Not gerrymander but germander
Click for better clarity.
Make that American germander, and you can extend the name to North American germander so that the designation Teucrium canadense fits. Also make that a first appearance in these pages for the species. I found this colony at the Floral Park Dr. entrance to Great Hills Park on June 15. Surrounding the germander colony is one of Mexican hats, Ratibida columnifera, that had been densely flowering for a month and ended up looking like what I’m tempted to call a gerrymandered floral district. In the lower right you have the bonus of some horsemints, Monarda citriodora.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
I was recalling the Goliad Massacre to someone last night, and now you’ve offered a floral version – a small colony of North American germander surrounded by Mexican hats. You’ve even captured the “horses” waiting there, off to the side. All that’s needed is a little white flag fluttering in the breeze, adorned with the image of a camera and the words “Come and Take It” – the photo, of course. 😉
shoreacres
July 11, 2013 at 6:52 AM
How imaginative! I can’t say more.
Steve Schwartzman
July 11, 2013 at 2:16 PM
J’aime beaucoup les fleurs qui se resèment partout et qui font de grand tapis comme celui-ci. C’est magnifique. En tapant le nom latin pour avoir le nom vernaculaire in french, je vois qu’on l’appelle la Germandrée du Canada.. Nous avons la Monarde en Europe.
bonne fin de semaine Steve
chatou11
July 11, 2013 at 10:18 AM
Il y a des moments où le Texas devient une tapisserie, pourtant il ne faut rien payer pour avoir un grand tapis comme celui-ci.
Je crois qu’il y a des espèces de germandrée en France aussi, parce que le mot existe en France depuis le Moyen Age (merci, Petit Robert). La monarde et la germandrée appartiennent aux labiées.
Steve Schwartzman
July 11, 2013 at 2:48 PM
Merci Steve, si ça se trouve j’en ai vu sans les avoir identifiées.. je vais regarder dans mes anciennes photos.
chatou11
July 12, 2013 at 8:43 AM
[…] case you’re not familiar with the American germander, Teucrium canadense, that appeared as a colony in the last post, here’s a closer look at an individual flowering plant I’d photographed at the other […]
A closer look at American germander | Portraits of Wildflowers
July 12, 2013 at 6:09 AM
I’ve some of this plant as well but I think the guy that came to weed-eat got mine. It’s been on this property since my husband and I married 50 years ago. I think it will come back—at least I think/hope that it does. Great looking pic you have here. It comes up in odd places. Sometimes in a very dry part of the yard—rocky and gravely.
petspeopleandlife
July 13, 2013 at 5:43 PM
I’m sorry to hear yours got whacked, but I hope you’re right that it will come back. I’d hate to see you lose it after half a century, but your reference to coming up in odd places makes a return seem likely.
Steve Schwartzman
July 13, 2013 at 5:55 PM