It’s time for another mystery flower!
The first picture is not the best shot from an aesthetic standpoint, but I like it because it shows how the plant creates homes for different types of insects. The center flower cluster has at least two bugs on it (see close-up) and there’s another on the stem. The lowest flower cluster also has some sort of fly, just barely discernible at this resolution. And look at the left edge of the picture. There’s a tantalizing glimpse of something brown hiding behind that cluster of leaves. Maybe it’s a dead flower. Or maybe it’s some beautiful winged insect. I wish I knew!
Can you guess the identity of Mystery Flower #5?
P.S. There is a sad story that goes with this mystery flower and also Mystery Thing #3, both of which lived in a sunny area alongside the walking path. They were recently taken by the Great Mower. I guess it was necessary, because the path needs to be open and safe for walkers like me, but it is still sad.
This is almost certainly a vetch. I think it may be cow vetch specifically, but there are at least 17 varieties of eastern vetches (according to one of my reference books), so who knows?