#lopseed

[thebashfulbotanist]

Phryma leptostachya, lopseed, is a strange little plant. It’s the only plant in its genus, and at this point placed in the family Phyrmaceae, along with monkeyflowers. For a long time, botanists weren’t sure where to put it. Although it’s native and pretty common in eastern and midwestern woodlands and forests in North America, it’s also weirdly enough native to Asia (sometimes these are considered separate species, but it’s not certain if they actually are). Despite its huge range, lopseed isn’t really used by people in any way. It’s a fun find in the forest nonetheless! 

[usgsbiml]

A sneaky little woodland plant.  Unusual in that it blooms in the summer in the woods, its flowers are small and there must be some complex relationship with the sun for this species to eke out a living in the shade, exploiting gaps, disturbance, treefall and that sort of thing,   It has flowers, but they are quite modest.  Bees visit, but the literature makes it seem that this is infrequent and that there is self-pollination going on too.  More study.  Specimen and picture by Helen Lowe Metzman.  Phryma leptostachya. Lopseed

[hisj]

#Phryma_leptostachya subsp. asiatica #lopseed #ハエドクソウ (総社緑地) https://www.instagram.com/p/CEOVPOYpFcI/?igshid=1r6ljww34j5tf

[hisj]

_Ypthima argus_ #ヒメウラナミジャノメ #satyr #grayring #butterfly _Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica_ #ハエドクソウ #lopseed (赤城乗馬クラブ)

[hisj]

_Episyrphus balteatus_ #ホソヒラタアブ #hoverfly _Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica_ #ハエドクソウ #lopseed (総社緑地公園)

[hisj]

_Ypthima argus_ #ヒメウラナミジャノメ #grayling #satyr #butterfly _Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica_ #ハエドクソウ #lopseed (総社緑地公園)

[hisj]

Kinesthetic Afterimage _Daimio tethys_ #ダイミョウセセリ #butterfly #lopseed _Phryma leptostachya subsp. asiatica_ #ハエドクソウ 今日の失敗作から。ハエドクソウは林縁の日陰に生えている。木漏れ日が風で移ろい、被写体よりも背景が極端に明るくなったりするので露出の設定が難しい。その前に手ブレや被写体ブレもあるし、先ずもって蚊に刺される。蚊取り線香類いを使えば良いと思う人がいるかもしれないが、それは問題外。ここでの目的は蚊がハエドクソウの花蜜を吸うところの撮影にある。今日は実現しなかった。 (総社緑地公園)