Desert Fivespot

Description

Eremalche rotundifolia is an annual plant growing to 8-60 cm tall, with rounded leaves 1.5-6 cm broad with a toothed margin.The flowers are dark-pink to lilac with five overlapping petals, each with a dark red/purple spot near the base. When fully open the petals are slightly in-curved, giving the flower a nearly spherical shape. The center contains a ring of light pink stigmas around a group of smaller pink stamens.The leave are round and green with a covering of short bristly hairs, while the red/brown stems have similar but longer hairs. Stems are usually unbranched.Petals close at night, reopening the next morning, and the leaves move during the day to receive the maximum amount of sunlight.