We now reach the PQR flowers in Terri’s Flower ABC challenge. Initially, I thought it would be hard to find flowers beginning with the letter Q. I found a few in my catalog. What surprised me even more is that all shots here were captured this year. It is true, though, that for the letter Q, I had to use a flower I photographed in Brazil just this past June. So, let’s see what I got this time.
P
It was the first time I saw a Panicled Ticktrefoil, and it happened at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge’s Doeskin Ranch. In the peak of spring flowers, it was no surprise this beauty was growing there.
“When a flower grows wild, it can always survive.”
— Dolly Parton, “Wildflowers”
Panicled Ticktrefoil (Desmodium paniculatum) belongs to the pea family (Fabaceae). Its genus name comes from the Greek desmos, meaning “chain” or “bond,” a nod to the jointed seed pods — called loments — that break apart into single-seeded segments. Those segments are covered in tiny hooked hairs, which is exactly how the plant earned the “tick” half of its name: the pods cling to fur and clothing like actual ticks, hitching a ride to new ground every time something brushes past. “Trefoil” simply describes the three-part leaf. It grows natively across most of the eastern and central United States, Texas included, reaching about 5 feet (1.5 m) tall. Most references list its bloom season as mid-to-late summer, so finding one already in flower in late April felt like a small bonus of its own.
Q
This is Queen’s Wreath, and I photographed it in Tiradentes, Brazil. This beautiful flower grows in a similar manner to Bougainvilleas. Although I captured this in Brazil, Queen’s Wreath can also be found in Texas. I believe that the color variety here is more coral than the lavender variation I photographed.
“When God made the color purple,
God was just showing off.” — Mae Jemison
Queen’s Wreath (Petrea volubilis) belongs to the verbena family (Verbenaceae) and is native to tropical America, from Mexico down through Brazil and Paraguay — which happens to be exactly where I found this one, climbing in Tiradentes. Its rough-textured leaves have also earned it the nickname Sandpaper Vine. The part that surprised me most researching this one: the wide, star-shaped “petals” everyone photographs aren’t petals at all. They’re the calyx — five papery lobes that persist long after the true flower, a much smaller and deeper violet corolla at the center, has already dropped. As for the coral I mentioned above, that belongs to an entirely different plant: Antigonon leptopus, the coral-pink vine that also goes by Queen’s Wreath (and Coral Vine) and is far more familiar around Texas gardens. The lavender vine in this photograph is genuinely Petrea volubilis, and according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, it does grow as far north as South Texas.
R
Rock Flax was also photographed at Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge’s Doeskin Ranch on the same day as the Panicled Ticktrefoil.
“The seed must grow regardless of the fact that it’s planted in stone.”
— Tupac Shakur, “The Rose That Grew From Concrete”
Rock Flax (Linum rupestre) belongs to the flax family (Linaceae), and its species name, rupestre, is Latin for “growing among rocks” — precisely the thin, rocky soil it favors around the Texas Hill Country and the Balcones Canyonlands. It’s a Texas and New Mexico native, usually blooming in May and June, growing to about 30 inches (76 cm) tall on thin, wiry stems. Its flowers are yellow, fading to white with age, and if you look closely at the curled buds in the photograph, you’ll notice the same coiling habit that shows up across the flax family just before a bloom opens.
Three flowers, two countries, and a thread I didn’t expect: two of these three turned out to hide behind more common names than the one I already knew going in. A pea-family bloom that hitchhikes its way across a hillside, a Brazilian vine wearing a name borrowed from a coral-colored cousin back home, and a stubborn little yellow flower that makes rock its home — Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge and Tiradentes, Brazil, could hardly be farther apart, yet both handed me a flower for this challenge within the same few months.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Balcones Canyonlands NWR, Brazil, Doeskin Ranch, FlowerHour, Panicled Ticktrefoil, Queen’s Wreath, Rock Flax, Texas, Tiradentes, and Wildflowers. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour #46.
