Scientific Family
Nyctaginaceae
Synonyms
Senkenbergia coulteri
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual or perennial
Similar species
Boerhavia spicata
Height
8 to 60 inches
Riparian
Yes
One of the most common Boerhavia in Arizona. Erect or decumbent-ascending (reclines along the ground and then ascends) plant with mostly basal leaves and a sticky inflorescence of tiny white to pale pink flowers.
Nearly identical to B. spicata. The fruits have very broad ribs and narrow furrows between them, while the fruits of B. spicata have narrow ribs and wide furrows & lower leaf surface of B. spicata is often dotted with brown glands.
Habitat
Roadsides and dry plains. Sandy, rocky or disturbed soil. Frequently flooded terraces, floodplains and stream banks.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
500
High elevation
5000
Flower Characteristics
Tiny 5-petaled flowers in elongated, branched clusters that mature from the bottom upwards. Bracts deciduous, much less than half as long as the fruits.
Flower color
White to pinkish
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
July
Last bloom month
November
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Basal leaves are triangular, stem leaves narrower. Leaves dark green above, lighter green beneath, with reddish margin often wavy or rippled. Leaves and stems both very hairy. Pinkish stems.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green with reddish margins
Leaf shape
Triangular
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruits with 5 broad ribs/ridges and very narrow, nearly closed grooves/furrows between the ridges. Fruits are 4-22 per elongated cluster (spike), remotely spaced or overlapped by 1to 100% of their length.
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit color
Yellow to reddish-brown