1 August 2018 — 1133 mdt
An attractive weed
Meet yellow goatsbeard (tragopogon dubius), aka yellow salsify, aka fistulous goatsbeard, a hardy weed that from a distance resembles a dandelion. The root, long and hairy, exudes a sticky white liquid. Goatsbeard, a great subject for photography, is both a pretty flower and a pretty big nuisance. These images are of goatsbeard in my backyard.
![salsify](~images_august_2018/salsify.jpg)
There usually are 13 green bracts behind the yellow petals.
![goatsbeard](~images_august_2018/goatsbeard.jpg)
The seed head. I photographed this specimen at the end of yesterday’s gloaming-.
![flash](~images_august_2018/flash.jpg)
Left, the goatsbeard. Right, the flash mounted on a small tripod.