Venus's Looking Glass Purple Wildflower Postcard

Small Venus's Looking Glass, or Triodanis biflora, occurs from southeastern Virginia to Glorida and west to the Pacific Coast. It is considered to be a member of the Bellflower family (Campanulaceae), This dark purple flower is native to the Americas and blooms from May to August in Shenandoah National Park. Rather than having its opening flowers at the center like the regular Venus's Looking Glass (Triodanis perfoliata), the Small Venus's Looking Glass flowers bloom at the top of the stem. The genus name, from the Greek treis (three) and odous (tooth), alludes to the three lobes of the calyx in many of the non-opening flowers. These wildflowers grow in dry woods, fields, and weedy sites.