Purple Bladderpod
Rose Bladderpod
Lesquerella purpurea
Photographed in a ravine near Tortilla Flat, Maricopa Co., Arizona. March 2009.
PERENNIAL HERB: Tall, often spindly, spring perennial mostly in shady ravines. Most
plants are less than ½ meter
tall. Above ground portion is herbaceous and dies as summer heat begins.
FRUIT: A spherical pod on a slim peduncle. The pod has two chambers and
there are usu. a few seeds in each chamber.
FLOWERS: Four relatively large, lily-white petals fade rather quickly to
rose and then purple color as the flower wilts. subtended by four green sepals.
Six stamens of two sizes. Flowers March and April.
RANGE: Mid and upper elevations in the eastern portions Sonoran Desert
generally in canyons that are partially shaded by trees or cliffs. Also ranges
into the Chuhuahuan Desert of New Mexico and Texas.
LEAVES: Elyptic leaves are alternate on stems and are crowded towards
the base. Leaves and stems have stellate
hairs that give a silvery appearance and a granular texture.
UNARMED