]'').<ref name=SEARMC/> Alpine aster (''[[Aster alpigenus]]'') stems may be lying on the ground ([[Glossary of botanical terms#decument|decumbent]]) or erect, and can be found up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}} elevations.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|166}} Dusty maidens (''[[Chaenactis douglasii]]'' var. ''alpina''), also called pincushion plant, is a sunflower family plant with cobwebby stems,<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|150}} and leaves and stems like a miniaturized version of its cousin, dusty maidens (var. douglasii).<ref name=WES/>{{rp|233}} Yellow rabbitbrush (''[[Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus]]'') grows on dry, open slopes to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}, and Parry's rabbitbrush (''[[Chrysothamnus parryi|C. parryi]]'') on mountainsides and flats to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|213}}
[[File:308Erigeron compositus - Flickr - pellaea.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Dwarf mountain fleabane (''[[Erigeron compositus]]'') grows to {{convert|14000|ft|m}}]]
[[File:Alpine aster Aster alpigenus flower.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|Dwarf daisy, (''[[Erigeron pygmaeus|E. pygmaeus]]'')]]
Alpine fleabanes, or daisies, are sunflower family members. They include dwarf mountain fleabane, or cut-leaf daisy<ref name=WES/>{{rp|223}} (''[[Erigeron compositus]]''), typifies the dwarfed growth pattern of the alpine zone, with disproportionately large flower heads compared to body size (1/4 to 1/2 the height of the flower stem).<ref name=WES/>{{rp|223}} It grows as a mat<ref name=WES/>{{rp|223}} or cushion<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|151}} on rocky slopes, talus, and rock ledges, to {{convert|14000|ft|m}} elevation.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|223}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|151}} Also growing to {{convert|14000|ft|m}} elevation is the shorter rambling fleabane (''[[Erigeron vagus|E. vagus]]''), which grows in [[Talus deposit|talus]] and only gets {{convert|2|in|cm}} tall.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|151}} dwarf daisy, (''[[Erigeron pygmaeus|E. pygmaeus]]''), grows from a woody taproot as a compact, cushion forming plant that can be found on rocky slopes and flats from {{convert|9500|to|13500|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|235}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|166}}<ref name=SEARMC/> It provides some of the most vivid color in the alpine zone, with flowers sometimes blooming in such profusion that they cover the leaves and rocky sloes and flats below.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|235}} Glacial daisy (''[[Erigeron glacialis|E. glacialis]]'') grows to {{convert|11200|ft|m}}, often in large colonies.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|25}} Alpine daisy, or loose daisy (''[[Erigeron vagus|E. vagus]]'') grows in rocky [[scree]] and in rock crevices, from {{convert|11000|ft|m}} to as high as {{convert|14100|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|76}}
Golden yarrow, or wooly sunflower (''[[Eriophyllum lanatum]]''), found to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}, is not a true [[yarrow]], but another member of the sunflower family, and is sometimes an annual.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|208}} Prickly hawkweed (''[[Hieracium horridum]]'') is hairy and grows in rocky places and crevices.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|117}} Foul smelling alpine gold (''[[Hulsea algida]]'') occurs only on [[Talus deposit|talus]] (the pile of rocks at the bottom of cliffs), and rocky peaks as high as {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|207}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|117}} It is unusually "tall" for an alpine zone plant, with stems reaching {{convert|1+1/2|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|228}} At higher eleveations above the timber line, is a dwarf variety of pumice hulsea (''[[Hulsea vestita|H. vestita]]'' subsp. ''pygmaea'') growing to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|205–6}}
