Mesa Tuna or Vasey's Prickly Pear
Opuntia x vaseyi
Petals, magnified five times
The name Opuntia occurs in ancient Roman writing referring to a spiny plant from Opus, Greece. Perhaps Opuntia sounded like a Native American name for it was transferred to the Prickly Pear Cactus (not native to the Old World) no later than the early seventeenth century. The hidden yellow pigment is what the bees can see -- not the orange. This flower is a member of the Cactaceae (Greek thorny plant) family.
Hounds Tongue
Cynoglossum grande
Corona, magnified 10 times.
The Cynoglossum grande's white heart-shaped appendages form the corona, which is a bull's eye for bees entering for nectar. The color blue is a strong attraction for bees. Cynoglossum is derived from the Greek word kynos, meaning dog, and glossa, meaning tongue. This flower is a member of the Boraginaceae (borage) family. Almost all genera of this family are toxic.
Point Arena Bearberry
Arctostaphylos media
Stamens, magnifies 30 times.
Arctostaphylos media's anthers are awned -- its bristly or beard-like fibers guide bees to its nectar. The pores are dehiscent -- they gape or split open to disperse the pollen. The Greek word arctos means bear (bears enjoy the berries); staphylos is normally associated with grapes or berries; media means middle size. This flower is a member of the Ericaceae (heather) family.
Cliff Maids
Lewisia cotyledon
Stamens, magnified 47 times
Lewisia cotyledon was named after Captain Meriwether Lewis of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Its swinging anthers are an effective way to get pollen to the pollinator. This flower is a member of the Portulacaceae (purslane) family. Agricultural references to portulaca appear in Roman writings as early as 50 BC; medicinal references as early as 50 AD.
Elegant Clarkia
Clarkia unguiculata
Bud, magnified 11 times.
Clarkia unguiculata was named after Captain William Clark of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The Latin word unguiculatus means clawed as in a fingernail. This flower is a member of the Onagraceae (evening primrose) family.
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A Closer Look
Eight Notecards with Envelopes
The Regional Parks Foundation has published a set of notecards featuring
Maggie's photos. Proceeds benefit the Regional Parks Botanic Garden.
The cards are blank inside with a caption on the back.
To order send $10 and your address to:
Margaret Parker Ely
PO Box 9243
Moscow, ID 83843
Silk-Tassel Bush
Garrya elliptica
Staminate flower in bract, magnified 11 times.
Staminate flower in bract with fused petal/perianth parts (envelope around the flower). Garrya elliptica was named after N. Garry, chief secretary of the Hudson Bay Company. Wind pollinated, the plant sways back and forth to release its pollen. This flower is a member of the Garryaceae (silk tassel) family.
Mission Manzanita
Xylococcus bicolor
Flowers with stigma, magnified 11 times
The Xylococcus bicolor pollinator, a tiny native bee, must squeeze inside the urn-shaped flower. Xylococcus is from the Greek, meaning wood-berry, from the stone of the fruit. This flower is a member of the Ericaceae (heath) family.
Shaw's Agave
Agave shawii
Anthers, magnified three times.
Agave shawii derives its name from the Greek word agave, meaning noble, of tall stature. Agave was the mother of Pentheus, King of Thebes. The plant's many tubes attract hummingbirds, not bees, as pollinators. This flower is a member of the Liliaceae (lily) family.
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