Twinberry

Menodora scabra

FRUIT: Each fruit consists of a fused pair of spherical capsules. Upon ripening the capsule tops pop off leaving the pair of lower half-spheres attached to the plant.

SHRUB: A low shrub, less than a meter tall; most stems and branches green-photosynthetic; barely woody at base.

FLOWERS: Five, yellow, sometimes orange-tinged petals; seven or more finger-like sepals; and two stamens attached to the corrolla tube. The 1cm wide blooms appear mostly in mid to late spring.

UNARMED. No thorns.

RANGE: A common plant above 400 m elevation but not conspicuous. It is a favorite forage for cattle and so tends to be quite scarce on overgrazed rangeland.

LEAVES: Leaves are alternate, elyptic with the apex acute. Short, stiff pubescence on leaves and young stems.

Oleaceae -- Olive Family

More Information:

• Jepson Manual
• USDA Plant Profile
• ITIS Taxonomic Report
• Firefly Forest (Tucson)
• Google Images
• Google Scholar Literature Search

When in full bloom, twinberry can be quite showy. This plant was blooming at a roadside north of Carefree, Arizona on Aug. 3, 2008.