Anderson's mountain crown (''[[Oreostemma alpigenum]]'') is another sunflower family erect perennial, found below {{convert|11500|ft|m}}.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|63}} Alpine rock butterweed (''[[Packera werneriifolia]]'') is found on dry rocky slopes to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|220}} Alpine flames, or alpine golden-star (''[[Pyrrocoma apargioides]]''), is closely related<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|210}} to whitestem goldenbush (''Ericameria discoidea''), and grows from a basal rosette to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|119}} It is less well adapted to harsh alpine conditions than some other alpine zone plants, having relatively (to {{convert|4|in|cm}}) large leaves that are mostly hairless, and correspondingly is found growing in more protected sites, such as grassy meadows.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|228}} Silky raillardella (''[[Raillardella argentea]]'') has fleshy leaves covered in silvery-white hairs on stems lying on the ground ([[decumbent]]), and grows to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|120}} or {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|229}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|209–10}} Argenta" means "silvery', in reference to the leaves.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|229}} "Dwarf mountain butterweed (''[[Senecio fremontii]]'') has stems lying on the rocky ground ([[decumbent]]) and grows to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|217}} Northern goldenrod (''[[Solidago multiradiata]]'') grows to {{convert|12900|ft|m}} elevation, and has narrow leaves.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|229}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|121}} Stemless goldenweed (''[[Stenotus acaulis]]'') is mat-forming.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|122}}
[[File:Bluebells (3660331534).jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Streamside bluebells (''[[Mertensia ciliata]]'')]]
The '''borage family ([[Boraginaceae]])''' has the genus ''[[Oreocarya]]'', with plants similar in appearance such as low cryptantha (''[[Oreocarya humilis|O.&nbsp;humilis]]''), a relatively small, hairy perrential with dense, leafy stems from a woody base found up to {{convert|11900|ft|m}}. Sierra forget-me-not (''[[Oreocarya nubigena|O.&nbsp;nubigena]]'') is found at even higher elevations, to {{convert|12900|ft|m}},<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|152}} and is adapted to rigors of dry winds by being covered with long, stiff, bristly hairs.<ref name=WES/> Timberline phacelia (''[[Phacelia hastata]]'') grows to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|218}}<ref name=SEARMC/> Streamside bluebells (''[[Mertensia ciliata]]'') grow in shaded, moist areas to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|158|}}
[[File:Washoe wallflower, Erysimum capitatum var. washoense (47174559192).jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Western wallflower (''[[Erysimum capitatum]]'')]]
The '''mustard family ([[Brassicaceae]])''' has broad-seeded rock-cress (''[[Arabis platysperma]]'') growing to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|99}} Lemmon's draba, (''[[Draba lemmonii]]''), is hairy and mat forming, and covered in clusters of lemon yellow flowers that may look like patches of [[lichen]]s from a distance,<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}} since it grows in rock crevices and rock ledges.<ref name=ICMW/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|224}} Its leaves are hairy, but are greener than the typical gray wooly leaves of many alpine plants.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}} Western wallflower (''[[Erysimum capitatum]]''), a biennial or short-lived perennial,grows to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}, and is also found in most other plant communities.<ref name=ICMW/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|123}}
'''Pink family ([[Caryophyllaceae]])''' member nuttall's sandwort (''[[Minuartia nuttallii]]'')) is a ground hugging mat with short, needle like leaves.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|221}} Sargent's campion (''[[Silene sargentii]]'') is found in rock crevices to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|94}} or {{convert|12500|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|220}}
[[File:Rhodiola integrifolia (3764972368).jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Rosy sedum (''[[Rhodiola integrifolia]]'')]]
Rosy sedum (''[[Rhodiola integrifolia]]''), in the '''stonecrop family ([[Crassulaceae]])''', has fleshy, moisture retaining leaves.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|94}} Also fleshy is western roseroot (''[[Sedum roseum|R. roseum supbsp. inegrifolium]]''), found up to {{convert|13000|ft|m}} in moist, rocky places.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|230}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|71–2}} Its stems grow in such profusion that it appears to be a shrub, but it is not since it is not woody.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|230}}
