January-February 2021 • Nebraskaland 43
of the Euphorbia genus. Through
evolution, they have rearranged their
simple fl owers into a complex structure
known as a cyathium. Located on
branch tips, the cyathia appear and
function like a single, showy fl ower
to attract insect pollinators, which are
more effi cient at pollination than the
wind.
A cyathium's cup-like base holds a
single centrally-located female fl ower
surrounded by several series of male
fl owers. To entice pollinators, four
olive-green, nectar-producing glands
with white, petal-like appendages ring
the cup's rim. The plant's upper leaves
have broad white margins, further
adding to the cyathias' fl ower-like
appearance and providing the plant's
snowy color.
Its showy upper leaves have allowed
the relatively pest- and disease-free
snow-on-the-mountain to be sold
and grown as an ornamental, more
so in decades past. What better way
to bring a breath of coolness to your
sultry summer yard than to plant
snow-on-the-mountain?
N
Snow-on-the-mountain growing in native prairie at Pressey Wildlife Management Area in Custer County.
When viewed from a distance, large patches of the plant appear as snow.
A cluster of snow-on-the-mountain
cyathia.
