Kingdom Plantae Family Boraginaceae Scientific name Plagiobothrys arizonicus | Order (unplaced) Genus Plagiobothrys Rank Species | |
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Similar Plagiobothrys acanthocarpus, Cryptantha pterocarya, Plagiobothrys canescens, Plagiobothrys, Pectocarya platycarpa | ||
Plagiobothrys arizonicus is a species of flowering plant in the borage family known by the common name Arizona popcornflower.
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Distribution
The plant is native to the southwestern United States, California, and Sonora (Mexico). It is a common wildflower in many types of mountain, Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert, and California chaparral and woodland habitats.
Description
Plagiobothrys arizonicus is an annual herb with a spreading or erect stem 10 to 40 centimeters in length. The leaves are located in a basal rosette about the stem, with smaller ones along the length of the stem. The plant is coated in long, rough, sharp hairs. The herbage leaks a staining purple juice when crushed.
The inflorescence is a series of regular bracts and tiny flowers, each five-lobed white corolla less than 3 millimeters wide. The paired nutlets are arch-shaped and not prickly.