Sand Pygmy-weed
Crassula connata
syn. (Tillaea erecta)
Photographed near Robbins Butte, Maricopa Co., Arizona. 08 March 2008. A higher resolution photograph has been added to Wikimedia Commons. The ink pen is for scale comparison.
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Shallow pans where water collects temporarily can become covered with hundreds of these minute plants. Superior, Pinal Co., Arizona. 12 March 2017.
ANNUAL: Minute, succulent herb grows in patches along desert washes
after spring and summer rains. Soon changes from green to coral red.
LEAVES: Leaves are paired at each node and are joined across the stem,
i.e. they are perfoliate.
RANGE: Fairly common in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona and Mexico,
however its very small size may leave it unnoticed.
FRUIT: Dry several-seeded capsules encircled by winged bracts.
FLOWERS: Several small flowers clustered at each leaf node. Greenish-red
with four sepals and four petals.
UNARMED. Without spines/thorns.
Crassulaceae -- Stonecrop Family
More Information:
- Southwest Environmental Information Network
- USDA Plant Profile
- ITIS Taxonomic Report
- Google Images
- Google Scholar Literature Search
