flowers

This somewhat insignificant inflorescence of the Telosma cordata vine makes up for its lack of showiness with a delightful fragrance. The tiny flowers create an elegant multi-strand lei that keeps its wearer well-perfumed. I hoped to capture the subtle yellows and greens, and provide a close-up view of these often-hidden faces. Enjoy!

This particular blossom has so far eluded my identification abilities. Taken midsummer in Montana, in a shaded woodland. The Violaceae family has many members, and this one surely has a name: if you can help me label it accurately, I'll send you a print for free! That's heads-up to Rick.

This Lupinus has been tricky to pin down- very likely a Russell hybrid. Anyhow, the colors of this inflorescence on an overcast day were so vivid, I was compelled to take the shot. Wind and lack of tripod resulted in this softened image- which I think shifts the emphasis to the saturation and hues nicely. Lupins, as the rest of the "English" speaking world calls them, have quite a family tree. Check it out on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lupin

Hibiscus tiliaceus, known as Hau in Hawaiian, has many useful applications, least of which is as a subject for my lense.  But I have always been amazed at the huge color shift that only takes an afternoon, when bright yellow petals become dark orange, and the forrest floor is transformed into a Persian carpet for the night.  This somewhat tattered blossom struck me with its elegance, and is now immortalized on several Velvia slides.
 

Another agapanthus inflorescence, or umbelliform cyme(also just umbel) as it is properly known, shown in its entirety this time.  As you see, it posed patiently while I waited for the clouds to let the sun shine through my window(the stem was promptly reunited with the pitcher of water once successfully captured.)  Once the buds pop out of the sepal's protective embrace, it becomes difficult to capture the individual flowers, plus, this intermediary stage displays such a vivid juxtaposition of purple and green.  For a clear list of the many patterns in which flowers arrange themselves:

Of water's many forms, a morning shower is one of the most magical, when the air is cool and clear, and colors are unadulterated.  The curving stems of these agapanthus buds shifting in and out of focus provided the perfect place to position my lense, and celebrate those tiny sparkling prisms of liquid.  As you can tell from the multiple images, I love the lines and colors of this flower, which is not surprising, since its name is a combination of the Greek for "love" and "flower."