Gomphrena haageana Klotzsch

About Gomphrena haageana Klotzsch

Gomphrena haageana Klotzsch is a perennial herb with tuberous roots. It grows erect to a height of 20–70 cm (8–28 in), and ranges from simple to much-branched. Its stems and branches are subround, striped, and covered in moderate to thin appressed hairs. It produces red flower heads that resemble strawberries. Its leaves are narrowly inverted-lanceshaped to linear-oblong, measuring 3 cm–8 cm × 0.3 cm–1 cm (1+1⁄8 in–3+1⁄8 in × 1⁄8 in–3⁄8 in). Leaf tips range from pointed to rather blunt, ending in a small point, and leaf bases narrow gradually. Both leaf surfaces have rather thin appressed hairs. The pair of leaves that subtend the branch-end inflorescence are stalkless, lanceshaped-ovate, and long-tapering. Flower heads are stalkless and sit above the uppermost pair of leaves. They are initially spherical, 2–2.5 cm (3⁄4–1 in) in diameter, and may eventually become shortly cylindrical, reaching up to about 6 cm (2+1⁄2 in) in length. Bracts are about 6 mm long, narrowly deltoid-ovate, somewhat plicate, and mucronate, with a shortly excurrent midrib. Bracteoles are strongly compressed and boat-shaped, measuring about 10–15 mm (3⁄8–9⁄16 in), and mucronate. They bear an almost complete crest matching that found on Gomphrena globosa, but the crest is generally wider and more deeply toothed. This species is native to Texas and Mexico.