3 Frames from the Horsetooth Reservoir - Mullein and Sandstone

Sun - May 20, 2007

3 Frames from the Horsetooth Reservoir - Mullein and Sandstone

A silhouette of old dry mullein plants against a sunset sky shot from a ground level with Pentax Optio W10. The Quarry Cove on the western shore of the reservoir is my frequent rest stop when paddling Thunderbolt kayak.

A sandstone block with drilling marks from old quarries of Lyons Sandstone on the western shore north of the Quarry Cove. This is a spot of beautiful lichen on rocks.

Young mullein - first green plant (or at least the most visible one) on red rocks early in spring. It seems that my camera was more attracted to plants and rocks than to water during my recent paddling.

Common Mullein (Verbascum thapsus) from National Audubon Society Regional Guide to Grasslands.

An erect, woolly stem has a tightly packed spikelike cluster of yellow flowers and white, woolly stem leaves, and rises from from a rosette of thick, velvery basal leaves. Height: 2-6' (60-180 cm).
Flowering: June-September.
Habitat: Fields, roadsides, and waste places.
Range: Throughout North America.
Comments. An introduced biennial with velvery leaves, it has long been used for many purposes. Roman soldiers are said to have dipped the stalks in grease for use as torches. Indians lined their moccasins with the leaves to keep out the cold, and colonists used then in their stockings for the same purpose.

Related posts and links: