I was marvelling over the camas meadow on Mt Tolmie when a friend pointed out another wildflower. I’m so glad DL distracted me. The profusion of camas is beautiful, but so is this new discovery.
It’s only a single bloom… almost hidden in the tall meadow grass…
insignificant in comparison to the flamboyant camas.
But once I get close enough to look into the flower itself — I’m delighted.
It’s so pretty!
I love the colour…
the simplicity of the daisy-like, purple petals…
The extensions of the supporting bracts behind the petals suggest an explosion…
And the yellow pistles are the sparkle at the end of a fireworks display…
I don’t recognize this flower, but it really reminds me of the Yellow Salsify I noticed along a trail at Fairmont Hot Springs a few years ago…
They’ve gotta be related, right?
My trusty wildflower guide only lists the flower called Yellow Salsify.
(That’s what I saw near the hot springs…)
But the fine print in the description talks about a Purple Salsify – Bingo!
It’s a member of the aster family & related to a dandelion…
(That reminds me of the 4-inch wide Salsify seedhead that astounded me in Oregon near the Deschutes River. — It’s all coming together now! 🙂 )
Even though I’m not familiar with it, Purple Salsify is a fairly common biennial. Europeans farmed it during the middle ages:
- a carrot-like root,
- a substitute for potato,
- & a taste a bit like oysters. Hmmm… gourmet ????
In some circles, it’s considered an ornamental… that makes sense to me.
Others call it a weed. Good Grief!
I guess it’s all perspective.
-30-
Other Plants that might be considered a weed:
Garden Variety Life 
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