Annual herb with a stout taproot, usually well-branched at the base and above. Flowers are pinkish and borne on tall, slender flower spikes. This plant can can be difficult to spot unless it is blooming.
Very similar to Gaura coccinea but primarily distinguished by its fruits being smooth, widest near the base, & strongly 4-ribbed throughout. Basal leaves, when present, tend to be larger, 4 to 10 cm long, and the margins more dentate.
Habitat
In summer this plant can be found in ponderosa woodlands through much of Arizona. It also is found in drier, lower habitats such as grasslands, meadows, oak woodlands or disturbed areas.
Flower Characteristics
The small flowers are borne on tall, slender flower spikes. The individual flowers have 3 or 4 bright pink and white, often twisted petals, 3 or 4 pinkish, reflexed sepals, and an elongated pistil.
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
The leaves and stems are green and hairy. Leaves are alternate, elliptic to lanceolate (narrow oval shape tapering to a point at each end), with widely-spaced teeth.
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Seed capsule is smooth and oval, with four distinct ribs, and widest at the base.
There are 3 seeds per capsule. Seeds are ovoid, usually flattened on one or several sides by crowding in the fruit, and yellowish to reddish-brown in color.