Sometimes, while biking along the Katy Crossing trail in San Gabriel Park, I spot beauty that steals the moment away. I apply the brakes and stop to appreciate what Nature gives me. No special equipment is needed — a simple cell phone captures the moment that captivated my eyes. On this July evening, with the light going soft and low, that moment belonged to a Texas Indian Mallow.
Texas Indian Mallow (Abutilon fruticosum) belongs to the mallow family (Malvaceae), a cousin of hibiscus, okra, cotton, and the winecups I chase every spring. It is a perennial with several stems, woody at the base, usually 2 to 3 feet tall (60 to 90 cm), with thick, heart-shaped, gray-green leaves up to 4 inches (10 cm) long and covered in a velvety coat of star-shaped hairs. The flowers are what stop me: each opens alone where a leaf meets the stem, five pale orange-yellow petals only ¾ to 1 inch across (2 to 2.5 cm), traced with fine veins and gathered around a small yellow column of fused stamens. Look at the lower petal in this photo, and you will see I was not the only visitor — a tiny insect, no bigger than a grain of rice, had settled in ahead of me. The bloom season runs from June through October, so there are still weeks of these little suns left along the river.
This plant belongs in that spot. It favors dry limestone soils — cliffs, slopes, prairies, and open woods — which describes the banks of the San Gabriel River well. Deer and livestock browse it so eagerly that it tends to vanish from grazed pastures, bobwhite quail and mourning doves eat the seeds, and skipper butterfly caterpillars feed on the leaves. A flower this small is easy to pedal past. I like that it made me stop anyway — one more reason to keep the brakes handy and the phone within reach.
That is the story behind the shot. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Georgetown, Katy Crossing, San Gabriel Park, Texas, Texas Indian Mallow, and Wildflowers. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for John’s Cellpic Sunday.
Sources:
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Native Plant Database — Abutilon fruticosum — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=ABFR3
- USDA NRCS Plant Fact Sheet — Texas Indian Mallow (Abutilon fruticosum) — https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/DocumentLibrary/factsheet/pdf/fs_abfr3.pdf
- Backyard Nature (Jim Conrad) — Indian Mallow, Abutilon fruticosum — https://backyardnature.net/n/h/abutilon.htm
- Wikipedia — Abutilon fruticosum — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abutilon_fruticosum
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Tra Italia e Finlandia
Piccolo e delicato…
BioTrendy
What I really enjoyed about this post is the reminder that some of the most memorable nature photographs come from simply paying attention rather than setting out with a complicated plan or a lot of equipment. The fact that you noticed this small Texas Indian Mallow while cycling, stopped, and captured it with a phone makes the image feel even more authentic.
I also like how much character such a small flower gains once you start looking closely—the fine veins in the petals, the warm yellow-orange colour, and of course that tiny visitor on the lower petal. Without the close-up it would probably be very easy to pass straight by it.
The ecological details were interesting too, especially the connection with limestone soils, birds and skipper caterpillars. It turns a photograph of one flower into a much broader little story about the landscape around it.
A lovely example of how slowing down for a moment can reveal far more than we initially notice.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your thoughtful response. It’s appreciated.
photobyjohnbo
When we were in Buckeye, orange mallows were prominent when the winter was wetter than normal. They are cup-shaped rather than the flattened appearance of these Texas Indian Mallows.
Egidio Leitao
Your note showed up on my post. I wonder what the deal was. Anyway, thanks for your comment. I wonder how the flowers you saw and the one I posted are related.
photobyjohnbo
Details in my email. It was the VPN block.
margaret21
I love a mallow. Simple, unpretentious, and this one is beautifully captured by you.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Margaret. I agree that they are simple and unpretentious, and they are beautiful.
Anne Sandler
Beautiful capture Egidio. I love the detail on the flower and the little hitchhiker!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for the compliment, Anne. The hitchhiker adds mystery. 🙂
shoreacres
I think the insect on the flower is an ant, although it’s way too small to determine genus, let alone species. The flower’s lovely. I’ve seen it only once, along a highway south of Hondo. I’d put off posting photos of it until I was sure of the ID; now, you’ve confirmed what I’d finally decided on!
Egidio Leitao
I think you are correct, Linda. It was a small insect and not in focus. I’m glad you liked the flower shot. The flower grows along the margins of the San Gabriel River in Georgetown. I’ll be looking forward to your images.
pamperrault21
Lovely image! Well-worth stopping for. There’s a small bug, a spider? Do you know what that is? It looks as if it might be either a type of crab spider (family Thomisidae) or a very small jumping spider (family Salticidae). Lovely flower shot, narrative and great information. Thanks Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your note, Pam. Unfortunately, I do not know what that small insect is. I tried iNaturalist, and that couldn’t suggest a name either.
pamperrault21
We need to entice an entomologist to Lens-Artists….
Egidio Leitao
Can you imagine the challenges? 🙂
pamperrault21
Yup! But they’d be HIS challenges!!! 😉