Bush sunflower opening
Another thing I photographed along Great Northern Blvd. in north-central Austin on February 19 was this Simsia calva, known as the (awnless) bush sunflower, beginning to open.
Good-bye February; tomorrow March marches in.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Beautiful photo!
bentehaarstad
February 28, 2013 at 6:53 AM
Thanks, Bente. This photo struck me as special.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 7:04 AM
So much to learn with one little flower! I was much taken with the lavender tint. It’s not a color I associate with sunflowers, for sure. But your link seems to affirm my eyes aren’t deceiving me, as it says, “In most Simsia… ray florets…vary in colors, being any mixture of orange-yellow, lemon-yellow, pink, purple, or white. Simsia calva tend to have 8-21 ray florets with their colors being orange-yellow, with traces, lining, or fully colored faces of brown or purple.”
Then, of course, there’s the matter of “awnless”. Now, I can identify an awn .
And it’s not even seven o’clock!
shoreacres
February 28, 2013 at 6:59 AM
I think at least some of the lavender tint that you detect here is probably extrinsic to the sunflower, a consequence of my working in the shade; I’d say it’s akin to the purple that painters sometimes add to things in shadows. The low light made me use a wide lens aperture, and the wide aperture accounts for the fact that outside the flower head there’s an overall softness (which is what makes the picture special for me). That said, this species does have colors that I’m not used to seeing in other plants that people have called sunflowers. If you look back at a picture from last year taken along the same stretch of road, you’ll see what I mean.
As for awns, when I first encountered the word all I could think about was awnings, which have nothing to do with that botanical term. In fact it’s been a decade and I still think of awnings when I read about awns—whether before or after seven o’clock.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 7:34 AM
Beautiful ! I love it !
lemarcal
February 28, 2013 at 7:11 AM
Thank you, and thank an aperture of f/4.5.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 7:38 AM
C’est à la fois beau, tendre et coloré. J’aime beaucoup.
lancoliebleue
February 28, 2013 at 7:50 AM
Merci, Val. Bienvenue au printemps texan.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 8:06 AM
Quelle chance, nous sommes encore sous la neige. Ca viendra aussi et les champs prendront des couleurs.
lancoliebleue
February 28, 2013 at 8:19 AM
Je suis sûr qu’en attendant tu profiteras de la neige pour prendre des photos.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 9:02 AM
Simple, mais excellente compo tout en finesse . michel
michel85
February 28, 2013 at 8:00 AM
Merci, Michel, et vive la finesse.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 8:12 AM
Oh, this one had me light up and say –Oh, hello God! 🙂 Look at that amazing thing. Thank you for the noticing.
Elisa
February 28, 2013 at 8:01 AM
And thank you for your comment. I’m pleased this picture had such a positive effect on you.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 8:15 AM
This is truly stunning Steven. I love it.
edithlevyphotography
February 28, 2013 at 8:16 AM
Thanks, Edith. I was particularly taken with the long curve of the stalk.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 9:04 AM
C’est ce que j’appelle une macro parfaite!! félicitations Steve
chatou11
February 28, 2013 at 8:27 AM
Merci, Chantal. Moi aussi j’ai vu quelque chose de spécial ici.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 9:12 AM
Sweetly beautiful and tranquilizing–calming in its bursting into life.
lensandpensbysally
February 28, 2013 at 8:37 AM
Well said, Sally. Thanks.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 9:12 AM
BEAUTIFUL!!! A work of art.
Kathy C
February 28, 2013 at 9:11 AM
Thanks. The only place in Austin where I know to find this species is on Great Northern Blvd. across from the athletic fields.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 9:15 AM
What amazing colors and beautifully captured too!
Lynda
February 28, 2013 at 9:33 AM
Thanks, Lynda. This picture is a tribute to subtlety of color (and with regard to the flower stem I could add shape).
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 9:37 AM
Not everyone would see this, let alone capture it so brilliantly. Extremely well done!
Alex Autin
February 28, 2013 at 10:03 AM
Thanks so much, Alex. As I often do, I sat down next to this plant so I could look for a good angle to photograph it. I also lay down and aimed up, but I prefer the way this view came out.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 10:08 AM
beautiful photo!
TexWisGirl
February 28, 2013 at 10:12 AM
And of a species that I don’t often see.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 10:24 AM
Absolutely gorgeous photo.
Mind Margins/Run Nature
February 28, 2013 at 10:32 AM
There seems to be a consensus on this one, I’m happy to say.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 10:54 AM
The lavender tint is beautiful, whether it is due to the low light or not. I hope we will see it opening. Does it attract bees like its namesake?
afrenchgarden
February 28, 2013 at 11:02 AM
I assume this species attracts the sorts of insects that the common sunflowers do, but I’ve had very little experience with bush sunflowers. I took some pictures of several that had opened on February 19, but they weren’t the most prepossessing. You’re welcome to take a look back at a couple of photographs from last March at the same location:
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/what-is-this/
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/bush-sunflower-from-behind/
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 11:24 AM
Beautiful photographs and a very appealing flower.
afrenchgarden
February 28, 2013 at 11:59 AM
Beautiful – brighten my day:)
cravesadventure
February 28, 2013 at 11:48 AM
Happy brightening to you.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 12:24 PM
Very good photo
Greetings from Mexico
fnvillarreal
February 28, 2013 at 10:25 PM
Gracias, y saludos de Tejas.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 10:30 PM
Beautiful form arising from the mist; what a great illustration of graceful use of aperture, Steve.
composerinthegarden
February 28, 2013 at 10:58 PM
Now that you mention it, the large aperture did give the background a misty look. Thanks for appreciating it, Lynn.
Steve Schwartzman
February 28, 2013 at 11:04 PM
Fantastic Steve. I really like how the colors pop.
Brian Comeau
March 1, 2013 at 11:33 AM
Thanks, Brian.
Steve Schwartzman
March 1, 2013 at 2:07 PM
That’s gorgeous. Love the tones.
drawandshoot
March 1, 2013 at 12:07 PM
You’re right, Karen, that the tonality makes this picture.
Steve Schwartzman
March 1, 2013 at 2:08 PM
Thanks for visiting my blog. Well done. Great photo and amazing colours.
natuurfreak
March 1, 2013 at 6:12 PM
You’re welcome. You picked a good picture to look at and comment on.
Steve Schwartzman
March 1, 2013 at 6:29 PM
This is sensational, not least for the incredible range of colors the photograph captures.
Susan Scheid
March 2, 2013 at 3:18 PM
In the thirteen thousand comments that have appeared on this blog (half of them my replies), you’re the first person ever to use the word sensational. Thanks.
Steve Schwartzman
March 2, 2013 at 3:36 PM
I really like this! Wonderful image!
montucky
March 3, 2013 at 9:56 PM
I was taken with it, too, when I first saw the way the image looked on my computer screen.
Steve Schwartzman
March 3, 2013 at 10:26 PM
love the narrow DOF in this. Great shot.
janechese
March 5, 2013 at 1:21 PM
Thanks. I agree that the shallow depth of field worked well here.
Steve Schwartzman
March 5, 2013 at 1:52 PM