Sources:
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Desmodium paniculatum (Panicledleaf Ticktrefoil) — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=depa6
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Panicledleaf Ticktrefoil (Desmodium paniculatum) — https://www.fws.gov/species/panicledleaf-ticktrefoil-desmodium-paniculatum
- Missouri Department of Conservation — Tick Trefoils (Sticktights; Beggar’s Lice) — https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/tick-trefoils-sticktights-beggars-lice
- Wikipedia — Desmodium — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmodium
- Wikipedia — Petrea volubilis — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrea_volubilis
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Petrea volubilis (Petrea, Purple Wreath, Queen’s Wreath, Sandpaper Vine) — https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/petrea-volubilis/
- North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox — Antigonon leptopus (Queen’s Wreath, Coral Vine) — https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/antigonon-leptopus/common-name/queens-wreath/
- U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service — Queen’s-wreath (Petrea volubilis) — https://www.fws.gov/species/queens-wreath-petrea-volubilis
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center — Linum rupestre (Rock Flax) — https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=LIRU2
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Albatz Travel Adventures
I think this has happened to me before – I found the name of a plant that I was clueless about – in this case Queen’s Wreath which bloomed at Easter in Guatemala, and was purple like everything else in the Santa Semana. Thanks again…
Egidio Leitao
That’s cool, Elizabeth. Thanks for the feedback.
Marsha
Your pictures are stunning, but I also love how professional your site looks. This could be a flower encyclopedia page. Well done, Egidio. 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Marsha, that is so kind of you to take the time to write. Thank you very much.
Marsha
Love your blog, my friend. Your talent shines.
Steve Schwartzman
Central Texas doesn’t offer a lot for Q, but two possibilities exist. By far the more colorful is quinine weed, which is an alternate vernacular name for mountain pinks, Zeltnera beyrichii. The other is queen’s delight,Stillingia texana.
Surprised that a town in Brazil is called Tiradentes, I looked up its origin: “The name ‘Tiradentes’ literally means ‘tooth puller’ in Portuguese and comes from the nickname of Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, who practiced dentistry as one of his many professions.”
Egidio Leitao
The pickings are getting slim for the alphabet challenge. About Tiradentes, he was a hero in Brazil. He was behind the insurrection that led to Brazil’s independence.
Anita
Three beautiful flowers, Egidio! I love how different they are, yet each one is so lovely in its own way. Beautifully photographed, as always.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you for the compliment, Anita.
Kirstin Troyer
Pretty choices.
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Kirstin.
KymPossible
Wonderful photos!! The flowers are spectacular and a little out of the ordinary. I can see the resemblance of the first one to sweet peas. Visiting from the Flower Hour
Egidio Leitao
Kym, thanks for the feedback and compliment. I appreciated that.
Terri Webster Schrandt
I love all the stories and science behind the floral shots, Egidio. That’s why I dubbed you the flower scientist earlier! And I like your clever title. I really must work on mine! The queens wreath is stunning and so interesting! Love the Dolly quote as well.
Egidio Leitao
Terri, your kindness sees no bounds. Many thanks!
Terri Webster Schrandt
All true, my friend!
pamperrault21
Look at you go! Two clever titles, two weeks running. Now I can’t wait to see what you’ll do next week! Absolutely lovely photographs, Egidio! I especially enjoyed them because I’ve never seen those before. Great post! pp
Egidio Leitao
Thanks, Pam. I love these challenges for the reason you pointed out: we get to see what others post from their own areas.
pamperrault21
Me too!
Pepper
Beautiful florals, Egidio. 😊
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Pepper. I could have used it for your challenge, too, but I’ll try to relate to one step more directly. 🙂
Wandering Dawgs
Egidio, your beautiful flowers brightened up my afternoon. I love the Dolly Parton quote.
Egidio Leitao
Beth, that is wonderful to hear. Thanks for the note.
Anne Sandler
Beautiful, Egidio!
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for your compliment, Anne.