The image shows a close-up of a small green plant growing out of a mound of red-brown dirt. The plant's leaves are covered in tiny white crystals that appear to be ice or frost but are actually likely dew drops.
The plant is a lupin (Lupinus texensis) seedling, which has been affected by fire ants. Fire ants are known for their ability to tunnel underground and create mounds of soil above ground. These mounds can provide an ideal environment for seeds to germinate and grow.
In this case, the lupin seedling has sprouted from the mound of dirt created by the fire ants. The red-brown color of the dirt suggests that it is rich in iron oxide or other minerals.
The image was taken at Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site in Texas on December 11, 2010. – AI vision
Plántula de lupino en una montaña de hormigas rojo-parda en el Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, 11 de diciembre del 2010. La imagen muestra un primer plano de una pequeña planta verde creciendo fuera de una montaña de tierra roja-parda oscura. Las hojas de la planta están cubiertas con minúsculos cristales blancos que parecen ser hielo o escarcha, pero en realidad es probable que sean gotas de rocío. La planta es una plántula de lupino (Lupinus texensis), que ha sido afectada por hormigas de fuego. Las hormigas de fuego son conocidas por su capacidad de hacer túneles bajo tierra y crear montañas de tierra por encima del suelo. Estos montículos pueden proporcionar un entorno ideal para que las semillas germinen y crezcan. En este caso, la plántula de lupino ha brotado desde la montaña de tierra creada por las hormigas de fuego. El color rojo-pardo de la tierra sugiere que es rica en óxido de hierro u otros minerales. La imagen se tomó en el Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site en Texas el 11 de diciembre del 2010. – Spanish translation
Similar(1): Bluebonnet (lupin) seedling in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, December 11, 2010
Similar(2): Emerging bluebonnet (lupin) seedling in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, December 11, 2010
Similar(3): Fire ants mound in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, March 19, 2010.
Similar(4): Flower buds of bluebonnet (lupin) in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, March 19, 2010.
Similar(5): Aster flowers on fire ant mound near a pond in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, December 27, 2013
Similar(6): Bluebonnet seedling near a pond in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, December 10, 2011
Similar(7): Fire ant mound on a sandy path in Washington-on-the-Brazos State Historic Site. Washington, Texas, October 4, 2021
Similar(8): Corn speedwell (Veronica arvensis) growing on a fire ant mound in ... Historic Site. Washington, Texas, March 6, 2022