Boerhavia erecta

Common Name: Erect Spiderling
Oˊodham Name: Makkom Ha Jeweḍ (Makkom Ha Jewedt)
Group: Annuals － Desert

Description

Boerhavia erecta is an annual that grows on sandy flats at 2000 to 4000 feet elevation. The plant remains dormant underground as a large tap root during the entire year outside the monsoon season. After the fist rains, it erupts and quickly grows into a sparse spray of upwardly angled yellow-green to light pink stems sparsely covered with erect, fine hairs and leaves formed in pairs. The plant may reach a total spread of about 3 feet wide and 2 feet tall. Leaves are dull medium green, oblong to ovate, with smooth to wavy margins and the underside covered by very short, fine hairs. Clusters of tiny white to pinkish flowers are formed on racemes. The tiny fruit are about 4mm long and clavate (club shaped), 5-angled with ridges along their length.

Classification

Kingdom Plantae － Plants

Subkingdom Tracheobionta － Vascular plants

Superdivision Spermatophyta － Seed plants

Division Magnoliophyta － Flowering plants

Class Magnoliopsida － Dicotyledons

Subclass Caryophillidae

Order Caryophillales

Family Nyctaginaceae － Four o'clock family

Genus Boerhavia L. － spiderling

Species Boerhavia erecta L. － erect spiderling

More Information

USDA Plant Profile and Map
Flora of North America