I set out yesterday morning with the hopes of finding some Fringed Polygala in Lawrence Swamp’s pine woods here in town. Not a sign of them although I have found some on this date in May in the past. But I did find plenty of Wild Oats-Uvularia sessilifolia which is nothing to complain about.
Their drooping tendency makes getting a shot of the inner flower a bit difficult, they are only about 10″ tall, and I got this by lying on my side with the tripod splayed flat and a position slightly lower than the flower. Fortunately it was a fairly breezeless morning.
Aka Spreading Bellwort, Straw Lily, Merrybells, Sessile-leaf Bellwort, and Sessile Bellwort these were once thought to be a sore throat remedy because of their resemblance when a closed bud to a uvula…that funny thingie hanging at the top of your throat and thus the Latin genus Uvularia.
About Steve Gingold
I am a Nature Photographer with interests in all things related. Water, flowers, insects and fungi are my main interests but I am happy to photograph wildlife and landscapes and all other of Nature's subjects.
Stephen Gingold Nature Photography Blog 
Merrybells is a lovely name that suits the lovely flower. Wonderful photo achieved with considerable effort, so good on you!!! Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks, Liz. I don’t mind getting down and dirty, as long as it doesn’t come with ticks. 🙂
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A realy awesome shot Steve !
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Thank you, Rudi!
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Having tried a time or a few dozen to photograph the underside of hanging flowers, you have my admiration. The clarity of the striations in both the leaves and flower is especially noticeable, and attractive.
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You just gave me an idea: how about putting a mirror under the hanging flower and taking a picture of the mirrored image?
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I wonder if the reflected light would be a problem? It’s certainly worth trying. The flower that always comes to mind is the purple leatherflower. There’s a lot going on inside those blooms, and most of it remains hidden.
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It might work at a certain angle to eliminate the reflection. Worth trying sometime.
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What I did not but probably should have done was employ my iPhone. I have used it upside down on several occasions but did not think to do so yesterday.
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Several times in close quarters I’ve found my iPhone more convenient to wield than my “real” camera.
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Thanks. You might also admire my successful struggles to get up from the ground. I used the live view zoomed preview to be sure the details of the petals and stigma were there and then made sure they stood out in processing.
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They say that if you lie down with dogs you get up with fleas. You lay down with a tripod and got up with a good picture. I’d noticed the genus name Uvularia and speculated about resemblance to a uvula.
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What they also say is that if you lie down with flowers you may get up with ticks.
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Over here it’s mostly chiggers rather than ticks.
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Nothing to complain about indeed! Especially when you create such an elegant photo of this lovely Uvularia. Here we have U. grandiflora which in my opinion, isn’t so grand. It creates a rather messy impression, unlike this tidy jewel of a plant.
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I have yet to come across U. grandiflora but we do have it here. If I ever do I’ll let you know if ours are as messy as yours.
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I expect it will be. 🙂
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So lovely in its simplicity… another woodland favorite!
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Thanks, Eliza. They are always a delight to find.
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The great and rare perspective of an amazing flower! The effort of lying down on your side paid off. A good picture is worth a few contortions.
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Thanks, Peter. I am always happy to whatever it takes, within reason at my age, to get the shot.
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Elegant, Steve!
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Thanks, Ellen!
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Nothing to complain about, indeed. A very worthwhile find. Your positioning was perfect for a fantastic composition with a great background that really helps the flower stand out.
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Ordinarily I don’t want the sky in an image like this but it was captured muted enough with diffusing branches to actually be of benefit, I think. Thanks, Todd!
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Your hard work and awkward position was worth it–that’s a gorgeous shot!
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Thank you, Tina. The image was the best part of the adventure but no ticks was a close runner-up. 🙂
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Beautiful photo, Steve!
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Thank you, Belinda!
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A beautiful find, capture and composition!
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Thank you, Denise. There were a bunch of them just hanging around. 🙂
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Beautiful Image Steve!
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Thanks, Reed!
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Such a lovely image, Steve. I’m glad you got down there! I didn’t see many of these and we don’t have any of this family in the west. I like them. The simplicity of the leaves and flowers reminds me of Solomon’s seal and similar plants. Elegant.
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Thanks, Lynn. Despite my joking, getting down for the shot isn’t that great a struggle…or getting up. My Solomon Seal is just now flowering so I’ll have to get down again. 🙂
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Cool! I have a relative (blanking on which one now) in a pot that will be flowering in a week or so, looking forward to it. And looking forward to seeing a photo of yours.
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