Scientific Family
Nyctaginaceae
Synonyms
Allionia craterimorpha, Allionia incarnata var. nudata
Other common names
windmills
pink three-flower
allionia
trailing four o'clock
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Height
Trailing 1 to 5 feet long
Riparian
No
A ground hugging trailing plant with brilliant deep pink flowers. It blooms after rain in all but the coldest weather. Stems and leaves are sticky.
Perennial with sprawling hairy stems. Leaves opposite, hairy and oval, lower surfaces paler than upper, leaf stalks shorter than leaves, margins sometimes wavy and whitish to reddish. Pinkish-purple flowers born in tight clusters of 3 in leaf axils.
Habitat
Found in sandy or rocky soil.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
0
High elevation
6000
Flower Characteristics
3 irregular flowers are so close together they appear as one simple (regular) flower up to 1 inch wide with a magenta and yellow center. Flowers are found in leaf axils.
Flower color
Pinkish-purple
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
No
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
November
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves sometimes have wavy margins, are sticky and hairy and often covered with sand. The leaf color is dull green on the upper surface and gray beneath. Tips are usually pointed, edges smooth or wavy. Pairs of leaves are unequal in size.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Dull green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Inner side 3-nerved and the margins often with 3-5 broad, incurved teeth.
Fruit type
Achene