Alpine Bistort / Polygonum viviparum

On 10 July 2012, I drove out west of the city, past Bragg Creek and along Elbow Falls Trail (Highway 66) to Maclean Pond. Found some of these small wildflowers, belonging to the Polygonaceae family, in bloom.

"The flowers are white or pink in the upper part of the spike; lower ones are replaced by bulbils. Flowers rarely produce viable seeds and reproduction is normally by the bulbils, (which fall from the plant). Very often a small leaf develops when the bulbil is still attached to the mother plant. The bulbils are rich in starch and are a preferred food for Rock Ptarmigan.... As with many other alpine plants, Alpine Bistort is slow growing, with an individual leaf or inflorescence taking 3-4 years to reach maturity from the time it is formed." From Wikipedia.