|
|
 Leaves Arizona State University Vascular Plant Herbarium, Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial) |  Plant Desert Botanical Garden Herbarium, Usage Rights: CC BY-NC (Attribution-Non-Commercial) |  Fruit Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | | |
|
Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Annual or perennial
General Desc:
Plant has long hairs on the stems, leaves and flower stalks mixed with shorter glandular hairs and stiff, flat hairs. Cross-shaped yellow flowers grow singly from the upper leaf axils (between the leaf and stem). Often 1 bloom opens per day near sunset.
Identification notes: Annual, perennial, basal rosettes of leaves and stem leaves, hairs long, glandular; flowers in leaf axils towards stem ends, yellow, stigmas with 4 narrow lobes, open late afternoon; buds nodding; fruit round in cross-section; seeds in 2 rows per cell.
Height:
To about 30 inches
Habitat Description: Open woodlands, pine forests, moist places, streambanks, disturbed areas.
Plant Communities:
Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Montane Conifer Forest, Riparian, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 3500 - 9500 feet
Color:
Yellow, ages pinkish-orange
Shape:
Regular not in clusters
Tubular:
Y
Flowering Period:
May - Oct
Description:
Flower about 1-1/2 inches wide, 4 petals narrowing at base, forms a cross shape. Green leaf-like sepals are hairy, curve backward and are attached to a thin cup-shaped flower tube up to 2 inches long (hypanthium). Flower buds face downward.
Leaf Color:
Green
Leaf Type:
Simple
Leaf Shape:
Narrow
Leaf Margin:
Toothed
Leaf Attachment:
Basal and alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
Leaves and stems
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
Leaves grow in a circular pattern (rosette) at the plant base and alternately on the stem. Leaves are narrow, often lance-shaped, up to 3 inches long, often lined with irregular points (teeth) but at times may have a smooth margin.
Fruit Color: Green
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: The fruit is a green, elongated, cylinder-shaped, hairy capsule (round in cross-section) ranging from 1/2 to 1-1/2 inches long and 1/16 to 1/4 inch wide. Parallel lines or grooves run lengthwise around the surface of the fruit (striations).
Seed Notes: Numerous seeds are produced by the fruit. Each seed is light brown, about 1/16 inch long with evenly distributed indentations on its surface (pitted) often giving it a flecked appearance.
|
|
