A closer look at one of the small yellow flower heads
Again from September 28 in Pflugerville, here’s a closer look at one of the small broomweed (Amphiachyris dracunculoides) flower heads you saw scattered across the prairie in yesterday’s post. Note the budding flower head at the lower left.
The indistinct purple column in the background is Liatris mucronata, called blazing-star and gayfeather.
© 2016 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
Purple and yellow are such a pleasing combination. Here, it’s a purple fall aster that often is tangled in with the goldenrod. It’s a nice substitute for the already-faded Liatris.
shoreacres
October 15, 2016 at 8:11 AM
Asters—the purpler the better—definitely tangle well with goldenrod, of which you said you have plenty up there. I’ve seen few asters in Austin so far this season.
Steve Schwartzman
October 15, 2016 at 11:01 AM
Reminiscent of a master’s impressionist painting.
Esther
October 15, 2016 at 8:31 AM
I’m fond of the (mostly) pastel colors in this photograph.
Steve Schwartzman
October 15, 2016 at 11:02 AM
such a good photograph – the purple liatris and then this dainty little broomweed – love it, Steve. Have a nice week-end.
anyone4curryandotherthings
October 15, 2016 at 8:58 AM
Thanks, Carina. I think most people don’t appreciate broomweed because the flower heads are so small. I’m glad you find it dainty.
Steve Schwartzman
October 15, 2016 at 11:03 AM
We encountered a plant in Scotland also called broom…no relation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytisus_scoparius
Jim Ruebush
October 15, 2016 at 9:42 AM
The two plants aren’t related botanically but they are functionally. People in Britain commonly used the broom plant to sweep with, and eventually anything used for sweeping came to be called a broom. When people from the United States moved west into Texas, they found they could easily uproot a certain plant and use it to sweep with; they called that plant broomweed.
Steve Schwartzman
October 15, 2016 at 12:03 PM
Wow, what a fabulous contrast!
kackymuse
October 15, 2016 at 10:27 PM
I’m glad you appreciate the contrast of one against (contra) the other.
Steve Schwartzman
October 15, 2016 at 10:54 PM
[…] contrast to yesterday’s image, here’s an in-focus view of Liatris mucronata, known as blazing-star or gayfeather. […]
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