Ants on Texas bindweed flower

Click for greater clarity.

One more thing I saw at the Blunn Creek Nature Preserve on June 13—and that I’d been seeing in many other places around Austin—was Texas bindweed, Convolvulus equitans. After you’ve gazed at the pretty little flower, notice how weirdly shaped the leaves of this species of vine are. Also notice that three ants were attracted to the flower (you may have to click the photograph to see the two ants inside the reddish funnel). The grass appears to be a dry stage of the purple three-awn that you saw last month.

© 2013 Steven Schwartzman