Salsify's (tragopogon pratensis) eight long sepals taper to points beyond purple ray-florets (petals); yellow pollen displays on dark-purple anthers.
A few miles South of Colchester, Essex, England, towards the end of May until the beginning of July, mauve or purple-headed Salsify (tragopogon pratensis), actually an oyster-flavoured root vegetable, appear along a section of a towpath beside the River Colne at the village of Rowhedge. The tall plant forms star-like flower heads, some 50 to 80mm wide (two to three inches). They open early in the dawn’s light but, like the similar, yet smaller, yellow-headed Goat’s-Beard, they are ready to close by early afternoon. Eight long sepals taper to points and reach beyond the purple ray-florets (petals). Yellow pollen stands out clearly at the stigma tips of a ring of dark-purple anthers for visiting insects to collect as they seek out the plant’s nectar. Their large seed head balls are giant versions of Dandelion ‘clocks’.
Size: 5616px × 3744px
Location: Rowhedge, Colchester, United Kingdom
Photo credit: © David Davies / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
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