Dianthus Armeria, Grass Pink

Day 309: On the heels of yesterday's feature of Centaurium umbellatum, it was fortuitous that I should stumble across this specimen of Grass Pink during a foray into the pasture across the road last night. I returned today to photograph it in the sunlight.

Field guides caution observers regarding resemblance to Common Centaury because the flowers often arise in similar loosely organized heads. The distinguishing points are the toothed and spotted petals of Grass Pink, absent in Centaury. This species is a non-native plant which escaped the gardens of our early settlers. Perhaps the seeds of this plant's forebears strayed from my own yard a hundred years ago.