Wine Cup

Callirhoe involucrata
Mallow Family - Malvaceae

This Texas Wildflower blooms from February to July.  A distant relative of this bloom is used to make marshmallows.  You will also see these blooms in white.  
A legend from India describes the origin of the Wine cup, aptly named for its cup-shaped, violet blooms. There was once a great ruler, well loved by his people for his wisdom and kindness. He became very ill, and the doctors feared he would die. The dying king asked his servant Ivan to perform one of the country's favorite dances, the "Dance of the Wine Cup", in which the performer balanced a goblet of wine on his hand. Ivan rejoiced that he could do something to please the king and determined to dance as never before. He refused to stop until he finally stumbled from exhaustion. The fragile goblet shattered, splattering the wine far and wide. Ivan was distressed, but the king told him that the energy he had put into the dance had restored his master's strength. The next morning, the people were astonished to see the palace lawn dotted with a new flower, of a rich, red-wine color, in the shape of the goblet that had broken.

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