In my continuing project to photograph all different species of flowering plants on Flying Hat Ranchito during 2012-2013, I give you seven more Flowers of Flying Hat (32-38). Please correct my identification if I make an error, for I want my cataloging to be accurate.
32. Tall Coneflower, Rough Coneflower, Giant Coneflower (Rudbeckia grandiflora)
As the Tall Coneflower matures, it loses the green-gray cone, becoming brown. These are immature, but mature Tall Coneflowers erupt throughout the ranchito. These immature coneflowers suddenly sprang up after the last rain along a terracing ditch for stock ponds. The large spindle-like purple flowers in the background are horse mint, previously photographed.
No. 32 Family of Tall Coneflower
33. Texas Frogfruit, Turkey Tangle Fogfruit, Frogfruit (Verbena family), good nectar plant for butterflies, bees
No. 33 Sprawling Texas Frogfruit
This odd-named plant is a host to several larval: Phaon Crescentspot, Buckeye, and White Peacock butterflies. I find butterflies and bees abounding on its blossoms. The sprawl is located in front of my C&C livestock trailer and my Big Texas flatbed. It is flooded and dried by the sun, time and time again, and still remains robust and flowering. Frankly, I nearly passed over the blossoms for they are quite small — about 1/4 inch across –, but decided to go back this morning and photograph. Upon looking up its characteristics, I am impressed with its connections to bees, butterflies and larvae. I wish I knew how Frogfruit got its name. And it is Turkey Tangle Fogfruit, not Frogfruit, in case you are interested. Fogfruit, Frogfruit — what nomenclature our ancestors tagged on flora.
I can’t wait for someone to ask me down at the barn, What kind of plant is that?
My answer, Why don’t you know? Everyone knows that’s….
34. Tasajillo, Christmas Cactus, Christmas Cholla, Rat-tail Cactus, Pencil Cactus (Opuntia leptocaulis), edible fruit
If I have been stuck by this cactus once, then it is for sure at least a hundred times more over the years. I may have been bucked by a horse long ago into a bunch of these Christmas cacti. I have eaten the fruit carefully.
35. Coreopsis, Golden-Wave, Tickseed, Goldenmane Tickseed
I went down to the Grove this morning to see if the Wine Cups blossom in cooler temperatures — 70 F. The Wine Cups were gone, but these Goldenmane Tickseed had sprung up about the area where the Wine Cups had erupted. Fair enough, I think, for the soil is rich, the shade is cool by the creek, and there is room for several blossoming plants.
36. Soft Golden Aster (Chrysopsis pilosa)
37. Texas Thistle (Aster family)
38. Common Sunflower (Helianthus annuus, Aster family)
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Sage to Meadow 
That Frogfruit is some interesting stuff and it’s full name is an attention-getter!
Montucky: I have been around the flower for ten years now and never looked at it closely until I started this cataloging. Then, when I read about it, I went down this afternoon to see it, and, sure enough, bees and butterflies were more around it than the horse mint or Cut-leaf Daisy. I’m impressed with Fogfruit, Frogfruit (both applicable).
It really stumps me on how it could be called that.
Although your cone flowers look nothing like the ones we have in New England I can see the similarity in the way the flowers are shaped. Kind of cool a genus can be so diverse!
Maybe I have never noticed the Tall Coneflower before, but it is quite prolific about these parts. Last year there was the drought so hardly anything except the verbena rose. Not even sunflowers last year.
Yes, Bill, what a genius nature is. My cone flowers are unusual. I can’t ever remember seeing them before this year.
Jack,
The yellows in your photographs look bright in the morning sun. Very nicely done! There must be some interesting history behind a name like Turkey Tangle Frogfruit. Frogfruit would make a cool name for a part of your ranchito. Frogfruit Alleyway perhaps? Can’t you imagine a Frogfruit Saloon somewhere in Texas and a band that plays there called Turkey Tangle? My Mema used to keep Christmas cactus as a house plant, but it looked nothing like your prickly kind. Interesting.
Coincidentally, I was thinking the same thing about a band: Fogfruit, Frogfruit, Turkey Tangle? I never gave much attention to the sprawl of the Fogfruit, but yesterday, butterflies and bees were having a feast of Frogfruit. Go figure nature in all its variety.
Your Mema must have been a wonderful lady to have kept a house plant like that. Oh, yes, Frogfruit Saloon! Creative and local color for sure.
I love plant names, and reading your posts encourages me to re-familiarize myself with my native Minnesota plants. I love the name Turkey Tangle Fogfruit. It reminds me of my own personal favorite, thus far, the Round-leafed Buffalo Berry, of Utah. I think it’s the word ‘buffalo’ that secured its place in my memory.
Same here, the ‘turkey’ and ‘fogfruit.’ That secured a place for me too. You must have dozens of more native flowers on Lonewolf than I do.
Any idea what fogfruit is?
Yes, the buffalo would blaze its way into my memory too.
Sunflowers and thistles, thistles and sunflowers – that’s late spring in Texas! They’re beautiful, and make me smile. The common sunflowers and assorted kin are going wild here. I passed a large stand this morning down by a bayou that have to be six feet tall and sturdy as can be.
Did you see the eclipse? It was wonderful here – so amazing to see the moon “take a bite” from the sun!
No, I didn’t see the eclipse. Yes, late spring in Texas. Down by the bayou: that sounds so foreign to me up here in the bush.
All those pretty flowers, Still waiting here in DK for their family!
It’s sunshine here today after a long period with cold and rain – it’s the first summer’s day. Hurrah!
Speaking of sunshine I’ve got a Sunshine award for you, Jack, (See my post the other day). Maybe you’ve got a little space for it among your awards.
Grethe ´)
Thank you Grethe. I going to get over there now. Thank you so much. I sure am glad you are getting sunshine.
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Looking through the photos, I noticed #35, the coreopsis, which grows in our hayfield. I never heard it called by other names. Interesting.
In taking the time to examine what comes up in the field, I discover quite a few things. When I go to the field manuals, I discover all sorts of local names. Thank you for taking time to go through the pics.
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