Day 854
Spring beauty
May 2nd, 2014
From the NY Times:
At my feet, a blush of pale pink petals with magenta-colored stripes: spring beauty, Claytonia virginica. Bright yellow streaks at the base of the petals hint at more artful intentions – luring the love of a bee. These markings guide insects inside toward the nectar.
On the first day they open, spring beauty’s flowers are in male phase, releasing pollen from pink anthers. The next day, these bend backward and the stigma, the female part, emerges to collect pollen. Each individual flower may last as long as a week.
