Scientific Family
Polemoniaceae
Synonyms
Gilia bigelovii
Other common names
Bigelow's desert trumpet
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
8 inches
Riparian
No
This is an annual herb producing a thin stem. The inflorescence is a small array of white flowers with lobes just under 1/2 inch long. They are sometimes lavender-tinted and open in the evening.
Calyx lobes are united by a membrane to form a pseudotube. The corolla is 10 to 15 mm long without a stem with leaves or bracts nearby. Leaves are mostly smooth without basal pads.
Habitat
Sandy to rocky soils, dry washes, desert shrub land, dry mesas and slopes.
Plant Community
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
2000
High elevation
3500
Flower Characteristics
Flowers are white inside and tinged with purple or brown on the back. Petals appear to be joined by a membrane between the lobes forming a pseudo tube. The flowers are borne singly on stems arranged in flat-topped clusters (cymes).
Flower color
White to purple or brown
Flower shape
Bell-shaped
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
February
Last bloom month
May
Flower clusters
Rounded
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Stem is generally erect, branched from the base. Smooth leaves are mostly simple but sometimes have 3 lobes. Leaves can be alternate or opposite, pinnate or palmate, linear, oval, or spoon-shaped.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
None
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Seed capsule is cylindrical and oblong.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Brown
Tiny seeds are reddish-brown.