I remember seeing snake herb flowers (Dyschoriste linearis) at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center years ago. I don't recall ever seeing any in the wild till this spring, when I've come across the species at least three times. Either it's having a good year or my eyes have opened. To give you a sense of scale, let me add that snake herb flowers range from about 3/4 of an inch (18mm) to an inch (25mm) across. The picture above is from Allen Park on May 15th. I'd found the bud below in Liberty Hill on May 6th.

And here's an unrelated quotation for today: "One of the most treacherous forms of censorship is self-censorship—where walls are built around the imagination and often raised from fear of attack." You're welcome to read the full article about PEN International, the 100-year-old organization that upholds writers' freedom and works against censorship.

In a poll of 2000 people in the United States in mid-2020, 62% of respondents said the political climate prevents them from sharing their political views. After all that has ensued in the year since then, I suspect the percent of self-censorers is higher now.

© 2021 Steven Schwartzman

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