Wildflower Series #3

Here is another set of wildflower photos taken over the past two weeks.  The first three were taken along the Silverbell Road/Ironwood National Monument area, and the last three were taken in the Buenos Aires NWR trip on Easter.

Ocotillo bloom

These brilliant red blossoms on the end of an ocotillo cane look like the end of a lit torch when viewed from a distance.  The imposing thorns and green foliage are also clearly seen here.  Ocotillo leaves only come out after periods of rain, and are quickly shed during drought conditions to help the plant conserve water.

AZ Jewel Flower

This attractive plant goes by other names, including Silverbells.  It is frequently found growing near or under larger scrub plants.

Mexican Poppy - yellow variant

This plant shows a rare variation - pale, creamy yellow flowers - that are a contrast to the much deeper yellow-orange normally seen.

Mexican poppy - white variant

This photo, taken in a field along the BANWR dirt road, shows an even lighter variation with a dark yellow throat.  A few of these were scattered amongst the abundant orange poppies.

Unidentified 

Also found in BANWR, these delightful flowers were frequently found alongside poppies.  None of the wildflower guides I consulted had photos I could identify as these flowers.

Godding's Vervain

These plants form eye-catching clumps along the side of the road.  This was along the dirt road in BANWR.