Twin Suns and the Beauty of Being Different

It is believed that diversity makes us strong. In the world of wildflowers, would we apply the same principle? Most definitely so, I think. There is beauty in a field of similar flowers, and even more when various flowers share the same space, adding different colors to a diverse palette.

So, what about when we find unusual displays in a single plant? Take, for example, the case of this Pretty Sneezeweed (Helenium elegans) that I photographed at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge’s Doeskin Ranch trail. There was such a variety of local flowers, including at least one that only grows in the Edwards Plateau. Well, that was the subject of a previous post (look for Scarlet Leather Flower).

Today’s focus is on this abnormality of a flower exhibiting what appears to be two heads. In the featured image above, the second head appears on the side.

In the next image, there is even near-perfect symmetry. What causes this abnormality? One possible explanation is fasciation. Fasciation is a relatively rare quirk in which a plant’s growing tip flattens, splits, or fuses, sometimes producing twin or “crested” flower heads on a single stem. It can be triggered by a genetic hiccup, a passing insect’s nibble, a bacterial hitchhiker, a touch of frost, or simply a bump while the bud was still tucked away. Gardeners often prize it as a curiosity; in the wild, it is a quiet reminder that nature loves to improvise. However, it is difficult to ascertain if that is what happened here in these two images.

The point here is not to make this a technical issue. Rather, it is one example of the beauty in being different.

That is the story behind the shots. If you liked this post, you may also be interested in others featuring Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Doeskin Ranch, FlowerHour, Pretty Sneezeweed, Texas, and Wildflowers. Until the next time, keep clicking and capturing the beauty your eyes find.

Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour # 30.

Sources:

• Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Native Plant Database, Helenium elegans (Pretty Sneezeweed).
  wildflower.org
• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service — PLANTS Database, Helenium elegans.
  plants.usda.gov
• Royal Horticultural Society — “Fasciation.”
  rhs.org.uk