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February 27, 2022  |  By Ben Ivers

Cardinal Catchfly

Cardinal Catchfly Live

Cardinal Catchfly - IUCN Conservation Status: Varies

I took this shot with a 1/500th shutter speed

This is one of two photos from this month’s gallery that come from Big Bend National Park in Texas. This photo was taken on my first full day in the park. I was descending from the highest point in Big Bend National Park, which is also the highest point in the Chisos Mountain range, Emory Peak. What I love about this photo is the bokeh that leaves the flower as the sole focus of the photo. There is such clarity on the nearer half of the photo, that it draws in your eye to look at the acute details of this cardinal catchfly flower.

Red Clover

To take this photo, I had to make sure that there was little to no wind where I was taking the photo. The flower is only about an inch wide. When taking a photo of something so small and at such a close focus, you need to make sure that it is quite still. I was fortunate that there was great lighting for this photo. The sun was tucked behind the last bend in the mountain that we were coming down, and I was able to capture this with a shutter speed of 1/500th of a second. This kept me from needing a tripod to take such a clear photo.

Cardinal catchflies are also known as fringed Indian pink, cardinal catchfly, Mexican campion, Mexican-pink, and campion. The scientific name of this perennial herb is Silene laciniata. It belongs to the family Caryophyllaceae. This flower can be found in the southwestern United States from Texas to California, as well as in northern Mexico. It is typically found in hilly or mountainous areas. It can grow at elevations from 0 to 3,900 feet. It can be found in pine forests, as well as grassy slopes.

Texas Virgin's Bower

The cardinal catchfly gets the first half of its common name from the bright red flowers that appear on the flower. The second half of its common name comes from the sticky hairy glands on the stems and leaves. These occasionally leave small insects trapped on the plant. The plant grows a deep taproot. This root helps it to survive through dry summer months and through droughts.

There are sticky hair glands on the stems and leaves

There are five petals on a cardinal catchfly flower

This flowering herb has either one or many stems that can grow to be longer than three feet in height. The leaves on the plant are lance-shaped, 10 centimeters long, and 2 centimeters wide. There are smaller leaves that will grow on the upper parts of the plant. The flower of the cardinal catchfly has five petals. Each petal is deeply divided into 4 to 6 long, pointed loves. There are 3 parts to the pistil, and each flower has ten stamens.

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Article by Ben Ivers

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Matt Hamas and Ben Ivers here. We are focused on fostering a greater understanding and appreciation of the environment. We endeavor to bring you a unique perspective of the wild. Our photos are being placed here for you to enjoy. Please feel free to download any of the photos for your personal use. We are currently seeking partners for printing and developing photos.

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