Scientific Family
Campanulaceae
Synonyms
Legouzia perfoliata, Specularia perfoliata, Triodanis biflora, T. perfoliata var. biflora, T. perfoliata var. perfoliata
Other common names
clasping bellwort
roundleaved triodanis
common Venus looking-glass
Plant type
Forbs and Subshrubs
Origin
Native
Lifecycle
Annual
Similar species
Triodanis leptocarpa
Height
About 1-1/2 feet
Riparian
No
Erect annual often unbranched or with a few long branches. Slender stems and oval to heart-shaped leaves have soft to bristly hairs. 1 to 3 stemless, purple, funnel-shaped flowers grow between the leaf and stem (leaf axils) all along the plant stalk.
Slender stemmed annuals; stems erect; leaves all along the stems, diminish in size upward becoming bract-like, oval to somewhat heart-shaped, clasp stem at base; purple to bluish-purple flowers single or in clusters of 2 or 3 in leaf axils, not stemmed.
Habitat
Found in dry, sandy, gravelly soil in open woodland clearings, grassy slopes, on hillsides, under shrubs, in the shade of rocks as well as along railroad tracks, uncultivated fields and along roadsides.
Plant Community
Pinyon Juniper Woodlands
Montane Conifer Forest
Interior Chaparral
Disturbed Areas
Low elevation
5100
High elevation
8500
Flower Characteristics
Flowers single or in clusters of 2 or 3 in leaf axils; 2 kinds of flowers, lower, smaller ones don't open, upper, larger ones showy, 1/2 inch wide, 5 oval petals fused at the base. Below each bloom are 5 (often) leaf-like sepals shorter than the petals.
Flower color
Purple to bluish-purple
Flower shape
Regular
Tubular
Yes
First bloom month
June
Last bloom month
July
Flower clusters
Other
Leaf and Stem Characteristics
Leaves are up to 1 inch long, egg to heart-shaped, stalkless and usually clasping the stem at the base. Leaves often have stiff hairs but the upper leaves may be hairless. Leaves are mostly alternate but a pair of opposite leaves appears at the stem top.
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf color
Light green
Leaf shape
Round or oval
Leaf margin
Toothed
Leaves clasp
Yes
Leaf hairs
Leaves & stems
Spines
No
Fruit and Seed Characteristics
Oblong-oval fruit has 2 or 3 sections, is 3/8 inch long with 5 (often) leaf-like sepals spreading out at its tip. As the fruit ripens, a hole (pore) develops in the middle of each section enabling the mature capsule to split open and release the seeds.
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit color
Reddish-brown
Seeds are numerous, brown to reddish-brown, plump, tiny, less than 1/16 inch long, oval to lens-shaped and shiny with a smooth or bumpy surface.