Reflections

It wasn't a member of the snapdragon (beardstongue) family I was expecting when I started foraging in my Southwest desert wildflower book to identify this showy pink flowering plant.  Turns out,  it is penstemon palmeri, known by the common name Pink Wild Snapdragon.
 Despite a howling wind, the tall stalks supporting the blossoms stayed steady long enough to catch a photo. Growing nearby was a blue variety, though I'll admit I struck out when trying to pin down its exact name. The list in that color is formidable. 
I grew up gardening in the Midwest with snapdragons, albeit with shorter stalks than these wild relatives. The plants are popular annuals with gardeners in that climate because they bloom much of the summer season. Still, finding these plants thriving in the arid Sonoran landscape came as a pleasant surprise. And as a diehard weaver, I also found it interesting that the name this variety is a mixture of Latin [penta or "five"] and Greek [stemon meaning "warp, thread", the same origin as"stamen", the pollen producing part of a flower].