Not crop circles

While you’ve probably all heard about the hoaxes called crop circles, here are some strange little circles that I doubt any hoaxer would have taken the time to create. These tiny pale rings are in the petals of a wild petunia*, Ruellia nudiflora, a common wildflower that thrives in Austin’s summer heat. I don’t remember ever seen anything like this, so if anyone has an explanation for these marks, please speak up. One thing I’m sure didn’t create them is miniature alien spacecraft, but if any of you can parlay that into a fad for Petal Circles, I want my share of the royalties.

I took this picture on July 18th during the same jaunt through Great Hills Park that brought you a picture of a turk’s cap flower.

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* Don’t be fooled by the common name. The wild petunia that’s native in Texas belongs to the acanthus family, while garden petunias come from South America and are in the nightshade family.

© 2014 Steven Schwartzman