Muhly seed heads late in the afternoon

Late in the afternoon on November 19th near the high point on the Skyline Drive in Davis Mountains State Park I photographed these backlit grass seed heads. Muhly is short for Muhlenbergia, which is what I take the genus to be, but several species grow in the area and I can’t be more precise.

© 2015 Steven Schwartzman

Like a pink storm

While waiting at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center a little before 5 o’clock on October 15th for the opening reception of the Native Plant Society of Texas symposium, I pulled out my iPhone, knelt, and took this picture. When gulf muhly (Muhlenbergia capillaris) matures and produces seeds, I see it as a local pink storm, such is the sense of movement that I get from it, even though the grass doesn’t move unless the wind is blowing. Do you feel that implied movement in this stillness?

© 2015 Steven Schwartzman