Friendly Flowers

Salmonberry

Rosaceae (Rose Family)

Rubus spectabilis

I never considered this flower to be very photogenic but I got a really nice shot today. I think this is the prettiest picture I've gotten of this flower in two years.

Large-flowered Bittercress

Cruciferae (Mustard Family)

Cardamine pulcherrima

This is an awfully small flower to be called "large-flowered" but I guess it is pretty large compared to other flowers in the Mustard family. I think it is cool because of the rose colored veins in its petals.  I read that the veins are like a road map for insects leading them to the nectar. 

Heart-Leaved Springbeauty

Portulacaceae (Purslane Family)

Claytonia cordifolia

I get this flower confused with the Candy Flower (a.k.a. Siberian Miner's-Lettuce) but I think I've got it all cleared up now. The significant difference is the notched petals. This plant grows along the sides of trails where its wet and sunny. The more that sprout up, the more I smile while strolling down the trail.

Bleeding Heart

Fumariaceae (Bleeding Heart Family)

Dicentra formosa

This is my favorite plant of them all!! The leaves are everywhere and the blooms are sprouting all over McLane Creek. There's a lovely example of a bloom below. It is not the biggest, most obvious bloom in the forest floor but it is one of the most unique. 

Seed dispersal is done by the mighty ant. The seeds will develop in a pod and protrude from the opening until they burst out. These are tiny, glossy, black bead-like seeds. They are glossy because of a special coating that attracts the ants who store them and then forget about them. What a system!