Mallow, photo by Harold Davis. View this photograph larger.

I have a weakness for mallows. Not because the plant supplies the mucilage in marshmallows—or, it least, did before the dawn of this synthetic age—and marshmallows are so sweet. Although marshmallows toasted on an open fire on a fragrant Pacific beach on a windy night would be a good reason, come to think of it.

No, I’ve come to love the variety of the mallow flower, its wonderful colors, translucency, and complex center a/k/a the flower’s sexual organs.

The photo above is handheld using a Vibration Reduction zoom lens with an extension tube. The closer-in macro below I took roughly a month ago with a conventional tripod and macro setup.

View this photograph larger. Here’s the original story about this photo.