Small Coastal Germandar
Teucrium cubense
In poorly drained clay soil and in the shade of velvet mesquite. Vekol Valley, Maricopa Co., Arizona. 28 March 2015.
HERB: A diminutive plant in the Sonoran Desert, rarely more than
30 cm tall. Several weak stems from base.
LEAVES: The lower leaves are larger and may have a few lobes.
FLOWERS: Pale blue flowers.
UNARMED.
RANGE: Southwestern USA and Mexico.
The cluster of small insects in the photo were African Cluster Bugs (Agonoscelis puberula), an accidentally introduced insect that has a preference for plants in the mint family. Observation of their impact on this mostly obscure, but not necessarily insignificant, plant should be continued.