A photo I took recently of Brodiaea elegans with a honeybee: http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/… Brodiaea elegans is the last to flower of the Brodiaea-complex (Brodiaea, Triteleia, Dichelostemma) and incidentally has the largest flowers of the group in this area. Dichelostemma has the smallest flowers, but the most numerous per inflorescence, while Brodiaea flowers are few in comparison. Triteleia is somewhere inbetween. Interesting to me is the largest flowers in the group appear when there is the least rainfall, and perhaps the smaller flowers of Dichelostemma capitatum (the first to bloom) are least susceptible to collecting rainwater. The lack of rain in late spring and summer may have enabled B. elegans to have larger flowers by natural selection, while selective pressures may be responsible for keeping the flowers of D. capitatum relatively small. Travis Owen Rogue River, OR http://www.amateuranthecologist.com/ http://www.oldsolbees.com/ http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/
