Botanist's Lens: Fleeting petals, some of unsung and others of illustrious blossoms

'Snake's head', Fritillaria meleagris
Spring is full of blossoms that have their best foot forward after a long dormant year. For some, the beautiful blooms are rather fleeting fast. Some petals last for less than 48 hours, while others hang for a couple of weeks. Some flora are esteemed and known for their bold colors and shapes like Tulips and Magnolias, while some have dainty flowers, almost inconspicuous to the unobservant eye.

'Twinleaf', Jeffersonia meleagris
After waiting three long years, my lens finally captured the flower of Twinleaf, Jeffersonia diphylla. “ This rare and desirable native woodland perennial was named to honor Thomas Jefferson in 1792 by the "Father of American Botany," Benjamin Smith Barton” (https://www.monticello.org/…/in-bloom-at-monticel…/twinleaf/). Twinleaf as the name suggests, has two leaves and its petals last for less than 48 hrs at the most. Some of its habitats are diminishing and it is endangered in some areas in the wild.
