Four-nerve daisy bud opening
Click for greater clarity, even if not greater size.
I photographed this opening bud of a four-nerve daisy, Tetraneuris scaposa, a year and a day ago in northwest Austin. January and wildflowers aren’t mutually exclusive terms in central Texas the way they are in many other parts of the country, though I’ll confess that wildflowers are at their sparsest here now.
In case you’re wondering about size, I’ll add that this bud was about half an inch in diameter, so we’re talking about a small daisy. And did you know that the English word daisy started out as the equivalent of day’s eye? The Anglo-Saxons, those linguistic ancestors of ours, knew how to be poetic.
For more information, and to see a state-clickable map of the places in the south-central United States where Tetraneuris scaposa grows, you can visit the USDA website.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
Beautiful macro Steve and I love the english name of “day’s eye”..
chatou11
January 3, 2013 at 7:31 AM
Daisy from day’s eye has long been one of my favorite English etymologies. It’s so clear once it’s pointed out, but not at all obvious until then.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 7:52 AM
Aye, that four-eye daisy is a beauty. Were that they could bloom for aye!
shoreacres
January 3, 2013 at 7:49 AM
I could say you’ve got a lot of nerve, but I’ll just say “Aye aye, captain.”
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 7:54 AM
Steve, this image is captivating for its simplicity and implications. I can feel the energy needed to reach for the sun and unveil the inner beauty of the single flowerhead.
lensandpensbysally
January 3, 2013 at 8:12 AM
Thanks for your good insights into this image, Sally.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 9:15 AM
Wunderschön…könnte es doch endlich Frühling werden 🙂
Mathilda
January 3, 2013 at 8:15 AM
The farther north in this hemisphere,
The more we wish at this time of year
That spring would finally make it here.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 9:20 AM
Gorgeous shot, Steve. The day’s eye etymology is easily understood. But where does the “four nerve” part come from? Is the plant medicinal? I checked out the link to the Plants database–funny how they expect plants to fall tidily into state line–but found nothing. Ah well, a mystery for another day.
Joan Leacott
January 3, 2013 at 9:54 AM
I’m glad you enjoyed this photograph, Joan. As for your wondering why this wildflower is called a four-nerve daisy, if you can wait a day I’ll answer your question with a picture tomorrow morning.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 10:45 AM
The clarity and definition in this shot are amazing! Do they feel as soft as they look?
Lynda
January 3, 2013 at 9:58 AM
I think the underside does feel soft, but it’s pretty small, so I’m not sure how much tactile enjoyment your fingers would get. I’ll try to remember to touch the underside of a four-nerve daisy the next time I see one. Last week I was at the site of this photograph but I found exactly one daisy, and it was looking rather bedraggled, so I didn’t interact with it.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 11:31 AM
Here I am with my simplistic word usage and you have so many literary sp? subcribers among those that write a comment. So, I shall or will not to try to write a wonderous description of the four-nerve daisy except to say that this is one little plants that loves limestone and will bloom brilliantly in some unlikely places. I have not had success with this little jewel but I think I have finally found a place in my yard where it will grow. It is prolific in the western part of my county. Beautiful pic of the bud.
petspeopleandlife
January 3, 2013 at 1:43 PM
In Austin, this species and even more so the similar Tetraneuris linearifolia, also known as a four-nerve daisy, are common and can be found flowering much of the year. As you said, they seem to pop up in all sorts of places. Good luck getting yours to grow.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 2:11 PM
Beautiful image !!
Bernie Kasper
January 3, 2013 at 2:45 PM
Thank you.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 3:51 PM
For some reason, steve, I look at this and want to eat it! Perhaps it reminds me too much of sweetcorn, which I love….LOL. A marvellous capture!
janina
January 3, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Now that’s a comment I’ve never gotten before. A publicist can tell people that my pictures are good enough to eat. And, because the photographs are digital, they have no calories, so we can eat all we want and never worry about it.
Steve Schwartzman
January 3, 2013 at 6:39 PM
[…] a comment yesterday Joan Leacott asked why the little yellow daisy with the scientific name Tetraneuris scaposa is called a […]
Why a four-nerve daisy is called a four-nerve daisy « Portraits of Wildflowers
January 4, 2013 at 6:18 AM
Very beautiful. Love the light. 🙂
Inga
January 5, 2013 at 8:35 PM
Me too. Thanks.
Steve Schwartzman
January 5, 2013 at 8:46 PM
[…] my nature photography blog I recently showed a picture of a four-nerve daisy, and in the accompanying text I couldn’t resist mentioning one of my longtime favorite […]
daisy « Spanish-English Word Connections
January 8, 2013 at 9:54 AM
I love your photos !
Guillaume
January 10, 2013 at 12:17 PM
Thank you, and welcome to the world of nature in central Texas.
Steve Schwartzman
January 10, 2013 at 12:48 PM
A lovely image! This daisy looks perfectly relaxed to me, however…not ‘nervy’ at all….hehehehe
wildwanderingirl
January 14, 2013 at 2:48 PM
I could say you’ve got some nerve making a comment like that, but I won’t (but you could say that I’ve got some nerve to say what I’m not going to say, and in so doing to say it).
Steve Schwartzman
January 14, 2013 at 3:02 PM