365Caws is now in its 14th year of publication, and was originally intended to end after 365 days. It has sometimes been difficult for me to find new material, particularly during the winter months, but now as I enter my own twilight years, I cannot guarantee that I will be able to provide daily posts. It is my hope that along the way I may have inspired someone to a greater curiosity about the natural world. If so, I can rest, content in the knowledge that my work here has been done.
Friday, June 20, 2014
Nuttall's Larkspur, Delphinium Nuttallii
Day 263: "Common in south Puget Sound prairies," says the field guide, but Nuttall's Larkspur occurs only sporadically along the Yelm-Tenino Trail, and only in a stretch which extends about a mile on either side of the town of Rainier. The intense blue is a stoplight for bicyclists and walkers when it occurs at trailside: "What is that?" Oftentimes, tall grass almost conceals the spikes, giving casual observers the impression that this is just another species of vetch vining through the prairie. Like other members of the delphinium family (domestic and wild), the flowers come with their own "bees," a cluster of smaller petals in the center. These petals are often bearded, giving the "bee" a fuzzy look.
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