First Bloodroot flower to Open

Please click on this one to get a better view. Bloodroot flower, March 27, 2006. I saw this same flower ten days before (see above), when it was just a tiny bud--the first and only bud that I could find that day. This flower has probably been blooming for at least a couple days, based on the condition of its stamen and pistil. (See below for a pristine, freshly opened flower.) I like the way this image shows the pollen scattered all over the petals. Pollinators can be messy!