Anulocaulis annulatus
Encyclopedia
Anulocaulis annulatus is a species of flowering plant in the four o'clock family
known by the common name valley ringstem. It is endemic to the Mojave Desert
of California
, especially in the vicinity of Death Valley
. This is a perennial herb growing a number of thin, erect stems sometimes exceeding a meter in height from a thick caudex
.
The smooth stems have darkened internodes at intervals which are glandular and sticky. The leaves are mostly located at the base of the plant. Each has a short petiole and a thick, bumpy blade up to 10 centimeters wide. The leaf is coated in large, stiff hairs with glandular bases. The branching inflorescence
bears clusters of very hairy, tubular flowers. Each flower is just under a centimeter long with a greenish throat and a striped pink face. The fruit is a small, hard body about half a centimeter long.
Nyctaginaceae
Nyctaginaceae, the Four O'Clock Family, is a family of around 33 genera and 290 species of flowering plants, widely distributed in tropical and subtropical regions, with a few representatives in temperate regions...
known by the common name valley ringstem. It is endemic to the Mojave Desert
Mojave Desert
The Mojave Desert occupies a significant portion of southeastern California and smaller parts of central California, southern Nevada, southwestern Utah and northwestern Arizona, in the United States...
of California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, especially in the vicinity of Death Valley
Death Valley
Death Valley is a desert valley located in Eastern California. Situated within the Mojave Desert, it features the lowest, driest, and hottest locations in North America. Badwater, a basin located in Death Valley, is the specific location of the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below...
. This is a perennial herb growing a number of thin, erect stems sometimes exceeding a meter in height from a thick caudex
Caudex
A caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
.
The smooth stems have darkened internodes at intervals which are glandular and sticky. The leaves are mostly located at the base of the plant. Each has a short petiole and a thick, bumpy blade up to 10 centimeters wide. The leaf is coated in large, stiff hairs with glandular bases. The branching inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
bears clusters of very hairy, tubular flowers. Each flower is just under a centimeter long with a greenish throat and a striped pink face. The fruit is a small, hard body about half a centimeter long.