Day 212: As shown in this Penny Perspective, "small-flowered" is an appropriate epithet for Collinsia parviflora, also known as Small-Flowered Blue-Eyed Mary. In fact, the whole plant is seldom more than four inches tall. Even when growing in masses, its brilliant blue flowers fail to stand out against the drab greys and browns of rock and soil. A closer look at this plant would reveal that its petals form a tube which is bent near the base, turning Mary's bright blue eyes to face outward and slightly up, as if to welcome the summer sun and herald the start of wildflower season.
Team Biota's first day in the field since last autumn didn't yield any rarities, although it brought a surprise which was less than pleasant: ticks. I have not previously encountered ticks in the Park, but one of my botany partners and I each found one walking on us. The soil in the area where we picked them up was quite dry for this time of the year. I suspect we'll be seeing more and more of these nasty little creatures as changes in our regional climate shift toward a hotter and drier ecology.
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