Violet Snapdragon
Nuttall's Snapdragon
Sairocarpus nuttallianus
(Antirrhinum nuttalliana)
Photographed in Rackensack Wash, Maricopa Co., Arizona. 22 March 2015. When I was taking this photograph I did not notice the stilt bug. These bugs are adapted to walking on sticky plants and may even prey on other bugs that have become trapped by glue!
ANNUAL: Weak-stemmed, spring annual growing usually amongst other plants
and rarely taller than 50 cm.
FLOWERS: Blooming April and May with small
(<12 mm), violet, two-lipped flowers ranged in a short, erect
spike. The calyx lobes are also densely sticky-haired. Four stamens.
LEAVES: Leaves are elliptic to linear and are covered with sticky, gland-tipped hairs.
Leaves on lower portions of stem are opposite while some higher on stem
are alternate.
RANGE: Mostly an obscure spring plant of riparian habitats in the
Sonoran Desert in Arizona. Ranges also into southern California and Baja,
Mexico.
FRUIT: Dry capsules splitting lengthwise releasing a dozen or more
seeds.
UNARMED