About Plagiobothrys arizonicus (A.Gray) Greene ex A.Gray
Plagiobothrys arizonicus is an annual herb that produces a spreading or erect stem ranging from 10 to 40 centimeters long. Its leaves grow in a basal rosette around the stem, with smaller leaves occurring along the full length of the stem. The entire plant is covered in long, rough, sharp hairs. When crushed, the leafy and stem tissue releases a purple juice that stains surfaces. The inflorescence is made up of a series of regularly arranged bracts and tiny flowers; each flower has a five-lobed white corolla that is less than 3 millimeters wide. The paired nutlets produced by this species are arch-shaped and lack prickles. This plant is native to the southwestern United States, California, and Sonora, Mexico. It is a common wildflower found across many types of habitats including mountain areas, the Mojave Desert, the Sonoran Desert, California chaparral, and California woodlands.
