Blog Archives
Working Again
Dear Friends, this ten-petal mentzelia is growing out of the red rock in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, locally the red rock is called scoria, but the real term is porcelainite (sp) , made from clay layers being baked by a burning coal layer, if you drop a piece on a hard surface it will ring like a china cup, hence another local name, clinker. the white flower of the mentzelia is only present in late summer near sundown and before sunrise. til Tomorrow MJ
Badlands After 5 PM
Dear Friends, this image was taken last August when the Mentzelia bloom on the red scoria. These white blossoms are found growing right out of the rocky slopes and only open after 4 PM. Most tourists overlook them cause they are a prickly looking plant until the blossoms open, then they are magnificent. til Tomorrow MJ
Scoria Lily
Friends, this lovely bloom is often overlooked because it doesn’t bloom until evening and thru the night, then closes in the morning. Locally it is called the Scoria Lily and does grow straight out of the red rocks (scoria) on a spiny, prickly plant. The plant often has several blooms but is not really a lily. The technical name is Mentzelia Decapetalia and indeed the bloom has ten white petals. In this season of Lilies I thought I would share some Lilies of the Badlands, but saving the best for Easter morning. til Tomorrow MJ
MJ Springett 