Botany Photo of the Day

This is today's photo from botany photo of the day. It looked interesting enough to share, so here you are. Botany Photo of the day is a daily email with a link to, duh, the daily botany photo. It's from University of British Columbia, I think. Kinda fun, if you enjoy that sort of thing.

Ruth has assembled today's entry. Ruth writes:

Thanks once again to Jim aka J.G. in S.F.@Flickr for sharing a photograph (original) with us via the Botany Photo of the Day Flickr Pool.

Ferraria crispa enjoys sandy soils, warm weather and walks on the beach (a perfect companion). Although this species is from South Africa, it has also found its way to Australia, where it has become naturalized. In both Australia and Africa it is predominantly a coastal plant. In Africa, it can be found from "Namaqualand and the northwest Cape to the southwest Cape, the southern Cape and the Little Karoo". In Australia, it is found from Perth to Cape Riche in "coastal heath, Agonis, tuart and Banksia woodland".

It is often referred to as black flag or flag lily. Flowers resemble arachnids (spiders and ilk) with their fringed edges and mottled petals. The succulent foliage is an identifying characteristic. Individual flowers don't last more than a few days each, and are noted for their ill scent -- they are fly pollinated.