 EPOD - a service of USRA

The Earth Science Picture of the Day (EPOD) highlights the diverse processes
and phenomena which shape our planet and our lives. EPOD will collect and
archive photos, imagery, graphics, and artwork with short explanatory
captions and links exemplifying features within the Earth system. The
community is invited to contribute digital imagery, short captions and
relevant links.


 White-mouth Dayflower in Bloom

   September 06, 2021

    Menashe_White-mouth_dayflower

    Menashe_white-mouth_dayflower2

   Photographer:  Menashe Davidson

   Summary Author:  Menashe Davidson

   You can only be amazed while watching the marvelous white-mouth
   dayflower ( Commelina erecta) during blooming (top photo). These
   ephemeral flowers (perennial herb) only bloom for half a day, from
   about sunrise until noon, but there are many buds on the plant that
   will open in the following days.

   Commelina erecta is native to much of the world but may be considered
   invasive in some areas. The root pattern is  rhizomatous with
   underground stems sending roots and shoots everywhere along their
   length. But these defects, from the gardening point of view, weren’t
   sufficient to deter me from domesticating them in my home garden in
   Rishon LeZion, Israel.

   The name “white-mouth” likely results from the flower structure – two
   earlike, lovely blue petals and a lower small white petal between and
   below the others. The placement of the tiny white petal gives the
   appearance of a small, white mouth.  Stamens are long, quite curved
   and pale purple, while pistils are bright yellow and conspicuous
   (bottom photo). It’s a profuse bloomer and may remain in near constant
   half-day flowering throughout the season. The white-mouth dayflower is
   a beautifully designed flower!  Click here to see a video of
   Commelina erecta during its morning bloom.
     * Rishon LeZion, Israel Coordinates: 31.9730, 34.7925

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Plant Links

     *  Discover Life
     *  Tree Encyclopedia
     *  What are Phytoplankton?
     *  Encyclopedia of Life - What is a Plant?
     *  USDA Plants Database
     *  University of Texas Native Plant Database
     *  Plants in Motion
     *  What Tree is It?

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   Earth Science Picture of the Day is a service of the  Universities
   Space Research Association.

https://epod.usra.edu
 