The '''legume family ([[Fabaceae]])''' includes balloon milkvetch (''[[Astragalus whitneyi]]''), a spreading or erect perennial with papery balloon like seedpods, filled with air.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|69}} The mat forming perennial or subshrub, Brewer's lupine (''[[Lupinus breweri]]''), is well adapted to the alpine zone, low growing, with hairy silver leaves that reflect the intense alpine sunlight and trap air to reduce the drying effects of constant winds.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|146–7}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|33}} Alpine lupine, or dwarf lupine (''[[Lupinus lepidus]]''), has several semi-prostrate stems.<ref name=SEARMC/> Carpet clover (''[[Trifolium monanthum]]'') is found in moist, grassy places up to {{convert|12500|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|108–9}} King's clover (''[[Trifolium kingii]]'') grows on open slopes.<ref name=SPPAP1>{{cite web|title=Alpine Plants--part 1|work=Sierra Plants Project|first=Stephen|last=Sharnoff|url=http://www.sharnoffphotos.com/sierra%20book/alpine1.html}}</ref>
[[File:Gentiana algida arctic gentians.jpg|left|thumb|upright=0.8|Alpine gentian (''[[Gentiana newberryi]]'')]]
Explorer's gentian (''[[Gentiana calycosa]]''), in the '''gentian family ([[Gentianaceae]])''', is one of the more conspicuous moist alpine meadow flowers, with deep blue {{convert|1|in|cm}} bell-shaped flowers, and found as high as {{convert|13000|ft|m}}, in meadows and on stream banks.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|151–2}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|38}} Alpine gentian (''[[Gentiana newberryi]]'') is a late bloomer of the alpine zone, sometimes to early fall,<ref name=WES/>{{rp|219}} growing from a [[basal rosette]] with stems lying on the ground ([[decumbent]]), and occurring in moist meadows as high as {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|162}}
[[File:Fireweed Epilobium angustifolium flowerhead.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.65|Fireweed (''[[Chamerion angustifolium]]'')]]
Fireweed (''[[Chamerion angustifolium]]''), in the '''evening primrose family ([[Onagraceae]])''', is named for its flaming color.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|50}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|77}} Glaucus willow herb (''[[Epilobium glaberrimum]]'') found up to {{convert|12500|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|51}} Rock fringe (''[[Epilobium obcordatum|E. obcordatum]]'') grows on dry slopes, nestles in crevices and peaks out from behind the rocks, and forms mats that sprawl across flats and edges of boulders, forming an apparent bright fringe on the edge of moist rocky ledges.<ref name=SNWEH/>{{rp|6}}<ref name=WES/>{{rp|231}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|80}}<ref name=SEARMC/>{{rp|8}}{{rp|44}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|51}} Growing to {{convert|12000|ft|m}} is diffuse gayophytum (''[[Gayophytum diffusum]]'').<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|112}}
Ladies Tresses (''[[Spiranthes romanzoffiana]]'')is a sweetly fragrant '''orchid family''' ([[Orchidaceae]]) member with a spiral of flowers.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|176}}
[[File:Castillejanana.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Alpine paintbrush (''[[Castilleja nana]]'')]]
Lemmon's paintbrush (''[[Castilleja lemmonii]]''), in the '''broomrape family ([[Orobanchaceae]])''', is found in alipine meadows<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|81}} or dry, rocky places<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|69}} to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|69}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|81}}  Dwarf alpine Indian paintbrush (''[[Castilleja nana]]'') grows in dry alpine barrens to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}, exhibiting the small size characteristic of alpine flora, with several short erect stems typically less than {{convert|4|in|cm}},<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|69}} rarely reaching {{convert|6|in|cm}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|222}}<ref name=SEARMC/> Little elephants head (''[[Pedicularis attollens]]'') grows as short as {{convert|2|in|cm}} and to elevations of {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|70–1}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|82}} Elephant's head (''[[Pedicularis groenlandica]]'')is as short as {{convert|3|in|cm}} and can be found up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|70}}
The '''poppy family ([[Papaveraceae]])''' has steer's head (''[[Dicentra uniflora]]'') and few-flowered bleeding heart (''[[Dicentra pauciflora|D. pauciflora]]''), each growing to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|45}}
In the alpine zone, the '''lopseed family ([[Phrymaceae]])''' has an occasional mat-forming primrose monkeyflower (''[[Mimulus primuloides]]''), which has been found in a wide range of elevations, from {{convert|2000|to|11000|ft|m}}.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|134}}
[[File:Mountain Pride, Penstemon newberryi, YOSEMITE.jpg|right|thumb|upright=0.8|Mountain pride (''[[Penstemon newberryi]]'')]]
