One of the very few Latin species names I know by heart is Mirabilis multiflora.1 This is because, even though I don’t actually know Latin, I nonetheless understand that it perfectly describes one of my favorite wildflowers, desert four o’clocks.
I can guess that multiflora means multiple flowers. And to me, mirabilis sounds a lot like miraculous, which they most certainly are. In actuality, mirabilis means “marvelous, astonishing, or amazing,” which is an even more accurate description.2
Four o’clocks don’t open until late in the afternoon, hence their common name. I often see them in the morning, right before they close.
This summer was the first time I’ve ever seen them growing amongst other flowers. In this instance, they were growing with DYCs3 called goldenweed. I love the way the yellow four o’clock anthers echo the yellow of the goldenweed, and vice versa.
I don’t see desert four o’clocks in the Sandia foothills every year. When they do appear, it’s usually spring or late summer — very seldom both. This year they bloomed in the spring, went away, then came back in July. Not only are they still blooming, another species of four o’clocks, which I’ve rarely seen, has shown up in the foothills as well. More to come.
The other Latin species names I know are Callophrys mcfarlandi and Sequoia sempervirens.
Both mirabilis and miraculous incorporate a Spanish word I understand: Mira. Mira means “look!” — which is impossible not to do when you come across these stunning flowers.
DYC is short for “Damn Yellow Composite.” I learned this term very early in my study of wildflowers, and it’s long been a catch-all for every yellow composite I can’t identify, i.e., most of them. It’s only in the last year or two that I’ve started learning their specific names.
I grew giant 4 o'clocks in the 90's in Placitas... glorious flowers - my mother loved them :) thanks for the memory
Wow! Living in NM for 71 years and I've never seen those! Beautiful photos, as usual, Lisa!