Las Cruces, NM (Zone 8a) | September 2006 | positive
Native perennial herb of the hills and flats in arid grasslands and deserts. A member of the pea family. USDA shows plant distribution in...Read More Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona. Leaves divided into two leaflets (one pair) and only two flowers in each stalked axillary cluster, with no flowers borne at the tip of the stems. Fine fuzzy texture to leaves. Blooms often nod slightly towards ground. Not the showiest bloomer, but foliage is pleasing. In my area the bloom time centers mainly around the rainy season (July-September), but it may bloom earlier depending on rainfall.
Flowers: 1/2" (1.5 cm) wide; sepals 5, narrow; petals 5, round, upper petal forward of others; stamens 10, brown, upper 3 very small. Leaves: Leaflets 3/4-2" (2-5 cm) long. Fruit: Hairy pod, 3/4-1 1/2" (2-4 cm) long. Height: 4-16" (10-40 cm).
Formerly placed in the large genus Cassia, many species of which are trees or shrubs, found primarily throughout the world's tropics; recent studies indicate that Twinleaf belongs in the genus Senna.
Native perennial herb of the hills and flats in arid grasslands and deserts. A member of the pea family. USDA shows plant distribution in...Read More