Painted Tongue / Salpiglosis

Took this macro photo of a vibrant Painted Tongue flower at the Reader Rock Garden, on 24 June 2015 after a volunteer shift. It snowed overnight and it's still snowing this morning, 24 January 2015. After posting several wintry "white" photos the last day or two, I needed something bright and cheery to add to my photostream. As I type, the temperature is -2C (windchill -9C). Not bad at all for a mid-winter temperature in Calgary. Really feel for all those folks on the east coast, dealing with such a major snowstorm!

"This half-hardy, branching annual from Chile, growing about 2 ft. high, produces funnel-shaped flowers 2-1/2 in. long and wide, of velvety texture and in many colors, the interior of the blossoms being strikingly veined .... Salpiglossis belongs to the Nightshade Family. All cultivated sorts are of the species Salpiglossis sinuata or its var. superbissima, which is unbranching and therefore more upright or columnar."

www.plant-care.com/salpiglossis.html.