Plants annual. Stems decumbent to ascending, often widely spreading, much branched in large plants, forming large, loose mats, elongate, usually with reddish tinge, glandular-pubescent to long viscid-villous. Leaves: petiole 0.5-5 cm; blade deltate-ovate to ovate or elliptic, 1-5 × 1-4.5 cm, margins entire to sinuate and ± undulate, adaxial surface glabrous or glandular-pubescent, abaxial surface glandular-pubescent. Inflorescences: peduncle longer than subtending petiole; bracts lanceolate to lance-ovate, 2.5-11 × 1-3 mm, papery, viscid-villous; flowers 15-35. Perianth: tube pink, 10-35 mm, limb usually magenta, with light eyespot, rarely white, 6-18 mm diam. Fruits usually winged, ± obdeltate in profile, 5-10 × 4-15 mm, indurate, ± rugose-veined, sometimes inconspicuously so; wings 3-5, not folded, without dilations, thin, truncate distally, equaling or extending slightly beyond conic apex of fruit body, interior spongy.

Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Plants annual. Stems decumbent to ascending, often widely spreading, much branched in large plants, forming large, loose mats, elongate, usually with reddish tinge, glandular-pubescent to long viscid-villous.

Leaves: Leaves: petiole 0.5-5 cm; blade deltate-ovate to ovate or elliptic, 1-5 1-4.5 cm, margins entire to sinuate and - undulate, adaxial surface glabrous or glandular-pubescent, abaxial surface glandular-pubescent.

Flowers: Inflorescences: peduncle longer than subtending petiole; bracts lanceolate to lance-ovate, 2.5-11 1-3 mm, papery, viscid-villous; flowers 15-35. Perianth: tube pink, 10-35 mm, limb usually magenta, with light eyespot, rarely white, 6-18 mm diam.

Fruits: Fruits usually winged, - obdeltate in profile, 5-10 4-15 mm, indurate, - rugose-veined, sometimes inconspicuously so; wings 3-5, not folded, without dilations, thin, truncate distally, equaling or extending slightly beyond conic apex of fruit body, inte

Ecology: Found in sandy soils, in creosote sage-scrub, and chaparral; 0-2000 m; flowers year-round.

Distribution: Ariz., Calif., Nev., Utah; nw Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)

Notes: Var. villosa has perianth tube 10-20 mm, limb seldom more than 15 mm diam. Fruits 5-8 mm, strongly rugose veined, often appearing pitted. Var. aurita, of conservation concern, has longer perianth tube 20-35 mm, wider limbs often more than 15 mm diam. Fruits larger, 6-10 mm, inconspicuously rugose veined, not appearing pitted

Editor: pasted from FNA