In the '''plantain family ([[Plantaginaceae]])''', Torrey's few-eyed Mary (''[[Collinsia torreyi]]'') can be found as high as {{Convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|162}} Davidson's penstemon, or creeping penstemon (''[[Penstemon davidsonii]]''), is a perennial spreading mat, with several spreading flower stems.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|234}}<ref name=SEARMC/> The tubular blossoms are longer than the stems of the dwarfed plant that supports them.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|234}} (''[[Penstemon heterodoxus]]'') can be as small as {{convert|2|in|cm}}, but usually forms mats to {{convert|8|in|m}}, ranging to {{convert|12000|ft|m}} elevation.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|235}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|161–2}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|47}} [[John Muir]]'s favorite wildflower, mountain pride (''[[Penstemon newberryi]]''), ''"carpets granite slopes with brilliant pink flowers"''.<ref name=SAW/> Showy penstemon (''[[Penstemon speciosus]]'')) is a spreading perennial.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|47}} American alpine speedwell (''[[Veronica wormskjoldii]]'') is an erect perennial that grows near moist streambanks and lakeshores from an underground stem ([[rhizome]]).<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|48}}
[[File:Phlox diffusa 08740.JPG|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Spreading Phlox (''[[Phlox diffusa]]'')]]
'''Phlox family ([[Polemoniaceae]])''' perennials include dwarf phlox, or cushion phlox (''[[Phlox condensata]]''), which forms dense cushions plant with tiny branchlets only {{convert|1|in|m}} long, tiny leaves only {{convert|0.2|in|m}} long and well adapted to resist the high winds, and flowers forming a nearly solid floral blanket of the underlying plant.<ref name=WES/><ref name=SEARMC/> Spreading phlox (''[[Phlox diffusa]]'') is a matted perennial with sprawling stems.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|181}} At very high-elevations is sky pilot (''[[Polemonium eximium]]''), which has tightly pinnate leaves similar to mousetail (''Ivesia shockleyi''), and can be found growing on talus and rocky outcrops on lofty peaks to {{convert|13800|ft|m}}.<ref name=SNWEH/>{{rp|126}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|50}} ''"With its dramatic beauty"'',<ref name=WES/>{{rp|234}} sky pilot is ''"thought to be one of the finest and most beautiful Sierra wildflowers"''.<ref name=SNWEH/>{{rp|126}} Showy polemonium (''[[Polemonium pulcherrimum]]'') grows in most Sierra Nevada habitats, and has tightly pinnate leaves with leaflets reminiscent in appearance to the armored tail of a [[stagasaurus]] dinosaur.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|233}}
[[File:EriogonumUmbellatum 2638.JPG|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Sulphur buckwheat (''[[Eriogonum umbellatum]]'')]]
'''Buckwheat family ([[Polygonaceae]])''' perennials include lady's thumb (''[[Bistorta bistortoides]]''), a perennial growing from a contorted [[rhizome]] (underground stem).<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|182}} Butterballs,<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}} or oval-leaved buckwheat (''[[Eriogonum ovalifolium]]''), has leaves that cluster very tightly forming almost impenetrable<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}} mats or cushions on sandy or gravelly flats and in rocky soils, and grows to {{convert|12|in|m}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|183}} or {{convert|13000|ft|m}}<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}} elevation.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|224}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|183}} Frosted wild buckwheat (''[[Eriogonum incanum|E. incanum]]'') is densely covered with white hairs so as to appear "frosted", and grows to {{convert|13000|ft|m}} elevation.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|134}} Lobb's wild buckwheat (''[[Eriogonum lobbii|E. lobbii]]''), growing to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}, is sprawling and grows from a thick, woody stem, with flower stalks lying on the ground.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|90}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|183}}
Another buckwheat family member found growing in 13 named varieties, from the desert floor all the way up to {{convert|12500|ft|m}}, is naked stemmed eriogonum (''[[Eriogonum nudum|E. nudum]]'').<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|178–9}} There are also alpine zone varieties of the perennial to shrub sulfur flower, or sulfur buckwheat (''[[Eriogonum umbellatum|E. umbellatum]]''), that can be found up to {{convert|11800|ft|m}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|136}} to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|179–80}} elevation. Alpine sorrel (''[[Oxyria digyna]]'') grows in crevices in cliffs and other rocky places to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|230}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|40}}<ref name=SEARMC/> It is unusual among alpine plants in that it has leaves that are relatively large, broad, and hairless (and edible, with a tangy-tart taste - "oxyria" meaning "sour").<ref name=WES/>{{rp|230}}
