May Flowers!!

It is May here in Arizona, and the flowering of all sorts of plants is going on with fervor.  Though I have never been good at naming more than the basic flowers, I am developing some better skills at it.

Orange Globe Mallow - Sphaeralcea munroana

Like, I know this photo of the orange flowers is likely to be an Orange Globe Mallow plant. The mallow leaves are fuzzy, and the color of the flower usually shows off the variation, if any.

Engelmann Prickly Piear - Opuntia engelmannii

And the prickly pear cactus are blooming, too.  Notice the flower on the left, and the remnants of another flower to the right of it coming off the same piece of cactus.  I want to identify this as an Engelmann Prickly Pear cactus, for its short white spines spread out sparsely on the pads, and its yellow flower with no red inside/at base.  However, this was taken from a roadside pullover on Hwy 88 west of Apache Junction, so, more wildlife than at a park had their teeth chewing into the overall cactus, and its shape was harder to verify.

Silverleaf Nightshade - Solanum elaeagnifolium

And this deadly little beauty I determined to be Silverleaf Nightshade, complete with little ripened fruits seen at the bottom right corner.  This variety grows in the desert and upland, and the prickly weed is common in highly disturbed areas, like the park it was seen in.  And yes, it is toxic if eaten.

Yerba Mansa - Anemopsis californica

Or perhaps, you like the calm but boring Yerba Mansa.  Yerba Mansa grows in alkaline wetlands and is a native plant of Arizona.  It also grows in parts of Nevada and California.  It produces long runners bearing new leaves and roots, so you notice them in large 'clumps' of growth.  Apparently, this plant was used by Native Americans as an herbal tea.  The name 'yerba mansa' means "herb of the tamed Indians" (per wikipedia).

At any rate, it is wonderful to see flowers.  Though it is not quite the relief after winter colorlessness that it is up north, the spring season is a breath of fresh air and new beauty.  Now if it would just rain. :)