The red parts of the 'blooms' are actually the bracts of the plant; the blooms are the little pink petals.These, along with many other wild flowers, cover the meadows and roadsides all over Texas as well as many other states. 21 Apr 2000: Closeup of bracts and bloom of the Indian Paintbrush

Crimson Clover is not indigent to East Texas; The Texas Highway Dept planted Crimson Clover along the highways and at least one of my friends planted it in huge areas where a large highline ran across his acreage and around his stock pools. A beautiful picture. The blooms don't last very long, and these were taken late in the season so are nearly spent. April in Texas is really brightened by them.

The bloom on the bottom right is just past the bud phase so petals are not developed, then the bloom progresses on up to the one on top with nearly ripe seeds. The seeds are contained in the base of the little 'petals.' The seeds when dried can be ground to make a flour. Some people add a little clover seed flour to their bread flours to give added food value. If very much is added, it is suggested to add a little extra wheat gluten, too, so the bread will not be heavy.

Texas vervain is plentiful though not always easy to spot. The stems are quite slender and the blooms tiny, but they do have a charm.

I was experimenting with the scanner and came up with this accidentally but I thought it was rather interesting. : )