INSULTED BY A COMMON FLOWER

At first I thought it was just matter of moving the plant to a sunnier spot.

No matter what, Ruellia nudiflora refused to bloom. So I did some research:

FULL ARTICLE:

http://www.academia.edu/3690773/Extreme_variation_in_the_reproductive_phenology_of_the_weed_Ruellia_nudiflora

I found out that this particular species of plant has both chasmogamous and cleistogamous flowers. 

Of course they do! Duh....why didn't I know this already. (just joking)

To put this in plain English, this little Ruellia has a secret: when grown under happy conditions, it decides to burst forth in lovely purple flowers (open-pollinated/chasmogamous flowers).

But when grown under STRESSFUL conditions, it decides to self-pollinate inside the seed capsule with no need for external flowers (cleistogamous, non-opening flowers...BORING!).

Since it seems to do this ALL the time in MY GARDEN, Ms. Ruellia nudiflora has declared to the world that living in my garden is somehow stressful!

This common little weed thinks my garden is...

STRESSFUL?!? 

I'm so hurt and so confused.

I've given all my plants a helping hand each time they've needed it.

I try not to monkey around with their environment.

I dream about giving them a happy home....

...and plenty of proper light.

I thought we were a big, happy family.

My other Ruellias are happy. This is Katie Ruellia. She looks happy. Doesn't she?

This is Ruellia brittoniana 'Chi chi'.  Is she happy? I think so. I'm so filled with self-doubt that I'm no longer sure of anything.

This is Ruellia 'Blue Shades'. It's not totally happy since it just got transplanted. But at least it's blooming.

I don't know the name of this Ruellia, but it pops up everywhere and seems to think my garden is a wonderful place. 

This shade-loving Ruellia will have purple flowers later in the season...as long as it remains...happy.

As of this morning I'm happy to report that one of the many Ruellia nudifloras  in my garden has finally bloomed.

I guess my garden is now a happy place...even to Ms. R. nudiflora.

Thank-you, Ms. Ruellia.

I'm no longer filled with self-doubt.

*************

That's it for today. Hope you have a happy garden &

thanks for stopping by.

David/:0) 

NOTE: The museum images are from my visits to the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston and the 

Art Museum of Southeast Texas in Beaumont.