Deep red Indian Warrior (Pedicularis densiflora, Orobanchaceae) plants with flowers
Here are a pair of native Indian Warrior (Pedicularis densiflora) in the Orobanchaceae plant family growing along West Camino Cielo road today, no doubt lingering fire-followers from the Gap Fire back in 2009. It's hard to find the right exposure to photograph these "red, all too red" plants and flowers! This shot is a compromise between too-bright and too-dark. The flower heads are mostly leafy bracts with a few real flowers tucked in. If you look close, you can see the exerted pistils stuck out like little tongues and the stamens curled up inside the hood-like upper lip of the flowers. The foliage isn't always so dark red. These plants are root-parasites of several different chaparral shrubs, probably Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum, Rosaceae) in this place. (San Marcos Pass, 20 March 2016)
Deep red Indian Warrior (Pedicularis densiflora, Orobanchaceae) plants with flowers
Here are a pair of native Indian Warrior (Pedicularis densiflora) in the Orobanchaceae plant family growing along West Camino Cielo road today, no doubt lingering fire-followers from the Gap Fire back in 2009. It's hard to find the right exposure to photograph these "red, all too red" plants and flowers! This shot is a compromise between too-bright and too-dark. The flower heads are mostly leafy bracts with a few real flowers tucked in. If you look close, you can see the exerted pistils stuck out like little tongues and the stamens curled up inside the hood-like upper lip of the flowers. The foliage isn't always so dark red. These plants are root-parasites of several different chaparral shrubs, probably Chamise (Adenostoma fasciculatum, Rosaceae) in this place. (San Marcos Pass, 20 March 2016)