[[File:Primulasuffrutescens.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.65|Sierra primrose (''[[Primula suffrutescens ]]'')]]
The '''primrose family ([[Primulaceae]])''' has the alpine shooting star (''[[Dodecatheon alpinum]]''), also found at lower elevation zones, and found near stream and lake sides.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|87}} Also sierra primrose, (''[[Primula suffrutescens ]]''), considered by photographers to be one of the most spectacular alpine flowers,<ref name=SPPAP2/> forms large mats around rocks and is covered with rose petals, similar to rock fringe (''Epilobium obcordatum'').<ref name=WES/>{{rp|232}} It tends to grow on north facing slopes were there is moisture from melting snow.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|232}}
In the '''purslane family ([[Portulacaceae]])''' is dwarf lewisia, or alpine lewisia (''[[Lewisia pygmaea]]''), considered by some to be ''"one of the most beautiful and intriguing of the alpine floral treats"'',<ref name=WES/>{{rp|223}} is found in higher elevation basins and slopes,<ref name=SNWEH/>{{rp|140}} from {{convert|1700|to|4020|m|ft}}<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_IJM.pl?tid=30838|title=Lewisia|work=Jepson Herbariaum Taxon Page}}</ref> all the way up to {{convert|14000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/> Botanist Laird Blackwell describes the growth pattern of its fleshy leaves and colonies as ''"its [[basal (anatomy)|basal]] leaves form amazing patterns on the ground like many-armed starfish reaching for the sky... this is a plant that begs for a long look and close examination regardless of where it happens to be in its blooming cycle."''<ref name=WES/>
[[File:Aquilegia pubescens closeup.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.8|Sierra columbine (''[[Aquilegia pubescens]]'')]]
The '''buttercup family ([[Ranunculaceae]])''' has Drummond's anemone (''[[Anemone drummondii]]''), a showy perennial.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|184}} Alpine columbine, or sierra yellow columbine (''[[Aquilegia pubescens]]''), ''"among the most spectacular eastern sierra flowers"'',<ref name=WES/>{{rp|222}} grows as a {{convert|20|in|m}} or smaller cushion, to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|96}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|185}} Unlike lower elevations, which are pollinated by hummingbirds that do not reach alpine elevations, alpine columbine is pollinated by moths, so are upright and totally ultraviolet reflecting white.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|222}} Mountain larkspur (''[[Delphinium glaucum]]'') grows in wet meadows to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|144–5}} High mountain larkspur grows among willows and rocks along creeks, also up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}} elevation.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|145–6}} Buttercups (''[[Ranunculus]])'' are among the earliest blooming of the alpine zone.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}} Water plantain buttercup (''[[Ranunculus alismifolius]]'') grows in wet meadows and banks up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}},<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|177–78}} elevation. Alpine buttercup, or Eschscholtz's buttercup (''[[Ranunculus eschscholtzii|R. eschscholtzii]]'') can be found in rocky areas and meadows up to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|137}} or {{convert|13500|ft|m}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|178}} elevation.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|178}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|137}} Alpine buttercup is conspicuous with its bright lemon yellow flowers, which contrast with their rock environment.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}}
[[File:Ivesia lycopodioides.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Club-moss (''[[Ivesia lycopodioides]]'')]]
Gordon's Ivesia (''[[Ivesia gordonii]]'') is in the '''rose family ([[Rosaceae]])''', growing to elevations of {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|226}} It has intricate {{convert|1|to|3|in|cm}} leaves growing from a basal rosette, which are [[pinnate]]ly divided into 10-20 pairs of opposite, tiny lobed leaflets, creating the appearance of a nest of green [[centipede]]s.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|226}}
