Carl Purpus, Plant Collector in Western America
Carl A. Purpus, Images -- Geography - Colorado

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Photos by Dick Beidleman

Dry Creek.

Dry Creek near Gunnison River, Mancos shale, Four-winged saltbush, Cottonwood, Greasewood.

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Grand Mesa, Colorado.

Beyond the spruce-fir forest is one of the many hiogh lakes atop the basalt capped Grand Mesa.

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Rose Crown (Clementsia rhodantha).

Rose Crown (Clementsia rhodantha), which Purpus collected (No. 374) in a marshy site near the summit of Grand Mesa in August of 1892.

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Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir Forest.

Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir forest, below Grand Mesa Rimrock, in June.

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Grand Mesa, Colorado.

Branch of Ward Creek near the summit of Grand Mesa.

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Aspen grove with creeklet, Grand Mesa.

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Parry's Primrose.

Parry's Primrose, collected by Purpus (No. 233) in June of 1892 at a wet site near the Grand Mesa summit.

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Tundra near Engineer Mountain, San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

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Alpine Sunflower (Rydbergia grandiflora).

Alpine Sunflower (Rydbergia grandiflora) was collected by Purpus (No. 615) in tundra on Engineer Mountain at 12,000 feet in August of 1893.

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Parry Clover (Trifolium parryi).

Parry Clover (Trifolium parryi) was collected by Purpus (No. 678) in tundra on Engineer Mountain at 12,800 feet in August of 1893.

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Pika (Ochotona priceps).

Purpus often saw the Pika above timberline in the San Juan Mountains, there "they come out of their rocky homes to sun themselves."

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Site of Rose's Cabin (10,500 ft.), Colorado.

Purpus was at Rose's Cabin in August and Septermber of 1893, in the San Juans near Enginerr's Mountain, where he collected Lupinus parviflorus, in foreground. The old building is the stable.

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Arctic Gentian (Gentianodes algida).

Collected by Purpus (No. 633) in the tundra above Bear Creek at 12,000 feet in August of 1893.

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Looking west down the Gunnison River at Black Canyon.

Looking west down the Gunnison River at Black Canyon, old railroad roadbed on left. In September of 1893, Purpus hiked along the railroad bed in Black Canyon and collected composites of Solidago canadensis (No. 724) and Machaeranthera canescens var. canescens (No. 642).

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Photographs Related to Carl A. Purpus

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Photographs Related to Carl A. Purpus

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Jacob's Ladder (Polemonium pulcherrimum ssp. delicatum).

Purpus collected No. 404 in June of 1892 below rimrock (10,000 ft.) on Grand Mesa.

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West from Rose's Cabin, Engineer Mountain region, San Juan Mountains, Colorado.

Purpus spent many days during the summer of 1893, collecting plants in this area.

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Looking north to Black Mesa across Sapinero site on Gunnison River.

After Blue Mesa Resercoir inundated the site of Sapinero in the 1960s, many of the Purpus collecting sites here disappeared beneath the reservoir.

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Looking north to Black Mesa across Sapinero town site on the Gunnison River, pre-reservoir.

During July of 1893 Purpus collected around the town of Sapinero, here out of sight along the Gunnison River.

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Looking south up Cimarron River Valley.

Looking south up Cimarron River Valley towards in the distance (left to right) location of Capitol City, Rose's Cabin, Engineer Mountain area, and Ouray in the San Juans, a favorite Purpus haunt during the summer of 1893.

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East down Bear Creek Trail towards Ouray, Colorado.

East down Bear Creek Trail towards Ouray, Colorado, from west of Rose's Cabin in the San Juans. Purpus often collected in the vicinity of Bear Creek.

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European dandelions bloom profusely in today's San Juan Mountains.

European dandelions bloom profusely in today's San Juan Mountains. Purpus collected nine in the 1890s!

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Colorado Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea).

Colorado Columbine (Aquilegia coerulea), which Purpus collected above Bear Creek near timberline in late July of 8193 (No. 603).

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Ironton, Colorado, at bottom of valley.

