Nashville breadroot, Pediomelum subacaule

Isn't this a beautiful little lupine? That was my first thought, and the intense color was very eye-catching. But when you get home and search Tennessee lupines, you don't get an answer. Try again! Maybe I spelled it wrong? Nope. There aren't any native lupines in Tennessee. As breadroots go, this doesn't look anything like the taller spindly breadroots from the West. But a thoughtful look would have revealed that the flowers are not really proportioned like lupines. These plants were growing in springy ground over limestone. Those occasional cedar glades of the area from Kentucky through the Nashville region to northern Alabama host a number of rare and interesting plants. Nashville breadroot only grows in those spots in AL, KY, and TN. Couchville Cedar Glades Preserve, Davidson Co TN, 4/19/22.