Scientific Family
Molluginaceae
Other common names
slender carpet weed
wire-stemmed chickweed
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Introduced
Lifecycle
Annual
Height
1 to 6 inches
Riparian
No
Tiny, erect and slender-stemmed summer annual. Plants are much branched with erect or ascending stems.
Two species in Yavapai County. These plants are not succulent. This species has erect or ascending stems and linear leaves.
Habitat
Found in dry sandy soils and open woodlands.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Interior Chaparral
Grasslands
Disturbed Areas
Desert Scrub
Low elevation
1300
High elevation
7600
Flower Characteristics
Minute, inconspicuous petal-like sepals are produced in whorls on thread-like stalks arising at the leaf axils. Each flower consists of sepals, not petals. Blooms follow summer rainfall.
Flower color
Green with white margins
Flower shape
Inconspicuous
Tubular
No
First bloom month
August
Last bloom month
October
Flower clusters
None
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
4 to 10 linear leaves arise in whorls at nodes along the stems.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Green
Leaf shape
Narrow
Leaf margin
Smooth
Leaves clasp
No
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
3-valved, tiny round capsule.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Brown
Many seeds which can be net-veined, ridged, or smooth.