Ironton, Colorado, at bottom of valley, with San Juan Mountain in the background to northeast. Purpus collected in the mountains above Ironton (north of Ouray) during the summer of 1893.

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Looking north to Ouray.

Looking north to Ouray. Purpus visited and collected near Ouray during the summer of 1893, the region's largest town.

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Gunnison River east of Delta, Colorado.

Gunnison River east of Delta, Colorado, and below Grand Mesa, with Tamarix, not yet introduced when Purpus was there.

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View south across Petran Brushland on Lower Grand Mesa, Colorado.

View south across Petran Brushland on Lower Grand Mesa, Colorado, towards San Juan Mountains (out of sight in background).

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Alpine Bistort (Bistorta vivipara).

Alpine Bistort (Bistorta vivipara), collected by Purpus (No. 371) near Grand Mesa rimrock at 10,000 feet in July, 1892.

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Subalpine meadow, spruce-fir forest, with Grand Mesa rimrock in background,

Subalpine meadow, spruce-fir forest, with Grand Mesa rimrock in background,

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Mountainlover (Paxistima myrsinites).

Mountainlover (Paxistima myrsinites), in spruce-fir forest, Grand Mesa. Collected at about 9000 feet by Purpus (No. 74) in June of 1892.

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View northeast from the Gunnison River valley toward Grand Mesa in background.

View northeast from the Gunnison River valley toward Grand Mesa in background.

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Serviceberry in Montane Brushland on Grand mesa.

Serviceberry in Montane Brushland on Grand mesa, with lupines in background.

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Mule's Ears (Wyethis amplexicaulis).

Mule's Ears (Wyethis amplexicaulis), collected by Purpus at 8000 feet on Grand Mesa (No. 226) in Montane Brushland on Grand Mesa.

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Montane Brushland with Gambel Oak and Serviceberry.

Montane Brushland with Gambel Oak and Serviceberry, with Pinyon-Juniper woodland in background, Grand Mesa, Colorado.

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Iris meadow on Grand Mesa, Colorado.

Iris meadow, with Gambel Oak, then Aspen Woodland and conifers on Grand Mesa in background.

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Photographs Related to Carl A. Purpus

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Ball Cactus (Pediocactus simpsonii var. minor).

Ball Cactus (Pediocactus simpsonii var. minor), which Purpus collected near Surface Creek, occurs in dry Pinyon-Juniper-Sagebrush sites. On western slopes of Colorado the flowers are more often yellowish. June 1892.

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Senecio eremophilus ssp. kingii.

Senecio eremophilus ssp. kingii had been collected hereabouts near Surface Creek by Purpus (No. 229) in June of 1892.

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Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia.

Monarda fistulosa var. menthifolia had also been collected hereabouts near Surface Creek by Purpus (No. 354) in June of 1892.

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Surface Creek, Colorado.

Surface Creek, Colorado, higher in a wooded valley, with a Blue Spruce and other riparian vegetation.

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Distant View of Grand Mesa, Colorado.

Distant View of Grand Mesa, Colorado, looking northeast, with Pinyon-Juniper woodland on the first slope, montane brushland dominated by Gambel Oak on slope beyond, spruce-fir foreest at top.

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Vegetation near Surface Creek, Colorado.

Pinyon Pine, Utah Juniper, and Big Sagebrush near middle Surface Creek, Grand Mesa, Colorado.

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Claret Cup (Echinocereus triglochidatus).

Claret Cup (Echinocereus triglochidatus). Purpus collected this "beautiful Cereus" in a dry site near Tongue Creek at about 6500 feet, August of 1862.

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Tongue Creek, Grand Mesa, Colorado.

Tongue Creek, lower south-facing slope of Grand Mesa, with Gambel Oak, Golden Currant, Cottonwood.

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Prince's Plume (Stanleya pinnata).

Prince's Plume (Stanleya pinnata) on Mancos Shale near Dry Creek and the Gunnison River, Purpus collected No. 188 here in May of 1892.

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Date and time this article was prepared: 6/7/2002 7:34:51 PM