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.
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.
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
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