Flowering Pleiospilos Nelii

These are very cool plants to start with (family Aizoaceae), but I was in the greenhouse at 8 p.m. last night after a workshop about photographing plants. This plant was “in flower” and the flower was wide open! Unfortunately, the photos I made last night were not very good — http://phytoimages.siu.edu/imgs/paraman1/r/Aizoaceae_Pleiospilos_nelii_74841.html
I was experimenting with what I learned at the workshop (“Plant Photography”) and light was fading inside the greenhouse — so I was excited to go back today. Unfortunately, the flowers don’t open until mid-afternoon, so this is all I was able to get today, but I still like it.

PlantzAfrica says “Pleiospilos nelii is an intriguing little succulent and one of the best examples of mimicry,” http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantnop/pleiospilosnelii.htm

Photo taken at SIUC Plant Biology Greenhouse, http://www.plantbiology.siu.edu/facilities/plant-biology-facilities/greenhouse/index.php

Species page at PhytoImages, http://phytoimages.siu.edu/cgi-bin/dol/dol_terminal.pl?taxon_name=Pleiospilos_nelii&rank=binomial

One year ago (“Boston!”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2012-07-17
Two years ago (“Some things never take a vacation…”): http://365project.org/rhoing/365/2011-07-17

[Carl Dry]

Beautiful.

[Rick Schies]

Actually it looks like a tadpole sitting on top of the plant

[Thom Mitchell]

@digitalrn I see that, Rick! Interesting interpretation!