I live in a part of Texas that is at the edge of the Great Plains Escarpment.
Lots of wide open space.
Once you climb up on to the caprock, it is very flat for miles in any direction.
The country has been pretty dry this year; but despite that, some of the native wildflowers have been able to bloom. Here is an example of Tetraneuris scaposa in the daisy family (Asteraceae). The backs of the yellow petals have 4 faintly red veins which give them their common name: Four-nerved Daisy.
Here is an example of another member of Asteraceae, the Hoary Blackfoot (Melampodium cinereum). Asters come in all colors and there are several white petaled species in this area. I usually find Hoary Blackfoot in large colonies, this individual was in tough country all by itself.
This is a tiny flowered daisy called Plains Fleabane (Erigeron modestus). The diameter of this flower is about the size of a quarter. This specimen was solitary, but I have seen them in large groups when the conditions are right. I like the tiny white petals contrasting with the bright yellow center.
Red-dome Blanketflower (Gaillardia pinnatifida in Asteraceae) is usually surrounded by so much grass that it is difficult to get a look at their basal leaves. Most of the members of this species I have encountered have been one or two isolated plants at a time. They also have been pretty far along in their life cycle which makes for raggedy flowers and poor pictures. The yellow 3-lobed petals of the ray flowers drop off as they are fertilized leaving a red gumdrop of center flowers on the end of a long stem. Not very photogenic, either.
Bluestar (Amsonia ciliata) is one of my favorite flowers. They like dry conditions and make a colorful addition to native plant gardens. I have seen this species in small groups most of the times I have encountered them. There was one instance where a pasture had burned near Fort Worth and a wet spring produced a large colony of these wildflowers. They are very wiggly if there is any wind blowing, making them hard to photograph. I love the pale blue 5 lobed flowers of this member of the Dogbane family (Apocyanaceae). Great nectar source for butterflies, especially Monarchs.
Drummond’s Skullcap (Scutellaria drummondii, in the Mint family-Lamiaceae) are interesting little perennials. Their flowers are deep blue to purple and resemble sage flowers. When their flowers set and the petals drop, the base of the flower forms a structure that looks like a skull cap. You may be able to see some of these on the right of the image, they are chocolate brown there, younger ones will be the color of the leaves.
This member of the potato family (Solanaceae) is called the Purple Ground Cherry or Chinese Lantern (Quincula lobata). The yellow berry formed by this species is covered with a surrounding husk which is where they got the name Chinese lantern. The flowers here are about an inch in diameter. They are a lovely deep purple.
Despite all the dryness, there are places where rain has fallen to the extent needed for a variety of plants to grow and bloom. I am continually amazed by the tenacity of living things and their abilities to exploit less than favorable environments.
Leave a Reply