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 Plant Frankie Coburn @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) |  Leaves Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | | | |
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Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Annual
General Desc:
Smooth stems branch from upper nodes, growing into a tall, loosely formed slightly stinky-smelling plant. Flowers are round showy clusters which have a fuzzy appearance.
Identification notes: Large, upright annual, topped with clusters of showy, pink-purple, 4-petaled flowers and long, slender, dangling seed pods. Alternate leaves have 3 leaflets. Unbranched to branched above. Herbage has an odd, somewhat unpleasant smell.
Height:
2 to 4 feet
Habitat Description: Found in open fields, roadsides, and other moist disturbed habitats, especially abundant at higher elevations during the late summer monsoons.
Plant Communities:
Riparian, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 4500 - 9000 feet
Color:
Pinkish, purplish or white
Shape:
Irregular in round clusters
Tubular:
Y
Flowering Period:
Jun - Sep
Description:
Flowers in terminal elongated, somewhat rounded clusters 2 to 10 inches long; flowers slightly asymmetric; petals pushed to 1 side of flower; 4 sepals with minutely toothed margins; 4 petals; 6 stamens with purple filaments.
Leaf Color:
Green
Leaf Type:
Compound
Leaf Shape:
Palmate
Leaf Margin:
Smooth
Leaf Attachment:
Alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
No
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
Lower leaves have long stems; upper leaves short or nearly no stem; blades compound with 3 distinct, lance-shaped or inversely lance-shaped leaflets, 3/4 to 3 inches long and 1/5 to 2/3 inch wide; margins not toothed.
Fruit Color: Gray to black
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: Capsules linear to oblong, 3/4 to 2-3/4 inches long, slightly constricted between the seeds and loosely hanging on long small stalks.
Seed Notes: Many black or gray mottled, ovoid seeds, about 1-1/2 inches long.
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