Duration: Annual

Nativity: Native

Lifeform: Forb/Herb

General: Stems prostrate to procumbent, several from vase, 5-25 cm long, stigulose with finer hairs than most species.

Leaves: Linear to narrowly oblanceolate, .5-1.2 mm wide, 5-25 mm long, stiff hairs.

Flowers: Small, about 2 mm long, sepals elliptic-lanceolate or linear lanceolate, 1.5-2 mm long at anthesis, corolla white.

Fruits: 2 broadly margined nutlets, margins lacerate-toothed and deltoid teeth tipped with uncinate hairs, other 2 nutlets unmargined and somewhat reflexed, tuft of uncinate hairs distally.

Ecology: Found on arid, gravelly, sandy slopes, in valleys and washes and in disturbed areas below 5,000 ft (1524 m); flowers February-May.

Distribution: AZ, sw UT, se CA; south to n MEX (Sonora).

Notes: Distinguished from other Pectocarya spp. by the nutlets which are unequal in size on this species. Two of the nutlets are ascending and have conspicuous margins which can be entire or toothed; the other two nutlets are recurved and lack the conspicuous margin. Also this species has strongly asymmetric calyxes. Also look for the fruits near the base of the plant which are apparently from cleistogamous (self-fertilizing) flowers, as all four of the nutlets are recurved and lack the conspicuous margins.

Ethnobotany: Unknown

Etymology: Pectocarya from the Greek pectos, combed and karua, nut, while heterocarpa is from Greek heteros, different and karphos, a chip of wood, splinter, nail.

Synonyms: Pectocarya penicillata var. heterocarpa

Editor: SBuckley, 2010