Snapdragon vine
Click for greater sharpness.
Here’s a closeup of a snapdragon vine, Maurandella antirrhiniflora, that I photographed on the grounds of the Elisabet Ney Museum in Austin on August 20. These mouths always remind me of flowers, or is it the other way around?
The snapdragon vine grows primarily in the Southwest but has also been found in Maryland and Florida. For more details on location, you can consult the state-clickable map at the website of the USDA.
Other members of the Scrophulariaceae, or figwort family, that you’ve seen here include Texas toadflax, prairie agalinis, cenizo, and—perhaps best known of all—Indian paintbrush.
© 2013 Steven Schwartzman
I see a mouth with four teeth! That’s one flower with personality… 😀
meredithbedford
September 28, 2013 at 8:46 AM
Your comment may be written, but I’ll consider it oral (not to mention quadridental).
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 8:50 AM
nice capture!
stmdesignsworld
September 28, 2013 at 8:53 AM
Thank you. I should have added that these flowers are rather small, less than an inch across.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 8:58 AM
Great Macro of Snapdragon………
Mona
September 28, 2013 at 9:06 AM
I’m glad you approve of Snap, the magic dragon.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 9:53 AM
Gorgeous !!
norasphotos4u
September 28, 2013 at 10:09 AM
‘Tis.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 11:01 AM
I have a deep fondness for snapdragons, including the vining type. But Steve, this reminds me of “Little House of Horrors” – the plant that cried “feed me, I’m hungry!”
composerinthegarden
September 28, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Fortunately, no harm would come to you if you put a finger into that “mouth.” The horror is all in the imagination.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 11:02 AM
Really gorgeous. The color is so rich. I like how the creamy teeth stand up and contrast with the purple.
Jim in IA
September 28, 2013 at 10:43 AM
Now there’s a novel phrase: creamy teeth. Like you, I like their contrast with the rich purple.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 11:04 AM
The recent vulture post you had prompted me to get this video this morning. We took our grand daughter (9) to the local dam to watch the dozens of them preparing for their day of soaring. This was just after sunrise. They sit on the rocks and wait for the sun and thermals to be just right. Here they are testing. http://youtu.be/rkCnszVyeK4
Jim in IA
September 28, 2013 at 11:10 AM
That’s more vultures in one place than I’ve ever seen. You’re fortunate to be able to go there.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 3:05 PM
We watched the 4th episode of the Nature show on birds called Earthflight. http://www.iptv.org/video/detail.cfm/36169/naat_20130926_nature_earthflight_south_africa
It had a lot of video of vultures and condors. It inspired us to go see our own. It is a daily show at the dam.
Jim in IA
September 28, 2013 at 7:19 PM
We saw it too.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 9:08 PM
What a great series. The photography was excellent. I like the bird cams.
Jim in IA
September 28, 2013 at 10:02 PM
I didn’t realize there was a variety of snapdragon that vines. I’ve known it only as the garden flower. As kids, we used to delight in picking individual blossoms, then squeezing them to make the “mouth” open and close. And people wonder how we survived without i-gadgets.
I’ve never seen a purple garden snapdragon. The color’s gorgeous.
shoreacres
September 28, 2013 at 12:46 PM
With me it’s almost always the reverse: the natives give me a little knowledge about the cultivated varieties. From what I’ve read, the garden snapdragons are in the same family but a different genus, Antirrhinum, which is echoed in the species name of the wild snapdragon vine. The opening and closing of the “mouths” when someone squeezes the flowers in these plants led to the name snapdragon, presumably because the mouth looks fearsome.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 3:12 PM
What a grin! 😉
bentehaarstad
September 28, 2013 at 2:04 PM
I guess that’s why you followed it up with a smiley face, Bente.
Steve Schwartzman
September 28, 2013 at 3:12 PM
Reminds a bit of wild ginger. 🙂
Steve Gingold
September 29, 2013 at 7:51 AM
I can see why this snapdragon vine flower reminds you of your wild ginger, which lives up to your description of “a gaping maw of death.” Readers, go take a look.
Steve Schwartzman
September 29, 2013 at 8:15 AM