Georgia O'Keefe flower

[urbpan]

This almost nsfw flower belongs to a native North American climbing legume called Apios americana. Both the seeds and tubers were eaten by Native Americans. I was astonished to discover it while doing my 365 urban species project, partly because it was blooming so late in the year (October) and partly because I assumed (since it was an urban plant growing in a waste area) that it was an alien or even invasive. This group was growing on the Phragmites on the Boston side of the Riverway near Landmark Center.

On this day in 365 Urban Species: Black nightshade.