Desert Horse-purslane
Trianthema portulacastrum
Photographed in Phoenix, Arizona, USA in 12 Sept 2007. This photo is also hosted at Wikimedia where there are additional images of showy Aizoaceae.
The fruit is a capsule with a two-lobed crest.
The ruler is scaled in millimeters.
SUMMER ANNUAL: Fleshy, succulent stems grow nearly prostrate on the soil
spreading out up to a meter or more
depending on available water.
RANGE: A cosmopolitan plant growing usually as a weed in warm, irrigated
desert regions; it is considered native to North America.
LEAVES: Opposite on the stems with one leaf of each pair considerably
larger than the other.
FLOWERS: Small purple-pink flowers open ephemerally in the morning.
FRUIT: The capsules sport a bi-lobed crest and contain several seeds.
UNARMED.