Club-moss (''[[Ivesia lycopodioides]]'') is not a moss, but a low growing perennial, with erect, but sprawling stems, growing in the crevices of rock ledges and in wet meadows.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|139}} Mousetail ivesia (''[[Ivesia santolinoides]]'') has long  silvery leaves, and grows on gravels and ridges to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|104}} Mousetail (''[[Ivesia shockleyi|I. shockleyi]]'') is a tiny herbaceous perennial.<ref name=SAW/> Sibbaldia (''[[Sibbaldia procumbens]]'') grows to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|227}}
[[File:Heuchera rubescens var rydbergiana 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.65|Pink heuchera (''[[Heuchera rubescens]]'')]]
Pink heuchera (''[[Heuchera rubescens]]''), in the '''saxifrage family ([[Saxifragaceae]])''', is found in dry, rocky places, to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|72–3}} Grass of Parnassus (''[[Parnassia californica]]'') forms small patches of flowers up to {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|102}} Alpine saxifrage (''[[Saxifraga aprica]]'') grows in wet, rocky flats and grassy meadows, in the lower alpine zone to {{convert|11500|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|220}} Pygmy saxifrage (''[[Saxifraga rivularis|S. rivularis]]'') forms small tufts {{convert|2|to|4|in|cm}} high, and grows in damp, shaded places under overhanging rocks, and is found from as "low" as {{convert|11000|ft|m}}, to ''over'' {{convert|14000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|100–101}}
====Perennial grasslike plants====
Perennial grasslike plants ([[graminoid]]s) constitute 21% of the Sierra Nevada alpine species.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
A characteristic '''grass family ([[Poaceae]])''' is squirreltail (''[[Elymus elymoides]]'').<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}} Timberline bluegrass (''[[Poa glauca]]'') grows in the Central and Southern Sierra Nevada from {{convert|11000|to|13000|ft|m}}.<ref Name=ICMW/>{{rp|34}}
Sierra sedge (''[[Carex helleri]]''), in the '''sedge family ([[Cyperaceae]])''', grows on gravelly and rocky slopes up to {{convert|13600|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|35}} A characteristic sedge family member is alpine sedge (''[[Carex subnigricans]]'').<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|17}}
Parry's rush (''[[Juncus parryi]]'') of the '''rush family ([[Juncaceae]])''' grows in dry, rocky places to {{convert|12500|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|83}}
===Shrubs===
Shrubs tend to be small, and low growing to cope with high wind conditions and dense snowcovering, forming mats and cushions. Woody shrubs together with annuals constitute only about 6% of the number of Sierra Nevada alpine floral species.<ref name=DBAFSN/>
[[File:Ericameriadiscoidea.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Whitestem goldenbush (''[[Ericameria discoidea]]'')]]
Whitestem goldenbush (''[[Ericameria discoidea]]'') is a compact woody-based shrub in the '''sunflower family ([[Asteraceae]])''', grows on open rocky slopes to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/><ref name=SNW/>{{rp|114}}
[[File:Phyllodocebreweri.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.65|Mountain heather (''[[Phyllodoce breweri]]'')]]
In the '''heath family ([[Ericaceae]])''', white mountain heather (''[[Cassiope mertensiana]]'') is {{convert|1|ft|m}} tall, tiny-leaved, densely branching shrub growing on rocky ledges and in crevices up to elevations of {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|119–120}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|157}}<ref name=SEARMC/> Swamp laurel (''[[Kalmia polifolia]]'') is a low (to {{convert|8|in|m}} tall), branching, mat-forming evergreen shrub that grows in boggy alpine meadows or at the edge of water, up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|58}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|67}}
Also in the heath family is purple mountain heather (''[[Phyllodoce breweri]]''), a low-growing, highly branched, multistemmed, evergreen shrub found in moist rocky places up to about {{convert|11500|ft|m}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|58}} or {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|67}} Dwarf bilberry, or sierra bilberry (''[[Vaccinium caespitosum]]''), is a tufted, low growing woody plant that make a red and gold carpet around alpine lakes in the fall.<ref name=SEARMC/> The western Labrador teas (''[[Rhododendron columbianum]]'' and ''[[Rhododendron neoglandulosum|R. neoglandulosum]]''), are not for tea, but are a poisonous, rigidly branched evergreen shrubs with fragrant white flowers, growing in moist places up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|119}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|160}}
