Desert calico

Description

Loeseliastrum matthewsii�is an annual�herbaceous plant�of the�Polemoniaceae�family known by the common name�desert calico. It is native to the�Mojave�and�Sonoran Deserts�of western North America, where it is relatively common. It is a small plant with alternately arranged leaves, each up to 4 centimeters long and edged with bristle-tipped teeth. The flower is white, lavender, and purple streaked with a maroon arch over a white patch on each of the upper lobes.