Marianne has a Sidewalk Wonder answer.

PHOTO BY ELEANOR TAUBER

Remember the Sidewalk Wonder featured the other day that had the pale purple flowers?

I wondered what it was.

Unfortunately, though hawkwatching at The Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine is a more quiet serene experience than that found at the Hawkbench, it does has it's inconveniences. And one of them is the lack of someone always at hand that may well have the answer to most any nature question that might enter your mind. One of these amazing founts of information is Maryanne Girards. So the other day, I was not only happy to see her on a visit to St. John's, I was also able to ask her my botany question.

Just what is that plant in Eleanor's photo with the little pale purple blossoms?

Maryanne's reply-

The flower in question is the COMMOM MALLOW 'Malva neglecta' {quoted from Peterson's Field Guide]. It is one of the Cheeses and a food plant for the COMMON CHECKERED SKIPPER.

(Pyrgus communis, by the way. Does anyone happen to have a photo of it that could be posted? D.B.)