Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis)

While lying on the ground photographing the Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria) from this post, I moved the camera to the left to focus on another set of blooms, and instead found the tiny hearts of Squirrel Corn (Dicentra canadensis). Yeah! I was hoping to find this plant this year because I had never photographed it. With the Dutchman's Breeches in full bloom, this flower had not yet reached its peak and was still showing the green of a new blossom instead of the white it would eventually show (this weekend when I was on the trail, the Squirrel Corn blossoms were white, while all the Dutchman's Breeches were gone. It was as if tiny wood fairies had come along and taken all the wash down!). As I focused in closer, little drops of condensation collecting in the corolla captured my attention. At first I assumed they were dew drops coating the outside of the plant, but after studying them, I could see they glistened inside the plant! "Hmmm...what is that?" went through my mind. Not knowing anything about the structure of the plant, I wondered if nectar had dripped down to the translucent tissue, but when I got home, I did a little research and learned nectar was stored in the rounded spurs at the top of the "heart," so my next guess was condensation. An email to Jim McCormac (thanks, Jim!) confirmed condensation...there is always something new to learn...and marvel at!

Condensation collects at the base of the corolla in a Dicentra canadensis blossom.

...tiny drops of water trapped inside the corolla glisten and sparkle, adding to the charm of the little heart.

Squirrel Corn, Dicentra canadensis, is a native perennial related to the cultivated Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis) we often grow in our gardens.

As the sun struck the plant, the tiny water droplets glowed through the translucent tissue.

...the little corn "niblets" that give Squirrel Corn its name. These little yellow bulblets or tubers really do like look like pieces of corn. I brushed aside the leaf litter to check it out...and had to laugh when I saw them!