Whenever I reach higher elevations, I am always surprised by the wildflowers I encounter. When Keith and I were in Colorado last month, we drove a few passes. Loveland Pass, elevation 11,990 ft (3,655 m), was one of those. So, when I read Terri’s latest Flower Hour featuring flowers she had seen in Europe, I went back to revisit these flowers I had seen in Colorado.
Walking around Loveland Pass, I spotted a handful of wildflowers still adding color to the scenery, even this late in September. One of those flowers was Fendler’s Sandwort (Eremogone fendleri), a member of the pink family. These small, white, star-shaped flowers grow on stems around 4 to 16 inches (10 to 40 cm) tall, though up high they tend to stay on the shorter side. The plant usually blooms from June through August, so the tan, papery husks of spent flowers scattered among the fresh ones told me I had caught the tail end of the season.
Each flower has five white petals with rounded tips around a yellow-green center. Looking closely, I could count ten stamens. The red dots are the anthers, the pollen-bearing tips of the stamens. Fresh anthers are red to pink and fade to yellow as the flower ages, so the same plant can show both stages at once. In this photo, the flower on the left still has its bright red anthers, while the one to its right has already turned pale. Behind the petals, narrow, pointed green sepals peek out like a second, smaller star. The stems and sepals are covered in tiny sticky glandular hairs, one of the best clues for telling this species apart from other sandworts. You can see them as a fine fuzz along the stems.
What struck me in this view from above is that the flowers and buds seem to float on bare, wiry stems, with hardly a leaf in sight near them. That is typical of this plant. Most of its leaves are narrow and grass-like, up to 4 inches (10 cm) long, and gathered in a tuft near the base of the stems, with only a few small pairs higher up. Down among the grasses, the sandwort’s own leaves are easy to mistake for grass. Meanwhile, the stems fork in pairs, and each branch ends in an open flower or a plump, pointed bud waiting its turn.
That is the story behind the shots. For more like this, enjoy these related stories: Colorado, Fendler’s Sandwort, FlowerHour, Loveland Pass, and Wildflowers. Until the next shoot, keep chasing the light and the wonders it reveals.
- Posted for Terri’s Flower Hour #53.
- Native Plant Society of New Mexico, Wildflowers of New Mexico — Fendler’s Sandwort (Eremogone fendleri) — https://npsnm.org/wildflowersnm/Eremogone_fendleri.html
- Colorado Wildbuds — Eremogone fendleri (Fendler’s Sandwort) — https://coloradowildbuds.com/eremogone-fendleri.html
- Flora of North America — Eremogone — https://floranorthamerica.org/Eremogone
- Wikipedia — Loveland Pass — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loveland_Pass
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Steve Schwartzman
I checked a Travis County plant list to see if we have any Eremogone species here: we don’t.
Egidio Leitao
The altitude might be the reason, do you think? Loveland Pass is nearly at 12,000 feet elevation.
Steve Schwartzman
You’ve prompted me to check the distribution maps for the genus Eremogone. At https://bonap.net/Napa/TaxonMaps/Genus/County/Eremogone I found that some of the 15 Eremogone species in the United States do appear to grow in places at much lower altitudes.
Egidio Leitao
That’s very helpful. One of them is found in Texas. I wonder if it was ever spotted around here. I looked at iNaturalist and saw a few observations. Most were around the Davis Mountains area.
Anita
Lovely little flowers, Egidio. I like the contrast between the white petals and the red tips, and how your close-up photos bring out the finer details.
Egidio Leitao
Thank you, Anita. I wish I could have photographed it with a macro lens, but when I travel, I limit the lenses I take.
Writing to Freedom
What a beautiful wildflower and photos Egidio. I don’t think I’ve ever seen them in person, but I have been treated to some stunning wildflower displays in the mountains.
Egidio Leitao
Brad, that is one thing I often look for when we are outside our area. Thanks for writing.
Wandering Dawgs
These beautiful flowers were a wonderful surprise on your walk. Your images are stunning.
Egidio Leitao
It’s always so nice to see what blooms in other parts of the country. We really enjoyed seeing those flowers. Thanks, Beth.
Toonsarah
Those red anthers are surprising in this delicate white flower! Thanks for introducing us to it 🙂
Egidio Leitao
It was also my first time seeing those flowers. Thanks, Sarah.
tgeriatrix
I have never seen it. Beautiful!
Egidio Leitao
It was also my first time. Thanks.
pamperrault21
That’s a beauty! Thank you for sharing this one and her information! pp
Egidio Leitao
You’re welcome, Pam. It was a pleasure to learn about this flower.
Terri Webster Schrandt
You make “weeds” and wildflowers look so elegant, Egidio! A very delicate beauty to these 🙂
Egidio Leitao
Thanks for this great feedback, Terri.