Moss-rose, Happy Hour Mix / Portulaca grandiflora

This is a telemacro shot of a flower that was maybe an inch and a half across. Photographed at the Calgary Zoo on 29 September 2015. It was growing with several others of various colours.

"Moss rose, Portulaca grandiflora, is a drought and heat tolerant annual native to hot, dry plains in Argentina, southern Brazil, and Uruguay. This herbaceous plant in the purslane family (Portulacaceae) is cultivated throughout the world as a garden annual for its showy flowers that bloom all summer long with little care.

Moss rose is a semi-succulent plant that stores water in its fleshy leaves and stems .... The saucer-shaped, rose-like flowers are produced on the stem tips, held facing up above the foliage, opening from buds that resemble little popcorn kernels. They are only open in bright sunlight, closing at night and on cloudy days, but most of the newer hybrids will remain open throughout the day.

The ‘Happy Hour’ series comes in 8 vivid colors with tropical names like banana, coconut, lemon, orange and rosita. The plant has large, double blooms." From The Wisconsin Master Gardener Program website.

wimastergardener.org/?q=MossRose

On 29 September 2015, I had set my alarm clock for 6:30 am so that I could go on a birding walk with friends. Unfortunately, I didn't read the e-mail carefully enough, so hadn't seen that the meeting place was not where I thought. Of course, no one else showed up where I was, so I took myself off to the Calgary Zoo instead. I had planned on going there after the walk, anyway. This may have been the last time I go to the Zoo until next spring, as they have closed "my" parking lot at the west entrance till April next year. The north entrance is way out of my driving comfort zone, especially the drive back home. One of my favourite things at the Zoo is the butterfly room, but the season is over till around next April.