The type material was collected along the Lolo Trail in Idaho Co., Idaho, on 15 Jun 1806. The expedition was north of Lolo Creek and camped that evening along Eldorado Creek near the mouth of Lunch Creek (Moulton, 1993: 25-27). The species is not mentioned on this date. On 26 Jun, Lewis writes "there is a great abundance of a speceis of bear-grass which grows on every part of these mountains it's growth is luxouriant and continues to green all winter but the horses will not eat it" (Moulton, 1993: 53, 55). He does not mention he made a specimen. The Pursh figure probably is based on the duplicate of the lectotype at K where it appears flowers were removed for close-up drawing. Rossi & Schuyler (1993: 49) erroneously cite PH-LC 224 as a Lambert specimen instead of a specimen from the American Philosophical Society. (The Lewis & Clark Herbarium Digital Imagery Study Set, ANSP, 2002) On deposit at the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia Collected by:Meriwether Lewis & William Clark Collection date:06/15/1806