Mountain goosberry (''[[Ribes montigenum]]''), in the '''gooseberry family''' ([[Grossulariaceae]]), can be found as high as {{convert|14000|ft|m}}.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|96}}
Cliffbush (''[[Jamesia americana]]'') is in the '''mock-orange family ([[Hydrangeaceae]])''', and can be found to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|45}}
[[File:Granite gilia Leptodactylon pungens close.jpg|thumb|left|upright=0.8|Granite gilia (''[[Linanthus pungens]]'')]]
White globe gilia, or ballhead gilia<ref name=WES/>{{rp|218}}> (''[[Ipomopsis congesta|Ipomopsis congesta subsp. montana]]''), in the '''phlox family ([[Polemoniaceae]])''' grows in mats to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|124}} Granite gilia, or prickly phlox (''[[Linanthus pungens]]'') is a {{convert|4|to|12|in|cm}} [[aromatic]], hairy subshrub, having leaves with needle like lobes adapted to the alpine climate,<ref name=WES/>{{rp|217}} that grows in a sprawling manner to elevations of {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|58}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|180}}
[[File:Primulasuffrutescens.jpg|thumb|right|upright=0.65|Sierra primrose (''[[Primula suffrutescens]]'')]]
Sierra primrose (''[[Primula suffrutescens]]'') is in the '''primrose family ([[Primulaceae]])''', and is a sprawling, low growing subshrub found under overhanging rocks, and reaching only {{convert|5|in|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|54–5}}<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|88}}
Creambush (''[[Holodiscus microphyllus]]''), '''rose family ([[Rosaceae]])''' member  is a {{convert|1|to|3|ft|m}} shrub found to elevations of {{convert|13000|ft|m}}.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|221}} Alpine Drummond's cinquefoil (''[[Potentilla drummondii]]'' var. ''breweri''), with smaller densely white-hairy leaves than less well adapted varieties growing below the alpine zone,<ref name=WES/>{{rp|226}} grows to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}.<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|188}} Bush cinquefoil (''[[Potentilla fruticosa|P. fruticosa]]'') is found around the world in northern latitudes ([[circumboreal]]), and in the alpine zone is dwarf shrub found in moist places<ref name=WES/> up to {{convert|12000|ft|m}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|187}} or {{convert|12500|ft|m}}<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}} elevation.<ref name=WES/>{{rp|225}}<ref name=ICMW/>{{rp|187}}<ref name=SNW/><ref name=SEARMC/>
The mat forming Rocky Mountain willow (''[[Salix petrophila]]''), in the '''willow family ([[Salicaceae]])''', grows to only {{convert|4|in|m}}.<ref name=SNW/>{{rp|197}} Arctic willow (''[[Salix arctica]]'') is  tiny, creeping, prostrate, and mat forming.<ref name=SEARMC/> Snow willow (''[[Salix reticulata]]'') occurs in alpine [[cirque]]s in [[Mono County, CA]].<ref name=SEARMC/>
===Ferns, bryophytes, lichens, fungi, and interacting animals===
The [[Lichens of the United States Sierra Nevada range|macrolichen flora in the Sierra Nevada alpine zone]] of [[Mount Dana]], [[Mammoth Peak (Yosemite National Park)|Mammoth Peak]], and the ridge above [[Parker Pass (Yosemite)|Parker Pass]], is not well developed compared to neighboring alpine zones in the [[Rocky Mountains]] and mountains of the [[Pacific Northwest]].<ref name=AL>Alpine lichens of western United States and adjacent Canada, I. The Macrolichens, H.A. Imshaug, Bryologist, 60:177-272</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Lichens in Relation to Management Issues in the Sierra Nevada National Parks |first1=Bruce |last1=McCune |first2=Jill |last2=Grenon |first3=Erin |last3=Martin |work=Inventory & Monitoring, Sierra Nevada Network Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Parks |publisher=University of Washington College of the Environment |url=http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.cesu/reports/J9W88050011-Final-Report-Sierra-Park-Lichens.pdf |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140821035226/http://www.cfr.washington.edu/research.cesu/reports/J9W88050011-Final-Report-Sierra-Park-Lichens.pdf |archivedate=2014-08-21 }}</ref>
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==See also==
* [[Alpine plant]]
* [[Alpine tundra]]
* [[Montane ecology]]
* [[Sierra Nevada (U.S.)|Sierra Nevada]]
* [[Sierra Nevada subalpine zone]]
==References==
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{{Reflist|33em}}
==External links==
*{{commons and category-inline}}
{{Flora of the United States by political division|state=expanded}}
[[Category:Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States)|Alpine zone]]
[[Category:Lists of flora of California]]
[[Category:Plant communities of California|Sierra Nevada alpine zone]]
[[Category:Sierra Nevada (United States)-related lists]]
[[Category:Alpine flora|Sierra Nevada]]