Nightjar has sent us flowers. Mondays are always better with flowers. Thanks, Nightjar.
Today I bring you another wildflower, I think it is Verbascum virgatum, also known as twiggy mullein or wand mullein. According to my field guide it should bloom from April to July, which last time I checked doesn’t include January, but I suspect that such information is no longer useful so I’m standing by this ID anyway. The photo was taken with my telephoto lens while I was looking for birds (with limited success).
©Nightjar, all rights reserved
So that was last weekend. I’m sure that by now this poor plant has regretted its decision to bloom, considering how windy and cold the weather became all of a sudden.
Hmm .. Twiggy Mullein :
http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/weeds_herbs_biennial_twiggy_mullein
is,sadly, an invasive weed locally for me. (Victorian website linked but same status here in SA.) One of the ones we remove from local national parks where its really dry but amazingly we are still seeing the odd plant or patch of plants flowering like the Bursaria spinosas (Xmas bush) Lobelia gibbosa* (Angled / Tall Lobelia / False Orchid) and even, despite now being on dry yellow stems, Arthropodium fimbriatum.** (Chocolate / Vanilla Lily -- summer flowering variety.)
That does look like the flower of one of those Twiggy Mulleins to me as well. Or maybe Great Mullein or another species in that class? Hmm .. Always thought it was “Verbena” not Verbascum as genus name so something new learnt there. Wonder if its another one that’s had its botanical name changed or just my memory?
* See : http://flora.sa.gov.au/cgi-bin/speciesfacts_display.cgi?form=speciesfacts&name=Lobelia_gibbosa
** See : https://www.anbg.gov.au/gnp/trainees-2016/arthropodium-fimbriatum.html