PLANT: Annual, 2-10 cm tall, much branched throughout; stems ascending to decumbent, glandular and short pilose.

LEAVES: lobes 3-5, linear, mucronate, 5-11 mm long, glabrous to short pubescent.

INFLORESCENCE: compact, the flowers in terminal, bracteate clusters.

FLOWERS: subsessile; calyx glandular, campanulate, 4-7 mm long, the lobes free to near the base; corolla diurnal, white to cream, the lobes white with purple flecks or streaks at the base; stamens inserted at the base of the tube; style slightly exserted. 2n=18.

NOTES: Washes, bajadas, desert shrublands and woodlands: La Paz, Maricopa, Mohave, Pima, Pinal, Yavapai, Yuma cos.; 270-900 m (900-3000 ft); Feb-May; s CA to sw UT.

REFERENCES: Dieter H. Wilken and J. Mark Porter, 2005, Vascular Plants of Arizona: Polemoniaceae. CANOTIA 1: 1-37.

Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Herbaceous annuals, to 10 cm tall, stems diffuse, ascending to decumbent and much-branched throughout, herbage glandular and short pilose.

Leaves: Opposite or (mostly) alternate, entire or with 3-9 linear lobes with mucronate tips, the lobes 6-10 mm long with glabrous to short pubescent surfaces.

Flowers: White to yellowish-green, or tinged and marked with purple, corollas 5-8 mm long, broadly campanulate with 5 petal-like lobes and a very short tube, the throats 4-6 mm in diameter, white or light yellow, the lobes white with purple flecks or streaks at the base, 2-3 mm long, calyx glandular, campanulate, 4-7 mm long, the lobes free to near the base, stamens inserted at the base of the tube, included or exserted, styles slightly exserted, flowers subsessile and borne in compact, terminal clusters subtended by leafy bracts.

Fruits: Obovoid capsules with 3-4 valves. Seeds 18-32, not gelatinous when wet.

Ecology: Found in desert sands, washes, bajadas, and in desert shrubland or woodland communities, from 900-5,500 ft (274-1676 m); flowering February-May.

Distribution: Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.

Notes: When in flower, the small white flowers are conspicuous, with inconspicuous stems and leaves, giving the impression of a small clump of flowers growing directly out of the ground. This flower blooms in the daytime.

Ethnobotany: Specific uses for this species are unknown, but other species in the genus have uses.

Synonyms: None

Editor: LCrumbacher2012