Common composite
By: Carla
Tags: asteraceae, nature, new orleans, photography, postaday2011, sunflower family, white flowers, wildflowers
Category: flowers
| Aperture: | f/4.5 |
|---|---|
| Focal Length: | 9.13mm |
| ISO: | 64 |
| Shutter: | 1/250 sec |
| Camera: | u850SW,S850SW |
This common roadside weed (ahem, wildflower) is related to daisies and sunflowers.
They’re all in the family asteraceae. Composite means that they have multiple flowers in the center. In this photo you can see the individual yellow flowers opening around the edge of the yellow center. As the flower ages the buds in the middle will open as well. The petals are officially called rays.
Look in any vacant lot or patch of unmown ground in New Orleans and you’ll find these unassuming yet pretty plants.
6 comments on “Common composite”
Leave a Reply
Blog at WordPress.com. Theme: Duotone by Automattic.
Do you know which species this composite is?
Steve Schwartzman
http://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com
No – looked it up in our Mississippi wildflower book but didn’t find anything there. There are so many composites, and so the book we have only showcases a few. Do you have any idea what it is? It’s everywhere but we don’t know its name.
I’m sorry, but I don’t know. The closest thing we have to it in central Texas is the blackfoot daisy, Melampodium leucanthum, but it doesn’t grow in Mississippi. Perhaps you could find out from a biology teacher at a local college.
Yes – eventually I’ll run into someone who knows!
Such a pretty little wildflower. I love the white petals (or rays)…didn’t know all this interesting terminology. The bud is pretty too!
So glad you enjoyed!