Scientific Family
Nyctaginaceae
Synonyms
Boerhavia torreyana
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Boerhavia coulteri
Height
8 to 28 inches
Riparian
Yes
Erect or ascending plant, sparsely branched, with leaves mostly in the basal half, with elongated clusters of tiny pinkish flowers.
Nearly identical to B. coulteri whose fruits have very broad ribs and narrow furrows between them, while the fruits of B. spicata have narrow ribs and wide furrows. The lower leaf surface of B. spicata is often dotted w/ brown glands.
Habitat
Sandy or rocky soils in Freemont cottonwood, ash, rabbitbrush, sand sage, mixed grass, and pinyon-juniper communities.
Plant Community
Riparian
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
2000
High elevation
6000
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
June
Last bloom month
December
Flower clusters
Elongated
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves opposite and mostly in the basal half of the plant, unequal in pair, oblong to ovate. Lower leaf surface often dotted with brown glands. Stems have sticky bands between the leaf nodes and between the stem nodes. Upper leaves subsessile.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruits are crowded and often overlapping. Club-shaped, less than 1/4 inch long, with 5 narrow ribs/ridges and open, wrinkled grooves/furrows between the ridges.
Fruit type
Achene
Fruit color
Yellowish, grayish or reddish