Scientific Family
Rubiaceae
Synonyms
Hedyotis rubra, Oldenlandia rubra, Houstonia saxicola
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Perennial
Similar species
Houstonia wrightii
Height
3/4 inch to 4 inches
Riparian
No
Low-growing rounded perennial with a woody taproot; forms small dense clumps; flowers are 4-petaled and barely pop up above the foliage.
Low-growing plant forming small clumps, linear leaves, showy pink and white 4-petaled flowers just above the foliage. Distinguished from H. wrightii>/i> by its strongly ascending (upward-pointing) leaves and flowers being solitary in the nodes.
Habitat
Mesas, dry rocky hills, desert washes and areas of sandy soil. Found in pinyon-juniper woodland, rocky and sandy grasslands.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
4000
High elevation
6000
Flower Characteristics
Slender, usually pink, tubular flower 1/2 inch wide to 1 inch long which widens and flattens at the top into 4 spreading 1/4 inch petals.
Flower color
Pink, purplish, reddish, rose or white
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
April
Last bloom month
August
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Linear, thick leaves to 1 inch long that curl backward at the margins, densely packed on very short spreading stems.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Grayish-green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Fruit is a 2-chambered capsule, shaped like 2 spheres glued together side-by-side with thick walls 1/16 to 1/8 inch long and 1/16 to 1/4 inch wide.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Black
The capsule splits open to release several black saucer-shaped seeds that curve inward.