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 Bracts and flower Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) |  Leaf Patrick Alexander @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) |  Flower spike Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) |  Buds Max Licher @http://swbiodiversity.org, Usage Rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) | | |
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Origin:
Native
Life Cycle:
Annual Similar Species: Gaura coccinea
General Desc:
Annual herb with a stout taproot, usually well-branched at the base and above. Flowers are pinkish and borne on tall, slender flower spikes. This plant can can be difficult to spot unless it is blooming.
Identification notes: Very similar to Gaura coccinea but primarily distinguished by its fruits being smooth, widest near the base, & strongly 4-ribbed throughout. Basal leaves, when present, tend to be larger, 4 to 10 cm long, and the margins more dentate.
Height:
39 inches
Habitat Description: In summer this plant can be found in ponderosa woodlands through much of Arizona. It also is found in drier, lower habitats such as grasslands, meadows, oak woodlands or disturbed areas.
Plant Communities:
Interior Chaparral, Semidesert Grasslands, Pinyon Juniper Woodland, Montane Conifer Forest, Disturbed Areas
Elevation: 3500 - 8500 feet
Color:
Pink and white
Shape:
Irregular in elongated clusters
Tubular:
N
Flowering Period:
Apr - Oct
Description:
The small flowers are borne on tall, slender flower spikes. The individual flowers have 3 or 4 bright pink and white, often twisted petals, 3 or 4 pinkish, reflexed sepals, and an elongated pistil.
Leaf Color:
Green
Leaf Type:
Simple
Leaf Shape:
Narrow
Leaf Margin:
Toothed
Leaf Attachment:
Alternate
Leaves Clasp:
N
Hairs:
Leaves and stems
Spines:
N
Leaf Description:
The leaves and stems are green and hairy. Leaves are alternate, elliptic to lanceolate (narrow oval shape tapering to a point at each end), with widely-spaced teeth.
Fruit Color: Brown
Fruit Type: Capsule
Fruit Notes: Seed capsule is smooth and oval, with four distinct ribs, and widest at the base.
Seed Notes: There are 3 seeds per capsule. Seeds are ovoid, usually flattened on one or several sides by crowding in the fruit, and yellowish to reddish-brown in color.
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