Blue-eyed grass: a different look
Click for greater clarity.
And here’s a blue-eyed grass flower that a spider had mostly sewn up. If you click the image for better clarity, you can see some spider threads holding the folded tepals together.
Date: March 29, 2013. Location: the Mueller Greenway in east-central Austin.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Very interesting! Great! 🙂
avian101
April 14, 2013 at 1:54 PM
I’m glad you like it.
Steve Schwartzman
April 14, 2013 at 4:31 PM
This image is a favorite of mine of your work. Mainly, it pulls me into its mystery, even its deceit. Reminds me of a children’s game where there are similar folding layers. Each one reveals a secret or number. In this case we will get to see the “eye” of the flower, which has its own charm.
lensandpensbysally
April 14, 2013 at 2:48 PM
Thanks for letting me know, Sally, that you find a mystery here that draws you in. I think I remember the kind of children’s game you’re referring to. My main game these days is playing with a camera, which sometimes offers up its own revelations.
Steve Schwartzman
April 14, 2013 at 4:35 PM
Absolutely over-the-top gorgeous.
mrsdaffodil
April 14, 2013 at 5:06 PM
I like your description. Thank you.
Steve Schwartzman
April 14, 2013 at 5:30 PM
Really *does* look stitched together!
kathryningrid
April 14, 2013 at 7:49 PM
It does. Spiders are among the great seamsters and seamstresses of nature, and I often find evidence of their craft.
Steve Schwartzman
April 14, 2013 at 10:36 PM
Unusual and such a beautiful saturation of color; wonderful, Steve!
composerinthegarden
April 14, 2013 at 10:08 PM
Thanks, Lynn. The saturated color certainly got to me, too.
Steve Schwartzman
April 14, 2013 at 10:37 PM
That’s a beautiful look too!
montucky
April 14, 2013 at 11:24 PM
And a distinctive one.
Steve Schwartzman
April 15, 2013 at 7:46 AM
But why? Or is that left to us to ponder? I don’t think I will ever forget such an image. Amazing photo you share.
georgettesullins
April 15, 2013 at 6:07 AM
In at least some cases, and maybe in most, the spider is making a shelter for itself. Joe Lapp referred to the structure in this picture as “definitely a spider condo.” Another possibility is mentioned in the next comment. In any case, I’m pleased that this image will stay with you.
Steve Schwartzman
April 15, 2013 at 7:51 AM
I suspect it’s worth noting that one petal remained “unstitched” . I can’t help remembering the childhood verse: “Come into my chamber, said the spider to the fly.” That unstitched petal may be an “open” invitation!
shoreacres
April 15, 2013 at 7:42 AM
You raise a good question, and I don’t know if the one tepal was left unfolded on purpose or if the picture shows a stage in which the spider hadn’t finished its work yet. One thing is sure: the unfolded tepal was an open invitation for your speculation.
Steve Schwartzman
April 15, 2013 at 8:01 AM
Ah – thanks for the reminder to refresh myself on tepal/petal. 😉
shoreacres
April 15, 2013 at 8:02 AM
I’m not always sure, either, but when I have to say something in a post I turn to my field guides to find out whether a certain structure is a petal, sepal, or tepal.
Steve Schwartzman
April 15, 2013 at 9:07 AM
That is an excellent question. I don’t have an answer. Sometimes jumping spiders will fold petals to make a home, but they do not hang around waiting for prey to come to them. Instead, they go out hunting and expect home to be their place of safety. I don’t know whether crab spiders intentionally leave some petals unfurled. I’ll be thinking about this question every time I see this happen.
Spider Joe
April 15, 2013 at 8:40 AM
Thanks for pondering this, Joe. Maybe you’ll luck out and be around a situation like this long enough to find out whether the spider leaves “an open invitation.”
Steve Schwartzman
April 15, 2013 at 9:11 AM
What an interesting photo with all that rich purple and the amazing scene of a spider sewing the flower shut. I’ve never seen anything like this before. Thank you for providing it.
Mary Mageau
April 16, 2013 at 11:07 PM
You’re welcome, and I’ll grant you it’s an eye-catcher. Sewn-up and folded-up flowers and leaves aren’t as rare as you might think; since I became aware of them, I keep coming across them every now and then.
Steve Schwartzman
April 16, 2013 at 11:13 PM
I could spend the rest of the night looking at all your pictures. I think you have the best I’ve seen on the Internet.
Russel Ray Photos
June 17, 2013 at 8:34 PM
Thanks for your kind comment, and happy viewing to you.
Steve Schwartzman
June 17, 2013 at 10:59 PM