I’m always taking photos of things that I have no idea of their identification. That was the case back in late June 2013 when I took this photo. A small plant with little flowers with, oh my, what a gorgeous color. As always, I came back to my cabin and opened up my books to solve the mystery. Turns out the mystery plant is Venus’ Looking Glass (Triodanis perfoliata).
From Canada to Argentina, this annual herb is native to North and South America.
The plants generally grow to be four to twelve inches tall without branching. The flowers are about one-half inch across.
Both the leaves and the stem contain a milky sap reminiscent of the stem of a dandelion. Along with the flowers that open and get pollinated in the normal fashion, the flowers on the bottom of the stem never open and self–pollinate. Seeds capsules develop from the ovaries of all the flowers, containing tiny wind dispersed seeds the color of mahogany and the shape of a lens.
Since that summer when I first found this plant I have occasionally seen Venus’ Looking Glass growing one or two at a time at the edges of my woods. A welcome addition to my woodland home.
