Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Weedy annual with erect to slightly procumbent stems, 10-50 cm tall, stems terete to obscurely angled, herbage sparsely to moderately glandular-puberulent, darkening in drying, decumbent stems root at nodes.

Leaves: Opposite, lower leaves broadly oblanceolate or oblong-oblanceolate, 7-15 mm broad, 2-4.5 cm long, acute or obtuse at apex, slightly auriculate and clasping at base, serrate from apex two-thirds of way to base, upper leaves lance elliptic, 1.5-3 mm wide, 0.5-1.5 cm long serrulate.

Flowers: Solitary in axils on slender pedicels 1-6 mm long, puberulent with tack-shaped, glandular hairs, bracteoles linear, 2-3.5 mm long, 1-2 immediately below calyx, calyx 5-parted to base, sepals linear-lanceolate, subequal, 4-5 mm long, glandular puberulent, corolla funnel shaped, 8-10 mm long, bluish or purplish, tube yellowish, 4-8 mm long.

Fruits: Septicidally dehiscent capsule, broadly ovoid, 4-5 mm long, 2-4 valved.

Ecology: Found in wet soil along streams and along pools from 1,000-5,000 ft (305-1524 m); flowers March-October.

Notes: Distinctive with its glandular pubescent herbage, opposite leaves that narrow to linear cauline leaves and the funnel shaped bluish purple corolla.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Stemodia comes from Greek stemon, stamen, and dis, two, referring to the anthers, while durantifolia means with leaves like the genus Duranta.

Synonyms: Capraria durantifolia, Stemodia arizonica

Editor: SBuckley, 2010