Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Wildflowers of Ainsworth: Carrion Flower

Carrion flower blossoms
(Click on images to enlarge)

"Carrion flower" is a name applied to several different flowers that smell like decaying flesh. This is Smilax herbacea and it has been growing right here in my field for years. The flowers are green; those cream-colored things are just the stamens.

I did smell the blossoms — I can't say that decaying flesh was what immediately came to mind, but they didn't smell particularly nice. Supposedly the foul scent lures flies and scavenging beetles, which are good for pollinating.

Here's the vine itself, bearing tendrils and arching over the other wildflowers and grasses in its usual way.

Carrion flower vine

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