Devil’s claw flower

Click for greater clarity.

Now here’s a wildflower I don’t often see. In fact, the last time I remember encountering a devil’s claw flower, Proboscidea louisianica, was in the fall of 2009. My streak was broken on August 30 of this year near Tejas Camp in Williamson County, as I wandered along the North Fork of the San Gabriel River. Although this specimen was beginning to turn brown at its fringes, I was still grateful for the chance to photograph it, and to do so against a clear blue sky that complemented the flower’s colors.

© 2012 Steven Schwartzman