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Thamnosma texana – Dutchman's breeches

 

Names

Scientific Name: Thamnosma texana

Synonym: Rutosma purpurea

Common Names: Dutchman's breeches

Characteristics

Duration: Perennial

Growth Habit: Herb/Forb

Arizona Native Status: Native

Habitat: Rocky desert slopes and mesas, 2,000 to 5,000 feet

Flower Color: White, yellow, purple

Flowering Season: Spring to early summer

Height:up to 1 foot

Description: a low, aromatic, perennial herb with a woody base, thin stems, and narrow, linear leaves. The flowers are small, 1/8 to 3/16 inch wide, arranged along the upper half of the stems. They are yellow in the eastern part of the plant’s range, purple in the west. The fruit is a 2 or 3-lobed capsule with an inflated appearance, thus the name Dutchman’s breeches. The entire plant is covered with aromatic nodules that release fragrance when crushed.

Special Characteristics

This plant is a larval host and nectar source for the black swallowtail butterfly.

Classification

Order: Sapindales
Family: Rutaceae

SOURCES:

University of Austin, Lady Bird Johnson wildflower center
wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=THTE2

Western New Mexico University Department of Natural Sciences:
wnmu.edu/academic/nspages/gilaflora/thamnosma_texana.html

Kearney, T. H. and R. H. Peebles. 1960. Arizona Flora. Los Angeles: University of California Press.

 

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