Rareflower Heterocodon

Description

Western Pearl-flower is a slender annual with lax to erect, simple or sparingly branched stems that are 5-30 cm tall. The broadly spade-shaped, alternate leaves are up to 1 cm long, have toothed margins, and tend to clasp the stem. The foliage is glabrous, or there may be some short, stiff hairs on the stems and leaf margins. The single flowers are sessile in the axils of upper leaves, or bracts. Each flower has a calyx of 5 partly united, spreading-hairy, toothed lobes and a blue, 5-lobed corolla that is 3-6 mm long. Flowers on the lower are cleistogamous. The fruit is a short, broad capsule with numerous tiny seeds.