Most of my entries about Crater Lake have taken the form of travelogs concerning particular hikes or aspects of my time there.
 Now I'll try some botany. The flowering season in an alpine region is short but intense and the varied plantlife wastes no time in proliferating.
 Here are some of the more common wildflowers I saw. It's a challenge for me nonetheless to identify with certainty because nearly all the plants are endemic to North America. I know there are readers of this dairy who know their plants so suggestions and corrections are welcome!

 Case in point Lupins pop up all over the place in open woods and meadows. A few varieties and cultivars have made it to the UK as a garden plant (and occasional naturalised escape) but my field guide lists 32 varieties that are found in the Pacific-Northwest. Some look very similar and no doubt some hybridise.
 I'm pretty sure the common type I saw around Crater Lake is the Broadleaf Lupin (Lupinus latifolius) with variations in colour on the spectrum of purple/magenta/blue/white.

 There are even more varieties of Penstamon to choose from. The one I saw in great numbers is I think P. rydbergii. If so my field guide (Wildflowers of the Pacific-Northwest) states that this variety is particular to the Crater Lake area.

 I saw large stands of Polygonum bistortoides known as Western or American Bistort growing in several moist, marshy areas.
 The out of focus yellow flowers in the background of the top photo are as I recall a Ragwort (or Groundsel as Americans call it) i.e. a Senecio species, possibly Bog Groundsel (S. triangularis).

 Growing alongside the Bistort and liking the same conditions is Elephant's Head Lousewort (Pedicularis groenlandica) according to my book. I will not pretend I know one Lousewort from another!

 Western Pacific Bleeding Heart (Dicentra formosa) is easier to identify being a relative of Dicentra spectablis which has long been cultivated as a garden plant in the UK. Big clumps grow out of crevices and among boulders, much frequented by bees.

 Phlox diffusa grows in open areas. I noticed a distinctly pink form and a paler almost white variation.

 Two varieties of Eriogonum I think, which are also called Wild Buckwheats. The one with the white flower looks like E. pyrofolium which has the wonderful common name Dirty Socks.  
 E. marifolium looks to be a good match for the one with yellow flowers. Again this is specific to Crater Lake according to my field guide. Both grow in well drained sandy/pumice soil.

 I can see why the common name for this fiery genus is Paintbrush. This appears to be Castilleja applegatei subsp. pinetorum aka the Wavy-leaved Paintbrush. I saw it growing in dry, gritty spots.

 The yellow flowers alongside a gushing creek are I would think some kind of Potentilla, quite possibly Sticky Cinquefoil (P. glanduloso). I don't seem to have an in focus shot of the blue flowers in the second photo, not sure what they are.
 To be honest I was so entranced by this spot that I was looking at it more as a picture than as botany. It is indeed interesting to identify plants and take photographs but really the moment is the thing. In fact when I'm hiking I sometimes make a point of putting the camera away for periods of time so I don't get into the habit of only experiencing my surroundings through a viewfinder.
 Having said that I will aim to supplement this entry with id on some of the other species I photographed. The above were abundant in their favoured habitats but there were others I saw only once or occasionally which suggests they might be rarer.