Skeletonweed: Lygodesmia juncea

Tiny skeletonweed flowers were just starting to bloom when we were in Grasslands National Park last summer. These prairie wildflowers are so small, they appear almost magical, floating on slim green stems above sand and stones. They have leaves, yes, but all but the lower leaves are very tiny.

In Wildflowers Across the Prairies, Vance and Jowsey describe this plant as a "jungle of bare, rigid, tough stems, topped by a few flower heads."

The colours I saw were pale lavender and pink. Apparently the main flowering time is August.

Close-up of Skeletonweed flower 

Skeletonweed plant tangled with other wildflowers

Prairie Wildflower: Skeletonweed (Lygodesmia juncea) 
Where: Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan. 

Photo Date:  Close-up: July 27, 2011; plant, July 29, 2011. 

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