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This is false vanillaleaf, Carphephorus odoratissimus, var. subtropicanus. The inflorescence is much more diffuse than with the typical variety. It is said to have little vanilla aroma. It is sometimes called pineland pink.

Yesterday I mentioned Adelbert von Chamisso, and his sponsor for an around-the-world exploration in the 1820s, Count Nikolay Rumyantsev. The entemologist on the voyage was Adelbert's friend, Johann von Eschschotz. Naming things for each other almost seems to have become a game. There are numerous examples, but I have no images for any Chamissos. Here is Eschscholtzia californica, named by Chamosso for his friend. Memorialized by California's poppies!

Here's a closer look at that odd sunflower we visited last Wednesday, and looked at yesterday.

Out for a drive, and spotted this nice patch of sunflowers. Very small flowers for a sunflower. Could be be the very rare smallflower sunflower (H. microcephalus)? Of course not. Not sure what this is. The keys would tell us it's woodland sunflower. But that usually has larger flowers, smaller leaves, is about half this tall, and grows in more diffuse patches. Just individual variation? Or is it sick? Or could it be a hybrid?

Time out, or not! That day on the foray we stopped in a lakeside park for lunch. On a foray, you quickly forgive the box lunches. And then look for more plants! This herb Robert was growing among rocks there on the Lake Huron shore. It made a good shot out in the open in good light. These are mostly a woodland plant. So, St. Ignace is good company, box lunches, herb Robert, and Barry Pierson. He put St. Ignace on the map for me in one amazing afternoon in Ann Arbor.